Buffalo Linkstation Mini reviewed

We told you about the buffalo linkstation mini 1TB NAS solution last month, and now Trusted Reviews has got their hands on one to review.

Here's what they thought:

"The LinkStation Mini may not be as fast as larger boxes sporting 3.5in hard disks (it took around one minute 30 seconds to write a 1GB file), and it may not offer quite as much RAID flexibility either. However, it does offer something that no other NAS appliance does - 1TB in a truly tiny chassis. It's also reasonably priced, considering the amount of storage on offer, and that Buffalo has used 7,200rpm SATA notebook drives.

Anyone who has been put off the idea of a NAS box for home, will welcome the diminutive dimensions of the LinkStation Mini, while the silent running means that you could house it in any room of your house without it annoying visually or audibly. If I could have got the web access working, the LinkStation Mini could have walked away with 10/10 and an Editor's Choice, but as it stands it still warrants a whole hearted Recommended."

(more at trustedreviews)

Netgear ReadyNAS Duo reviewed

Trusted Reviews has reviewed the $350 Netgear ReadyNAS Duo twin-bay network attached storage.

Here's what they thought:

"The ReadyNAS Duo takes everything that makes the NV+ a great NAS appliance and packs it into a pint-sized desktop unit. It's an affordable choice for home users, delivers good overall performance and offers a wealth of multimedia features into the bargain."

(more at trustedreviews)

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Novatel U727 EVDO stick reviewed

boing boing reviewed the Novatel U727 cellular EVDO USB stick that costs $280 (or $80 plus a $60/month 2 year contract with Sprint).

Overall they found it to be bigger than expected, installed easily, got good connectivity most of the time, and it doubles as a SD card reader.

If you live and spend most of your time in a large city this could be worth looking into.

(more at boingboing)

Free WiFi for iPhone owners

It appears that iPhone users are given free WiFi access at 71,000 AT&T WiFi hotspots including Barnes & Noble and Starbucks stores.

Instead of the usual login/payment screens iPhone users are seeing a new entry screen asking for their iPhone phone number and once the number is entered they get free access.

macrumors notes that this appears to be based on the "user-agent" setting of the web browser so this is easily faked on a laptop to get free access (as long as you have a valid iPhone phone number to enter).

(via macrumors)

Netgear 6 bay ReadyNAS Pro

Netgear has announced some new ReadyNAS network attached storage servers.

The 6 bay servers have Intel Core 2 Duo processors, 1BG RAM, 128MG flash for the OS, gigabit ethernet, and RAID 0/1/5/6.

The ReadNAS pro comes in three sizes: 1.5TB, 3TB, and 6TB, and prices start at $2k.

(full press release after the jump)

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Planex DigiJuke NAS plays nicely with bittorrent

I expect the MPAA lawyers are already working on lawsuits to sneak some tracking code into this device.

The Planex DigiJuke network attached storage device cost $525 for a 1GB system with gigabit ethernet. It's big selling point is that it comes with a little browser for searching and tagging youtube videos and torrents for download directly to the DigiJuke.

(via engadget)

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Wifi predator: long range snooping

ihacked has created a long range smart wifi snooper for piggybacking off distant free or unsecured wireless routers.

It uses about $150 in parts (some of which you may already have lying around): a DD-WRT compatible router such as the Buffalo WHR-HP-G54, a Hyperlink 2.4GHz 14.5 Yagi Antenna, a cheap tripos, and some screws/velcro.

Construction of this seems really simple, although it is a big too big to carry on business trips to take advantage of nearby free hotspots instead of paying the hotel $15 a night for their internet.

(full instructions at ihacked)

Buffalo Linkstation Mini

We think Buffalo's Linkstations are the best network attached storage solutions out there for the home or small office user, so we are excited to hear they are coming out with a mini version that accepts up to 2 500GB 2.5" disks for a total storage capacity of a terabyte and supports RAID 1 mirroring and RAID 0 striping in a package measuring just 40mm x 82mm x 135mm (1.6" x 3.2" x 5.3") and weighing 1.1lb

No word yet on price, but the Linkstation Mini will be available in May.

(More at buffalo)

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Anthology Solutions Yellow Machine Review

We firmly believe in the importance of keeping your important files backed up, and we also think you can never have too much storage space, so we were pleased to get our hands on the Yellow Machine from Anthology Solutions which boasts a massive 1000 Gigabytes (1 Terabyte) of storage space (and is also available in a 1.6 Terabyte version).

The Yellow Machine is more than just a network storage device though: it also can act as the entry point to your home or small office network with a built-in 8 port Ethernet hub, firewall and proxy server.

And did we mention that it looks nice?

Read on for the rest of the review......

Continue reading "Anthology Solutions Yellow Machine Review"

Power over Ethernet

DSP Design has unveiled the first PC that is powered through a standard ethernet (CAT5) cable.

The POET 6000 is less than an inch thick, silent, runs windows XP from a flash drive, has a touch screen, uses only 13w of power, and in our opinion would be perfect as a media center extender & web browser in your kitchen/bedroom etc.

(more from DSP Design via BBC)

Pure Networks Network Magic

We have a lot of tech gadgets at home all connected together and the biggest thing that drives us crazy is when something goes wrong with our network. Usually we end up disconnecting everything, rebooting the cable modem, rebooting our router, restarting all all devices, getting new IP addresses etc.

At times we have thought "wouldn't it be great if we had some software running that could visually show us all our network and help us understand any problems".

That is why we were happy to bump into Pure Networks and their Network Magic software as it does exactly what we were looking for:

"Network Magic software elevates home networks from an uncooperative collection of hardware — cables, routers, adapters, PCs, printers, and other devices — into a finely tuned, smoothly running network, all while leaving you firmly in control. After all, you're not asking for much from your home network. You just want to be able to plug it in, turn it on, share some pictures, print where you want, surf when you please—you know, enjoy yourself."

From Q2 Network Magic will also be included with D-Link routers.

Learn more and get a Beta version of Network Magic

FCC Power Grab

Susan Crawford found some very interesting wording in a legal brief filed by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) as part of a lawsuit brought by a number of advocacy groups over the Broadcast Flag (a mandate that by mid-2005 all devices capable of receiving a digital signal have to obey a flag settable by the networks to prevent copying).

Now this is bad in itself as it limits our rights to record a program for viewing at a later date but it gets worse: in the brief the FCC claims that they have regulatory power over "all instrumentalities, facilities, and apparatus associated with the overall circuit of messages sent and received via all interstate radio and wire communication."

So, if a Gadget (PC, Tivo, home distributed wiring control panel, wireless router, networked hard drive) is capable of receiving and/or transmitting on any digital file the FCC thinks they can regulate it and force manufacturers to support the broadcast flag.

Now the FCC is on a morality crusade at the moment, starting with Janet Jackson at the Superbowl and leading to 20 ABC affiliates refusing to air "Saving Private Ryan" on Veterans day because they were afraid of FCC fines over the violence and the F word, I don't want an organization like that trying to regulate my pc, my home network, and my internet use.

(Does the White House know? at Susan Crawford blog)

Increase Bluetooth Range to a Mile

The guys over at Popular Science came up with a fairly easy way to increase bluetooth range from 50 feet to about 5000 feet, as long as you are confortable wielding a soldering iron.

"So I detached the stock antenna from a Linksys USBBT100 Class 1 USB Bluetooth adapter ($70; linksys.com) and replaced it with a larger HyperGain RE05U 2.4GHz antenna ($15; hyperlinktech.com). With that simple mod, I can make a Bluetooth connection up to a mile away—about 4,950 feet farther than most."

Sounds fun

(popular science via engadget)

Buffalo Secure Remote Gateway

Buffalo Technology has announced the first 802.11g wireless router designed for consumers and small business users that can operate a VPN (virtual private network).

A VPN allows you to connect to your home network over the internet from any location and sets up a secure encrypted network connection between your network and your computer.

The AirStation Wireless Secure Remote Gateway (WZR-RS-G54) will be available November at an estimated street price of $199.

Press Release

(via wifinetworkingnews)

Hawking Wireless Signal Booster

Another interesting find at Digital Life last week was the Hawking Technology HSB1 802.11b/g wireless signal booster.

The Hawking wireless signal booster is a little box that you connect to the antenna connector of your wireless router. The wireless signal booster then boosts the power output from a typical 100mW up to 500mW.

The wireless signal booster works with just about any wireless router and the extra power should result in much better range: up to 1200ft indoors and up to 3800ft outside.

This looks like a great little gadget if you need your wireless to reach to all corners of your house.

The Hawking HSB1 wireless signal booster will be available November 1st.

Continue reading "Hawking Wireless Signal Booster"

Netgear Double 108 Mbps Wireless

Jumping back to Digital Focus the other night, we wanted to tell you about some interesting 802.11g wireless technology we saw.

Unlike Belkin (who launched "pre-n" 802.11n technology and got told off by the official Wi-Fi standards organization) most wireless companies are focusing on improving and extending existing 802.11g wireless while they wait for 802.11n standards to be approved.

Netgear was at Digital Focus and they had networking gear that makes 802.11g both faster and longer ranged.

The Netgear Double 108 Mbps technology provides two simultaneous 108 Mbps wireless streams: an 802.11b/g stream perfect for fast file downloads, e-mail, Internet browsing, and online gaming, and an additional 802.11a ”fast lane”, free from congestion and interference, which is ideal for prioritizing traffic for applications such as home-based businesses and high quality video streaming.

The Netgear Double 108 Mbps technology also uses XR™ Extended Range technology from Atheros Communications offering up to three times the range of basic 802.11g technology.

Does it work as well as they claim? we're not sure yet but we are going to try and get some Double 108 gear and try it out.

Continue reading "Netgear Double 108 Mbps Wireless"

Tivo 802.11g and Tivo to Go

Tivo were showing off the new Humax DRT800 DVD Recorder with Tivo Service, it's basically an 80 hour tivo with a DVD recorder that lets you record to DVD as easily as you record a program to hard drive.

What Tivo weren't showing at Digital Focus was just as interesting:

One of my pet peeves with Tivo is that my Tivo only operates wirelessly over 802.11b, which slows down the rest of my network from 802.11g speeds.

It is getting to the stage where I am tempted to setup two wireless networks: one 802.11g (or pre-n) for everything else and one 802.11b for Tivo.

Talking to a Tivo rep however I heard that Tivo will support 802.11g wireless "sometime next year".

Another thing I wanted to talk about was Tivo to Go and the word there is that it's getting close to being launched (Q4 or November - January), my guess is watch CES for the big announcements.

Bigger picture of the Humax below.

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802.11a/b/g on one chip

Atheros has introduced the first Single-Chip 802.11a/b/g Wireless LAN Solution.

What this means for Pocket PCs and other gadgets is that it may soom be possible to have a low power wireless solution that supports more than just 802.11b.

A lot of large companies have 802.11a networks, and a lot of people are replacing their 802.11b networks with faster 802.11g networks: having an 802.11b device on a 802.11g hetwork slows it down for everyone, so 802.11a/b/g gadgets will definately be popular.

Of course, once this is in devices we will all be clamoring for 802.11n connectivity, then it will be WiMax, then the next wireless standard etc.......

Press Release

(via PDAGeek)

Philips Streamium Wi-Fi LCD TV 23PF9976i

Philips announced their Wi-Fi enabled 23 inch "Streamium" LCD TV back in April and it's looks like it is getting closer to reality.

Philips has now announced the Streamium Wi-Fi LCD TV 23PF9976i will be available in November through Amazon.com.

Features of the Streamium Wi-Fi LCD TV 23PF9976i are:

• Wi-Fi connectivity to your home network and online entertainment media – compatible with iFILM and Yahoo! Movies, Photos, and Games.
• Philips PC Link – access to music, videos, and photos stored on a PC including the ability to tune into thousands of Internet radio station via the TV's on-screen menu.
• Built-in FM Tuner – FM digital tuning with 40 presets.
• Futureproof – The Streamium TV upgrades its own software to add new services, features, and media formats.
• Audio Support – MP3, MP3 Pro, PCM, WAV
• Video Support – MPEG-1/2/4, DivX, XviD
• Photo Support – JPEG, GIF, BMP, PNG

No prices yet and no sign of it on the amazon site as of October 12th. Click the amazon link below to see if you can find it.

(via ehomeupgrade)

Belkin 802.11n Wi-Fi at TechXNY

Belkin have announced that their "Pre-N Networking" products will be available from October 22nd.

It is based on the 802.11n Wi-Fi spec that allows for higher bandwidth longer range wireless that is still compatible with existing 802.11b and 802.11g. Belkin call it Pre-N as the 802.11n spec hasn't been approved yet.

I got to see the Belkin Pre-N 802.11n router at the TechXNY show in New York yesterday and the technology looks promising: in independent tests the Pre-N acheived more than 5 times the speed and 5 times the coverage area of 802.11g equipment.

Another feature of the Pre-N gear that I like is that if you have 802.11b or g equipment connecting to the Pre-N router your Pre-N cards still work at full speed. This is a great improvement over 802.11g which drops everyone to 802.11b speeds if a single 802.11b device connects.

Larger picture of the Belkin 802.11n Pre-N Router

The Belkin F5D8230-5 Pre-N Router will cost $180 and the Belkin F5D8010 Pre-N Network Card will cost $130.

Continue reading "Belkin 802.11n Wi-Fi at TechXNY"

D-Link Wireless Travel Router

Looks like wireless travel routers are the flavor of the month.

The first was the Netgear WGR-101 that we reviewed a couple of weeks ago, then Apple came out with their Airport Express, followed by SMC with their SMCWTK-G.

Now D-Link has announced the DWL-G730AP, an 802.11g mini router with a nice little travel case. Should be out now for $100 or less.

Wi-Fi Blocking Wallpaper

A British defense contractor has developed a new type of wallpaper that blocks Wi-Fi signals while still letting through cellphone signals.

The wallpaper is designed as a security method for stopping people outside a building connecting to Wi-Fi routers within the building.

The wallpaper contains a very thin sheet of kapton plastic coated in copper and costs about $100 per square foot.

What I want to know is... if they put this on the walls how do they stop the Wi-Fi leaking out through the doors and windows??

More from the New Scientist

Netgear WGR-101 802.11g Travel Router Review

I took the new Netgear WGR-101 802.11g Travel Router on a 2 week business trip/stress test to San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen (China).

Conclusions

This is a simple to use router that is perfect for roadtrips to hotels with high-speed internet connections. The router itself is tiny, smaller even than a Pocket PC, and comes with a good carrying case. I had no major problems using the router and I will be taking it on all future business trips.

Carry on reading for the full review.

Continue reading "Netgear WGR-101 802.11g Travel Router Review"

Faster Broadband From Verizon "Fios"

Verizon has begun installing high-speed fiber optic cables to homes in Texas, California and Florida as a faster alternative to DSL or Cable Broadband high-speed Internet services.

The service, called Fios, offers 5 megabits per second download speed for $39.95 per month or 15 megabits for $49.95. There will also be a 30 megabits offering that isn't priced yet.

Verizon hopes to have this service in a million homes in 9 states by the end of the year.

Press Release

(thanks extremetech)

Netgear WGR101 802.11g Travel Router part 2

Last week I mentioned the WGR101 802.11g wireless travel router, but didn't have a good link for you to buy it.

I am going to be traveling a lot in the next 3 weeks (San Francisco, Hong Kong, and China) and thought it would be an idea to get one of these gadgets and try it out on the road.

Buy.com has a good price on the WGR101 at the moment: $58.88 after $20 mail-in rebate so I just bought one and will let you know how it works....

Update 7/9: See extended entry below.

Update 7/27: Lots more on the Netgear WGR-101 in my Axim X30 Review

Continue reading "Netgear WGR101 802.11g Travel Router part 2"

Is that a network in your pocket......

.... or are you just pleased to see me?

Netgear has announced a cool new gadget... a wireless (802.11g) router small enough to fit in your pocket (0.7"x2.3"x3.4"), perfect for road warriors who need to setup a wireless network at their hotel, airport or client's office.

It's not available at Amazon yet but other online stores are starting to stock it in the $75-$85 price range.

More info from Netgear
(thanks dailywireless and designtechnica)

802.11g Router for $40

Need a wireless network, or want to speed up your 802.11b network?, amazon has the D-Link DI-624 2.4 GHz AirPlus Xtreme G 108 Mbps Wireless Router for $39.84 after $30 mail-in rebate.

I use the D-Link 802.11b router at home and it has always worked without problems for me, this 802.11g router can go up to 108mbps (double normal speed, faster than most wired ethernet connections) when used with a compatible D-Link wireless card in your pc/laptop.

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