The BluOnyx: Processing and Storage Freed at Last

Agere Systems introduced on Monday, December 18, 2006 a new product category, the Mobile Content Server. Agere’s BluOnyx™ server, the first product in the new category, offers processing power and storage capacity in a small package, with connectivity to cell phones, various consumer devices or PCs.

Connections can be established either wirelessly, via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi; with a USB wired connection or by inserting an SD (Secure Digital) card. The BluOnyx server is quite small, slightly larger than a credit card and from about one-quarter inch to just over one-half inch thick, depending on its memory capacity, which can be either Flash-based, 1GB to 4GB, or hard disk drive-based, up to 40GB. The contents of a BluOnyx device can be displayed on a cell phone, PDA, PMP (Portable Media Player), a PC or other devices.

The BluOnyx server is much more than a mere portable hard drive. First, it includes processing power. Second, because it can be controlled by any Java^TM enabled cell phone with a Bluetooth capability, it frees consumer electronic devices from dependence on a PC. Instead, a BluOnyx server will be able to interact with a variety of platforms without first connecting to a PC. For example, consumers can:

• Download music, video, emails, documents or other data directly from cell phones, cameras PDS, PMPs or other consumer devices as well as from PCs
• Access and display music, video, emails or documents carried on the server on cell phones, PDAs, Personal Media Players or PCs
• Stream videos or other content simultaneously to one or more cell phones
• Enable access to the Internet for cell phones and PDAs that are not broadband enabled and cannot access the Internet on their own
• Protect content via multiple tiers of authentication and encryption.

To jump-start this new product category, Agere currently is in discussions with consumer electronic device makers and cell phone service providers regarding manufacturing or private labeling products based on the BluOnyx server system and industrial design.

Semico Spin

The BluOnyx is a powerful adjunct to a Java enabled smart phone. Controlled by the smart phone, the BluOnyx can provide portable storage for cell phones or other mobile devices without requiring access to a PC. Some applications might be:

• Downloading and storing pictures from a digital camera while on vacation without the need to bring along a notebook PC
• Storing video, movies or TV programs to be viewed on a cell phone or PMP screen while traveling (much less bulky than a notebook PC on today’s closely packed airplanes)
• Carrying presentations or business documents to be displayed on a PC or on a cell phone or PMP screen

Although these are three examples of applications, the BluOnyx is the kind of device that will unleash people’s creativity. Numerous unforeseeable applications may emerge. The BluOnyx may become the thumb drive of the future, except with much more processing power, connectivity and storage capacity.