Hasta La Gadget!

It’s an age-old problem. What do you do when you’re just barely out of range of a nearby WiFi signal, and moving closer really isn’t a convenient option? hField Technologies has been solving said quandary for years with its continually revamped Wi-Fire, and we were fortunate enough to grab hold of the newest, third-generation version in order to put said company’s claims to the test. Quite frankly, we were more than skeptical about this so-called range extender; let’s face it, this thing has all the markings of an ‘As Seen On TV’ trinket that does little more than fantasize about delivering on its promises. Thankfully for all of the parties involved, we’re happy to say that our doubts were hastily shelved. Read on for more.

Continue reading Wi-Fire long-range WiFi adapter hands-on and impressions

Filed under: Peripherals, Wireless, Networking

Wi-Fire long-range WiFi adapter hands-on and impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clickfree, the outfit responsible for breathing new life into the notion of automatic backups, has just introduced what may very well be its most interesting and useful product yet. The Transformer for iPod / iPhone is a dual-purpose device, giving users the ability to backup multimedia from their PCs onto any remaining space on their iPod or iPhone as well as providing an easy way to retrieve content from those devices should your PC’s hard drive ever decide to call it a day life. Per usual, no software installation is required, and the adapter plays nice with Vista, XP and OS X 10.5 or later. In related news, the company is also introducing its Transformer SE next month, which will ship in a piano black finish and function with any external USB hard drive to deliver a fully automated backup. If you’re willing to pay the price for peace of mind, you can get your order in today at $49.99 and $89.99, respectively.

Continue reading Clickfree Transformer for iPod / iPhone makes auto backups, music retrieval painless

Filed under: Peripherals, Storage

Clickfree Transformer for iPod / iPhone makes auto backups, music retrieval painless originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 07:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Evidently hField Technologies has a good thing going with this inelegant Wi-Fire thingamajig, as it has just followed up versions one and two with the latest and greatest third iteration. The revamped Wi-Fire, which is more formally known as the HFWFG200, is said to be some 40 percent smaller and 30 percent lighter than the previous incarnation, yet it promises to maintain a solid WiFi signal while up to 1,000 feet away from the source. In one of those classic “two steps forward, three leaps back” moments, the company has added in support for Linux and OS X-based systems, though the device only works with 802.11b/g devices. In other words, you won’t see 802.11n speeds out of this thing, and you’ll still get looked at funny with it affixed atop your laptop’s display. If you’re willing to swap dignity for connectivity, you can get one headed your way today for $59.

[Via HotHardware]

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

hField Technologies intros revamped Wi-Fire long-range WiFi adapter originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japanese researchers at KDDI have spliced two technologies that didn’t seem to have much of a future in the wireless realm — USB and Infrared — and come up with a method for achieving transmission speeds of up to 1Gbps. Their innovation is in overcoming a latency problem that until now prevented USB 2.0 transmissions from being converted into Infrared signals and then back into electronic form. While still very early in the development and standardization process, this is a tantalizing premise, especially with ever-increasing storage capacities in portable devices. The new communication medium, which admittedly sounds a lot like irSimple, will be demonstrated for the first time at the Wireless Japan 2009 exhibition later this month, but we wouldn’t hold out hope for an imminent release.

Filed under: Wireless

Wireless USB 2.0 to dawn on the Japanese horizon? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Okay, so maybe it’s just a microSD-equipped smartphone’s best friend, but you get the idea. Unlike traditional [insert flash format here]-to-USB adapters, Elan’s Mobidapter provides a direct bridge from your microSD slot to your external USB hard drive. The result? Dead simple phone backups and file transfers, all without the use of a PC in the middle. Elan asserts that the currently unpriced device will begin shipping in mid-June, and if you’re still baffled about how this thing operates, check the yawn-inducing demonstration vid after the break.

Continue reading MicroSD-to-USB Mobidapter is a smartphone’s best friend

Filed under: Cellphones, Storage

MicroSD-to-USB Mobidapter is a smartphone’s best friend originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 21 May 2009 03:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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