Hasta La Gadget!

Some internet purveyors make a big fuss over having public WiFi. It’s not often that they go out of their way to help you find that WiFi, however, and that’s where CableVision’s recently posted (but just now official) Optimum WiFi Hotspot Finder comes in. If you’re one of the cable company’s Optimum Online subscribers, the currently iOS-only app will pinpoint the 35,000 access points that you can call a home away from home. As we’d hope, the app both finds hotspots nearby for an immediate fix or drills down to specific hotspots if you’re just that determined to find a restaurant with a data pipe. The app and WiFi access are both free — apart from that small matter of the cable account, of course — and will no doubt help iPad and iPhone owners for whom Optimum WiFi’s 15Mbps speed is an oasis in a sea of pokey 3G.

Cablevision launches iOS app to track down Optimum WiFi hotspots, keep you off the 3G sauce originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 04:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re happy to chat up our Facebook friends on the web, but empowering them to track us down in person makes that virtual social experience feel a bit too real. Perhaps that was the reasoning behind the mysterious disappearance of the company’s new Find Friends Nearby feature, which bit the dust yesterday just as quickly as it first appeared. During its hours-long tenure, the new tracking tab didn’t give precise friend location information, but did provide a list of buddies in an undisclosed vicinity, making it possible for some not-so-top-tier contacts to realize that you’re still in Tulsa, and didn’t actually make that move to Timbuktu. Whatever the reason, Find Friends Nearby is now very much lost, but it could theoretically make its return at any point in the future. For now, you’ll need to return to keeping an eye on acquaintances the old-fashioned way.

Facebook’s Find Friends Nearby feature falls off the map, leaves buddy locating to other social apps originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Have you ever lost your keys in your apartment? Then, did you end up finding them after searching for hours or days in the most unexpected spot? Then Hone was made for you. These Bluetooth dongles pair up with your iPhone or iPad using a free app and will emit an audible vibration alert when you tap the “Find” button.

Hone is definitely a useful gadget if you frequently misplace your keys or other small items. Keys can slip out of your pocket, into your couch and into the black hole that collects lost keys, change, and the occasional Cheese Doodle. Using this Bluetooth dongle is a perfect way to get them out of there. Each dongle has a 150 feet reach and 6 months battery life.

Hone was crowdfunded through Kickstarter. At the time of writing, the project is already fully funded. They had amassed $52,000 out of a projected goal of $46,000. There are still 22 days left in funding to snag yours. Pledges start at $49(USD) each for the Hone.

[via Uncrate]

Cisco won’t be the fastest out of the gate with an 802.11ac WiFi router, but it’s certainly one of the most ambitious. The dual-band Linksys EA6500 and a companion, single-band Universal Media Connector network bridge hike the bandwidth up to 802.11ac’s 1.3Gbps peak, each of them carrying their own quartet of gigabit Ethernet jacks. A pair of USB ports on the EA6500 should make sharing storage that much faster as well. If you ask Cisco, however, the real highlight is the new Cisco Connect Cloud app platform. Not unlike Novatel’s MiFi apps, the software helps either manage the router itself (think parental controls) or tap into other devices around the home, including AirPlay sharing and remote camera monitoring. There’s even a new SimpleTap hardware integration platform that will pair third-party WiFi gear like Onkyo receivers to a router through Android and iOS smartphone apps. Eventually, that should include a gentle NFC-based nudge.

A Linksys Developer Community is starting now with six app developers already lined up, and support is due for any access point Cisco deems worthy of the Smart Wi-Fi Router name. That said, you’ll have to wait awhile if you want the 802.11ac tag attached to that router at the same time. The currently-without-a-price EA6500 doesn’t hit shops until early August; you’ll have to wait until September for the equally priceless Universal Media Connector.

Continue reading Cisco rolls its first Linksys 802.11ac WiFi router and bridge, kicks off Connect Cloud app platform (video)

Cisco rolls its first Linksys 802.11ac WiFi router and bridge, kicks off Connect Cloud app platform (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jun 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While Apple announced the launch of Passbook for iOS 6 a couple of weeks ago, even those using the developer release of the operating system can’t really try it out properly—as information to use with the app just isn’t out there yet. Now, however, Redmond Pie has shown us how to start trying it out. More »