So we snagged our lucky selves a Belkin Cable-Free USB Hub, one of the first ever wireless USB devices, as well as one of the first consumer Ultrawideband products. Luckily for us there wasn't a lot to test, but we can tell you this: the hub is small, the dongle is massive, and the speed and range aren't quite what they're cracked up to be. Click on for the usual unboxing, a load of high res product shots, shots and details on setup and performance.
Republican / Democrat, Christian / Muslim, Team Kristin / Team LC -- despite our many differences, if there's one issue that all Americans can agree on, it's that law-abiding, tax-paying citizens should have unalienable sovereignty over their automatic garage doors. So you can imagine the uproar occurring right now in Colorado Springs, Colorado, ever since the nearby Cheyenne Mountain Air Station (headquarters of the North American Aerospace Defense Command) began testing an emergency radio frequency that has the unintended consequence of pwning numerous garage doors within a 10-mile radius. It would be one thing if the doors just randomly opened and closed on occasion -- smashing a few windshields and delivering a few good laughs -- but apparently the Air Force signal completely flummoxes the garages' RF receivers, often resulting in a pricey house call or an even pricier replacement unit. According to David McGuire, owner of the suddenly-profitable Overhead Door Co, it may be possible to slightly tweak the transmission frequency and put an end to this madness -- an option that Captain Tracy Giles and team are reportedly looking into. While it may be somewhat of an overstatement to call this the most pressing issue that the country has ever faced, if we don't come together as a nation and nip this outrage in the bud, what's stopping Big Brother from waltzing in and breaking our home surveillance cams, car door locks, or -- gasp -- even our remote-controlled projection screens.
Big deal, another demonstration of wireless video streaming to laptops and cellphones... we've seen that before, right? Au contraire, these devices are pumping vid over HSUPA and are on display now at ITU Telecom World in Hong Kong. Samsung and Nortel managed to squeeze a downstream data rate of 3.6Mbps out of a theoretical 5.6Mbps. Better yet, they pulled off a 2Mbps upstream rate kicking HSDPA's puny 384kbps neatly to the curb. Both rates comfortably smoke those demonstrated by Option and Nortel earlier in the year. Yeah, we knew the demonstration was coming, but with HSUPA networks going hot in 2007 -- notably with Orange in Europe -- isn't it nice to see the first glimpse of a laptop snuggled up to a new SGH-G630 HSUPA handset we might someday be holding?
It's kind of hard to believe it's been nigh a year since we caught a glimpse at Belkin's (and the world's) first Ultrawideband product, the Cable-Free USB Hub. And yet here we are, rapidly approaching Christmas, and the kit and dongle are finally ready to go for $200 for a "mid-December" release (meaning retail rollout ASAP). They're claiming up to 480mbps as far as 30 feet away is how it'll perform (we'll see about that), with just PC support out of the gate.
Where would we be without the FCC? Our favorite leaksters just let slip the latest RC creation from Wowwee, the FlyTech Dragonfly, which Wowwee bills as the "world's first radio-controlled flying insect." The Dragonfly flies by flapping its ultra-light wings, and can be used indoors and outdoors. Power is provided by an internal battery which can provide around 10 minutes of flying time, and can be recharged by perching the Dragonfly on the controller, which sports six AA batteries and can charge the RC insect in around 15 minutes. The wings and rear propellor (which is used to control "trim," all helicopter-style) are user-replaceable, but for the most part the bug is fairly crash resistant. There's around 150 feet of wireless range, along with "beginner" and "expert" control modes. In traditional Wowwee style, there are plenty of LEDs involved, informing the user of battery life, controller status and other fun things, but unfortunately there's not a whole lot of "robot" going on here. And of course, there's no word on price or availability yet, since this just hit the FCC. Wowwee at least has a few kinks to work out of its manual, since the FCC version of which still includes the line, "Note: When using the FlyTech Dragonfly, some adult supervision is required." Followed by the parenthetical: "Do we need this here? Is QC requiring it?" We're sure that once they figure out that whole "will it destroy children" sitch, this thing won't be far from retail shelves. Peep the controller and a features diagram after the break.
We're in the home stretch before the holidays, so it's not that much of a surprise that we're seeing a slew of last minute gadget launches before buyers clear out the old credit card and go on a binge. Lots of scoops on early 2007 devices like the HP IQ770, DirecTV SAT-GO, and Samsung K3 have kept things interesting, and if you're looking for a new cellphone, right now's a great time to be on the hunt. All this and a bit more on this week's Engadget podcast. Have a great weekend! Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [RSS OGG] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in OGG) to your RSS aggregator.
Remember the iJet Two-Way LCD Remote for iPod? Yeah, the one with the 2-line screen for visibly navigating and controlling your iPod menus from up to 150 feet away. Well, one-year later it appears to be shipping ($129) and iProng has what they're calling an "exclusive first look" at the remote which they claim is "one of the biggest breakthroughs in iPod history." Golly, we guess that orgasm of enthusiasm explains the blurry shots. So what's the big deal anyway, the iPod is already highly portable and includes a screen right? Right, but the iJet also features a pass-through base for the dock-port and headphone connection. That little trick allows you to leave the iPod and attached iJet base all bundled-up and charging in your third-party speaker dock while you flitter about the house controlling the action. See, not as hokey as you first thought.
As much as we love cellphones and movies around here, we usually remember to shut off our mobiles when we enter a movie theater. Apparently a lot of folks don't pick up on this common courtesy and regularly let their annoying ringtones go off right in the middle of the new blockbuster we just dropped a Hamilton to see in THX bliss. Regal Entertainment Group, the largest American movie theater company, is now issuing a small remote alerting device to "frequent customers" so they can rat on folks who are disrupting the show. About the size of a pager, the remote apparently comes with four buttons: one to alert managers about "a disruption in the audience," a second to point out faulty projection, a third to complain about the temperature, and a fourth for anything else. Apparently customers who get these special devices will receive a free bag of popcorn as payment for their "treachery" -- if you can call it that. We'd be the first to sign up in all reality since we've all but stopped going to movies because of the various annoyances and distraction. Oh, and you can't pause them or do an instant replay.
Well, it doesn't look like there's any turning back now. After waiting for what feels like the better part of a century for an official stamp of approval on 802.11n, draft-n and pre-n products just got a whole lot of legitimacy from Intel, who has now announced it will be stuffing the pre-standard WiFi spec into its Centrino chipsets as early as next year. Along with the usual user benefits of added speed and supposed range improvements over 802.11g -- Intel is claiming 50 percent greater, but we'll believe that when we see it -- the inclusion of pre-n by Intel will most likely create a de-facto standard for 802.11n which could prove difficult for the IEEE Standards Committee to screw with when they finally get around to finalizing the 802.11n spec in 2008. Sounds like a win for consumers for now, but we could all be hurting come mid-2008 when we find out those fancy laptops we sprung for in 2007 are suddenly obsolete.
While it hasn't been too awfully long since Samsung doused its Q40 ultraportable in pink, the company is now looking to grab the attention of HSDPA fans by shoving such support into the lappie (and toning down the color scheme, too). Partnering with SK Telecom, the Q40-HSDPA will offer T-Login connectivity throughout South Korea (unless Kim Jong Il illegally snags one just North of the divide), and will also pack a 12.1-inch WXGA display, Intel's U1400 Core Solo processor, 1GB of RAM, a smallish 60GB hard drive, and a T-DMB receiver to boot. The machine will weigh in at just 2.6 pounds, and should be hitting the streets of Seoul soon for a slightly painful 2,300,000 KRW ($2,472).
Nearly every time someone comes out with a new wireless gadget, leave it to the security-nistas to spoil all the fun. Wired News is reporting that the Nike+iPod Sport Kit could be used to track runners, according to Scott Saponas, a University of Washington computer science graduate student, and a few university colleagues. These researchers have set up a pretty frightening scenario describing how a geeky stalker could set up a tiny computer to monitor the Nike+iPod system when it passes by a certain point. The basic issue is that apparently the Nike+iPod system has a read range of 60 feet due to its internal power source, compared to the 10-inch range of typical RFID tags found in clothing or credit cards. The team has suggested a solution to the problem, which would be to uniquely pair one sensor to one reader. That seems reasonable to us, but until then, we'll start randomizing our jogging route just to really screw with these dudes.
What's better than TRENDnet's pre-802.11n gear? How about an 802.11b/g-compliant device that you can actually rest assured works with basically every other piece of WiFi kit out there? The TEW-445UB is a 108Mbps-capable wireless USB 2.0 / 1.1 adapter which sports a fairly small 2.8- x 2.1- x 0.7-inch enclosure and plays nice with Windows only. Aside from supporting "Super G" technology and WEP / WPA encryption, it boasts a high power output for up to 23dBm of range, a detachable 2dBi antenna, and claims to cover "50 to 100" meters indoors while blanketing "150 to 300" meters outside. While nothing here is particularly revolutionary, the respectable $72 pricetag fits the package quite well, and it should be showing up in stores real soon.
Given how many different Skype and VoIP handsets we've seen over the last several months, it's a wonder that new companies keep rolling 'em out. Well, get your WiFi routers ready, because AVING has just spotted a fresh one at the VoIP/IPTV WORLD 2006 expo in Korea: the NexTouch NT 700 WiFi phone. It looks pretty much like most of the other handsets that we've seen, with basically the same features, including support for 802.11 b/g networks, a three-hour talk time, 60 hours of standby time, and a keypad with Latin and Korean characters. Oh yeah, and it looks really tiny. We got bupkis with respect to price and availability, but we'll keep an eye (and an ear) trained across the Pacific for you.
Now that we've finished drooling on I-O Data's new RHD2-U RAID, they've busted out an equally shiny -- if slightly less monolithic -- 802.11n router for Japan, the WN-GDN/R-S. The WN-GDN/CB PCMCIA card which accompanies the router appears to be a cardboard cutout in the picture above, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence, but the router sounds just fine, with a 130Mbps theoretical peak speed, plus all sorts of pretty acronyms like IPv, DMZ, UPnP, VPN and SPI. The router also includes a USB port, but there doesn't seem to be any related functionality, such as the insta-NAS capabilities of competing routers. We're not too hot for the pricetag either, at 30,975 yen (about $267 US) for the router and 12,075 yen (about $104 US) for the slip of cardboard laptop card, but we're sure the market will smooth those over before long.
For those Wii owners with abnormally large living rooms, projector TV setups, or a particular penchant for tricking out their console just 'cause, take heed. Without the need for candles, IR hacks, PCBs, soldering, or even (visibly) voiding your warranty, you to can hack that Wii sensor bar to make it wireless for $8 (or less). Simply head to Radio Shack and snag:
Five-pack of 9V battery snap connectors (~$2, part #270-325)
Now just strip your 9V battery connector wires, crimp those to the power pins of your Sensor bar with the butt connectors (battery red to Wii red, battery black to Wii orange). We have no idea how long it'll last -- nor do we make guarantees that it'll work or won't fry your bar -- but peep AVS for some more details on this and other Wii hacks.
We're in the home stretch before the holidays, so it's not that much of a surprise that we're seeing a slew of last minute gadget launches before buyers clear out the old credit card and go on a binge. Lots of scoops on early 2007 devices like the HP IQ770, DirecTV SAT-GO, and Samsung K3 have kept things interesting, and if you're looking for a new cellphone, right now's a great time to be on the hunt. All this and a bit more on this week's Engadget podcast. Have a great weekend!
As much as we love cellphones and movies around here, we usually remember to shut off our mobiles when we enter a movie theater. Apparently a lot of folks don't pick up on this common courtesy and regularly let their annoying ringtones go off right in the middle of the new blockbuster we just dropped a Hamilton to see in THX bliss. Regal Entertainment Group, the largest American movie theater company, is now issuing a small remote alerting device to "frequent customers" so they can rat on folks who are disrupting the show. About the size of a pager, the remote apparently comes with four buttons: one to alert managers about "a disruption in the audience," a second to point out faulty projection, a third to complain about the temperature, and a fourth for anything else. Apparently customers who get these special devices will receive a free bag of popcorn as payment for their "treachery" -- if you can call it that. We'd be the first to sign up in all reality since we've all but stopped going to movies because of the various annoyances and distraction. Oh, and you can't pause them or do an instant replay.
Well, it doesn't look like there's any turning back now. After waiting for what feels like the better part of a century for an official stamp of approval on 802.11n, draft-n and pre-n products just got a whole lot of legitimacy from Intel, who has now announced it will be stuffing the pre-standard WiFi spec into its Centrino chipsets as early as next year. Along with the usual user benefits of added speed and supposed range improvements over 802.11g -- Intel is claiming 50 percent greater, but we'll believe that when we see it -- the inclusion of pre-n by Intel will most likely create a de-facto standard for 802.11n which could prove difficult for the IEEE Standards Committee to screw with when they finally get around to finalizing the 802.11n spec in 2008. Sounds like a win for consumers for now, but we could all be hurting come mid-2008 when we find out those fancy laptops we sprung for in 2007 are suddenly obsolete.
Nearly every time someone comes out with a new wireless gadget, leave it to the security-nistas to spoil all the fun. Wired News is reporting that the Nike+iPod Sport Kit could be used to track runners, according to Scott Saponas, a University of Washington computer science graduate student, and a few university colleagues. These researchers have set up a pretty frightening scenario describing how a geeky stalker could set up a tiny computer to monitor the Nike+iPod system when it passes by a certain point. The basic issue is that apparently the Nike+iPod system has a read range of 60 feet due to its internal power source, compared to the 10-inch range of typical RFID tags found in clothing or credit cards. The team has suggested a solution to the problem, which would be to uniquely pair one sensor to one reader. That seems reasonable to us, but until then, we'll start randomizing our jogging route just to really screw with these dudes. 
What's better than TRENDnet's pre-802.11n gear? How about an 802.11b/g-compliant device that you can actually rest assured works with basically every other piece of WiFi kit out there? The TEW-445UB is a 108Mbps-capable wireless USB 2.0 / 1.1 adapter which sports a fairly small 2.8- x 2.1- x 0.7-inch enclosure and plays nice with Windows only. Aside from supporting "Super G" technology and WEP / WPA encryption, it boasts a high power output for up to 23dBm of range, a detachable 2dBi antenna, and claims to cover "50 to 100" meters indoors while blanketing "150 to 300" meters outside. While nothing here is particularly revolutionary, the respectable $72 pricetag fits the package quite well, and it should be showing up in stores real soon.
For those Wii owners with abnormally large living rooms, projector TV setups, or a particular penchant for tricking out their console just 'cause, take heed. Without the need for candles, IR hacks, PCBs, soldering, or even (visibly) voiding your warranty, you to can hack that Wii sensor bar to make it wireless for $8 (or less). Simply head to Radio Shack and snag:
