Hasta La Gadget!

Your next external hard drive and NAS device can be completely wireless – except for power, of course. The LaCie Wireless Space is designed to look good, back up your data, and even be the heart of your home network if you need it to be; it comes in 1TB and 2TB models and features an 802.11 b/g/n router built-in as well as three gigabit Ethernet ports for high-speed data transfer. The Wireless Space can also act as a NAS, media server, or network extender once it’s configured, and has a pair of USB 2.0 ports that can be connected to printers for wireless printing or additional external drives to create a pool of storage. The Wireless Space will be available in October if you’re interested, with the 1TB model shipping for $229 and the 2TB model for $399 retail price. 

Up to 30 minutes of free WiFi a month coming to NYC parks, New Yorkers scoff at the idea of spending 30 minutes outside originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You might not know the company by name but you’ve almost certainly taken advantage of Skyhook‘s WiFi location-based services if you’re a smartphone nerd. And let’s face it, as an Engadget reader, you are. Now the company is suing Google for anti-competitive practices and patent infringement claiming that the ad giant used its control over Android to “force device manufacturers” to not only integrate Google’s location technology instead of Skyhook’s “superior end user experience,” but also terminate contract obligations with Skyhook where they existed. Specifically, Skyhook says that Google wielded its power against handset manufacturers by “threatening directly or indirectly to deny timely and equal access to evolving versions of the Android operating system and other Google mobile applications.” Boston-based Skyhook filed two lawsuits after negotiations with Google broke down, a business interference lawsuit filed in the Massachusetts Superior Court and a patent infringement lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts. According to Skyhook CEO Ted Morgan, “The message that Android is open is certainly not entirely true. Devices makers can license technology from other companies and then not be able to deploy it.” Meow.

Skyhook sues Google for business interference and patent infringement originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Sep 2010 04:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Powerful WiFi is coming. To everywhere.

The FCC is widely expected to approve a new set of rules freeing unused, unlicensed bands of broadcast spectrum (aka “white noise”) to be used for WiFi. This new expansive, beefed-up WiFi will be able to bring coverage to overlooked rural areas, as well as add additional quality coverage to gadget-dense urban locales.

Much of the newly free bands of spectrum are a direct result of the recent conversion of television signals from analog to digital because digital transmissions use a smaller segment of the spectrum. The abandoned television bandwidth are low frequency, which is perfect for WiFi as low-frequency waves can travel further and more easily penetrate buildings and other obstructions.

The rulings are expected September 23rd.

via NYT

Pardon us as we coin the term “apportunity” to describe the upcoming developer program Eye-Fi has just announced. Developers will able to tie their apps / applications / sites into Eye-Fi features and services through the web, including accessing an Eye-Fi card for photos and video, changing settings on the card, and uploading to online sharing sites through Eye-Fi channels instead of directly connecting to each site. It all sounds very promising in a niche, people-who-use-WiFi-SD-cards sort of way, and we look forward to the results as Eye-Fi starts giving out API keys in phases, beginning this fall.

Eye-Fi starting up a developer program, will have some APIs open for business this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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