The new wide-format Artisan 1430 inkjet printer from Epson gives you prints up to 13″ X 19″.  This printer has  advanced color and lighting correction for amazing photos, and it includes Adobe® Photoshop® Elements for more editing features.  You can print Ultra Hi-Definition prints (5760 x 1440 optimized dpi) on paper or photo paper, and you can print on CDs and DVDs.  Photos are smudge, scratch, water and fade resistant thanks to Claria® Hi-Definition Ink, and they’ll last up to four times longer than photo lab prints.  The Artisan 1430 is wireless, so you can share it with everyone on your network.  The MSRP is $299.99, but there’s currently an $80 mail-in rebate.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Printer, Wireless

Epson’s New Wide-Format Artisan 1430 Printer originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 18, 2012 at 8:03 am.

If you have a house with multiple TVs, you’re faced with providing content for each of them.  With my cable company, I have to pay for extra lines, plus an extra charge for a cable box and remote control for each line.  I’ll need to buy DVD players for each, too.  With the the MyWirelessTV Multi-Room Wireless HD Video Kit, Actiontec promises I can stream full HD video from the programming source in one room to the TV in another room without having to run wires.  I don’t even have to worry about connecting it to my home’s wireless network, because the MyWirelessTV boxes are paired to use their own wireless 802.11n connection. 

Some pictures can be clicked for an enlarged view.

The MyWirelessTV can stream 1080p60 full HD or 3D video to a second TV up to 150 feet away.  You simply connect the transmitter to any set top box, gaming console, DVD player, or other device and connect the receiver to any HD display in any location in your home.  You won’t need to run wires, drill holes in your floors or walls, or pay the cable company to install an extra line.  You won’t even have to worry about connecting it to your wireless network, because the MyWirelessTV boxes are paired together on their own proprietary connection straight out of the box.  Actiontec says they use “standards-based compression, transmission, and transport protocols to securely and reliably deliver HD video throughout the home.”

100% Standards-Based

• No interference with existing wireless networks
• Compression: Standard H.264 codec
• Transmission:Wireless Standard 802.11 WiFi
• Content Protection: Standard HDCP 2.0 Encryption

The MyWirelessTV consists of a transmitter box that you’ll attach to your cable box, DVD player, or other source and a receiver that you’ll hook to the HD TV you want to send signals to.  As you can see, the boxes are clearly marked so you don’t have to guess which is the receiver.  The boxes are approximately 4.4″ X 4″ X 1.25″, and they are made of black plastic.  You can see the top has grids for cooling.

The front of the receiver box (on top) has some LEDs to show power, wireless signal, and connection status.  There’s also a USB port on the front that is used for firmware updates.  The transmitter box (bottom) also has the same status lights, and it also has a sunken reset button.  The transmitter has a miniUSB port; you’ll need to use the included USB-to-miniUSB adapter to install firmware updates.  Both of these boxes have a sync button.  They come paired from the factory, but this can be used to pair up an extra receiver (optional purchase) with the existing transmitter so that you can transmit the same signal to multiple TVs in your house.  You can also pair a receiver with multiple transmitters if you have multiples in your home connected to various media sources.

You’ll notice that the back of these boxes are again plainly identified so you don’t have to waste time trying to get things hooked up only to later realize that you had hooked the receiver to the media source.  The receiver has the reset button on the back.  You’ll also hook up the AC power adapter (included) and IR blaster receiver here.  You’ll also notice that the only output is through an HDMI cable.  You’ll be surprised to know that Actiontec actually includes two HDMI cables with the MyWirelessTV.

The transmitter also has connections for the AC adapter and an IR transmitter.  (You’ll notice the receiver’s connector is surrounded by a green box.  One of the IR blasters has a green plug, so you’ll know which blaster goes with which box.)  Again, only HDMI connectors are used.  You’ll connect the HDMI cable out of your cable box, DVD player, or the like to the HDMI input port.  If you have a TV located by the media source, you can also connect the HDMI Out to TV to your local HDTV.  The box will pass signals through to the local TV with this connection.

If you are installing the transmitter and receiver in the same room – say the living room with the TV above the fireplace and the cable box in the shelving in the corner – you won’t have to use the IR blasters.  They are needed if you are installing the two boxes in different rooms.

The backs of the boxes have a lot of cooling grids.  You’ll also notice rubber feet that keep the box raised off the table and some slots that can be used with screws (not included) to mount the boxes on the wall.  Installation instructions say to avoid putting these boxes on top of devices that generate a lot of heat on their own.

The MyWirelessTV comes with two IR blasters, 2 HDMI cables, two AC power adapters, a miniUSB-to-USB adapter, and a remote control.  This is not a universal remote control; it only allows you to access setup features with the receiver box.  There’s no setup functionality for the transmitter box.  Anything that needs to be done is accessed through the receiver.

I wanted to try the MyWirelessTV because I have a house with three TVs but only two cable connections.  I don’t have a cable connection for the TV in my bedroom, and I don’t want to pay for a third line.  I started out by hooking the transmitter box to the HD cable DVR in my living room.

Setup was very simple.  I connected the transmitter to the power, attached the HDMI cable coming from the cable box to the HDMI Input connector, and the IR blaster.  Because I do have a TV in the living room, I used one of the supplied cables to connect the HDMI Out to TV to my living room TV.  When powered up, the power status light started blinking and eventually came on steady.

I next went to my bedroom and hooked up the receiver box.  I used the second supplied HDMI cable to connect the box to an input on my TV.  When I powered the box up, the power light blinked then came on steady.

I wasn’t quite finished with the installation yet.  I had to position the two IR blasters.  Actually, Actiontec calls the green-tipped one the IR extender.  It will collect signals from the remote control and send them to the IR blaster connected to the transmitter.  These little devices have sticky backs, so they can be “glued” in place.  Instructions said to place the IR extender connected to the receiver beside the IR receiver on your TV.  I didn’t want to do that, so I attached it to the leg of the TV stand I’m using in the bedroom.  You can see it just under the MyWirelessTV box in the above picture.

The IR blaster attached to the transmitter has to be placed so it’s facing the IR receiver on the front of my cable box so it can shoot the signals I send from the bedroom to the cable box.  This was a bit difficult to do.  I finally had to attach the IR blaster to the inside of the glass doors in my media cabinet.  I don’t care for this look – it looks like a bug is on the glass of my cabinet door.

As I mentioned earlier, the included remote is only for accessing setup functions for the MyWirelessTV.  I had to bring the cable box’s remote control into the bedroom.  I turned on the cable box, turned on my bedroom TV, and selected the proper input.  I immediately had a sharp, clear picture.  The TV in my bedroom is only 720p and the cable box is 1080p, but the video worked.

You’ll notice I said the video worked, but there was no sound whatsoever on my bedroom TV.  There was also a picture on my living room TV, but it also had no sound.  It would also sometimes display an error screen about an unsupported video format.  The troubleshooting information in the installation brochure didn’t help, so I went online for help.  The FAQs at Actiontec said that installing the most recent version of the firmware to both the transmitter and the receiver might help.  I updated both boxes and tried again.  I still had a picture but no sound.

Further investigation at Actiontec revealed this info:  “Certain Cable/FiOS Set top boxes and DVR boxes are limited to only 1 downstream HDCP (high-bandwidth digital-content protection) device that they can connect too.  This means that devices like MyWirelessTV, A/V Receiver, or Google TV, (HDMI repeaters/switches) that are strictly adhering to the HDCP requirements cannot legally pass video to the display. You can call your Service Provider and describe the “HDMI repeater/switch” related issue, and request a free firmware update.  Or “As an alternative” you could also request that the Service Provider replace the HD Cable or FiOS STB/DVR box, with a model that can support repeater mode.”

Apparently my cable company doesn’t see the need to support me streaming their content to another TV for free, because nothing I could do would allow my bedroom TV to receive both a picture and sound.  I don’t have a DVD player connected to the bedroom TV, so I decided I’d try the MyWirelessTV with the Blu-ray player in my living room setup.

I just switched the HDMI cable from my cable box with the HDMI cable coming out of my Blu-ray.  I decided I’d recycle the power on both boxes, too.  After the handshake between the boxes was completed, I had the home menu from the Blu-ray showing up on my bedroom TV.  So I had a good picture, but I had that before.  I started the disk playing, and I was very happy to hear sound, too!

I watched 2012 on Blu-ray, and I watched carefully for glitches during playback.  I didn’t notice any problems with the video, but I did hear a couple of audio glitches that lasted a fraction of a second.  Most of these occurred after the bedroom door was closed.

I have a small house, so there’s no way I could put the two boxes 150 feet apart.  However, my house has very thick plaster walls with wood lathe and metal mesh under the plaster.  My interior walls are about 3.5″ thick.  I had placed the two boxes almost as far apart as they could go in my house, since the living room is in the front left corner of the house and my bedroom in the back right corner.  I was very pleased with the quality of the transmitted signal.

I have had to recycle the power on the two boxes a couple of times to re-establish the connection, though.  Not during playback, but on different days.

As I mentioned, there are setup functions available on the receiver.  There aren’t many functions, though.  The Select Source box can be seen in the previous picture that also shows the main menu from my Blu-ray player.  If you have multiple MyWirelessTV transmitters in your house, you can select the desired one from the list.  I have only one transmitter, so I don’t need to use this function.  If you do have multiple transmitters or receivers, you use the Configure menu to connect them, and you can give them a name to make them easier to recognize in the list.

In general settings, you can select the menu language.  Although the units are paired, you may find their selected channel interferes with something else in your house/setup, so you can have the units select another channel in here, too.  You can also choose a latency mode.  To quote Actiontec again, “MyWirelessTV is based on Cavium Network’s Super Low Latency (SLL™) technology, which offers the industry’s lowest compression latency for full HD 1080p60 H.264 encode and decode. The result? You can enjoy superb quality, interactive HD applications throughout the home. For example, watch live TV, share a multi-player game between rooms, or surf the Web on any display no matter where the computer is.“.  You can see on the screen in the above picture, Theater Mode prioritizes video quality while Game Mode prioritizes speed.  I am not a gamer, so I chose Theater.

As a note about gaming, you can use a computer with an HDMI output as the media source for the MyWirelessTV.  You’ll be able to use the HDTV as a monitor while you surf or game.  I didn’t try this out, as I have absolutely no interest in using my TV as a monitor.

The last menu in the setup screen is Advanced Settings, where you can see information about both your receiver and transmitter box.  You’ll also find the “reset to factory settings” option here, too.  At the bottom, you’ll see a bar chart that shows signal strength.  This is very convenient for fine-tuning the placement and orientation of the boxes.  You can adjust them to improve your signal strength using this graph as your guide.

I like the Actiontec MyWirelessTV.  It didn’t work with my cable box, but it’s not at fault for my cable company crippling output from my set top box.  It worked great with my Blu-ray player, and it was nice to watch a movie in there.  It’s the only way I’d be able to watch a DVD in there, since I really don’t have room for a player in the bedroom.  I would be happiest if it would work with my cable box and with my DVD player, but as the Stones said, “you can’t always get what you want”…

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: Video Streaming, Wireless

Actiontec MyWirelessTV Multi-Room Wireless HD Video Kit Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 11, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

If your computer’s sound card leaves a lot to be desired, you can bypass it with the Audioengine D2 Premium 24-bit Wireless DAC.  Connect the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to your computer, and you’ll be able to wirelessly stream HD audio to any system.  It’s a high-quality USB wireless computer DAC, a wireless USB-to-SPDIF converter, and a wireless optical PCM-to-stereo link in one device.  The D2 includes USB and optical inputs and a high-performance DAC, and it operates independently of your home’s WiFi network.  No software is required for setup, and it can playback any files that your computer can play.  The D2 “processes digital audio at any bit depth up to 24 bits and sample rates to 192KHz, then sends your music over-the-air at 24/96. It accepts USB or PCM-stereo optical and will automatically configure to match either of these inputs.”  The Audioengine D2 Premium 24-bit Wireless DAC is $599.00 a set, and you can audition it in your home for 30 days.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Audio, Digital-to-analog converter, Wireless

Audioengine D2 Premium 24-Bit Wireless Digital-to-Analog Converter originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 31, 2011 at 12:03 pm.

With the playGo USB, you’ll be able to wirelessly send music from your PC or Mac to your powered speakers, stereo receiver, or even your headphones.  The playGo USB transmitter plugs into your computer’s USB port, and it uses its own wireless protocol to send music to the receiver up to 75 feet away.  It doesn’t even require software.  It’s made of white or orange Corian.  It normally sells for about $450, but Curisma is selling it as their weekly deal for $299 for a limited time.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News, Wireless

Tagged: Wireless

Wirelessly Transmit Music from Your Computer to Your Speakers with playGo originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 15, 2011 at 8:00 am.

Everyone occasionally wanders into a situation where they want or need to have an extra set of eyes watching their stuff.  There are a number of ways to do this by setting up a webcam, but getting a webcam where you need it can be difficult, and not everyone has the patience or know-how to configure such a thing.  Intellinet Network Solutions has what could be the solution to this problem in their NSC11-WN Network Camera.  But is it all it’s cracked up to be?  I got the opportunity to try one out and find out.

There isn’t much to the NSC11-WN upon opening the box.  Aside from the camera unit itself, there’s a mounting bracket, an AC adapter, a CD containing the admin software, and a user guide.  Setup is relatively easy; just install the admin software, plug the camera up to your network via ethernet, and then configure the camera’s wireless adapter to communicate with your wireless network.  Once that’s done, the camera can be accessed and configured in your web browser directly via its local IP address.  I had no trouble getting the review unit set up, and it was able to maintain a wireless connection throughout my home with no issues.

The configuration options are actually quite generous.  In addition to being able to have the camera’s image emailed or sent via FTP on a schedule, one can also configure it to email or FTP the image only when motion is detected.  Further, you can set up multiple “regions” of the camera’s field of view to watch for motion;  in this way, you can watch only certain areas of a room, so that, for example, it doesn’t trigger when curtains blow in the breeze from an open window or when a pet walks across the floor.  Unfortunately, this is about where the options end.  There is no local storage, nor is there any option for simply saving off photos or video to a network location, so if you will be saving lots of data locally, you will have to look into setting up an FTP server on your local network.

The included administration application lets you identify cameras on the network and find their IP address.

The image quality of the camera is nothing to write home about, sadly.  The camera is equipped with a sub-megapixel sensor, so even with the maximum image size of 640 x 480, images are anything but crisp.  In my tests, identifying faces was pretty difficult at anything more than fifteen or twenty feet away from the camera.  While this might be sufficient to identify if someone has been in a given place, it’s not going to be clear enough to identify who it is, unless they’re getting really close to the camera.

The web admin console allows you to specify regions for motion detection, but only in Internet Explorer. (Click to enlarge)

Aside from the image quality, I do have one major gripe with this product.  While both the website and the product packaging cite support for OS X, as well as the Firefox, Opera, and Safari browsers, neither the website nor the packaging indicate that you have to be using Windows and IE in order to get the most out of this camera.  The admin software is Windows-only, so unless your network configuration leaves the camera’s default IP address unused, you’re going to have a tough time during the initial setup.  Likewise, many of the features of the camera’s web console (saving photos/video directly to disk, setting up motion activation regions, etc.) are available only in IE, leaving OS X users in the cold.  Fortunately, Mac users can get around this by running Windows either in Boot Camp or in a VM (for the purposes of this review, I used Parallels), but that’s beside the point.  If a product states that it supports OS X, and no caveats are given, I expect to get all of the features available under Windows.  In this case, I feel sorely misled, and I’m not terribly happy about it.

A live view via the web console allows you to check in on things at your leisure, but the image quality is far from stellar. Here, we can sort of make out my dog taking a nap.

All in all, this is a decent product if you just need to stick a webcam somewhere that you can’t normally reach with one, but don’t really need much in the way of resolution or clarity, and as long as you have a Windows machine on your network, or a Mac with a Windows VM.  I suppose that the image quality is fairly appropriate for the price, but if I was in need of a wireless webcam, I’d certainly prefer to pay another $50-$100 for a camera with a higher-quality sensor and optics.

Filed in categories: Home Tech, Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: network camera, security camera, Wireless

Intellinet Network Solutions NSC11-WN Network Camera Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 9, 2011 at 11:05 am.

There’s a lot of web-based multimedia content that you can display on your TV, but different services usually require different set-top boxes.  While an individual box might be inexpensive, buying a collection of them gets really expensive.  With the VStream Wireless USB PC to TV system from DIAMOND Multimedia, you can stream a variety of HD video and other internet content from your PC to your TV.  You can stream content from Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Boxee, and iTunes to your HDTV in full 1080p resolution, and you can stream photos, music, and internet radio content to your home theater, too.  Simply connect the transmitter to your PC and the receiver to your TV with the included HDMI cable.  You’ll be able to multitask on your computer while you enjoy your programming.  The VStream Wireless USB PC to TV system is $129.99 from DIAMOND Multimedia; check their website for other vendors.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News, Wireless

Tagged: HD media player, TV accessory, Wireless

Stream Multimedia Content – Including HD Video – From Your PC to Your TV with DIAMOND VStream Wireless originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 5, 2011 at 12:49 pm.

My airline travel has recently picked up the past year and I find myself on planes for more hours than I can remember. And if you have ever spent any time in coach on an airline, you know the value of a good set of headphones. I have tried every earbud known to man and have come to the conclusion that there is no good earbud. So wanting to avoid wires altogether, I have recently been trying Bluetooth stereo headsets. My most recent foray into the wireless Bluetooth headset arena is the Leo Stereo Wireless Bluetooth Headset from Arriva. With a name like Leo, it better have some teeth, right?  Let’s find out if it does!

Before getting my hands on the Leo my day-to-day stereo Bluetooth headset was the Motorola S10-HD. This isn’t a review of that headset, but I will compare the Leo to that headset simply for the sake of those of you who may own that one.  I like the S10-HD, so I was really curious if the Arriva would take its place as my go-to headset.

Let’s start out with some photos:

The Arriva comes with a micro-USB charger, 3 sets of earbud covers in addition to 1 set already on the earbuds, and a hard foam round carrying case that holds the Arriva quite nicely. The headset folds up nicely in that case, and they are great for traveling because they take up so little space.

2 sets of the earbuds have a little loopy things (yes, that is a technical term) that extend from the earbud to push against the inside of your ear to hold the earbud in place.  I tried the foam and plain earbud covers and neither worked for me, so the loopy earbud covers were a must for my ears.

Here is a better picture of what it looks like on the back of my head. You can see the main unit rests at the base of your skull, allowing you to wear a helmet, glasses, hat, etc, and be unobstructed.

The next picture is a closeup shot of the main unit on the headset.

The micro-USB charging port is on the bottom of the unit.  It has a power button and a plus and minus button on the front. Each button performs several functions. Holding the power button turns the headset on, and if you keep holding it down for 7 seconds, the headset goes into pairing mode.  You hear some tones when it turns on, but oddly you don’t heard anything when it goes into pairing mode. Every Bluetooth headset I have ever owned makes a “pairing” sound, so when I first tried to pair it with something I thought something was wrong because I didn’t hear any tone or indications that I was pairing.  If you receive a phone call while listening to music,  pressing the power button will answer the call and when you hang up the music will start again. While listening to music a tap on the power button will pause the music.

The plus and minus buttons will increase and decrease the volume of the sound and long-pressing the buttons will advance to the next or previous songs in your playlist.

And here is a picture of the size comparison between the Arriva (left) and the Motorola S10-HD (right)

The Arriva, just like the Motorola, is one of those Bluetooth headsets that can also answer calls on your phone because it has a mic built into the left earbud. When I used it to talk on the phone I wasn’t that pleased with the results. The call quality to me was what I experienced with Bluetooth headsets a few years ago. It was susceptible to wind noise and more often than not the person on the other end of the call would ask me to repeat myself.  I used both headsets to call myself and leave a voicemail and then I listened to the messages.  While the Motorola provided slightly better sound quality than the Arriva, I just don’t think either one of these headsets are meant to be used for making calls all day. They are fine if you want to answer a quick call while you are listening to music, but I don’t think that long conversations are suited for this headset and I wouldn’t buy this one if that was your intention. There are many other Bluetooth headsets that are designed for making calls. For example, I can listen to music using my Plantronics Pro headset, but I wouldn’t do it because it sounds bad and that headset wasn’t designed for listening to music.

Where the Leo has no teeth:

When I first took it out of the package and tried to place it on my head I am glad someone wasn’t videotaping me. I initially thought that maybe I had received a defective unit because I couldn’t get the darn thing to stay on my head for more than a few seconds and it just looking all mangled and funny. After much weeping and gnashing of teeth, I was able to bend and shape the Arrive to fit my head and my ears. So what started out as a big negative in my initial impression turned into a good experience when I realized I could bend and mold this thing to fit my head perfectly.  I can now wear it for hours and not realize I have it on. So you’ll need to be patient when you first start wearing it and find out what fits best for you.

I mentioned that I expected to hear some sort of audible tone when pairing the device, and I didn’t hear anything.  You also don’t hear anything after the headset connects to a device. I expect to hear something when that happens too, but I heard nothing. So I had to actually play some music to make sure that it was working with my tablet or phone.

With other Bluetooth headsets, for example, if I walk away from my phone beyond the range of the Bluetooth I get some sort of audible indication that my headset is no longer communicating with the phone. This has saved me countless times from leaving my phone someplace on accident. The Leo doesn’t do that either.

I experienced a big problem with my Verizon HTC Thunderbolt and the Leo. I won’t go into all the techy detail but here is the bottom line: if you own the Thunderbolt, then when using the Leo, don’t use the “LTE On/Off” app that allows you to turn off the 4G connection on the phone to save your battery. When you do that the Thunderbolt will lock up on an incoming call if you are using the Leo. When I used the Thunderbolt in normal mode (with the 4G connection on) then everything was fine. Not sure what that was about, but now I know, and so do you.

Where the Leo has some teeth:

The sound from this headset is top notch. It is quite literally the best sounding Bluetooth headset I have ever heard. The highs and the lows are wonderful. I couldn’t turn up the volume all the way on any device for fear of blowing out my eardrums, so you will enjoy the high quality sound. I’ve already mentioned how comfortable it is, so you should have no problems with getting this to fit.  While the Motorola is comfortable, the Arriva feels nice. I don’t do extreme sports of any kind, so I can’t speak to how well it would stay on my head while hang-gliding, but the headset stayed on my head while jogging and working out.

And the price is just right. It is now $69.95, which is cheaper than what I paid for the Motorola S10.

Miscellaneous information

While I experienced no problems with sweating while working out, Arriva does state that this is not a waterproof headset, so no swimming with this thing.  The battery (140mAh) lasts about 5 hours before needing a charge and it is supposed to last 20 days on standby. It takes about an hour and a half to fully charge and the battery, and the headset has an indicator light to let you know when it is done charging.  Their website also has some guides on how to pair with various phones and how to get the Leo adjusted to fit your head.

The bottom line

The Leo is the best sounding and most comfortable Bluetooth headset I have ever owned. I used it successfully with my HTC Android cellphone, my HTC Flyer tablet, my ASUS Eee Pad Transformer tablet, a Samsung Fascinate cellphone, an iPhone, and an iPod Touch.  Aside from the aforementioned issue with the phone-locking-up thing I already mentioned, it worked flawlessly.  I did not experience any skipping or signal dropping.

I should also mention that when I had the issue with the phone locking up I contacted Arriva via email (they have no published phone number) and they responded quickly and provided me ideas and suggestions about what might be happening.  They even offered to send me another headset, and they sent all the information I gave them to their technical folks to find a solution.  Their folks were really nice about the whole thing and they took my suggestions for how to improve the product and seemed genuinely interested in making me happy, so I give them props for that.

I like the Motorola S10 HD, I really do. It’s a good Bluetooth headset.  But I like the Arriva even more, so the Motorola will be delegated to the gadget drawer as my back-up device.  I am going to give the Arriva an 8 out of 10, so I do recommend it to anyone.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Bluetooth Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Bluetooth Gear, Headphones, Wireless

Arriva Leo Stereo Wireless Bluetooth Headset Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 8, 2011 at 11:00 am.

Do you check the local weather on your smartphone or computer before you leave for the day?  Or maybe you turn on the TV to watch a meteorologist’s broadcast. Have you ever wondered why weather people called meteorologist’s? They don’t study meteors… Anyway, most of us like to know what it’s like outside so that we can dress appropriately for the day, or just crawl back under the covers when it’s dumping rain. The WMR86 Backyard Pro Wireless Weather Station from Oregon Scientific gives you all the weather info you need including temperature, wind speed and rain fall. Let’s take a look.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

Package Contents

Base Station
Wind Sensor with mounting hardware
Temperature & Humidity sensor with mounting hardware
Rain Gauge with mounting hardware
Instructions
Batteries

This kit comes with everything you need (except for a screw driver) to setup on the inside and outside of your house.

The temperature & humidity sensor (top sensor in the image above) is powered by 2 AAA batteries and is easily attached to the outside of your house using the included plastic snap in holder and screws. There’s a small LED status indicator on the outside and a Celsius / Fahrenheit temperature switch in the battery compartment.

The wind sensor is powered by 2 AA batteries and comes with a plastic bracket and mounting hardware that will allow you to screw it into a flat surface or attach it to a post like I’ve done.

There are two parts of the wind sensor that move. On the top is a flag shaped arm that swivels to capture the wind direction. Note that after I took the picture above, I noticed that I had the sensor pointing the wrong direction. The instructions say to make sure that it’s pointed North and I had it pointed South…

The part on the bottom with the three cups rotates to record wind speed, so it’s important to locate the wind sensor in a relatively open area away from trees and other obstructions.

The other outdoor sensor is the rain gauge, which is powered by 2 AA batteries. The instructions advise you to mount it in the open 3 feet or so from the ground. I ended up mounting it on a bench on our back patio that we never sit on.

Inside the gauge is a little cup that collects rain water and automatically dumps it out when it gets full. In my infinite brilliance, I didn’t realize that the cup was taped to keep it from flopping around in shipment. I kept wondering why the gauge wasn’t working and finally took it apart to discover the tape. Moral of the story… even when you think you’re too smart to read directions, do it anyway

After all of the outside sensors are installed, you’re ready to start viewing their data on the base station.

The base station has a large LCD display (2.75 x 4 in) that includes a backlight button that lights the display for 5 seconds when pressed. The display is separated into 4 sections. The top section has a large graphic that represents the current weather status. As you can see, when I took the image above, it was a rainy day. Below the weather graphic is the current temperature and the humidity level. The arrow buttons cycle through channels 1-3 if you have additional temperature sensors. It will also allow you to see the indoor temperature and humidity level. Small arrows on the display next to the readings tell you if the temp/humidity levels are going up, down or remaining the same. In the image above, you can see that the outdoor temp is going down, but the humidity level is steady.

Below the temperature section of the display is the wind sensor area where the current wind direction, speed and wind chill info are shown. Pressing the Min/Max button on the base will also toggle between the last minimum reading and maximum reading, with time stamp.

Below the wind sensor section is the rain gauge section that displays the last 24 hours of rain fall data, barometric pressure readings and the last 10 hours of UV index info. Pressing the mode button cycles through these 3 screens in that section of the LCD display. I find this section the hardest to read because the graphs use a very small font to label each axis.

The bottom section of the LCD is reserved for the clock / calendar and moon phase display. The time and date are automatically via radio reception to an atomic clock which automatically adjusts for time zone and daylight savings. You can cycle through 3 ways to view the time/date. Next to the time is a graphical representation of the current moon phase.

I don’t have any complaints about this setup other than the rain gauge graphs area  bit hard to read on the mono LCD because they are so small. I’d love a full color LCD, but then the batteries would need constant changing.  Speaking of batteries, there is an indicator in each sensor section of the LCD when one of the outdoor sensor batteries is low. That’s a nice touch.

The Oregon Scientific WMR86 Backyard Pro Wireless Weather Station is easy to setup and easy to use. I like the large display that provides all the weather info that you need at a glance. I also appreciate the fact that all the components are powered by regular alkaline batteries that are readily available. Nothing irks me more than gadgets that use expensive and / or not so easy to find odd batteries. Now that Winter is almost here, I’m sure I’ll be consulting this device before I leave for work each morning so I’ll know if I’ll need gloves and a scarf.

Filed in categories: Home Tech, Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: weather, Wireless

Oregon Scientific WMR86 Backyard Pro Wireless Weather Station Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 4, 2011 at 11:00 am.

Last December, Andy reviewed the K750 and loved it. The only problems with it were the lack of a Mac specific version that could take advantage of the special apps required to view charging info and the special function keys didn’t work. Those problems are now history because Logitech has just announced a Mac version of the K750 that’s available today for $59.99. Now Apple fans can fully enjoy the K750 wireless keyboard which uses light to keep it powered (even indoors).

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, News

Tagged: Keyboard, OS X, Solar, Wireless

Logitech’s K750 Wireless Solar Keyboard is now available for the Mac originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 26, 2011 at 5:04 pm.

I have been a mouse guy my whole life. I have had a contentious lifelong relationship with the touchpad on my laptops and have always gravitated to the mouse. I tried several trackball devices over the years thinking that perhaps I was missing something.  But the mouse always tugged at my heartstrings and pulled me back. My current mouse that I have used for over a year, and which I love, is the Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse.  This is the mouse that all others will be judged by in my opinion, so when I was sent the Wireless Touchpad from Logitech to review I looked at it much like an old man looks at kids who are playing in his yard. Was I going to be won over?  Let’s go see.

I don’t know what I was expecting but the box looked awfully small to me when it showed up. When I took it out of the box I was taken aback. Wow, this thing looks really nice.  It’s got curves, and honestly, it looks like an Apple product.  Now, the plastic construction will tell you that it’s not an Apple product, but it isn’t poorly built. Quite the opposite. It is nicely put together and the plastic makes it light and easy to transport.  And the small rubberized feet on the bottom keep it steady on my desk as I swipe my fingers hither, thither and yon.

On the back is the on-off switch, as well as the battery compartment, which I discovered already contained 2 batteries. Nice touch, Logitech.

On the top of the device is the 5-inch touchpad area surrounded by about a 3/4 inch frame all the way around it. There are slightly viewable lines on the surface of the touchpad that designate the corners of that 5 inch touch area, but you can’t really feel them when you are using the Touchpad because the active surface is smooth all the way across.

At the bottom on the front are 2 mouse buttons that cover the entire width of the device, with an indicator light in the middle.

The USB dongle that comes with it is Logitech’s “Unifying receiver” which is a pretty cool little trick if you use all Logitech products. That little dongle will allow you to connect up to 6 Logitech wireless devices and only use 1 USB port. Nice. You can see in the picture that the dongle is about the same size as a dime, which means you better watch it or you’ll lose it!

Now let’s look at one more picture of the device before I yell at it to get off my lawn.

As I slowly moved my mouse over to the side to make room for the Touchpad, I felt a pang of guilt. ‘I’ll be back’ I silently told my mouse. And I hesitantly began to use the Touchpad. I don’t know why the experience is so strange for me because I have a touchscreen smartphone, and 2 tablets that all use 100% touch for their interface. So why is the thought of using touch so weird on my laptop? Perhaps it is the presence of the keyboard? You know, like peanut butter and jelly, a keyboard just goes better with a mouse. Mac users are publicly mocking me at this point while pinching and zooming on their Magic Trackpads, but I can take it. Mac users just can’t help themselves. But I digress.

Here is what I like:

I like that the Touchpad is so much bigger than my laptop touchpad. The 5 inch touch area is monstrous compared to my laptop touchpad, and the large buttons on the Touchpad are solid and responsive.  I love the shape and the angle of the Touchpad. It fits perfectly for my hand as I use it sitting on my desk. The gestures available on the Touchpad are responsive and easy to use. Once you learn them, it is second nature.  For everyday computer use… email, surfing, etc, the Touchpad is great. And the price ($49.99) is right for me.

Installation was crazy-easy. Plugged in the dongle and in about 20 seconds I was ready to go. Turn it on and I am in business. And it looks really, really nice. Dare I say it looks sexy? Well, maybe not Apple-sexy, but Windows-sexy. There you go.

Here is what I don’t like:

There aren’t enough gestures. What is the first gesture that comes to mind when you think of a touch device? That’s easy… pinch to zoom… spread to zoom. Well, that’s missing on the Touchpad. I suspect that has to do with the limitations of Windows 7 and I feel sure that Windows 8 will address that.  But for now, it aint’ there.  There are good gestures available, but I felt limited in what I could do. You can use the traditional 1-finger tap for things.  You can use two fingers up and down for scrolling. You can use 3 finger swipes left and right for advancing back and forth in the browser. And you can use 4 finger swipes left and right to tab between open apps, and up and down swipes to get to the desktop and back to your apps. But I want more. There’s also no turning your fingers to rotate things in the apps that would support it, like photo apps or graphics editing apps.

The only other thing I didn’t like was the fact that there is no tactile feedback when you have left the 5-inch touch area. Aside from the lines that appear on the surface that show you where the touch area is, there’s nothing that tells you have ‘left the area’. And of course, you aren’t looking at the device when using it so those lines on the surface are basically useless. Occasionally one of my fingers is outside the area and I don’t know it and my gesture isn’t what I want to accomplish because of that.

Bottom line

I have tried to become proficient with the Touchpad in Photoshop, which I use daily.  I can’t quite get comfortable with it because the detail work requires me many times to get down to the pixel level to manipulate images.  I jump back to the mouse to accomplish these types of tasks.  But for general computer use the Touchpad is great. Logitech says the batteries last 4 months, and if that holds up then that isn’t bad. The Magic Trackpad is probably the ruler by which other touchpads will be judged, and it does have more gestures, higher quality materials, and of course is Apple-sexy. But you must have a Mac to use it, and with the Logitech you must have a Windows computer to use it. So perhaps it isn’t fair to compare the two.

So if I had to give the product a rating of 1 to 10, I would give it a 7.  With this thing I won’t use my built-in touchpad on the laptop, and that’s a very good thing.  I don’t hate Touchpads quite as much now. Maybe I’ll let the kids play on the lawn after all… but just for a little bit.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: magic trackpad, Mouse, TouchPad, Wireless

Logitech Wireless Touchpad Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 19, 2011 at 3:00 pm.

Would you like to extend the range of your wireless network?  Do you have WiFi dead spots around your house?  Do you have an Internet capable TV that only has an ethernet port and your computer is in another room?   Maybe you don’t even have a WiFi network in your house and need a way to connect the new laptop you just bought or would like to add a wireless access point to the broadband connection in your hotel room.   Diamond Multimedia believes they have  what you need to address your issues.

In  my house the broadband modem is on the second floor in what I call the computer room.  My wife uses her laptop on the main floor at the extreme other end of the house.  Because of the distance and number of walls between the router and her laptop, we sometimes lose connection or at best the transfer rate slows down.  Also, we’re unable to get a wireless signal in the basement where we both have our personal work spaces.  For these reasons, I’ve been on the hunt for a device that would boost the WiFi signal and not require a rewiring of the house. With the WR300N,  I’ve found a solution.

WR300N 3 in 1 Device

• Wireless Range Extender
• Wireless Access Point
• Wireless Bridge

Features:

• Supports Wireless N Standard up to 300 Mbps
• MIMO technology
•  WEP, WPA and WPA2 security
• User friendly GUI for setup
• WPS Protected setup
• Plug and Play
• Can use any operating system to configure

There’s not much to it.  The CD has the extended manual and a PDF of the Easy Start Guide.  The ethernet cable is used to set up the device and can be used for the wireless bridge configuration.

On the front are several indicator leds that you’ll probably never look at, at least as long as the device is working properly.

On the bottom or top if you install it upside down, is the ethernet port.  You’ll notice that the prongs on the AC plug are not polarized allowing one to plug it into a wall socket in either orientation.

The first thing to do in the setup is to read the quick start guide.  I used my laptop for the configuration, but didn’t disable the WiFi before connecting the ethernet cable from the WR300n to the laptop.  Nothing happened!  After shutting off the WiFi, the laptop got an ip address from the device and I opened a browser to point to 10.0.10.254.  After logging in to the device configuration page, I began the setup.

There are several screens, but the most pertinent one is the above.  I clicked the Scan Wireless Networks button and selected the one I wanted to extend.  In this case it is called billnjan.  I selected the security type to match my wireless router config and entered the WEP keys.  After punching the apply button, I shut down the browser and removed the cable and unplugged the WR300n.  If your equipment uses WiFi Protected Setup (WPS), then setup is a matter of pressing a couple of buttons.  I then placed the WR300n midway between my wireless router and the farthest point in my house.

Here are the results.  I made the measurements using my laptop at the furthest point in the house.  Row number 2 is for the SSID that is NOT repeated.  Row number 1 is the repeated SSID.  You’ll notice the increase in signal strength.  Row number 3 is the second SSID from my wireless router and is not repeated.  Now that my signal is repeated, I have noticed that I don’t get any “connecting messages” from either my WiFi enabled Internet radio or photo frame.  Both of these devices were at the limit of my non-repeated signal.

To check out the wireless bridge capability, I plugged an ethernet cable into the WR300n and connected it to my laptop and established connection via the ethernet port. It works as advertised.  This feature would be perfect for those who have a device such as the Roku that doesn’t have WiFi.  Plug the WR300n near the Roku box and you’re all set.

The WR300N can be used as a wireless Access Point.  It is set up in the same way as the repeater, the only difference is that the user will define the SSID and encryption type.  Once setup, it can be connected to an available port on the modem-router.

Although not a big issue, reconfiguring the WR300N can be a chore.  Accessing the configuration screens via a browser pointing to 10.0.10.254 is not possible after the initial setup, unless you configure your computer to a fixed ip.  This is no small task and the instructions for doing so are in the extended manual from the supplied disk.  Of course, after you’ve reconfigured the device you’ll have to return your computer ip back to its original state.  My work around is to stick a straightened paper clip in the reset button of the WR300N for 5 seconds which brings the device back to its initial state.

The WR300N works for me.  I’ve been able to use my laptop at distances from the router that I wasn’t able to before.  It’s easy enough to set up and simple to install.

Filed in categories: Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: Wireless

Diamond Wireless Range Extender WR300n Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 1, 2011 at 11:00 am.

Researchers have used rapid pulses of light to transmit information at speeds of over 500 megabytes per second  at the Heinrich Hertz Institute in Berlin. Dubbed Li-Fi (not to be confused with Light Fidelity) is this a viable competitor to conventional wifi ?

“At the heart of this technology is a new generation of high-brightness light-emitting diodes” says Harold Hass from the University of Edinburgh ”Very simply, if the LED is on, you transmit a digital 1, if it’s off you transmit a 0. They can be switched on and off very quickly, which gives nice opportunities for transmitting data.”

It is possible to encode data in the light by varying the rate at which the LEDs flicker on an off to give different strings of 1s and 0s. The modulation is so fast that the human eye doesn’t notice.

“There are over 14 billion light bulbs world wide, they just need to be replaced with LED ones that transmit data”.

This may solve issues such as the shortage of radio-frequency bandwidth and also allow internet where traditional radio based wireless isn’t allowed such as aircraft or hospitals. One of the shortcomings however is that it only work in direct line of sight.

More information at New Scientist

Filed in categories: News, Wireless

Tagged: Internet, Wireless

Li-Fi – Internet at the Speed of Light originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 29, 2011 at 9:00 am.

Epson has announced the latest entries into their wireless all-in-one range, the Artisan 730 and Artisan 837.  Both of these printers have fast print speeds of 9.6 ISO ppm black and 9.1 ISO ppm color single side or 4.9 ISO ppm black and 4.7 ISO ppm color two-sided pages.  They feature automatic double-sided printing to save paper.  They can print a 4X6 photo print in about 10 seconds, and they can use Claria Ultra Hi-Definition inks that produce photos that last up to 4 times longer than lab photos.  These printers, when used with the free app, can even print from your mobile devices.  And they are wireless, so every user in your home can print, scan, and use the card reader.  If you’re looking for a little color in your life, the Artisan printers will help;  they are midnight blue.  The printers will be available in September.  The Artisan 730 will be $199.99, and the Artisan 837 will be $299.99.  Read the full press release after the jump.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Printers, Wireless

Epson Announces Two New All-in-One Artisan Printers originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 19, 2011 at 12:00 pm.

Wireless keyboards and mice can be a real boon to a lot of users. They can offer freedom of movement, supplement smaller keyboards on laptop, etc. You can find an amazing range of options now- ergonomic, enhanced, bare basics, and more. They are also considered a security no-no. The Microsoft Wireless Desktop 2000 addresses this with 128bit encryption, for under $40!

I know some readers are going to skip this as just another keyboard/mouse review, and to an extent, they will be right but the Wireless Desktop 2000 has a few tricks up its sleeve that may interest you.

128 bit encryption. This the strong point Microsoft is claiming for this system- high quality security between peripherals. Apparently, many keyboards broadcast their signals further than you would expect, and this signal can be picked up and decoded by anyone interested who happens to be in range with the right set-up. By encoding the signal, this set defeats this issue neatly.

Ergonomic elements. There is a subtle curve to the keyboard from left to right, and a gentle ‘wave’ from front to back. There is a ‘pillow-textured’ wrist rest (that as usual seems too low for my wrists to rest on), and the mouse has that nice high-backed curve that lets your hand rest on it naturally.

Extra features. As with so many other keyboards today, this one also features buttons and controls for music, zooming, a calculator, common Windows 7 keys, and more. The mouse has some interesting features as well such as ‘Blue Track Technology’ that works on a wide variety of surfaces and a 4-way scrolling wheel.

Pricing. This combination retails for under $40, which makes it a very affordable option… if it actually works and holds up. The earlier features interest me, but quite frankly- this is the feature that would most likely sell me on this device.

What comes in the box. (I apologize for the bad photos- I am using an unfamiliar camera right now.)

The packaging is pretty typical- keyboard, mouse, USB dongle, a pair each of AA and AAA name-brand batteries, the CD, a product guide (basically warnings) and an icon-based ‘Start Here’ booklet. According to the start booklet, you start by loading the CD, which whisks you down the Microsoft rabbit hole. You’ll be asked if you want to register the device. Foolishly, I tried this and got sucked into a whirlwind of re-doing my Microsoft Live ID and more. Yeesh. OK, then we put in the batteries, and plug in the USB dongle- this all goes smoothly.

After a couple minutes, the computer recognized the mouse, let me open an app, and recognized the keyboard. There is a period in which the computer seems to identify a burning need to load more keyboard and mouse drivers as you try different features, but it goes pretty smoothly. Once everyone is happy, everything  just plain works. No special training for the volume or zooming controls, etc. In fact, it works well enough that I am using it to write this review.

In use, although admittedly not the most likely use scenario!

There is a small program each for the mouse and keyboard that allows you tune the settings, set the hot keys, etc. Nothing fancy but it looks and feels familiar so I did not feel a need for additional instructions.

Some of the specialty keys- the blue keys are the 'Windows 7 Tasks'

Both the keyboard and the mouse are solid, responsive, and feel well-built. I cannot fault either one, especially at this price. The little flip-down legs on the back that are so chintzy in so many other keyboards are wide and feel solid. The mouse feels great in my hand, and the Blue Track technology seems pretty effective- no mouse pad or even really smooth surface and it tracked effortlessly. I really cannot test the security aspect of it, but a quick internet search reveals more about security leaks from wireless keyboards than I ever suspected.

OK, so there is no backlighting in the keyboard, and the dark blue ‘Windows 7 Task Keys’ are hard to see against the shiny black surface, but these are about the only two things I can find wrong with this set… other than the detail that I will never remember what all the icons mean. Overall- nice set for a nice price with the added insurance of encryption.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Keyboard, Mouse, Security, Wireless

Microsoft Wireless Desktop 2000 Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 19, 2011 at 11:00 am.

Load up this 500GB Satellite Wireless Mobile Storage disk from Seagate with your media library from either a Mac or Windows computer and it can serve data to up to three iPads at once using the free app optimized for iPad.  It works with other tablets and smartphones, too – most mobile devices with Wi-Fi connectivity and a web browser.  The Satellite has a rechargeable battery that provides up to 5 hours of playback time or 25 hours of standby time.  The Satellite uses USB 3.0 for fast transfers from your computer, but it’s part of the GoFlex line, which means you can purchase a Firewire 800 or powered eSATA connector if your computer doesn’t have USB 3.0.   It comes with a wall charger and a car charger.  It’s available for pre-order at Seagate for $199.99.

Filed in categories: Android related, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Portable storage, Wireless

Seagate GoFlex Satellite Wireless Mobile Storage originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 25, 2011 at 9:00 am.

Tech Lighting Railtones Wireless Sound System: I love this product.  Now for a little more clarification.  Ok.  I REALLY love this product.

To start with, I was never a big fan of amped up sound systems.   I don’t get it even though my husband claims it would make our HDtv system sound better.  I own a small business and I’ve been in small business shops in my historic downtown.   Their idea of a sound system is a couple of boxy stereo speakers hanging precariously somewhere while belting out the tunes of Sad FM-music for the Over Thirties such as …well…any Easy Listening from the 1970s which, hopefully, is the most pathetic part of this review.

Railtones from Tech Lighting  is a wireless speaker system that connects on to your existing track or rail lighting setup or can be installed separately with the included freejack.  Simply put, it is tasteful, elegant, non-conspicuous and delivers a quality sound.

Tech Light's Railtones speakers with remote, dongle and attachments.

The Railtones wireless sound system comes complete with two speakers, freejack for non-rail-track assembly, remote control, USB dongle, in/out line and plug.    Depending on your existing track or rail lighting appliance, you are able to connect one or both speakers in place of the actual light assembly.  The speaker does not offer illumination but does impart a superior sound for those areas of your home, office, or even small shop (like mine).  It is an ideal and compact way of bringing in sound without the bulky set up of traditional speakers.

Railtones works wirelessly.   By using the USB dongle, you can play music, talk radio, subscription radio from your computer.  The in/out line allows you to play music from any Mp3 player and the remote control allows you to control the power and sound to the speaker.

Remote control and USB computer dongle for Railtones

I really like the idea of the speaker on the track/rail lighting set.  I have a smaller version of a track lighting kit to highlight the antique popcorn machine in my shop’s front window. (I have my own kettle corn business).   This rail kit is far too small to support the Railtones speaker.  I would have to upgrade to a larger, sturdier kit.   But the Railtones set comes with a freejack for separate installation and until I upgrade to a larger track lighting kit (which is imminent), one of the Railtones speakers hangs comfortably in the corner of my shop where it imparts plenty of quality sound throughout my shop.

If the Railtones speaker does not fit on your existing track lighting appliance or you just need sound in a different area of the room, Railtones comes with a separate freejack in order to install one of the speakers elsewhere. In this photo, the Railtones speaker is installed in the corner of my new kettlecorn shop. Even tucked away in the corner, the sound is vibrant.

The assembly is also pretty simple; no more difficult than installing a ceiling fan.   Yes, there are different and less noticeable sound systems you can install in your small shop or your home.  That’s fine.  I like the Railtones design.  I like the look, I love the sound.  I very much like the flexibility that the wireless system provides me.

I play pretty much only Big Band music in my shop.  My shop is specifically 1930s-1940s themed.  When purchasing music to play over the speakers in the store, honestly, I’m kind of limited to the music that is available out there.  There are only so many times I can listen to “In the Mood”.  I subscribe to Live 365, an internet radio service that offers me all kinds of Big Band stations, Swing, even a couple of stations that offer music from the Twenties as well as vintage radio shows.  It’s great and my customers love it.   To be able to do this would be difficult without a wireless sound system and Railtones solves this problem.  The sound is beautiful and clear.

If I had one complaint about this product, it would be the remote.  You have to be, basically, standing directly in front of it in order for the speaker to receive the signal from the remote control and that’s a pain in the neck at times.

Railtones is not going to be found in your local Lowe’s, WalMart or Target.  TechLighting.com does provide a list of internet retailers and showrooms throughout the United States but expect to shop in specialty lighting stores.  Expect to pay anywhere from $450.00 to $599.00 for a two-speaker kit.

Keep in mind that this product is designed for home use but I have chosen to use it in my shop where it performs beautifully.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Home Tech, Reviews

Tagged: sound system, Speakers, track lighting, Wireless

Tech Lighting Railtones Wireless Sound System Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 12, 2011 at 3:10 pm.

We all know that backing up our computer’s hard drive contents is a must do operation. That said, how many you out there actually do it? The better question is how many of you aren’t doing it? Not backing up your data (pictures, documents, videos, etc.) is like playing Russian roulette. You might never get “lucky”, but chances are good that you will and that’s the kind of luck you don’t want. Why is it that most of us do NOT backup our data? The number 1 reason is probably because it’s a hassle to setup. The new Clickfree Wireless backup system takes away the hassle. Just plug this wireless drive into each computer (PCs or Macs) on your network to perform an initial backup. All settings will be found and configured, and subsequent backups will be done automatically using 802.11n wireless. The Clickfree drive can be placed anywhere in the home, and does not need to be plugged in to any of the computers for it to continue backing up and safeguarding your data. Clickfree Wireless Backup is available now online from Clickfree.com. The MSRP for a 500GB is $179 and 1TB is $249. Larger capacities will be available in Q1 2011.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Backup, Spotlight Gadgets, Wireless

Clickfree Introduces New Clickfree Wireless Backup Drive originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 4, 2011 at 9:16 am.

I love all things wireless, except when it comes to keeping them powered up.  For some reason, I’ve never latched onto the idea of wireless input devices, like mice and keyboards.  I was always worried that I’d run out of battery juice at the worst possible moment.  But a solar rechargeable keyboard?  Now this is a first.  I must take a look.

I’ve had wireless keyboards in the past.  The last one I bought was the Apple Bluetooth Keyboard (flat aluminum).  Apple went through great lengths to make that keyboard sleek and smooth.  Trouble is, I have no way of knowing if that keyboard is powered up or if it has a weak battery just by looking at it.  That, and it always seemed to have a bad habit of eating through AA batteries.  I have no idea why.

Now let’s get to the Logitech K750.

I was fully expecting a set of printed instructions as there usually is.  Instead, a cryptic note on the inside flap of the box.

Psst! Look in here

Yup, a few snips and you get the standard boilerplate blurbs in several different languages.  Nothing technical.

Nothing to see here. Keep moving!

The Logitech K750 comes with a small microfiber cloth, a tiny USB receiver, and a short USB extender if you need it.  The USB receiver is a Logitech Unifying Receiver, which allows you to pair, say a compatible mouse AND a keyboard to the same computer.

Contents of the Logitech K750

Here are some photos of the K750 next to an Apple Keyboard.

Top: Apple USB Keyboard. Bottom: Logitech K750

This is my favorite part of the K750:  A sliding, hardware switch for keyboard ON and OFF.  This should be mandatory for wireless devices!  No more guessing.  Pressing the little solar/sunshine button shows the relative brightness level the keyboard’s photovoltaic panels are receiving.  If it’s currently bright enough for good battery health, a little green LED lights up next to a smiley face.  If it’s too dark where you’re sitting, you’ll get a red LED and a sad face.  Brilliant.

I should point out something pretty subtle.  There is no right-side “Windows” button.  You get one on the left of the space bar, but you’ll find an FN key on the right.  This engages the function key row at the top.

Here you can see F1-F12 and their corresponding FN functions.

In contrast to the front side, which is nearly all glossy black, the back side of the K750 is entirely white.

Door to the rechargable battery. it appears to be a button battery.

Feet folded down. Note the "8" on the leg. This indicates an 8 degree tilt if extended.

Leg extended

Another thing I love about the K750 is how crazy flat it is!  I thought the Apple keyboard was flat until I put it next to the wafer-thin K750.

Flat!

K750's feet extended

The Solar App is unique to this keyboard.  It’s a free download (no CD-ROM included in the package) and is separate from from the Logitech SetPoint software.

With the Solar App, you can monitor the battery status and the level of “brightness” the photovoltaic cells see, in Lux.  Now I don’t know how spot-on these figures are but there are helpful smiley and frowny faces to make it more clear.

There’s also an option to view the charge over time, in graphical form.

USER EXPERIENCE

I use a Mac at home running OS X and Windows 7, and I use a PC at work running XP.  I tried the Logitech K750 in all three environments.

Windows 7:

I already had Logitech SetPoint installed so I just downloaded the Solar App.  I plugged in the tiny Unifying Receiver into an open USB port and that was that.

I noticed that the function keys (see photo above) were working.  The “home” icon brought up the default browser.  The music note icon launched Windows Media Player.  Transport controls worked, too, as did volume.  Email did not work, and I’m not sure if it’s because I don’t have an email program installed.  Well, duh.

Despite having SetPoint installed, I could not get the on-screen Caps Lock to show up.

Windows XP (no drivers):

This is my work machine where I have no admin rights, so I can’t install any Logitech apps.  Naturally, I can’t monitor my battery status and I can forget about Caps Lock indicators.  But I was surprised to see that the function icons worked.  In the case of my work PC, pressing the Home icon key launched Internet Explorer (the default browser), the email icon launched Outlook, and the music icon launched iTunes (which I installed and set as default).  Pressing the F12 “PC on/off” button caused my XP machine to go into some kind of instant, weird coma that forced me to restart the computer.

Mac OSX (Snow Leopard):

With the Mac, the little Windows key in the lower left becomes the Command (“Apple”) key, except you only get one.  As expected, most of the special function keys don’t work.  Home brings up a new browser window.  The transport controls (for iTunes) work, and volume up/down/mute work.  I was happy to see that the F12 key for power (“PC only”) actually DID work, in a nice way.  It brought up the dialogue box for Restart/Sleep/Cancel/ShutDown.  Nice!

Despite some things not working as I had planned, probably due to my own ignorance, I love the Logitech K750.  It has totally erased my fear of battery death, eliminates one more cord, and looks so darn cool.  And even though I can’t use all the functions on my work computer, I’m planning to give the Logitech K750 a permanent home there.  And, if Logitech ever makes a white-and-silver Mac edition with the Command key in lieu of the Windows key, I’m snapping one of those up, too.  I’m not holding my breath, though.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Keyboard, Wireless

Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 9, 2010 at 3:06 pm.

The difference between a computer monitor and a TV screen seems to be becoming more irrelevant every day. Whether because we dropped cable or want a second computer display, more and more of us are connecting our computers to TVs. Devices like Warpia’s SWP100A Wireless USB PC to TV Audio/Video Display Adapter claim to let you do anything you would normally do on your computer on your TV.

The SWP100A comes with the USB PC transmitting dongle, a receiving dongle and a ‘dock’ that can be mounted horizontally or vertically, a power cord, a CD-ROM for Windows XP or newer, and instructions. You need to provide a VGA or HDMI cable.

Installing the software was easy, although it is one of those where you need to follow the directions correctly as far as what you plug in when. When installed, two new icons show in your System Tray- a connection indicator and the Display icon.

The transmitter half just plugs into a USB port on your computer, and the receiver dongle plugs into the dock, either pointing up, as shown, or straight out the back if you mount the dock on a vertical surface. One oddity is that both the dongles have indicator lights on them (the ‘swoop’ shape in the photos). If you look at the photo, you see that the indicator points out the same direction as the cable jacks and ports- which in actual use, is the back of the dock. Therefore you cannot see the receiver dongle lights to confirm operation when you use the horizontal configuration.

You can do either HDMI or VGA and a separate audio cable. Connecting the base unit is as easy as plugging in the power brick, hooking up your cables, then positioning it where it can ‘see’ the laptop.

The range is given as 30′ within the same room, but as usual with wireless devices this is an ‘ideal situations’ figure and your own results will vary. (The actual specs of the antenna, etc. can be found here.) The manufacturer has done testing to ensure that if the signal is quickly regained if interrupted. This is fortunate since it seems easy to disrupt- even when only about 12′ away.

So what is it like in actual use?

I need to share my rather embarrassing set-up to answer that fairly. We are experimenting with giving up cable, etc. and trying to find a way to use an older Fujitsu Lifebook T4030 with 810.11g wi-fi and an older video card, an older wireless 810.11g wireless router, and a cable connection of 15Mbps. I was connecting this to a flatscreen HD TV with VGA and HDMI inputs using a VGA and an audio cable. We use this for watching YouTube, episodes on Hulu, etc.

The existing set-up is admittedly sub-par. The images rasterize, freeze, break-up, and more. For the most part, we just put up with it but are planning to upgrade the router and laptop over the next few months, and maybe bumping up to a faster internet connection as well. I just point this out to show that I know the set-up is not perfect.

Using the SWP100A in this set-up was… not optimal. It adds another wireless step, and wireless is always slower than wired. The images that used to rasterize now froze, what stuttered before ground to a halt now. I had to set my video settings to the lowest they could go to even get that much.

Having said that, it was also obvious that for someone with a faster overall system, the SWP100A would bring you a simple wireless option that would take any image, movie, game, presentation, text, or sound you could bring up on your computer and send it to your TV. I think the company might want to consider making this clearer to help avoid frustration from other potential buyers.

UPDATE:

I was unexpectedly able to upgrade both my router and laptop, and am pleased to report that the SWP100A works much better with this new set-up. When I use a cable from the laptop to the TV, I no longer have many image quality issues, and what I do have is probably due to the lower-level cable package I subscribe to.

With the new set-up, the Warpia SWP100A works much better- better than my old system performed when hard-wired.  It is definitely not as good as direct-wired still, but not so much that it disrupts the viewing experience.

In an attempt to quantify this, I would suggest that watching cable TV is a 10, to establish a baseline. My old system, hard-wired, was about a 4. Old system using the Warpia was a 3 with occasional dips to a 2.

My new system, hard-wired, is a solid 8 and would probably be a 10 with a faster cable connection. New system with the Warpia is a high 7 with dips to a 6 depending largely on what else I am asking the computer to do.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: USB, Video, Wireless

Warpia SWP100A Wireless TV Display Adapter Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 30, 2010 at 10:45 am.

All too rarely we get to see a product that does exactly what it promises for a fair price, with good support and a solid design. The BearExtender N3 is that kind of product but only for folks running Mac OS X. They’ve now released the PC version, called the BearExtender PC, and we’re going to see how this wireless USB 802.11n adapter performs. Read on to see more…

The BearExtender PC is a Windows version of BearExtender’s successful Macintosh product called the BearExtender N3. It’s a 802.11n external USB 2.0 wireless adapter with the same design as the Macintosh version; a solid plastic body with an antenna connector on one end and the USB connector on the other, and it has a clip on the back that easily hooks onto laptop screens. The antenna ports lets you connect even more capable antennas for even better range and allowing even more flexability for antenna placement. BearExtender has an optional 5dBi omnidirectional antenna for an extra $5.99, a very reasonable price. The standard 2dBi omnidirectional antenna seems to be relatively good, however. And if you have an older laptop with 802.11G, and want to upgrade to N, the laptop screen clip on the back is a nice alternative to a dongle sticking out of the side.

Getting the BearExtender PC installed in Windows 7 was easy: Install the included driver and plug it in. If you have built in wireless, you’ll also want to disable it before using the BearExtenderPC. The standard Windows7 WiFi management tools were used, so once it’s plugged in the behavior isn’t any different for selecting Access Points – The only indication in Windows that the BearExtender PC is connected was the number of additional wireless access points it picked up! On the BearExtender PC itself, there’s a small blue LED that blinks as data flows through so you can clearly see it working once connected via USB.

And that brings up a question I’ve heard from a few people: “How useful could an external wireless adapter be if my laptop already has wireless?”. Well, after supplementing my laptop’s built in wireless adapter ( an Atheros chipset ) with the BearExtender PC, I can answer “Very!”. Most of the wireless products we’re using are limited in signal strength and have compromising antenna design, usually transmitting way under 100mw with an antenna housed inside the laptop body or right alongside the LCD. Then there’s the BearExtender, pumping out 700mW (!) of power and with a better positioned detachable swivel antenna on a small USB box that can be clipped onto a laptop screen. The difference in transmission and reception is startling: I see 12 wifi access points with the built in wireless after placing the laptop near a window. Same rough placement in the window with the BearExtender PC and I see 18 wireless access points. When I connected a Hawking HiGain 6dBi antenna & turned my router off, I saw 82 access points; Brooklyn is saturated with wireless! ( See the picture at the bottom of the review )

More impressive is the signal strength of those wireless access points: You can see increased signal on all access points compared to the built in wireless, and that means more stable connections. Looking at the screenshots below, and using the wireless AP “Jacklu” as an example, under the standard wireless card it shows −47 RSSI ( Received Signal Strength Indication ). With the BearExtender PC, it’s showing up with −29 RSSI; the ‘lower’ the RSSI number, the better the signal strength, and you can see a clear increase in RSSI level on all APs found when using the BearExtender PC. Then I took the laptop to the other side of my apartment to get as far away from my router as possible without going outside: I was between 3 solid walls in my living room. I started copying a test folder from my server, and using built in wireless the copy took 5 minutes and 29 seconds. Copying the same folder after hooking up the BearExtender, and disabling the built in wireless, took 3 minutes and 45 seconds. So it’s not only a question of better range, the higher quality antenna and higher output of the BearExtender PC means stronger and cleaner connections less influenced by ‘noise’. I have to note this test was done under 802.11G since the laptop I’m using for testing only has a G capable wireless card. I turned off N on my router ( The FON 2.0N router I reviewed earlier this year ), so both the BearExtender PC and the built in wireless card were connected via 802.11G. Overall, the increase in range is impressive but the increase in speed is more useful to me during daily operations.

And something else came up during the testing, plug & play support under the latest 10.10 version of Ubuntu. I can’t confirm it’ll work under earlier version of Ubuntu, or for anyone else for that matter since it’s completely unsupported, but it just started working after plugging it in without any configuration. I see the same increase in signal strength I saw in Windows, and it works with the built in wireless utilities, just remember BearExtender can’t provide technical support for linux. The same is true for Mac OS X; Although I was able to get it working in Snow Leopard on a MacBook, if you purchase BearExtender PC you only receive technical support for Windows. Running the BearExtender PC on other platforms is technically possible, but remember that it’s completely and utterly unsupported on anything except Windows. Get the BearExtender N3 if you have a Mac! But regardless of support, in a pinch it’s nice to know that it is possible to get the PC version functioning in Mac OS X & Ubuntu.

At the end of the testing, I came away impressed with the BearExtender PC as you can tell by my review. The wireless capabilities of my laptop were significantly increased, which is exactly what it was developed to do. If you’re looking to increase the speed and range of your wireless, this is the product to buy. The extra output power combined with the decent 2dBi omnidirectional antenna means you’ll get better all-around connections, especially in a wireless-saturated area like Brooklyn NY. The BearExtender PC is available for $44.97 with the clip and 2dBi omnidirectional antenna, with the 5dBi omnidirectional antenna available for an extra $5.99. The price is right, the quality is there, and the BearExtender PC works as advertised. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a USB Wireless adapter.

The software used for some testing and the screenshots below is InSSIDer by MetaGeek.

Built In Wireless

BearExtender PC with standard 2dBi antenna

BearExtender PC with a Hawking Technologies HiGain 6dBi antenna & the local router powered off

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Laptops and Gear, Reviews, Wireless

Tagged: 802.11, BearExtender, WiFi, Wireless

BearExtender PC USB Wireless Adapter Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 27, 2010 at 8:00 am.

There’s a busy cross-town street that passes close behind our house.  It doesn’t happen so much any more since cell phones are so common, but we used to often get people knocking on our door at all hours asking to use our phone because they were having car trouble.  We have a tiny peephole in the door, but seeing out our other windows to check who’s on the porch is almost impossible because we have textured stained glass in them.  It can be intimidating opening the front door when you don’t know who’s waiting out there, especially at night.  I was very happy when Julie sent me a security camera system from First Alert to try out.  The DW-700 system offers a lot – indoor/outdoor use, IR night vision, microphone, recording, motion detection alarm, and it even comes with its own LCD monitor.  How great is that!  Pretty great, as we’ll see!

Specifications
General
            Operating power – 5V
            Operating temperature – 14°F – 122°F
            Indoor/Outdoor – both
            Camera and stand – 9.0” X 5.5” X 1.4”
            Receiver – 4.7” X 2.8” X 2.7”
            Remote control – included
            4-Camera multi-view capable – yes
Camera
            Image sensor – CMOS
            Viewing angle – 56 degrees
           Audio range – 16 feet
            Digital – yes
            Color – yes
            Motion detection – yes
            Night vision capability – yes
            Number of infrared LEDs – 27
            Night vision distance – up to 40 feet
Wireless
            Wireless range – 750 feet
            Frequency – 2.4 GHz
            Transmission channels – 40
Recording
            Data storage type – 2GB SD card included
            SDHC compatible – 16GB
            File type – .AVI

In the Box
            Digital wireless camera
            7” LCD digital wireless receiver
            Camera stand
            Mounting kit
            Remote control
            DC 5V power supplies – 2
            AV cable
            User’s manual
            2GB SD card

Easel back on the LCD monitor

Getting started with the DW-700 system was a snap.  Because everything is wireless, there were no cables to run.  The camera is rated for outdoor use, so I got my husband to install it on our porch where it would be sheltered from rain and would be able to monitor my front door.  Although you don’t need to run data cables, you do need power for the camera.  I don’t have an outlet on my porch, but I do have one nearby.  For the test, I just left the power cord dangling.  Since the trial period was such a success, I’ll have to find a way to control and disguise the power cord for a more polished and permanent installation.

Once the camera is in place, you simply power up the LCD monitor and set the date and time.  You can use the included AV cables to connect the monitor to a TV for a larger picture.  I like using the monitor.  It looks like a digital picture frame sitting on my end table.  Pairing the camera and monitor was effortless.  You can use the monitor with up to four cameras.  When you use multiple cameras, you can see a split screen view or view each camera in full-screen mode.  You can adjust the brightness and resolution (640X480 or 320X240) of the camera to get the best picture.  You can also set the monitor to “power saver” mode; the screen will go dark during periods when no motion is detected.  The sound will remain on even when the screen is dark.

The monitor can  record a snippet of video and sound when motion is detected.  You choose to record for 5, 10, or 15 seconds or to turn off recording.  You can also have an alarm sound when motion is detected.  Recordings will be saved to the SD card.  Video is compressed, so the supplied 2GB card will hold a lot of files, and you can set up the monitor to over-write old files when the card is full.

The camera has a microphone, and the monitor has a speaker so you can hear what’s happening outdoors.  There’s no microphone inside and speaker outside, so I can’t converse with people on my porch, but I still like having the sound.  Because there is a busy road outside, and because we all suffer from allergies, we never open our windows.  I never hear “nature” sounds inside; I had started to believe we didn’t have birds and insects in our neighborhood anymore.  With the DW-700’s audio, I can enjoy bird song indoors now.  However, I can also “enjoy” the sound of the neighbor’s dog barking – in stereo with just a slight delay for a nice echo effect.  No problem, though – I can use the remote to turn down the sound until the dog or other bothersome noise stops.  Wind sounds and random traffic noises almost have a white noise effect – I’ve thought about taking the monitor into the bedroom at night as a “white noise” machine.

The video is a bit compressed, so movements seem a bit jerky – rather like King Kong in the very old movie.  Once a person gets to the top of the steps and stands still, the video is clear and sharp enough to easily identify faces during the day.  Although the picture (above) makes the video display seem blue, the actual display is full-color.  The video is very useful.  I can see when the UPS man is just leaving the package and not waiting for a signature.  I even caught the post lady dropping (on purpose) packages on my porch on two different days.  The second time she did it, I called her on it, pointed out my camera, and now I see her deposit my packages carefully by the door!  (I do all my Christmas shopping on the internet, and I have a lot of people to buy presents for, so I’m getting a lot of packages now.)  It’s even helping me develop my reputation as the neighborhood’s mean old lady.  I saw several neighborhood kids running around in my yard, crawling around in my bushes and breaking branches out of them and was able to go out and say “hey you kids – stay out of my yard!” before they had done too much damage. 

Please ignore the date on the following videos.  I didn’t set the date before making some of them.  Also, I copied up the .AVI files from the First Alert monitor so you can see exactly what’s recorded.  You’ll probably be happier if you download them to your computer instead of playing them in the browser. 

Butch in daylight                                   Butch at night

Cat eyes (bottom left of screen)     Cat walking away (middle of screen)

The camera has IR LEDs for night vision.  Just like on Ghost Hunters, everything is displayed in shades of gray in night mode.  Because of my particular setup, I have my camera mounted too close to the door and the IR illumination is a bit over-bright and people’s faces are over-illuminated – especially when my 6’2” husband is standing on the porch.  This is a problem with my location and installation, and not the camera.  The night vision is great when really tall people aren’t involved.  You can see in the above attached files (the two cat videos) that I captured video of an intruder one night.

Porch light/IR mode                           Recording triggered by wind

The motion detector is very sensitive – maybe a bit too sensitive.  Wind blowing the bushes visible in the videos is enough to trigger a recording – and trigger the alarm, too.  You can use the remote to quickly stifle the alarm, you can turn the volume completely down, or you can simply turn the alarm off in setup.  I wish I could adjust the volume of the alarm.  I like the idea of the alarm, but it’s just too loud.  Even five seconds is too long at that volume. 

I love the First Alert DW-700 security camera system!  It’s great to be able to see and hear what’s going on outside my door.  I like that the LCD receiver can monitor multiple cameras, and I need to see if I can buy these cameras individually to add coverage for my side door and maybe another for the backyard, too.  I do wish that I could have two LCD monitors with the system, though.  Maybe have one without recording capability and one with.  As I mentioned, I’d like to have one in my bedroom, but I don’t want to have to move the monitor from room to room.

Filed in categories: Home Tech, Reviews

Tagged: Home Security, Wireless

First Alert DW-700 Indoor/Outdoor Digital Wireless Camera with 7″ LCD Monitor Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 16, 2010 at 12:00 pm.

This morning my Apple wireless keyboard for my iMac popped up a message saying the battery was low. I love that keyboard but I don’t love that I have to feed it batteries every few months.  Logitech must have read my mind because they’ve just introduced their first solar powered keyboard. The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 has a lot going for it. First of all, you won’t have to take this keyboard outside in order to charge it. It will recharge with indoor light and can stay charged for at least three months in total darkness. There’s a Windows app that will tell you how much charge is left and how much power your desk lamp is putting out. This keyboard also comes with a unifying USB receiver that allows you to add a compatible wireless mouse so that you’ll only need one receiver for both.  Sound good? Then go get one. They will be available sometime this month, and can be pre-ordered now for $79.99.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, News

Tagged: Keyboard, Spotlight Gadgets, Wireless

Logitech’s new K750 wireless keyboard just says no to batteries originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 2, 2010 at 12:13 pm.

Pogoplug has added a new version of the Pogoplug, available today. We have covered the Pogoplug updates in the past as they added printer support and a wireless adaptor, and added the Pogoplug Biz. This appears to update and replace the Pogoplug, with the following features:

• Built-in wireless capabilities
• All-Black
• Same $99 retail place as the Pogoplug

I recently bought a pogoplug, and will post a review soon. I liked it so much, I’ve already bought a second. I think the built-in wireless is a great add, and I couldn’t stand the pink, so I am a fan of the all black design.

Full text of the press release after the jump

Pogoplug Unveils Latest Version of Award-Winning Product Pogoplug Pro is Available in Best Buy Stores Today

San Francisco, CA, October 11, 2010 – Cloud Engines, Inc, today announced Pogoplug Pro, the latest version of the company’s award-winning multimedia sharing device. The Pogoplug Pro delivers even more flexibility to store, access, and share personal content from anywhere on the Internet.
Pogoplug allows users to easily and securely access, share, and stream their personal content from anywhere, without uploading.  Content remains safely on USB hard drives connected to the Pogoplug device in their home or office, and is available from any Internet enabled device, including apps for the iPhone, Android, iPad, BlackBerry, and Palm.

“Pogoplug is a great option for those who want to quickly and securely share personal files over the Internet,” said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis at The NPD Group.
The Pogoplug Pro includes all of the popular features of the second generation Pogoplug, including the ability to connect up to four USB drives and to print from any mobile device. In addition, Pogoplug Pro adds built-in wireless connectivity.  Owners can place the device anywhere in their home without having to physically connect it to their router.

Pogoplug Pro is available today in Best Buy stores and online for $99 (MSRP).

About Best Buy

With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, China, Mexico and Turkey, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $49 billion in annual revenue. Approximately 180,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bestbuy.com.

About Pogoplug Pro

The Pogoplug is a device that connects up to 4 external hard drives to the Internet wirelessly. It is designed for consumers who have an external hard drive and have high speed Internet. Consumers can securely access and share all of their content [Files, Photos, and Video] from any Web browser or enabled mobile device with no additional monthly fees.

About Cloud engines, Inc.
Founded in 2007 by experienced entrepreneurs from the digital media and security industries, Cloud Engines is located in San Francisco, California. The company was formed with a mission to change the way personal content is stored and distributed over the Internet. The Cloud Engines philosophy is that by making a product simple, open and affordable, the community will participate in making it better. For more information, please visit, www.cloudengines.com and www.pogoplug.com

Filed in categories: Gear, News

Tagged: Cloud, pogoplug, Storage, Wireless

Pogoplug Pro Available originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 11, 2010 at 12:01 pm.

We have some tree-frog green Eagle Creek luggage that’s easy to find on the luggage carousel, but if your luggage is a bit hard to spot on the luggage-go-round, you might need an Easy2Pick Wireless Luggage Finder from NAFTLI, Inc.  Simply attach the luggage tag transmitter (with normal address card, too) to your bag and the receiver to your keychain.  Turn on the receiver as you approach the luggage carousel and it will begin to beep and flash when your bag approaches within 20 meters of your location.  Each receiver can be programmed to respond to up to five unique transmitter tags.  You can get an Easy2Pick Wireless Luggage Finder at Amazon for $24.95.

Filed in categories: Gear, News, Travel Gear

Tagged: Luggage finder, Wireless

Easy2Pick Wireless Luggage Finder originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 27, 2010 at 7:30 am.

When I first heard this bit of news, I thought, “Please, not another Straight Talk …” Thankfully it is not.  Walmart Family Mobile, Powered by T-Mobile has just thrown its hat into the race with a pretty competitive price point for service. Will it be a deal budget-junkies can’t resist? Or will the handsets being offered slow the number of adapters?

When we first heard of reports of Walmart jumping into the phone biz, the prices rumored for monthly service with data seemed to be a bit… ridiculous. Initial reports claimed that $45.00 per month for the first line and $25.00 for each additional line would get you unlimited talk and text. However, it was also said that data would cost $40.00 for 1G, shared. The internet community scoffed at that notion.  But Walmart has come to the rescue with a official press release clearing up the rumors.

“Walmart Family Mobile was designed with families in mind, and offers the easiest, most affordable way to enjoy high-quality post-paid service. Every line has Unlimited Talk & Text, so customers can be assured of no surprise overages when they receive their bill each month. The first line of service is just $45 per month, and each additional line is only $25 per month. In addition, Walmart Family Mobile has phones for the whole family from Samsung, Motorola and Nokia, including phones with the Android Operating System, QWERTY keyboard, touch screens and other features. Since there is no annual contract, customers can upgrade anytime by purchasing a new handset with no extra fees or contract commitment…”

“Data plans are also easy and affordable with Walmart Family Mobile. Activated accounts come with a free preloaded 100MB WebPakTM – which provides access to the internet – for every line of service. The WebPakTM is shared among all lines on an account and unused data never expires. Additional WebPakTM refill cards are purchased upfront in stores or online at www.walmart.com/familymobile, ensuring there are no overage fees or monthly data fees. The WebPakTM can also be used to make international calls to several countries for as low as 5¢ per minute**, as well as download ringtones, games and other apps.”

Walmart will be going ala carte with its data Packs, which can be a great option for those who won’t be streaming Pandora in the background while downloading a video of something funny your friend sent you in a email. That is, if the phone you bought could even do that. What are the phones you can choose from anyway? So far, there are only 5 handsets to choose from, the two most notable phones are the Motorola CliqXT, and the Samsung Highlight.

Walmart’s Family Mobile will be available starting September 20th.

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, News, Wireless

Tagged: t-mobile, walmart, Wireless

Walmart The CellPhone Co. originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 17, 2010 at 9:52 pm.