Aug 19

DirecTV, Cisco and Samsung have whole house DVR plans with RVU alliance

Posted in: cisco, Features, samsung, Today's Chili
RVU alliance topology

One of our dreams is to have a true whole home DVR that allows us to watch any show we want, on any TV we want; but so far the perfect solution has eluded us. TiVo was really the first to try with its Multi-Room Viewing, but missed the mark by not giving us a single Now Playing list for the whole house or even any automatic conflict resolution between units. The FiOS HD DVR was the next disappointment because it limits us to two tuners and 160GB for the whole house — seriously is that enough for anyone? Currently Windows Media Center offers the best solution, but it’s expensive after you pay $300 a pop for a CableCARD tuner, not to mention it requires more maintenance because it is based on a PC. Needless to say we continue to look for the perfect solution, and we think that the RVU (R-vue) alliance might be just what we ordered. In addition to DirecTV, Cisco and Samsung, the chip maker Broadcom is also one of the founding members of the alliance, but it is their goals that get us excited. So excited, that we’d actually be shocked if they were actually achieved, but you’ll have to click through to learn why.

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DirecTV, Cisco and Samsung have whole house DVR plans with RVU alliance originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jun 23

Linksys announces WRT160NL Linux-powered media sharing router

Posted in: cisco, networking, router, Today's Chili

Do you have some media to share with yourself (or with those in close vicinity)? The Linksys Wireless N Storage Router is a sleek and sexy refresh of the tried and true Wireless G, throwing in external R-SMA antenna connectors, USB connectivity (for your fave external drive) and an integrated media server. This bad boy can stream to PCs or UPnP AV digital media adapters, and it supports FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS file systems in both read and write mode. Available now for $109.99.

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Linksys announces WRT160NL Linux-powered media sharing router originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 14

Cisco signs on to provide infrastructure, build Linksys WiMAX routers for Clearwire

Posted in: 4G, cisco, mobile broadband, mobile internet, MobileBroadband, MobileInternet, networking, router, Today's Chili, WiMAX

Clearwire may not be as ubiquitous as you’d like it to be, but it’s taking a huge step forward in hopes of wildly expanding by linking up with Cisco. In essence, the two have joined hands in order to “enhance and expand CLEAR 4G mobile WiMAX services throughout the United States,” with Cisco providing the core infrastructure and Clearwire providing the guidance. Potentially more interesting is the notion that Cisco’s Linksys brand will soon be delivering “new mobile WiMAX devices,” such as routers that will presumably tune to WiFi and WiMAX waves. Specific product details are sorely absent, though Clearwire does reiterate that it’s hoping to have WiMAX service to more than 80 markets across the US by the end of next year.

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Cisco signs on to provide infrastructure, build Linksys WiMAX routers for Clearwire originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 May 2009 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apr 07

Pure Digital founder talks of Flip Video’s future

Posted in: camcorder, cisco, social networking, SocialNetworking, streaming, Today's Chili, twitter, wifi

When we got wind of Cisco’s $590 million acquisition of Flip Video-maker Pure Digital, we immediately came to grips with the fit. After all, Cisco’s been dying to pull another Linksys for some time now, and what better to expand its consumer electronics presence than with a cheap-o camcorder that’s ripe for the addition of WiFi. Bigwig (and Pure Digital founder) Jonathan Kaplan recently sat down to talk about the product’s future, and unsurprisingly, he definitely mentions the integration of Cisco’s “strengths” into the handheld camcorder. Furthermore, he’s hoping that an entity as large as Cisco can get the Flip Video line overseas, and he’s also quite big on “building the brand.” The takeaway? Don’t be alarmed when a WiFi-equipped, streaming-capable successor hits the scene at CES 2010, complete with automatic upload-to-YouTube functionality.

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Pure Digital founder talks of Flip Video’s future originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Apr 2009 05:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 26

Cisco Media Hub reviewed, punched like a baby

Posted in: cisco, review, Today's Chili

Cisco’s been trying to make themselves comfortable in our living rooms over the last few years with variable success. For Cisco, the more audio, home spun video, TV, and just plain data they can entice you to push around your house, and The Net in general, translates to warm willowy cash riding an OSPF packet direct into Cisco’s pocket. Now we’ve got a review from HotHardware of Cisco’s latest, the Linksys Media Hub Network Attached Storage device. Unfortunately for Cisco, the review politely ripped the Media Hub to shreds. It’s most compelling feature — the intuitive, built-in, Internet accessible Media Browser — would “lose” media and “frequently” degrade performance during database rebuilds that kicked off throughout the day. Issues that could be solved via firmware update — someday… probably. The price is also set too high compared to other NAS devices in the same capacity range. For about the same dough, you can get the Business Edition of the 2TB Maxtor Central Axis NAS preferred by HH. Fortunately for you, you’ve seen the review prior to handing Cisco your $350. You did wait for the review, right?

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Cisco Media Hub reviewed, punched like a baby originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 08

Cisco said to be buying Pure Digital for around $500 million

Posted in: business, camcorder, cisco, industry, merger, Today's Chili

Believe us people, popularity pays off. Just ask Pure Digital CEO Jonathan Kaplan, who is reportedly scrambling for ways to spend $80 million of the $500 million Cisco Systems is about to hand over in order to acquire the company. Granted, none of this has been confirmed just yet, but TechCrunch has it that the deal is all but done. Reportedly, Cisco’s interested in bringing the firm into its portfolio in order to further push high-bandwidth using services. Obviously, user generated HD video fits pretty perfectly into that agenda. We suspect we’ll be hearing more on the subject as the work week begins in earnest, but it sure sounds like Linksys is about to get a new cousin.

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Cisco said to be buying Pure Digital for around $500 million originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 09

CES 2009: Cisco Unveils Media Hub, Wireless Music Devices

Posted in: cisco, Today's Chili

Cisco chairman and CEO John Chambers showed off several home networking devices during his Friday CES keynote, including a Media Hub that lets users remotely access their digital libraries.

Connect the Linksys by Cisco Media Hub to your wireless router and it will scan your network for all the hard drives in your home. Organize your files as you see fit, and access them throughout your house. If you’re out of town, you can also log on to your Media Hub through the Web and gain access to all your files remotely.

“This device will automatically collect all the pictures and music and movies that are on my PC or my Mac and it will store it on this local device, allowing them to be shared across all of the devices across the network,” Jim Grubb, Cisco’s chief demonstration officer, said during the keynote presentation.

There are three models available: the NMH305 with a 500GB hard drive for $299.99; the NMH405 with a 500GB hard drive, an LCD screen, and six-in-one card reader for $349.99; and the NMH410 with a 1TB hard drive, the LCD screen and card reader for $429.99.

Cisco will provide one year of free access with your purchase, but the Media Hub will require an annual fee of $9.99 thereafter.

Media Hub works with the four wireless music devices Cisco also unveiled this week – the Director, Conductor, Player, and Controller.

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Jan 07

Linksys Wireless Home Audio and Media Hub NAS hands-on

Posted in: cisco, Features, hands-on, Today's Chili

We just snuck a quick look at the new Linksys home media gear, the Wireless Home Audio system and Media Hub NAS, and it’s pretty much what you’d expect. For all of Cisco’s talk of platform and back-end and consumer love, the end product is actually pretty humdrum. We can’t speak to the actual setup and content integration — which will naturally be Cisco’s strong suit — but the actual hardware doesn’t seem to scream consumer love. The interface on the Touchscreen Remote is pretty slow and a far cry from the polish of the Sonos system — the unit’s natural competitor — especially compared to the iPod touch control App, and everything looks and feels bulky and gray. We do have to hand it to Cisco for working in the iPod dock, a CD player, iTunes server and Rhapsody all into one cohesive centrally-controlled system, but we’ll see how much traction this gathers in the market… Cisco’s talking like a uniter, but right now this just looks like more fragmentation.

Gallery: Linksys Wireless Home Audio and Media Hub NAS hands-on

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Linksys Wireless Home Audio and Media Hub NAS hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 07

Live from the Cisco CES press conference

Posted in: cisco, Features, live, LiveBlog, Today's Chili

12:56PM PT We’re here, and there’s some seriously smooth jams playing. We don’t mind telling you that this is the smoothest press event we’ve been to, hands down. Someone call a doctor, we’re having a relax attack.

Continue reading Live from the Cisco CES press conference

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Live from the Cisco CES press conference originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dec 29

Cisco to invade homes next year with new wireless music streamer

Posted in: cisco, media streamer, MediaStreamer, Today's Chili

After slowly sneaking its branding onto its Linksys devices, and welcoming us to the non-defined “Human Network” with ubiquitous GE-style feel good advertising (above), Cisco is finally ready to make a real play for our hearts and pocketbooks with a new wireless audio streamer — among other consumer-friendly products — to be unveiled at CES next week. The products so far are vaguely defined, but it seems like a Sonos-type device in the cards, with a video streamer for use with a TV (and that handy Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem) and eventually a TV-based videoconferencing device both in development. The latter would be a full-HD setup, in the vein of the company’s $40k+ Telepresence rooms currently available to corporations and inexplicably rich comic book heroes, but dramatically cheaper of course. Unfortunately, that won’t be available for a year or two, and in the meantime we’ll have yet another vaguely useful media streamer on our hands — we can’t wait!

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Cisco to invade homes next year with new wireless music streamer originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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