“Apple’s patent reviews technology related to this system that many simply know as HomePlug Powerline Networking. HomePlug Powerline Networking turns every power outlet in your home or office into a conduit for audio, video and data,” Purcher reports.
“Wireless technologies could be prone to dead-spots and fading – but with HomePlug certified adapters you just plug them in and within minutes you have high speed internet coming out of every plug in the house. You could do the same thing for HDTV and iTunes,” Purcher reports. “Get ready folks, because this looks like Apple is ramping this up for sometime in the near future. And, let it be said, could be yet another tablet application.”
Read much more in the full article, including patent application illustrations, here.
The future of TV!
OOPS! TV !!!!
Apple could use the existing tech for easily hooking up the x11 (it hink) style of home automation gear, but I guess the writer isn’t familiar with the awesome range of the currnt base stations – I have two and they cover about an acre together.
Unless there s some interface or implementation issue holding back the adoption of existing home automation and monitoring gear – Apple will hide it into something else, to make some other harder task easier.
Apple is about making complex tech easily accessible, or bringing a new way to create and consume media into an area it wasn’t before.
MDN Magic word “Making” – as in the author is making some big leaps to equate powerline networking to the upcoming tablet.
I guess I better start saving now Smart Home Energy Management System. It may take awhile, I’m currently saving for a iPhone on the T-Mobile network.
HDTV via your ac outlet??
As convenient as this would be I doubt it’s possible.
The one area of communication technology that Apple hasn’t yet touched but should is the plain old telephone.
@ Steev
“..HDTV via your ac outlet??
As convenient as this would be I doubt it’s possible..”
<a >Yup, works for me</a>.
I already use powerline network adapters between my iMac and AppleTV. I hope they’re compatible with whatever Apple has planned.
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@skydiver
Really?? If it does I wanna get in on that. Any websites you could forward that have info on how to send HDTV via powerline?
Look into G.hn (ITU standard G.9960) for the future in home networks, including versus 802.11n WiFi networks.
UPA currently outperforms HomePlug while G.hn will be available by end of 2010 and is far better (at least 3-4 times what HomePlug AV can do).
It has been commented elsewhere that HomePlug has issues with Quality of Service and HD TV delivery over the network, it is OK for streaming lower bit rate stuff, though, or downloading a file to an Apple TV for later viewing.
Here is a link to the group promoting G.hn: http://www.homegridforum.org/home
Please note that the woman in the video from Intel is actually now one of the top people in HomeGrid Forum and that Intel left HomePlug some time ago to help start HomeGrid Forum.