Hasta La Gadget!

On July 8, Amped Wireless put its 700mW 802.11AC dual-band Wi-Fi router up for pre-order, and now it has announced the same for its ACA1 500mW dual-band AC Wifi USB adapter. The device is currently available for pre-order from Amped’s website for $89.99, with the shipping date being pegged as July 22. On an unspecified date later this month, it will also be launched in retail stores.

The ACA1 is being hailed as the first long-range 802.11AC adapter to be compatible with Mac OS X in addition to Windows, and is specifically optimized to work with its 700mW AC router we mentioned above. The device is likewise compatible with all other wireless networks, and is also the first of its kind to feature high-gain dual-band antennas and amplifiers.

There are two high-gain dual-band antennas on the ACA1, as well as four amplifiers that offer a combined power of up to 500mW. This is opposed to the 100mW or so you’re find from a regular Wi-Fi adapter, which also lack the range extension features of Amped Wireless’s offering. This works out to a range increase over standard adapters of about 3x.

The adapter connects to devices via USB 3.0, and as with the related router and other Amped Wireless products, features the Wi-Fi Analytic Tool Apps. The software works by enabling “advanced software” options for network analysis and optimization. You can find out more about the device in the video above.

Amped Wireless’s CEO Jason Owen said: “Operating in the 5GHz band, 802.11ac devices suffer from the poor range inherent with the 5GHz band. With the ACA1, users can extend their 802.11ac connections to download HD videos and transfer data files throughout their homes, backyards and offices. The ACA1 allows Mac and Windows users to freely use their computers and enjoy the full benefits that come with 802.11ac speeds.”

SOURCE: Amped Wireless

Amped Wireless ACA1 500mW dual-band AC WiFi adapter available for pre-order is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

While BlackBerry 10.1 was just rolled out about a month ago, ramblings of version 10.2 are beginning to pop up in the form of leaked screenshots. The revealing screenshots show a few new features, including improved notifications that let you quick-reply to messages and email right from the lock screen, as well as WiFi Direct support.

The leaked screenshots were posted on the CrackBerry forums and they reveal how the new quick-reply notifications operate. Essentially, it looks like you’ll be able to pull down on notifications and respond to them, and there will also be an option to mute notifications or view them on the lock screen.

As for WiFi Direct, the screenshots reveal that it will be coming to version 10.2 to BlackBerry devices. WiFi Direct lets you transfer files between phones without the need for the cloud. It basically creates a super simple peer-to-peer network that can link different devices together, including phones, tablets, and printers.

It’s unclear whether or not all apps will be able to take advantage of the new quick reply notifications, but it’s certainly a feature that both iOS and Windows Phone doesn’t have, while Android can only do it in limited circumstances. BlackBerry needs these kinds of unique features to push itself out in front, and this is a great area of the UI to accomplish that.

As for other updates coming to BlackBerry 10.2, there’s a new native Evernote app, as well as an updated settings app and app manager. There’s no word on when we might this new update, but seeing as how it’s not even official yet, we may not see 10.2 roll out for several more months at least.

VIA: Engadget

SOURCE: CrackBerry Forums

BlackBerry 10.2 leaked screenshots reveal quick-reply notifications, WiFi Direct is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

While some airlines are still trying to catch up by bringing WiFi to its fleet of aircrafts, Southwest Airlines is a step ahead of the crowd. Today, Southwest and DISH have teamed up to bring free live television, as well as on demand services, to all WiFi-equipped Southwest flights. This means that around 75% of Southwest’s flights currently can take advantage of free TV while in the air, which they’re calling “TV Flies Free”.

Of course, many airlines offer live TV on board through the built-in television displays behind the seat, but Southwest Airlines and DISH boast that it’s better to watch television on the device of your choice rather than have to be stuck with a small display that looks terrible compared to a Retina-equipped iPad.

Southwest says that only “certain personal devices” will be compatible with DISH’s in-flight television service, but seeing as how the company gave away free iPads to all those on board the inaugural flight, we’re guessing that most iOS devices are compatible, as well as newer Android devices as well.

DISH doesn’t say how many channels passengers get to choose from during the flight, but they do mention that 75 on-demand shows are available to watch anytime during the flight. There’s also no mention of how the service works, but from the video above, it doesn’t look like there’s a dedicate app for the service. Instead, it seems that passengers open up the web browser and watch TV through that.

As airlines try to win over customers on a daily basis, they’re attempting to find more and more ways to convince flyers to choose their airlines by providing incentives and free services like wireless internet, live television, and of course free snacks and drinks. It’s a competitive market, and the airlines that offer the best services are the ones who usually win.

SOURCE: Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines DISH deal brings free TV to WiFi flights is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Huawei must know that not everyone is keen to make phone calls on a tablet — that would explain why an unannounced WiFi-only slate, the MediaPad 7 Youth, has appeared at the FCC. The filing doesn’t reveal much by itself, although it shows that the Youth isn’t just a rehash of the MediaPad 7 Lite or other recent models. Besides the different antenna window layout, there’s no camera on the back; this is clearly a budget machine. We’re not expecting miracles from the Youth’s hardware, then, but those curious about Huawei’s next low-cost tablet can get an early look at the source link.

Filed under: Tablets

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Source: FCC

Using WiFi to “see through walls” and track people when they’re moving could be a new feature on your next smartphone, if MIT researchers have their way, with a low-cost method of tracking relying on the wireless connectivity cooked up in their labs. The project, dubbed Wi-Vi, repurposes WiFi in a similar manner to sonar

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