Mar 18

Dell Streak 7 gets certified in Wi-Fi-only form, shows up on Amazon for pre-order

Posted in: 7-inch, amazon, Android, pre-order, tablet, Today's Chili, wi-fi, wifi
Dell Streak 7 gets certified in Wi-Fi-only form, shows up on Amazon for pre-order

At about $200 on-contract, Dell’s Streak 7 is one of the cheaper ways to get yourself into an Android tablet — or at least into one made by a manufacturer you’ve actually heard of before. But, that “on-contract” bit means of course the 3G-equipped handheld will be considerably more expensive in the long-run — or $450 up-front if you skip the contract. Here’s one that isn’t. Early this AM we got word that a Wi-Fi only version of the tablet had been certified and, now, here it is up on Amazon for pre-order. No release date is available but the price is: $379.99. That’s about $70 less than the 3G model and $20 less than the 3G-free Galaxy Tab is expected to retail for. Is that cheap enough to make up for its flaws? That, dear reader, is a question you must answer for yourself.

Dell Streak 7 gets certified in Wi-Fi-only form, shows up on Amazon for pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 07:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 02

Hands-On With Verizon iPhone Hot Spot

Posted in: hotspot, iPhone, Phones, Today's Chili, verizon, wi-fi

The Verizon iPhone’s exclusive new feature is hot-spotting: the ability to share the handset’s data connection with up to five devices. Hot-spotting will cost you an extra 20 bucks per month on top of your voice and data plans, but it’s really sweet.

More Verizon iPhone coverage on Gadget Lab:

Apple made the hot-spot feature extremely easy to get up and running over Wi-Fi. You launch the Settings app, tap the Personal Hotspot option, set a password for the network, and turn the slider to On.

The Verizon iPhone then appears on the list of Wi-Fi networks in your area, under the name of your iPhone.

So for example, on a computer or any device with a Wi-Fi connection, I’d go to the network list and select the Wi-Fi network “Brian Chen’s iPhone.” Then I’d be connected to the internet using the iPhone’s data. (See screenshot at right.) I connected an iPad and a computer to the hot spot over Wi-Fi within seconds.

There are also options to connect to the iPhone’s hot spot over USB or Bluetooth, which were also easy to set up.

(Note that you must install the latest version of iTunes, 10.1.2., because it contains necessary drivers to make Bluetooth and USB hot- spotting work with the Verizon iPhone. I had problems using these options with an older version of iTunes.)

Once you connect the iPhone with USB to a computer, a window will appear saying a new network device has been detected. From here on, you should just be able to select the iPhone in your network list and connect to the internet. (See above.)

You can also choose to connect to the hot spot using Bluetooth by pairing the iPhone with your computer. On your computer, after you select the iPhone from the Bluetooth menu, a notification gets sent to the iPhone with the same passcode that’s displayed on your computer. Once you hit OK, the devices should start pairing, and after a few seconds you’ll be connected to the hot spot.

Of all these options, the Wi-Fi hot-spotting was the smoothest and fastest to set up, and I imagine most people will be using that most often.

The Verizon hot-spot feature costs an extra $20 to get 2 gigs of bandwidth per month. AT&T has said it’s working with Apple to bring hot-spotting to its iPhone as well.

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com


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Jan 26

Verizon iPhone Tethering Plan: $20 and Two Extra Gigabytes

Posted in: att, iPhone, Phones, Today's Chili, verizon, wi-fi

Verizon’s personal hotspot feature for the iPhone 4 will cost subscribers an extra $20 per month on top of their regular data plan. This is the same pricing structure you get with Verizon’s other smart-phones.

There has been speculation that Verizon would stick it to AT&T by offering the hotspot feature – which lets you share your internet connection with up to five devices via Wi-Fi – for free. As it is, the feature costs the same as AT&T’s tethering plan. It is also possible that the wireless hotspot feature will come to all iPhone’s with the release of iOS 4.3.

Verizon still wins, though, even if AT&T allows the hotspot feature. Whereas AT&T charges you $20 just to share your already limited pool of data, Verizon gives you an extra 2GB. This is separate from your iPhone’s regular data allowance, and presumably precludes the use of Verizon’s limited-edition unlimited data plan with the service.

The biggest news about the Verizon iPhone isn’t about coverage or network performance. It’s about competition. Look anywhere else in the world and the choice between multiple carriers has lowered prices. Now, with the Big Two going head to head over the exact same hardware, things may get a little better for the consumer.

Verizon dishes on iPhone hotspot pricing [Macworld]

Photo: Jon Snyder / Wired.com

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Jan 12

Samsung WiFi-enabled RF4289 fridge cools, eats and tweets; we go hands-on

Posted in: apps, hands-on, samsung, Today's Chili, twitter, wi-fi, wifi
Other brands may view networked fridges as the key to going green, but it seems Samsung is more interested in letting users access Pandora or tweet while grabbing a snack. At least that’s the impression we got from its staff while playing with the RF3289 fridge at CES, which the brand touts is the first of its kind to feature integrated WiFi. To be fair the unit provides a few pragmatic features too like the ability to view Google calendars, check the weather, download recipes from Epicurious, or leave digital notes — though we’d have been more impressed by functions such as remote temperature adjustment or food spoilage alerts. We also found that the stainless steel exterior made reading the 8-inch LCD touchscreen screen difficult from more than a few feet away. Otherwise, further details on the software and definite pricing are nonexistent at this point, but we do know the appliance will be available to cutting-edge Canadians sometime in May. For more details check out shots of the UI in the gallery below, and hit up Samsung’s vague press release after the break.

Gallery: Samsung Wi-Fi-enabled RF4289 fridge

Continue reading Samsung WiFi-enabled RF4289 fridge cools, eats and tweets; we go hands-on

Samsung WiFi-enabled RF4289 fridge cools, eats and tweets; we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 08

Iogear GW3DKIT wireless 3D media kit banishes your components to the closet

Posted in: 1080p, Today's Chili, wi-fi, Wireless

We went hands-on with Iogear’s wireless HD system last year at CES, and now we’ve managed to do the same with a prototype of the boutique brand’s new GW3DKIT 3D wireless streamer. The kit consists of a 3D transmitter and receiver that each feature four HDMI inputs as well as one component, composite, VGA, and USB input. Each box also features one HDMI and USB output. Together the system is designed to stream full 1080p 60Hz HD video / 5.1 audio along with 3D content over WiFi (802.11n) from as far as 100 feet away with supposedly little latency or wireless interference. Iogear says to expect the system sometime in Q1 of 2011, and no official pricing is available yet, but we’ve been told it would be around $499 by Iogear’s CES booth staff. If everything performs as advertised, it sounds like a great solution for you home theater minimalists out there who prefer components out of sight. We’ll reserve official judgment though until we can go eyes-on with some extended tested. For more information, be sure to check out the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Iogear GW3DKIT wireless 3D media kit banishes your components to the closet

Iogear GW3DKIT wireless 3D media kit banishes your components to the closet originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 05:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 06

Sony unveils new HomeShare network speakers, iPhone docks, and Wi-Fi universal remote

Posted in: iPhone, ipod, ipod dock, IpodDock, sony, speakers, Today's Chili, wi-fi, Wireless

We haven’t heard much about Sony’s HomeShare wireless networking protocol since the initial buzz in 2008, but based on today’s announcements, it’s fairly clear that Sony intends to ramp things up in 2011. The SA-NS300 and SA-NS400 are two new wireless network speakers designed to broadcast tunes from a variety of sources such as DLNA-enabled PCs or BRAVIA internet music services found on Sony’s latest Blu-ray players. iPhones and iPods can join in on the streaming fun when placed in HomeShare compatible NAS-SV20i and NAC-SV10i docks. Since all of these components go beyond the realm of your average IR controller, Sony has kindly released the HomeShare-friendly touch screen RMN-U1 Wi-Fi universal remote, too. Using its activity-based control options, the remote allows those invested in the HomeShare system to send music throughout their network and a view a variety of eye-candy — you know, like album art. Even more interesting is that Sony says all of the components will be available this March for between $200 and $300 depending on the device, which is far below the four figure price points of its early HomeShare gear. For more details, hit up the press release below.

Gallery: Sony Homeshare Components CES 2011

Continue reading Sony unveils new HomeShare network speakers, iPhone docks, and Wi-Fi universal remote

Sony unveils new HomeShare network speakers, iPhone docks, and Wi-Fi universal remote originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 05:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jan 05

Eye-Fi ‘Direct Mode’ Send Photos Direct to iPad

Posted in: ios, Phones, Tablets and E-Readers, Today's Chili, wi-fi

LAS VEGAS — Eye-Fi will add a new “Direct Mode” to its Wi-Fi-enabled SD cards, allowing cameras to send photos direct to smart-phones and tablets as they are taken.

CES 2011Currently it is only possible to beam photos from an Eye-Fi filled camera to, say, an iPad with a rather clunky chain of tools. First, you need a pre-existing Wi-Fi network for both camera and iPad to connect to. Then you need the nifty but tricky to set up Shutter Snitch app for the iPad. Then you have to cross your fingers and hope.

Eye-Fi’s Direct Mode turns the card itself into a Wi-Fi access-point, to which you connect your phone. An update to Eye-Fi’s iOS apps will then let them receive photos direct. From there you can upload them, or process them with apps like Instagram. All the existing Eye-Fi functions – direct uploads from the camera, for example – will also still work.

Direct Mode will come as a free firmware update “later in 2011″, and will work with any X2 Eye-Fi cards.

Direct Mode press release [Eye-Fi]

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Jan 05

Samsung’s Wi-Fi Digicam Tethers to Galaxy S Smartphone

Posted in: samsung, Today's Chili, wi-fi

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LAS VEGAS — Samsung has announced its latest digicam at CES 2011. The SH100’s big feature is built-in Wi-Fi, something Samsung has already tried in the curvier, dumpier looking ST80 back in July. The new camera keeps the 14.2 megapixel sensor, 3-inch touch-screen LCD and 720p HD video, and extends the zoom range to 26 – 130mm (35mm equivalent). GPS is also included for geotagging.

CES 2011The camera has almost no buttons, relying instead on a phone-like touch interface. And talking of phones, if you’re using a Samsung Galaxy S Android phone, you can hook the two together over Wi-Fi, letting you review shots and remote-trigger the camera’s shutter.

Uploading to YouTube or Facebook can be done over a known network or one of Boingo’s mobile hotspots.

The SH100 will be on sale in March, for $200. That’s $50 less than the ugly older model.

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Dec 28

AT&T Installs Wi-Fi to Make Up for Weak Coverage

Posted in: att, hotspot, iPhone, Today's Chili, wi-fi

AT&T has a New Year’s present for any customers planning on spending the evening in New York’s Times Square or San Francisco’s Embarcadero: Huge tracts of free Wi-Fi.

Maybe that will make up for the company’s famously spotty 3G coverage in these busy urban areas.

AT&T announced Tuesday that it planned to expand a “Wi-Fi hotzone” it created in Times Square in May of this year. The “hotzone” is an extra-large area of Wi-Fi coverage, served by multiple routers, which is free for AT&T customers to use with any 802.11b/g–compatible device. The new coverage area now includes the north central part of Times Square, extending along Seventh Avenue, east along 46th Street, and along Broadway.

The company will also add hotzones near New York’s Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in the coming days. It also plans to create a hotzone in San Francisco’s Embarcadero Center, an office building complex near the city’s waterfront, although it’s unclear from the announcement when this service area will turn on.

You won’t be able to make calls using Wi-Fi unless you’re using a VoIP app like Skype — so if you’re an iPhone user, don’t expect these hotzones to solve your dropped-calls problem. However, you will be able to browse the web, check e-mail, post Twitter updates, and post increasingly blurry photos of your New Year’s Eve revelries via apps like Instagram.

AT&T customers can connect their phones to the new hotzones simply by selecting the “attwifi” network. For instructions, see AT&T’s Wi-Fi information page.

Photo credit: Will Hines/Flickr


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Dec 17

ShutterSnitch 2 Adds Automation, Metadata and Speed. Lots of Speed

Posted in: ipad, Tablets and E-Readers, Today's Chili, wi-fi

ShutterSnitch, the iPad app that lets you beam photographs directly from your camera to your iPad, has been updated to version 2, and it adds a whole lot of really neat new features.

First – what ShutterSnitch won’t do: unless you jailbreak your iPad to let it create its own ad-hoc Wi-Fi network, ShutterSnitch requires either a router or a computer to create that network. If you have a battery-powered Mi-Fi, that will work just fine.

So, what’s new? Rob Galbraith, photographer, blogger and gear-head, has been testing v2.0 for some time, and has a detailed run-down on every new aspect. The first big changes are speed and stability: instead of crashing, you can now pump big files into the app, as fast as you like, and it will keep on going. Your collections can be a lot bigger, too: ShutterSnitch will let you put thousands of images together without bogging down.

But you’re here for the new gimmicks, right? Now you can enjoy full-resolution zooms and support for RAW files (although remember this works over Wi-Fi, so those big files will be slow to transfer). There is support for simple metadata, including geotagging (this grabs the location from your iPad and embeds it into the photo.)

But best of all are Actions. You can automate what happens to the photos when they arrive, adding metadata, saving a copy to the photo-roll and even exporting, sending photos to Flickr, Facebook or an FTP server. And there are plenty of other tweaks, too, including slideshows and external-display support.

To use ShutterSnitch, you’ll also need a way to send the photos. The easiest way is with an Eye-Fi SD-card, which turns any camera into a wireless photo-transmitter. If you have a transmitter for your SLR, one of Canon or Nikon’s units, for example, those work too.

ShutterSnitch 2 is in the App Store approval tubes right now, and should hit any day soon. The update will be free for ShutterSnitch 1.x owners, and $8 to buy new. The price will go up to $20 early in the new year.

A first look at ShutterSnitch 2.0 for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch [Rob Galbraith]

ShutterSnitch app [iTunes]

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