Wireless

Acer DX900 Windows Mobile Smartphone

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:56:16 PDT

The DX900's main claim to fame is that it's the first Windows Mobile handset to support dual SIM cards. Why would you want a dual SIM phone? If you have to ask the question then a dual SIM handset is probably not for you. For others, though, support for dual SIMs is handy because instead of carrying around separate mobiles for work and personal usage, you can get the same job done with a single handset. They're also useful if you travel a lot and want one SIM for calls within your home country and another local SIM for use abroad in order to avoid racking up horrendous roaming charges.

Despite the world's first claim, the DX900 has actually been available before in a slightly different guise. This is because it's basically a re-branded version of a handset that was previous released by E-Ten under the Glofiish brand. Acer snapped up E-ten last year and has now re-released the phone as its first own branded handset. However, shortly it's due to be joined by new models including the F900 and M900.

Click to enlarge

Looks-wise the DX900 isn't exactly what you'd call handsome. It's rather large and chunky and at 143g is quite weighty too. You'll definitely notice it when it's tucked away in your pocket. However, it does feel very well built and its sturdiness gives you confidence that it'll stand up to a few knocks and scrapes.

The slightly rubberised feel to the rear of the case also makes it quite tactile to hold and means it's not likely to easily slip from your grasp. Unlike manufacturers like HTC who use the miniUSB port to double up as the headset jack, Acer has instead kept the two separate. This means you can still take calls or listen to music when the handset is being charged or synced with your computer. However, the hands-free connector is a small 2.5mm socket rather than a normal headphone jack so you won't be able to use your own headphones with it unless you invest in an adaptor.

Of course, the key difference between this handset and its rivals is that it allows you to have two SIMs installed and active at the same time. That said, although there are two slots, they're certainly not equals. Only the first slot supports 3G/HSDPA, as seconds one is limited to 2.5G data speeds, which seems like a rather puzzling limitation to us. Once the SIMs are installed you do get two indicators on the home screen to show you the relative signal strengths of the two mobile networks.

Acer also includes an application that lets you control how the SIMs are used. This lets you easily switch between the two mobile networks, but also allows you to turn off one completely - handy if you want to switch the work SIM card off on the weekends or during holidays without having to actually physically remove it from the phone

source: www.trustedreviews.com

Panasonic Viera TX-P46S10 46in Plasma

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:54:36 PDT

Regular readers will know that so far this year I've been considerably more enamoured of Panasonic's new NeoPDP plasma TVs than I have of the cheaper models that use Panasonic's traditional plasma panel techniques. So on one level I'm not expecting anything particularly spectacular from the P46S10, sitting as it does towards the lower, non-NeoPDP end of Panasonic's current range.

But then again, I've long been a fan of the 46in screen size sported by the P46S10, finding it an unusually natural fit for your average decent-sized living room. And I'm also a fan of its £955 price - a really approachable sum for such a well-proportioned TV.

Especially when that TV also enjoys a specification sheet that boasts a vast claimed dynamic contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1, a Full HD resolution, and 400Hz processing achieved by using Panasonic's Intelligent Frame Creation technology to interpolate extra 'sub-field' images between the real ones coming in from your source.

Fans of TV stats might also enjoy the claimed 0.001ms response time claimed for the P46S10 - a figure Panasonic is keen to peddle given how impressive it looks against the 4, 5 and more millisecond figures usually associated with LCD TVs.

The P46S10 doesn't present a completely irresistible face to the world, though, for the simple reason that I personally don't find it especially well designed. The simple, slightly chunky gloss black bezel is getting pretty old-school now, and a silver strip and slightly bulbous bit of sculpting along the bottom edge don't really do enough to alleviate the gentle boredom.

The set's connections are pretty much as I would have anticipated for the S10's level of Panasonic's range, with highlights of three HDMIs and an SD card slot able to play JPEG stills and AVCHD video. Obviously a fourth HDMI would have been nice, and maybe, if I was being particularly miserable, I would have liked a more universal USB option alongside the SD card slot. But given Panasonic's involvement with SD, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that things are as they are.

Aside from being very cleanly presented and easy to navigate, the P46S10's onscreen menus don't really have a great many features of interest; just an uninspiring automated colour management option and basic noise reduction system catch the eye.

The P46S10's performance is as typically accomplished as we'd expect from any Panasonic plasma. But as with other non-NeoPDP models we've seen, it's not quite consistent enough in all areas to carry an unreserved recommendation.

One thing I really like is how superbly natural HD pictures tend to look. Wimbledon matches were a joy to behold in most ways, with finely tuned colours - even when it comes to Panasonic's usual weak point of greens - and exceptional motion clarity particularly catching the eye. Panasonic is busy pushing the motion benefit of its plasma screens right now, and the clarity with which the ball and players speed around Centre Court on the P46S10 puts the vast majority of LCD screens to shame.

source: www.trustedreviews.com

Canon PIXMA MP540 - Inkjet All-in-One

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:53:06 PDT

Canon, like most of its competitors, has managed to design several all-in-one printers based on the same print engine and to differentiate the models based on feature set. The PIXMA MP540 uses the same five-ink print system as in the £100 MP620, but this machine costs 25 percent less, so something has to go.

Looking a bit like earlier Canon all-in-ones, with gloss black piping and highlights reminiscent of an oriental lacquer box, this machine looks clean and well-proportioned, when closed.

A hinged support at the rear lifts up to provide a paper support for plain or photo paper, while an output tray at the front uses a novel pair of raised arms to support each sheet with a slight curve, so that it doesn't flop about. Under the output tray is a paper cassette, which can also hold 150-sheets of plain paper.

The A4 scanner is available once you lift the silver and black lid and to the right of this a flip-up cover has a 48mm LCD display set into its underside and reveals a normal Canon control panel, including a click-wheel for menu selection. A flip-open cover below the control panel reveals three memory card slots, which handle all the common types, and below that is a PictBridge socket.

At the rear there are sockets for just the mains cable and USB. There's no Ethernet or Wi-Fi option on this machine and other things missing in comparison with models further up the range include CD/DVD print, an Automatic Document Feeder and duplexing.

Physical set up involves plugging the five cartridges into their holders in the print head. There are two black cartridges: a pigmented one for printing text and a dye-based one for photos. The print heads are capable of producing ink drops down to an impressive 1pl.

The software bundle supplied with the machine is pretty similar to that included with others PIXMAs in the range, and includes document handling and OCR software, as well as an applet for printing Web pages. Drivers are provided for all recent versions of Windows and for Mac OSX 10.3.9 and newer.

source: www.trustedreviews.com

NS 10 Standard (£80) is good for dictation into mainstream programs

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:34:11 PDT

Speech recognition has been ‘the application to change the way we interact with our computers’ for the last 15 years or so. Over those years, buyouts of one company by another have reduced the number of developers until Nuance, formerly ScanSoft, formerly Dragon is now the only mainstream purveyor, other than Microsoft (in Vista). The Vista speech recognition is worth trying if you haven't used the technology before, but Nuance’s Dragon Naturally Speaking (DNS) will give you more accurate results and has wider application.

DNS 10 is the latest iteration and claims several innovations to differentiate it from version 9. There are three main editions of the application: Standard, Preferred and Professional. Specialist medical and legal versions of the program exist, too, as well as two different versions of the Preferred edition: Wireless and Mobile.

DNS 10 Standard (£80) is good for dictation into mainstream programs, such as Word and WordPerfect, as well as controlling web browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox and AOL. If you want control over a wider range of applications, DNS 10 Preferred (£150) also works with all of Office and e-mail clients like Outlook and Outlook Express. Finally, the Professional version (£758) adds network compatibility, multiple vocabularies and a full scripting language, to define your own commands.

We're going to concentrate on DNS 10 Preferred Wireless (approx £200), which now includes a Bluetooth headset in the box. The Plantronics Calisto headset replaces the DECT wireless headset, which was supplied with DNS 9. The older DECT one included a cradle and worked via USB, but also had a mains power supply, which was needed to charge the device.

Now everything’s done from a USB Bluetooth adapter and a separate USB lead that you plug directly into the headset for charging. This is obviously quite a lot cheaper to include than the DECT headset, and would be more convenient, if it gave adequate speech quality. Unfortunately, the review sample we tried gave a lower speech quality index and when we listened to the input, was noticeably more distorted than the headset with DNS 9.

The big feature of the previous version of DNS was that it needed no training and could be used straight out of the box. As we said at the time, you would get better results if you did invest the 20 minutes or so in basic training and this is still true with version 10. It’s also worthwhile letting the program look through your documents and emails to build up a personalised vocabulary of the words you’re likely to be using. read more

Neuros OSD

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:41:21 PDT

Like everything else about the Neuros OSD, its name is deceptively simple. Neuros is the company name, while OSD stands for Open Source Device. You see, the Neuros is actually running a custom form of Linux, and the company has not only left the software open for customisation, but has released full details on all the hardware specifications, to make it as easy as possible to program for. The one potential problem is that no matter how ingenious, code creators will be limited by the existing hardware. But even on this front, Neuros is a bit more open than usual, with the occasional hardware upgrade or revision already having improved the device in several areas since its market debut.

As Firefox proves, open source can be incredibly successful. It's a simple concept, and as long as your project can garner some sustained interest from the community, you get an incredibly flexible and ever-evolving product at little or no software-development cost to the manufacturer. It has been done before, but never on a product like this, and Neuros deserves nothing but praise for the idea.

Before we get into the software side of the Neuros OSD, let's see how the hardware holds up. We don't usually mention a product's packaging, but in this case I'm willing to make an exception. The box it comes in is a lovely affair made from thick, high-grade cardboard, with full colour, laminated pictures. What is more, the clasp keeping it securely closed is magnetic - hmmm, magnetic. Anyway, getting onto the contents, you get a full-colour quick start guide with a lot of text, the unit and its stand, a remote control with batteries, two SCART to composite adapters, two 3.5mm to composite cables, a mini 2.5mm jack to serial cable for altering the firmware programming, mini jack to IR extension cable (or IR blaster), and a power adapter.

Following on from the stylish box, it certainly doesn't hurt that the device itself looks pretty good. It may feel slightly flimsy, and it does wobble a bit when you put it down on its thick rubber pads, but it's not what I'd call an eye sore - especially when you attach it to the included stand, which is a simple matter of clicking it in. Naturally, the stand also has protective pads, and thankfully doesn't wobble.
The Neuros sports a glossy piano black finish. Unfortunately, since it's constructed using inexpensive plastic, the finish scratches easily, and dust and fingerprints are far more obvious than one might want. But as long as you're very careful with it, its curved shape and diagonal orientation when attached to its stand make it attractive enough that it wouldn't look out of place beside your other AV kit. Read More

The DIR 655 Xtreme N Gigabit router

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:02:32 PDT

With power companies trying to make themselves less popular than an ice cream vendor on Everest, D-Link has chosen the perfect time to announce an advancement which will help put the pennies back in your pocket...

First seen last year in its DWA-643 and DWA-556 wireless adaptors, D-Link is expanding its rather clever 'Green Ethernet' technology to products you may already own - and it won't cost you a penny.

The DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit router and the even smarter DIR-855 dual channel router (above) are the lucky recipients of Green Technology which will arrive via an impending firmware update and the consequences are dramatic. D-Link quotes the DIR-655 as benefiting from up to a 32 per cent power saving with the DIR-855 even more impressive at up to 41 per cent.

“D-Link is proud to be taking the lead in integrating innovative, power-saving technology into its home and business networking solutions that doesn’t sacrifice performance or functionality,” said D-Link Marketing Manager Andrew Mulholland. “By offering green upgrades to our most popular Wi-Fi routers, we’re helping protect the environment whilst our customers save money in the process.”

Just one problem: the DIR-635 isn't anywhere on that list fellas? *Hint + Hint + Hint*

Pretty please...

Link:D-Link UK

Braid wears its main gaming inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 07:33:44 PDT

At the time of writing, Braid is the highest-rated game on Xbox Live Arcade. Some critics are already calling it the most important game of the year, others are describing it as a seminal experience to rank alongside Ico, Half-Life 2 and Bioshock. Unquestionably, it's an excellent game; there are ideas and whole levels in Braid that will inspire some game designers, and leave others green with envy. Is it really as good as everyone is saying? A lot will depend on how much you connect with Braid's melancholic atmosphere and story.

We'll get to that later. For now, what you need to know is that Braid is a puzzle game masquerading as an old-school 2D platform game, but one that has been jazzed up by time control. On one level its hero, Tim, is on a quest to rescue a princess from a castle, but one of the beauties of Braid is that this plot isn't to be taken too literally – the various worlds, with names like 'Time and Mystery' or ‘Time and Forgiveness' are introduced with fragments of narrative that reflect on a past relationship and tie into ideas being expressed within each level. Though your initial mission is to get through each world from beginning to end, moving from level to level in sequence, your real task is to collect all the pieces in that world's jigsaw puzzle, so recreating snapshots that document the stages of the affair. Only by fitting all the pieces back together will you fully understand Braid – or at least your own interpretation of what it's trying to say.

Braid wears its main gaming inspiration – Mario – on its sleeve, with simple left, right and jump controls, plus a nifty bounce attack that eliminates the game's monsters. Each world ends in a stylised version of a castle that will be familiar to anyone who's played the first Super Mario Bros, and a boss battle that recurs is not a million miles away from a typical Bowser scrap from Mario's glory years. What makes Braid different, however, is how tightly and completely time control is integrated into the game mechanics: pressing X at any point sends the game spooling back through the last few minutes of action, back to the very point where you entered the level. This is more than just a rewind feature to save Tim from certain doom; it's the key to the game's ingenious puzzles. Trust me: you might have seen this stuff employed before in Blinx or Prince of Persia, but you've never seen it done as brilliantly as it’s done here.

Belkin N1 Vision Wireless Modem Router

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 02:14:41 PDT

It's inevitable that networking vendors always release a broadband router first and then make everyone wait for a version with an integral ADSL modem. So it is with Belkin's latest N1 Vision (the F5D8632UK4A) as we looked at the version with an Ethernet WAN port quite a few months ago and it's only now that the Wireless Modem Router makes its way on to the market.

Is the wait worthwhile? You bet, as the N1 Vision is the swankiest looking ADSL router on the market. Belkin moved the design bar up quite a few notches when it released the first model as its cool black fascia really does need to be on display where it can't be missed. In fact, the gloss black colour scheme is proving such a hit that even Netgear has followed suit with its dual-band RangeMax WNDR3300 which has ditched the trademark clinical white boxes in favour of the same finish.

The front panel incorporates a large backlit LCD display that can be controlled via a rubberised key pad alongside. The display opens with a line of icons showing the status of the Internet connection, the wireless network status, whether security is enabled and reveals if any wired and wireless systems are connected. Using the buttons you can scroll through displaying a single speedometer showing download speeds or move on to another which has an extra dial for upload speeds.

Next up is a view of all connected clients and their current Internet usage whilst the next shows their bandwidth consumption for the past 24 hours. Having used the original N1 Vision for a while now we find the wireless connection icon really useful as we can see at a glance if any clients are using these services. For the price you'd expect Gigabit Ethernet and you won't be disappointed as the N1 has a high-speed four-port switch and the wireless-N access point is Draft 2.0 compliant.

For installation Belkin prefers you not to use the CD-ROM. Instead you follow the wiring instructions in the quick start guide, power the router up and open a web browser. It's supposed to go straight to the router's home page but although this didn't work for us, entering ‘routersetup' as the URL did. A wizard then takes you through setting the country, choosing an ISP from a drop-down list and entering your account details. Our BT Broadband connection was listed so we were up and running in a matter of minutes. Read more

ASUS EeePC 900 Video Review

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:14:54 PDT

This ultra-mobile PC is quite the bargain, but what about performance? Find out.

PC Magazine Notebooks Product Guide

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Tech Reshapes American Classrooms

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:14:23 PDT

From online courses to kid-friendly laptops and virtual teachers, technology is spreading in America's classrooms, reducing the need for textbooks, notepads, paper and in some cases even the schools themselves.

PC Magazine Notebooks Product Guide

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Taiwan Notebook ODMs Predict Q3 Surge

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:13:52 PDT

Quanta Computer and Compal Electronics, the world's top two contract laptop PC makers, forecast a 20 percent or more jump in their third-quarter shipments from the second quarter, powered by demand from emerging markets and for low-cost PCs.

PC Magazine Notebooks Product Guide

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2133 Mini-Note PC

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:12:33 PDT

It didn't take long for PC makers to realize the gold mine ASUS struck with its Eee PC 4G.

PC Magazine Notebooks Product Guide

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Lenovo ThinkPad X300

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:12:00 PDT

With the ThinkPad X300 (about $3,000 street), Lenovo is out to prove that the Apple MacBook Air is not the only laptop that can fit snugly into a manila envelope.With the ThinkPad X300 (about $3,000 street), Lenovo is out to prove that the Apple MacBook Air is not the only laptop that can fit snugly into a manila envelope.

PC Magazine Notebooks Product Guide

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PC Magazine Notebooks Product Guide

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:11:28 PDT

These notebooks may be light, but they're loaded with features.

PC Magazine Notebooks Product Guide

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Apple MacBook Air

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:10:40 PDT

The MacBook Air is the sexiest, thinnest, and lightest 13-inch laptop made, andsurprise, surprise!it's from Apple.

PC Magazine Notebooks Product Guide

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Ex-HP Executive Pleads Guilty to IBM Theft

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:10:03 PDT

A former Hewlett Packard Co vice president pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets while he worked for IBM and admitted sharing the data with Hewlett Packard, the Justice Department said on Friday.

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Ofcom Pushes For Fibre Optic Broadband

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:37:24 PDT

While Ofcom can be accused of being somewhat snail-like in its movements, those movements do tend to have the customer at heart and following its assault on roaming charges, promotion of High Definition terrestrial TV and crackdown on dodgy ISP speed claims it is now pushing for faster broadband for all.

Key most in this is the investment and eventual proliferation of 'Fibre Optic broadband' - a technology no doubt known to many, but for the uninitiated it could means speeds of up to 100Mbit in our homes and offices. Naturally this all comes at immense cost however since our existing networks would need to be significantly upgraded and it is expected to require between £10-15 billion to switch over 80 per cent of the existing infrastructure.

"Here as much as anywhere we need to ensure that there is a healthy environment for investment - which can support, in turn, competition and innovation," said Ed Richards, Ofcom CEO. "We want investment in a competitive environment. Our position is clear. Ofcom favours a regulatory environment for the next generation of networks and access that both allows and encourages operators to make risky investments, to innovate for the benefit of consumers and, if the risks pay off, for the benefit of their shareholders too. Superfast broadband will be central to the way we live in the future. Alongside mobile broadband, it will, in time, have a similar impact on our society and economy as the first generation of broadband."

Minions: we have a new industry darling.

So what of the time schedules in all this? Well, Sky is rumoured to be starting preliminary fibre based trials as we speak while Virgin aims to challenge this with its long-awaited 50Mbps cable service before the end of the year.

Still while 100Mbps-capable packages aren't likely to appear for some time, the current crackdown on P2P file sharing may curb the enthusiasm of its most eager proponents anyway. Though that's an argument for another day...

Link:
via Broadband Choices

Deploy and Manage Wireless Simply and Securely

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:33:24 PDT

The Cisco Catalyst 3750G Integrated Wireless LAN Controller adds wireless LAN controller functions to the stackable, highly resilient Cisco Catalyst 3750G Series Switches to improve operating efficiency and security, mobility, and ease of use for business-critical wireless LANs.

The Cisco Catalyst 3750G Integrated Wireless LAN Controller delivers centralized security policies, wireless intrusion prevention system (IPS) capabilities, award-winning RF management, QoS, and Layer 3 fast secure roaming for WLANs. It provides the control, security, redundancy, and reliability that network managers need to scale and manage their wireless networks as easily as they scale and manage their traditional wired networks.

As a member of the Cisco Wireless LAN Controller family, the Cisco Catalyst 3750G Integrated Wireless LAN Controller works in conjunction with Cisco Aironet lightweight access points, the Cisco Wireless Control System (WCS), and the Cisco Wireless Location Appliance to support mission-critical wireless data, voice, and video applications. It provides real-time communication between lightweight access points and other wireless LAN controllers to deliver a secure and unified wireless solution.

Motorola SBG1000 Wireless Cable Modem Gateway

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:29:08 PDT

Motorola's SBG1000 wireless cable modem gateway is the most resourceful gateway we've seen to date. It houses six typical networking devices in one box: a Surfboard cable modem; a five-port Ethernet switch; an 802.11b access point; a phone-line adapter; a print server; and a firewall. With its fast throughput and wide range, it's a good choice for a cable-connected home or a small office looking for a single device that does it all and does it well.

The Motorola SBG1000 wireless cable modem gateway package comes with all you'll need to get going. The included setup guide is vague, but the 148-page electronic manual covers everything clearly and thoroughly. The SBG1000 also comes with a Cat-5 jumper cable, a phone-line cable, and a USB cable. It supports Windows 98 and up, Macintosh OS 8 and later, and Unix.

Insert the accompanying CD into your PC or Mac, and the software automatically shows you how to install the SBG1000, using large pictures, animation, and a minimum of words to guide you. It's an improvement over the usually elaborate setup wizards, such as the one that Toshiba uses for its PCX-5000 gateway.

Within three minutes, we had added a wireless notebook and a desktop PC, connected via the HPNA phone-line adapter, to the SBG1000. Adding computers via USB requires installing additional software from the CD.

It's also easy to connect the SBG1000's print server. Just connect the printer to the SBG1000 via the server's parallel plug and use the Windows, Apple, or Unix IPR printer-client software to configure the device. It worked fine with our HP LaserJet 1100, but we wondered why the SBG1000 had only a parallel port when many home and small-business printers use USB almost exclusively.

Housed in a sleek, charcoal-gray-and-silver box, the Motorola SBG1000 wierless cable modem gateway has a wide variety of features. The indicator displays use intuitive icons, such as a globe, to represent the Internet connection and an antenna with radiating circles for wireless activity. Along the back panel are 13 connectors and a recessed Reset switch to restore the original settings. There's a pair of removable antennae for wireless reception. The SBG1000's built-in Web-based configuration tool lets you set IP addresses, DHCP leases, wireless channels, and data rates. Based on version 1.0 of the Cable Labs' Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS), the SBG1000 can connect with most of the nation's cable networks.

The SBG1000's removable antennae let you connect a more sensitive antenna for increased range.

Security for the SBG1000 could be better. You get wired equivalent protection (WEP) encryption as well as MAC address filtering. It lacks support for ASCII keys or a passphrase, making WEP harder to use than it need be. The SBG1000 also lacks Wi-Fi protected area (WPA) encryption. To keep out intruders, you can set the SBG1000's firewall to Low, Medium, or High security, or you can choose your own parameters with the custom selection. You can also establish a DMZ (a network demilitarized zone) for games and videoconferencing equipment.

In CNET Labs' tests, the Motorola SBG1000 wireless cable modem gateway showed long-distance stamina. It maintained contact with computers as far away as 200 feet and filled more than 120,000 square feet with a usable 802.11b signal. It also had no trouble penetrating one floor above and below. By comparison, the Toshiba PCX-5000 and the Netgear CG814M managed to send their signals only 75 and 89 feet, respectively. As far as maximum throughput goes, the SBG1000 can move 5.3Mbps, zooming past the Toshiba PCX-5000's 4.8Mbps and the Netgear CG814M's 3.9Mbps. It's still slower than 802.11g and 802.11a equipment, however.

D-Link ships new IP Web cams for budget users

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:22:01 PDT

D-Link is shipping two new IP cams that enable you to monitor your home or small business from any Web-connected browser. The two cams are priced right at $99.99 for the DCS-910 wired version and. $119.99 for the Wi-Fi-enabled DCS-920. I’ve set up this type of inexpensive IP cam to watch my while I’m away, and they’re fun to play with, although installation can be a bit tricky.

These remote cameras are for indoor use–they’re not weatherproof. The Wi-Fi DCS-920 enables you to place the cam anywhere within solid range of your Wi-Fi network, but you’ll still need an AC plug nearby. The wired-only DCS-910 requires an Ethernet connection, as well.

Both cams are capable of recording at up to 30 frames per second (fps) at a resolution of 320×240. They employ Motion JPEG compression for video and JPEG for still shots. D-Link says it uses a 1.0 lux sensor that enables it to better capture video in low light.

The cams can be accessed and controlled using any Java-enabled browser. And they can be configured to detect motion, send e-mail alerts when motion is triggered and record to a computer on the home network or attached storage devices for video monitoring and playback.

Actiontec launches a DSL modem/router combo

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:11:32 PDT

If you’re a DSL user with a bad case of box clutter, here’s some good news for you. Another vendor is Actiontec launches new DSL modem/router combooffering a DSL modem/wireless router combo, combining two devices into one. Actiontec just announced that its new 54Mbps Wireless Modem (GT724WGR) is available in Best Buy and Fry’s Electronics stores, and will soon hit the virtual shelves of major online retailers.

The $ 89.99 DSL modem/router combo employs the 802.11g standard and includes a four-port Ethernet switch. The 54Mbps wireless router has a built-in Internet firewall with security that includes 64-, 128-, or 256-bit encryption or WPA. Actiontec says the modem is fully compatible with all major DSL providers. It also claims that set up is “as easy as plugging in the modem.”

Additionally, Actiontec launched a DSL modem/four-port switch combo for those who don’t need wireless networking. The $69.99 GT724R is also available at Best Buy and Fry’s.

Unfortunately the company does not offer a similar cable modem/router for all you cable customers out there.

For the past 15 years, Rik Fairlie has covered technology and the business of technology for numerous publications and Web sites. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations

3 Mobile Broadband USB Modem

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 06:55:27 PDT

If you need fast internet access from your laptop while you're out and about, you'll welcome the competition raging among the carriers.

3, which prefers its name to be written as a number (and reminds us of that fact every time we spell it out as a word), has chosen to take a lead by providing Australia's cheapest mobile broadband prices.

For example, the company's mid-range plan gives you 2GB of data for just $49 a month; that's five times the downloading fun for less than half the price of Telstra's Super G Fast plan on its BigPond Next G mobile wireless network. Similarly, 3's excess charges of a modest 10 cents a MB are a third of the amount Telstra levies. Finally, if you sign up for a year the pocket-sized USB modem is yours for only $5 a month.

So why haven't Australia's mobile mavens fled the big orange T for 3's budget-minded broadband? One reason is that while Telstra's shiny new Next G network provides almost coast-to-coast coverage, 3's turbocharged 3G network (the boffins call it HSDPA) is available mainly in the capital cities. If you are outside one of these hubs, or in one of the unavoidable coverage black holes in greater Sydney, you can only keep in touch if you let the modem roam onto Telstra's much slower GSM phone network, for which you're slugged a stratospheric usage fee ($1.65 a MB).

Going online in the Sydney CBD and North Sydney delivered consistently high speeds around the 1Mbps mark, with reliable peaks to 1.4Mbps. However, when we moved to Chatswood and suburbs further north and west the signal headed south - to less than 600Kbps.

Even so, it's mobile broadband at a killer price: just disable the GSM roaming and don't stray too far from the heart of the city

Sierra Wireless

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:46:59 PDT

NOTICE: Sierra Wireless is announcing the End of Life for the AirCard 595U USB Wireless modem. Please click here for more information.

The AirCard® 595U USB Wireless modem is a new addition to the Sierra Wireless product family. Packaged in a stylish, compact form factor, the AirCard 595U USB modem can either plug directly into any USB port, or can be connected via the included docking cradle. Compatible with both Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, the AirCard 595 USB modem offers customers an alternative to both PCMCIA and ExpressCard solutions
KEY FEATURES
Transfer wireless data at max speeds of 3.1 Mbs downlink and 1.8 Mbps uplink, on the latest EV-DO Rev A networks
High performance internal antenna for measurable improvements in data speed, signal acquisition and retention
Dual-band, 800 and 1900 MHz support with Receive diversity
Built-in GPS antenna design to support mobile operator Location Based Services for most accurate and fastest time to signal fix
Supported OS: Windows® Vista, XP, 2000, and Mac OS X
Field firmware upgradeable
KEY BENEFITS
Stylish, portable solution for enterprise & home use, offering the best mobile and fixed wireless alternative available on the market
High speed wireless connectivity in more places than Wi-Fi, offering greater mobility
Support for latest 3G technology, but backward compatible where 3G is unavailable
Secure internet access wherever there is network coverage
Solid product reliability so users can work efficiently on the road

Xbox 360™ Wireless Networking Adapter

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:40:26 PDT

Description
Designed for versatility and ease, the Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter enhances your Xbox 360 experience in the digital home, seamlessly synchronizing with the Xbox 360 system. You can easily transfer videos and music to your Xbox 360 system from your Media Center PC, chat with your friends, play games via Xbox LIVE®, and more—all without the clutter of wires.

Features

Dual band 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz Wireless A/B/G home network compatible
Compact, high-performance design
Powered by Xbox 360 to eliminate adapter clutter
Windows Vista Media Center compatible
Streams photos and music from Microsoft® Windows® XP and recorded TV, movies, and videos from your Microsoft Windows XP Media Center - based PC

PRINTERS & MULTI-FUNCTION

noreply@blogger.com (rina manise) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:40:06 PDT

Brother is the latest company to offer wireless connectivity with its latest inkjet multi-function printer designed for the home office. The new MFC-885CW is also the first multi-function to offer a digital cordless phone, the company says.

The device offers fax, colour print, colour scan and colour copy functionality as well as a cordless DECT handset, and answering machine. It also features a 4.2-inch LCD which allows you to preview faxes and preview, edit and print photos from a digital camera memory card.

Connectivity options include USB, Ethernet and wireless (802.11b/g), so you can print from several computers around the house to the one printer without wires.

The MFC-885CW claims print speeds of up to 30 pages per minute (ppm) for mono and 25ppm in colour, with print resolutions of 1200 x 6000 dots per inch (dpi).

RRP: $499
See: www.brother.com.au