Hasta La Gadget!

Ever find yourself wishing your iPad iPad 2 was free from the fickle whims of wireless internet connections? Neither do we — but, if you’re the cable-dependent type, your prayers may not go unanswered for much longer. Redpark (who gave the iPhone an RJ-11 dongle) has created the Console Cable with the ubiquitous 30-pin Apple connector on one end and an RJ-45 plug on the other. The $69 device is used in conjunction with a $9.99 Get Console app to allow Cisco engineers to use their iDevice of choice to perform maintenance out in the field. Cable and app are exclusively compatible with Cisco devices, however, so no Ethernet on the iPhone… yet. It’s only a matter of time before someone makes it happen — your move, hackers.

Redpark Console Cable gives iDevices an RJ-45 connector, not Ethernet access originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Mar 2011 15:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Pocket-lint  |  Redpark  | Email this | Comments

Now that the world has had a few weeks to get used to the new Comcast/NBC collabo (but not that ugly purple logo), CEO Brian Roberts talked to the Wall Street Journal about plans for the future, including his claim that Netflix is actually a good thing for his company. Roberts referred to Netflix as the new version of reruns, and explained his view that it raises the value of NBCUniversal’s content while reiterating statements made earlier about lower-than-expected subscriber losses being tied more to the economy than anything else. Beyond the soft jabs, he discounted the possibility that Comcast might launch its own internet video service for non-cable subscribers, pushing the vision of adding internet video streaming options for existing customers and explaining how they’d “be able to use the devices that are cool and new, that they typically purchased themselves, to now control and interact with the device they also love, which is a brand new high def 3-D TV.” Of course, it doesn’t look like we’re closer to choosing our own UI for browsing content, but with nicely designed apps for tablets, phones and connected TVs maybe the platform for future innovation he references has something for us to look forward to after all — we’d consider new cable boxes that don’t suck to be a good start.

Comcast CEO talks about the merger, ‘cool new devices’ like the iPad and why he doesn’t fear Netflix originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Hollywood Reporter  |  Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

There’s a powder-blue USB 3.0 port on the side of your shiny new computer, whispering your name, but you simply can’t afford to replace your perfectly good eSATA external hard drive for the sake of compatibility. You could simply resist the urge entirely, but if you have the need for speed, there’s a USB 3.0 to eSATA adapter with your name on it, and it just might come in a NewerTech case. Sure, Addonics, Siig and Bytecc sell similar, but as Everything USB points out, NewerTech did the legwork here, benchmarking the cable to be sure it could handle 206.4MB / sec writes and 247MB / sec reads. That’s enough to handle most solid state drives, and you should be completely covered when it comes to anything with spinning magnetic plates. You’ll find it for $30 this week at the likes of OWC.

Continue reading NewerTech adapter turns eSATA into USB 3.0, makes legacy external HDDs feel young again

NewerTech adapter turns eSATA into USB 3.0, makes legacy external HDDs feel young again originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Everything USB  |  Newer Technology  | Email this | Comments

Whether you’re taking the wraps off of your first HDTV or your fifth there’s a few easily avoidable hurdles that can prevent you from enjoying that brand new display at its best. Now, with new internet connected TVs and 3DTVs in the mix, there’s even more to consider, but we’ll walk you through the minefield of figuring out how to hook that new TV up, what to connect it to and even throw in a few suggestions on where to find the stuff you like to watch most.

Continue reading How to connect and set up your new HDTV: all the cables, content, and calibration you need

How to connect and set up your new HDTV: all the cables, content, and calibration you need originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

It’s a little hard to know exactly who to blame here, but one thing is for sure: consumers lose. Last week Suddenlink started deploying TiVo Premiere DVRs to its customers minus Netflix, saying that it was the agreements Netflix has with studios that prevents its streaming service from being deployed on a cable company DVR. At the time it was hopeful that Hulu Plus could still work, but now it’s confirmed that its customers won’t get that either, blaming the same sort of agreements between Hulu and its content providers. Frustrating? Absolutely — but there is one obvious work-around: buy your own darned TiVo Premiere, get access to Netflix and Hulu Plus, and stop paying your cable provider that monthly rental fee. Mind, you’ll have to rock a CableCard, losing the ability to watch video on demand, and the separate TiVo plus Hulu Plus fees might cost a bit more, but consider that a small price to pay for the right to stick a finger in the eye of The Man.

Hulu Plus not happening on cable-provided TiVo Premiere DVRs, Scrooge wins again originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 07:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  GigaOm  | Email this | Comments