Staples has launched its smart home platform, Staples Connect, bundling third-party sensors, lights, wireless sockets and locks, and more, with a universal control hub that links them together. The $99 Staples Connect hub – which works with Honeywell, Philips hue, Lutron, Yale, GE, First Alert, and other brands of home automation kit – will be […]
This article was written on May 05, 2008 by CyberNet.
The burning question of the week last week was 64-bit vs. 32-bit, which do you use? The results are in and here’s what we found:
In the end, the majority of you are still 32-bit Windows users whether it be that you’re running XP or Vista.
Next up, we’re wondering what kinds of security protection you use on your wireless router. We all know that not securing a wireless router exposes your computer to security risks, so it’s one of those important things that you should do.
You can either cast your vote below if you have Flash enabled, or you can vote in the sidebar.
Copyright © 2013 CyberNetNews.com
In the case you have around a thousand bucks to burn and you’re looking for the coolest gadget to buy to impress your family during Thanksgiving dinner, look no further than the LG G Flex. This is the second device to come out with a curved display (the first being the Samsung Galaxy Round), which arcs from top to bottom and even offers a little bit of flex when you push down on it. Officially it’s only available in Korea for 999,940 won (about $940), and while rumors are pointing to an eventual launch in other parts of the world, the earliest — and richest — of early adopters in the US can grab one from importers for around $1,100. One of those companies is Negri Electronics, which was gracious enough to send us a G Flex for a few days.
Between the G Flex and the Galaxy Round, you’re looking at two of the most expensive smartphones this side of a Vertu or Porsche Design BlackBerry. So what’s the point? The benefits of curved or flexible displays are three-fold (so far): they promise more durable gadgets, a better viewing experience over regular phones and could potentially lead to wholly flexible devices or even brand new form factors (Samsung, for instance, is already working on a phone with a foldable screen, as well as a prototype with a bent display). It’s pretty exciting stuff, so we’ve opened up the G Flex box, fired up the phone, and we’re ready to share our initial impressions with you. Take a closer look at the G Flex with our gallery and thoughts below.
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Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
On a flight yesterday from JFK to Austin, JetBlue finally decided to flip the switch on Fly-Fi, giving lucky passengers an early look at the airline’s next-generation in-flight WiFi for the very first time. A flight attendant announced the service — which is free until 30 planes are retrofitted — and passengers seated around me pulled out their laptops, tablets and smartphones and tried to hop online. Unfortunately, a recent update caused unexpected performance issues, and Fly-Fi’s speed and consistency fell far short. When a flight attendant asked the woman seated in front if me if she had enjoyed her experience at the end of the flight, she responded with “not so much.” It wasn’t looking good for JetBlue.
I had booked my return to New York on the same aircraft, and following a 20-minute BBQ pitstop at AUS, I got back on board. The issues we experienced on the first flight — allegedly caused by an incorrect DNS-server listing on the network side — were completely resolved, making our three-hour hop back to Kennedy Airport much more pleasant. The experience was completely different, though we were offline for 30 minutes or so as we passed over Louisiana and Mississippi. Ultimately, Fly-Fi, which utilizes the ViaSat-1 satellite positioned over North America, was in line with the ViaSat service I’ve tried on the ground — when it works, it blows the competition out of the water. It’s as close as you’ll get to the internet you’re used to at home, and it certainly outshines connectivity in pretty much any airline terminal.
Filed under: Transportation, Wireless, Mobile
The Rocki concept has been floating around for a bit, but now the company’s ready for the hardware startup rite of passage that is the Kickstarter campaign. The idea’s a pretty straightforward one: a module that plugs into the back of an existing sound system via audio jack or RCA, essentially turning it into a wireless speaker system. The little hexagonal Play device streams music over your home network via 802.11b/g/n, which has some notable fidelity and range advantages over Bluetooth. Assuming you’ve already got some speakers lying around, it’s also a fair bit cheaper than investing in a new Bluetooth or WiFi versions. The company is developing an Android app for the Rocki, letting you stream your music to multiple devices (assuming, of course, that you’ve got multiple Play modules throughout your home), with iOS and HTML5 versions on the horizon. Get in early, and you can snag one for a $45 pledge.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Wireless
Source: Kickstarter
A couple of months ago, Spotify Connect was announced for iOS — a feature that allows you to wirelessly control (via your home WiFi network) music playing on Connect-compatible speakers with your phone. Good news for Spotify users with Premium accounts and Android devices today, as their version of the app has now been endowed with all of Connect’s powers. Of course, the number of devices currently compatible with the feature is fairly slim, as Pioneer and Bang and Olufsen are Spotify’s only official partners. But, ’tis the season and there are some quality, if pricey, Connect-enabled speakers and receivers to be had — remember, kids, Santa only brings you what you ask for.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio/Video, Software, Mobile
Via: Android Police
Source: Google Play
Color-changing LED lighting is probably the most obvious way of introducing some smart home tech, and though Philips’ hue is the best known system, that hasn’t stopped startup rivals from trying to take its crown. Lumen turned to crowdfunding to get its TL800 Bluetooth 4.0 bulb off the ground, and now it’s headed to store […]
You don’t have to hold onto hope for that truly unlocked iPhone 5s any longer — it’s now available to buy on Apple’s site. To be clear, this version of Apple’s Touch ID-imbued flagship comes completely free of any carrier attachment, separating it from the unlocked T-Mobile variant that ships with a Magenta nano-SIM inside. The SIM-free GSM handset, which’ll ship within one to two weeks from order, is available in the standard 16GB/32GB/64GB storage and color configurations, so pricing remains the same at $649/$749/$849, respectively. But you’ll still need to hitch your data ride to AT&T or T-Mobile for that fancy phone to work in the US. So, the strings… they’re still attached. There are just fewer of them now.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Apple
Via: 9 to 5 Mac
Source: Apple
When Motorola threw its weight behind Phonebloks’ modular smartphone concept, it pretty much signaled to the rest of the industry that the Google company was dead serious about customization. But that radical vision of a completely upgradeable handset needs an equally radical manufacturing partner and Motorola’s found that in 3D Systems. Today, the two companies have announced a multi-year deal that’ll see 3D Systems building what Motorola calls “the factory of the future,” and providing a complete end-to-end fabrication process for ‘Project Ara.’ As part of the deal, Motorola’s exclusively tasking 3D Systems with creating new “multi-material printing capabilities including conductive and functional materials” to build these modules (e.g., chassis, battery, etc.) and help it keep pace with eventual consumer demand for ‘Ara’ phones. That’s all if 3D Systems can prove its undeveloped printing process actually, you know, works. If not, well, 3D Systems can kiss that exclusivity agreement goodbye.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google
Among the many surprise costs that annoy cellphone owners, unwanted text message service fees can be the worst; they’re hard to stop, and not always worth the effort. Those fees may not irk many US subscribers after today, though — AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile now stop “problematic” premium SMS services from billing their customers. Donations and those all-important talent show votes will still go through. Verizon isn’t part of today’s announcements, although the company’s General Counsel William Petersen tells us that Big Red is already “winding down” premium SMS services. There’s a good chance that these shady messagers will simply change tactics, but they’ll at least have a tougher time scamming phone owners.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile
Source: Vermont Attorney General, T-Mobile
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