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!
posted Dec 29th 2008 6:36PM
What, Cisco did'nt invent Human Networks?
Yk'now, I ai'nt really sure bou't that.
No, they did'nt, why do you as?k
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
If you would just change your avatar to a half eaten apple, it would work great.
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...
in home Y2K anybody? Freaky mirror house...?
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.
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.
"Telepresence rooms?" Shades of Fahrenheit 451.
My linksys router drops connection occassionaly.
I do not want to rest my home threater router when I am watching movie.
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.
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.
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.
What about wireless HD streaming competing with Belkin's FlyWire. That would be instresting.