There's not much explaining to do once the name of this product is read aloud, but we'll humor you anyway. The recently announced VUDU Wireless Kit is something we dreamed of having when testing the thing out in our own labs, but we suppose late is better than never. The package contains a pair of 802.11g adapters -- one for your VUDU set-top-box and one for your WLAN router -- that creates a "secure, self-contained wireless network" for transferring material from VUDU's servers to your device. The going rate for this bundle is $79, but you can knock $29 from that if you purchase it directly from VUDU with a $299 STB. Now, the real question here is this: will this thing function reliably (wireless HD has been shoved under the rug for a reason, you know), and will it function reliably with HD content. Any guinea pigs out there willing to check?

[Via CEPro]

Shortly after hearing TiVo's top dog speak of a "whole home model" to reduce the amount of STBs required for entertaining individuals in various rooms, along comes Time Warner Cable's chief executive talking up some innovation of its own. We'll be frank -- we're not entirely sure what Glenn Britt is getting at here, but through a broken series of quotes, we're led to believe that the carrier is prepping some "equipment" that will easily bring internet content to TVs. Not like there isn't a perfect solution for this quandary already, but we digress. Specifically, he mentions a " new wireless cable modem that will allow you to network everything in your house," which is about as broad / vague as you can get. Nevertheless, it's enough to keep us watchin', though we can't say our expectations are extraordinarily high. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

[Via eHomeUpgrade]

Now that AT&T has full control of wireless hotspots like Starbucks and Barnes and Nobles, it looks like they're doling out freebies to their favorite customers: iPhone users. Apparently, if you've got one of Apple's devices, you can hop on the WiFi networks for exactly zero dollars provided you enter your phone number at a login screen. Great for iPhone owners, but a raw deal for everyone else, right? Not so fast, apparently a dumb hack gets you the service on the house too -- just switch your browser's user agent to Mobile Safari, and presto! Free internet. We can't imagine this is a hole that won't get plugged real fast, so get it while the gettin's good.

[Via TUAW]

Read - AT&T Providing Free Wi-Fi Access to iPhone Users
Read - Hotspot hack

Remember those "world's thinnest" X-Series LCD HDTVs we spotted earlier this year? On their way over from Japan to the US, Sharp has whipped up a partnership with AMIMON in order to offer a wireless HDTV link based on the latter company's WHDI technology. Apparently the 37-, 42- and 46-inch displays will be sold in both nations with an optional wireless video transmitter (read: each set is "wireless ready"), giving users the ability to send uncompressed HD to their HDTV from up to 100-feet away. As for US pricing and availability, Sharp's not quite ready to dish out those points, and while we're not exactly sure if this is the launch that finally gets wireless HD headed in right direction, it certainly can't hurt matters. Full release posted after the jump.

Yeah, all those sticky sweet stories about WiMAX actually happening this decade or possibly showing up in a device or two were really getting on our nerves. Now it seems the "little wireless standard that couldn't" is back to form with a report from the Satellite Users Interference Reduction Group (SUIRG). Apparently those folks found "conclusive" results of "unacceptable" levels of interference from WiMAX of satellite signals in the C-band. Naturally, it sounds like this group's primary purpose is to come up with data like this to protect that satellite spectrum turf, but it's disconcerting nonetheless, and we'd love to hear from the WiMAX camp on the issue -- if it comes down to a choice between mobile broadband and a new season of Meerkat Manor in HD, we don't want to be the ones making the hard decisions.

[Via New Scientist]

Whenever your baby monitor isn't pulling in live NASA feeds (or making sure all is well in the life of your child), why not let it really wail? An ingenious hack created by jovial_cynic has us all too excited to snag a Safety 1st monitor of our own, as he's figured out a way to convert it into a low-fi wireless guitar amp. Granted, Mr. Cynic uses a mandolin to demonstrate, but everything from an electric banjo to a Les Paul Custom could take advantage. Hit up the read link to see how it all came together, and peep the in-action video after the break.

[Via MAKE]

We know, most of you Blue Devil fans are still reeling from that recent loss to Wake Forest, but if it's any consolation, at least your campus is about to become home to the "world's largest" 802.11n wireless network. Last we heard, The Ohio State University held the crown for Earth's biggest WLAN with 1,700 access points lit, but according to Cisco, Duke's campus will soon house 2,500 Aironet 1250 Series APs. The installation will leave more than six million square feet of central North Carolina blanketed in WiFi, and will supposedly be the "largest planned 802.11n wireless network in the world by any organization to date." Watch out, Dukies -- we hear those folks in Chapel Hill have a thing for swiping unsecured signals.

Here's hoping you own some Verizon stock, readers. According to the company's Q4 '07 earnings call which took place this morning, the massive telco finished out the year on an up note, with a sizable boost in subscribers, and consequently, profit. The company saw a net income boost of 3.9-percent ($1.07 billion, or $.37 a share) year-over-year, and a rise in revenue at 5.5-percent to $23.84 billion, including a 13.3-percent gain (or about 2 million new customers) in wireless sales. Analysts expectations were right on mark with the company's earnings, at $.62 a share, and the company saw growth in both its aforementioned wireless division, as well as big jumps in FiOS users. That's right kids, the rich do get richer.

It's coming to planes, so it was bound to make its way onto trains. According to a report, a 45-mile commuter railroad line in Massachusetts is about to get a WiFi upgrade, bringing wireless connections to more than 18,000 passengers across 17 stations. Utilizing Sprint's EV-DO service, this will be the largest deployment of train-based WiFi outside of Europe and will bring access to 45 coach cars in the line. "There is not one commuter rail system in the country that has this right now," said Kris Erickson, MBTA deputy chief of staff, adding, "We know there are going to be some technical glitches, but we want to get in there and test it in a real environment and get a much better idea how to do it." The plan is to eventually bless all 13 commuter lines in Massachusetts with wireless capabilities, thus allowing networked games of Sid Meier's Railroads! to actually be played while on a railroad.

[Via Wi-Fi Networking News]

During the Apple earnings call today, the company suggested that WiFi-enabled iPods were "one" of the future directions in which Cupertino sees the media player market heading. While sticking to vague characterizations, a spokesperson intimated that wireless communication would play a role in upcoming devices (as demonstrated in the iPod touch), saying, "The iPod market is bigger than just for simple music players, one of the iPod's future direction is to be one of the first WiFi mobile platforms." Of course, Apple wasn't ready to put all its eggs in one basket, nor did it mention emerging wireless technologies such as WiMAX, but they're probably confident that customers will take it where they can get it.

Wondering how you were gonna install all your software on that forthcoming optical drive-deprived MacBook Air? Enter Remote Disc, which essentially enables users to "borrow" the optical drive of another machine on the wireless network and pass along the data sans wires. Notably, hosts can be Macs or PCs, meaning that even a household Wintel rig can be used to beam OS X applications to your shiny new MBA. No word on where the "special software" for the host machines will come from, but here's to hoping it's boxed right in from the start.

Details are admittedly scant at the moment, but it appears that Panasonic and T-Mobile are collaborating on some front to develop the first ever wireless Lumix digital camera. If you couldn't guess, the cam will feature integrated access to T-Mobile HotSpot and will give owners the ability to beam images directly to Picasa Web Albums. The elusive Lumix -- which still sports no model number -- will apparently come bundled with a full year of complimentary HotSpot access, but we're told absolutely nothing else specs wise. On that note, we're not even given a clue as to when said camera will launch nor how much it'll run, but at least we've got something to keep an eye out for, right?

After attending the kickoff Panasonic keynote earlier today at CES 2008, Engadget headed over to the Panasonic booth to check out the Wireless HD, 150-inch behemoth, and ultra-thin plasmas. The Wireless HD setup was, of course, a befuddling open space between a set-top box of some sort and a TV. A loop video played demonstrating the signal using "beam steering" to bounce around obstructions, much like our cameras trying to get around the gaggle of people huddled around Panny's products.

In the latest major twist in this epic battle between wireless chipmakers, a US District Judge has slapped a permanent injunction on any products containing those Qualcomm 3G chips ruled to be infringing on Broadcom's so-called '686 patents. Not only can Qualcomm no longer offer infringing devices nor the chips themselves in the US, the retroactive nature of the ruling means that the company can't even provide service or technical support for '686 products already on the market. At this point, with a voluntary licensing agreement seemingly off the table, the next move for Qualcomm is establishing a plan of action to show Judge James Selna how it plans to redesign its products into compliance. [Warning: PDF link]

[Via Reuters]

Details are sketchy at the moment, but some IT folks at Morrisville State College have tracked down a strong and disruptive signal being emitted from Xbox 360s, which messes with WiFi and possibly other 2.4GHz radios such as Bluetooth headsets. The signal is put out even when the console is turned off, as long as it's plugged in, since the 360 is continually looking for controllers to hook up with. Research is ongoing as to how much interference the 360 is actually causing, but apparently the signal is jumping all over the 2.4GHz band. Of course, 2.4GHz devices have always had a bit trouble with interference, but further research will tell if the 360 is taking things too far.

[Via Joystiq]