Hasta La Gadget!

There’s something about miniaturized gadgets that’s very appealing. This new router was unveiled by ASUS at CES 2013, and they claim that it’s the smallest router ever made. They’re probably right, because this thing is tiny.

The ASUS WL-330NUL Pocket Router is about the same size as a USB flash drive, and it’s basically perfect for anyone hitting the road a lot. It weighs about 25 grams, and the 802.11b/g/n router has an Ethernet port on one end to connect to a wired connection, and a USB cable on the other for leeching power from a computer. It can also be plugged into an outlet. For ultra-thin laptops, it doubles as an Ethernet port, because they usually lack them.

Signal range is probably limited with something this small, though, and it might be nice if it had a retractable Ethernet cable built into it. Prices and availability have not yet been announced, but I’m guessing that it will be out a little later this year.

[ASUS via FarEastGizmos]

When most people think of Verizon and sports, the company’s NFL Mobile app usually comes to mind. However, this may soon be changing thanks in part to a collaboration between the carrier and Cisco. A project referred to as the “Connected Athlete” will soon allow people to track an athlete’s step-by-step performance in real-time. Here’s how it works: a user’s gear (helmet, shoes and gloves) is outfitted with sets of motion and pressure detecting sensors that track information based on its wearer’s motions. Using Verizon’s wireless network to transmit data, the information is fed to the cloud through Cisco’s 819 Integrated Services Router.

Aside from counting how many steps a running back took in a game, the Connected Athlete may also be able to prevent injuries by tracking an athlete’s performance habits, such as favoring a specific foot over another. The demonstration that Verizon had on hand was connected to a football helmet that would ideally monitor the impact a player absorbed during a collision. If used properly, Verizon hopes that this type of data will help coaches and athletes catch a progressing injury before it happens.

Continue reading Verizon’s Connected Athlete adds sensors / data to your gear, tracks habits and more (hands-on)

Filed under: Wearables, Networking, Verizon

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Corsair is very much associated with devices that need a physical connection to work, whether they’re thumb drives or memory sticks. It’s looking to cut the cord in style through its new Voyager Air. You’ll have seen some of what it does with a predecessor like Kingston’s Wi-Drive, with media streaming to Android and iOS devices, a WiFi repeater mode and USB 3.0 support, but Corsair’s drive goes the extra mile by serving as network attached storage through a gigabit Ethernet link. The 7-hour battery life when completely wireless certainly helps its prospects, at least among its immediate rivals. Corsair plans to ship the Voyager Air by early February in a 500GB version for $199 and 1TB for $229 versions; either price sounds reasonable for a home media server that ultimately doesn’t have to stay at home.

Continue reading Corsair outs Voyager Air with WiFi storage, NAS, USB 3.0 and repeater all in one

Filed under: Storage, Networking

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Source: Corsair

Securifi isn’t your average Kickstarter outfit. It already has one Almond wireless touchscreen router under its belt, currently sold at Amazon, and now it’s about to bid for crowdfunding to build a sequel: the Almond+. The new device will incorporate a 2.8-inch 320 x 240 touchscreen for PC-free setup, dual band 802.11ac for speeds of up to 1,167Mbps, plus an integrated Smart Home hub that works with the slightly esoteric Zigbee and Z-Wave protocols. In conjunction with the iOS and Android app, this would let you access regular home automation tasks from anywhere, including security alerts and heating and lighting control. We’ll see more of it when the project launches at Kickstarter, at which point it’ll have a $250,000 funding goal.

Continue reading Almond+ WiFi router coming to Kickstarter: touchscreen, 802.11ac, home automation

Filed under: Wireless, Networking

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[CES 2013] Buffalo is coming up with a couple of new WiFi 11ac routers named Buffalo WZR-1750DHP ($179) and Buffalo WZR-1166DHP ($149). From what we understand, they look very much like the current Buffalo WZR-D1800H in terms of features and performance. However, they will come with Buffalo’s new user interface which makes the most used features (password, guest network… etc) easy to access and setup. Obviously there is still an “advanced” mode for users who want total control over their router setup. Buffalo has mentioned the possibility of adding a parental control feature, but isn’t sure if this particular revision of the product will have it a final decision on the matter should come soon.

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