Cisco to invade homes next year with new wireless music streamer

After slowly sneaking its branding onto its Linksys devices, and welcoming us to the non-defined "Human Network" with ubiquitous GE-style feel good advertising (above), Cisco is finally ready to make a real play for our hearts and pocketbooks with a new wireless audio streamer -- among other consumer-friendly products -- to be unveiled at CES next week. The products so far are vaguely defined, but it seems like a Sonos-type device in the cards, with a video streamer for use with a TV (and that handy Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem) and eventually a TV-based videoconferencing device both in development. The latter would be a full-HD setup, in the vein of the company's $40k+ Telepresence rooms currently available to corporations and inexplicably rich comic book heroes, but dramatically cheaper of course. Unfortunately, that won't be available for a year or two, and in the meantime we'll have yet another vaguely useful media streamer on our hands -- we can't wait!

[Arkenklo @ Dec 29th 2008 6:45PM]

What, Cisco did'nt invent Human Networks?

[Lowest Ranked @ Dec 29th 2008 6:55PM]

Yk'now, I ai'nt really sure bou't that.

[KezMondo @ Dec 29th 2008 6:59PM]

No, they did'nt, why do you as?k

[BlurMagic @ Dec 29th 2008 7:20PM]

I am so confuse,d you guys keep putting things in the wrong place.s Yo'ure doing it on purpos,e are'nt yo?u

[gonintendo @ Dec 29th 2008 7:25PM]

If you would just change your avatar to a half eaten apple, it would work great.

[Haikibutsu @ Dec 30th 2008 1:59AM]

If this can actually be posted:

Engadget, your comment system is far better looking than the cluttered and ugly Gizmodo one. However, Gizmodo's actually works...

[iPhoneAIR @ Dec 29th 2008 8:04PM]

in home Y2K anybody? Freaky mirror house...?

[jdog @ Dec 29th 2008 8:15PM]

digital music streaming? That's just AWESOME. Kinda like the Sonos I've had in my house for a year.

Sonos + roku's netflix box (which will stream HD when content's available) = $1500 and in your house tomorrow.

Good job Cisco.

[Scott @ Dec 29th 2008 8:36PM]

They already have the Linksys Wireless Music Bridge WMB54G:
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1175243415975&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper&lid=1597533147B05

It worked great before Vista but they have never properly updated the drivers. It makes me think twice about buying another one of their products.

[Will @ Dec 29th 2008 8:58PM]

"Telepresence rooms?" Shades of Fahrenheit 451.

[霽月瀛台 @ Dec 29th 2008 10:07PM]

My linksys router drops connection occassionaly.
I do not want to rest my home threater router when I am watching movie.

[Matt @ Dec 30th 2008 3:03AM]

I must say I was at Cisco's headquarters recently and actually got to see one of their telepresence suites - and they are amazing. In fact, there is so much incredible technology that Cisco are developing at the moment, even just to hear that they're starting to target the home/consumer market is awesome.

[d.james2 @ Dec 30th 2008 12:22PM]

But compare the $300k PER SIDE TP room to a $100k Polycom telepresence solution and it will not look quite so unique.
Add to that the need for a dedicated Cisco network, Call Manager (NOT your existing one), and 4 MB dedicated per stream (over a private MPLS network).
On top of their proprietary protocols that do not support existing H.323 devices (unless you spend another $50k for a gateway).

BTW, They are not starting to target the consumer, they bought companies that ONLY targeted the consumer (linksys, scientific atlanta).
This product is just BAU.

[CaptCaveman @ Dec 30th 2008 3:04AM]

Hmm, I was doing this 5 years ago with the Audiotron (by Turtle Beach) and an ethernet bridge. Not only could I stream all the music on my computer to any location I setup the Audiotron. But I could also tune in internet radio stations.

[Umut @ Dec 30th 2008 4:11PM]

What about wireless HD streaming competing with Belkin's FlyWire. That would be instresting.