Hasta La Gadget!

We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Jordan, who wants some geeky help with an ambitious home project. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’ve just bought a run-down old house (all I could afford) and I want to make it into a geek paradise. Part of that means I want a world-class home network, but what should I pick? The electrics will all need to be re-done, so I could easily wire in Gigabit ethernet along the way, or should I settle for a couple of high-powered WiFi routers at either end of the house? Any help you can offer would be great, thanks!”

Well, we’ve given it some thought and we’re wondering if you’re not better off doing both. After all, with a beefy ethernet switch, you can wire up your heavy-duty gear, but you’ll need at least one WiFi adapter for your smartphone or tablet. The only question is if you really need wired networking in 2012 at all, but that’s a question we’ll leave open to our commenters.

Filed under: Networking, Internet

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Marc and Jack, who are going ocean-mad with all of their remote controls. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

Marc wrote

“My home theater currently has seven remote controls, which I’d like to narrow down. I know there are solutions available which are massively arcane, but is there something simple that the crowd can recommend?”

Jack wrote

“Can you recommend a universal remote control that works with a PS3 and Apple TV that doesn’t suck?”

Well friends,

• Gear 4’s Unity remote has earned rave reviews thanks to its ease of use and near universal application (except for the PS3)
• While Griffin’s Beacon offers the same capability, but also works with Android devices
• If you’re serious about including the PS3 in your setup, you could splash out on Logitech’s Harmony IR-to-Bluetooth adapter.

But perhaps, out there, is something even better. That’s where you, the Engadget Faithful come in. Why not share your experience (or your product) in the comments below?

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals

Ask Engadget: best universal remote? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Nov 2012 22:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Wes, who needs to ensure that Delta Tau Chi don’t start interfering with his band practice sessions. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’m a university band director, and I need a WiFi stereo receiver for our rehearsal space. The problem is, that it would have to join the same network that the students and faculty all share. I want to be able to Airplay music and related apps (like a metronome) through the setup, but I’m worried that any student can connect and mess with it. I can’t seem to find a receiver that requires a separate password to connect to it, so I could really use some help! Thanks, Wes”

Wes, we’ll help you on one condition: the next time you’re directing a half-time show, the band has to stand in the shape of the Engadget logo. Deal? Good.

• It’s very easy to set an AirPlay access code onto an Apple TV. That way, if anyone wants to start pushing tunes (or apps) to your sound system, you have to enter a four-digit code of your choosing.
• You can also control permissions on other AirPlay devices like the Sony STR-DN1030, but there’s a limit of 20 devices, and it’s a little bit fiddly.

Of course, this wouldn’t be Ask Engadget without some audience participation, so, dear audience, participate! Share your knowledge, tell us tales and spread some love this weekend — but only if said love is related to the world of AirPlay passwords.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Ask Engadget: what’s the best way to arrange a protected AirPlay setup? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Nov 2012 22:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, then here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from Whee!, which we guess probably isn’t their real name, who is looking for a way to ditch their mouse. If you’re looking to ask one of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“I’m a web developer, and my typical day involves a lot of moving and clicking when testing stuff in the browser. I’ve been thinking about ditching my mouse, because when using it for long hours it gets very uncomfortable. As such, I’m eyeing up a Wacom tablet and using the pen input to mouse around — but do you think it’s a good idea? Thanks in advance!”

Our questioner wants to solve their wrist-pain woes, and it certainly seems like a reasonable enough idea to us. Plenty of tablets come with a mouse mode, so it’s just down to the limits of your budget.

• If you’re just dipping your toes into the water, you can pick up a Genius device for around $60.
• Wacom’s Bamboo tablets occupy the mid-range, setting you back $80 for a 5.8-inch model, all the way up to $200 for the 8.5-incher.
• If you’re serious about making the change, then Wacom’s Intuos5 hardware is a top-range option, with the 6.2-inch version starting at $200, running all the way to $800 for the 18-inch unit, or even spending big on one of the company’s Cintiq units.
• We’ve also been wondering if a touchscreen Ultrabook might be a better idea, letting your fingers do the walking to spare your aching forearms.

That said, perhaps the wider Engadget community has an even better tip, so if you’ve already made that leap, why not share your knowledge in the comments below?

Filed under: Peripherals

Ask Engadget: Should I replace my mouse with a graphics tablet? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is from David, who wants to know if you’d prefer a free cable or a cheaper device when you buy pro audio gear. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

Many thanks!”

a) Include a cheap cable and let people who care buy a high quality one?
b) Include a reasonable quality cable but increase the price?
c) Include no cable and make it clear they need to buy one?

“I work for a small audio-tech company and we’re currently getting close to releasing our first retail product, which does surround sound from stereo inputs — kinda like Dolby Pro Logic, except good. Internally, we’re agonizing over if we should include a stereo RCA cable. Of course, users will need to integrate an additional cable into their setup, but plenty of people will have spares lying around at home. Do you think it’s better to:

What a question! We’re decidedly of two minds, since given a bit of haggling, most retailers will chuck in a branded lead, but we’d hate to get our shiny new gear home to find it’s missing a key component the one time they don’t. Our dithering aside, it’s time to turn the question over to our faithful Engadgeteers with this chance to shape the future of the high-end audio business for the better… we’d better not disappoint the man!

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Ask Engadget: should companies include a cable with a new product? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Sep 2012 22:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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