The consumer electronics (CE) market is a bright spot for 1394, a high-speed serial bus specification, also called Firewire or i.Link, that is battling with competing technologies in several markets, reports In-Stat. 1394a has increasing penetration in digital television, set top box, and portable digital audio player markets. The CE segment is forecast to be roughly equal to the PC segment in 2005 unit shipments, and will move well past it in 2006. The prospects for the technology in the computer market will be mixed. "PCs will be driven by the notebook category," says Brian O'Rourke, In-Stat analyst. "1394 will also grow in consumer desktops, but remain nearly non-existent in commercial desktops. Overall, PC peripheral growth will be negative, as high-speed USB dominates the segment." Report highlights include: The 1394c specification is close to completion. It is an attempt to jump-start 1394 as a networking technology, where it has had trouble gaining acceptance. Devices with Wireless 1394, a specification to transmit 1394 wirelessly over Ultra Wideband, should begin to hit the market in 2006.
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is quietly becoming one of the most strategic short-range wireless technologies in the market, moving from niche deployments into the mainstream of smartphones, cars, and smart spaces. As the ecosystem matures and next-generation implementations arrive, UWB is shifting from nice-to-have to a foundational capability for secure access, sensing, and high-performance device-to-device connectivity. UWB Technology Market Development Unlike Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, or legacy IEEE 802.15.4 implementations, UWB combines three powerful attributes in a single radio: secure ranging, radar-like sensing, and low-latency, high-throughput short-range data. This allows networking and IT vendors to architect experiences that blend precise location, context awareness, and rich interaction in ways traditional connectivity stacks cannot easily match. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, UWB is expected to be one of the fastest-growing wireless connectivity...