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Xfinity is giving its customers free network security monitoring
At CES last year, Comcast announced a feature for its Xfinity internet customers called Advanced Security. It's a $6-per-month service that helps keep your home network more secure by keeping people away from phishing sites, blocking malicious traffic incoming from bad sites or any misbehaving smart home devices, monitoring devices on your network for unusual behaviors and more. It's been out for about a year now, and Comcast is making one big change today: It's now free for all Xfinity customers using one of the company's home "Gateway" router / cable modem devices.
Xfinity’s parental controls offer more precise scheduling for internet use
Comcast and its Xfinity brand have put a lot of attention behind the company's xFi internet management services in recent years, offering parents a pretty comprehensive set of tools to manage how much time family members spend online. One of those tools is scheduling a "bedtime mode" which takes a family member's devices offline. While handy, it's a pretty limited feature, letting you pick an offline time for weeknights and a different one for weekends. Today, though, xFi's scheduling features are getting a big upgrade: users can add up to 30 individual "downtime" sessions into each user's profile, giving parents far more granular controls over when their kids (or themselves) can access the internet.
Xfinity is using AI to keep your home network secure
Unless you spent 2018 under a rock, you'll know that security and privacy were two of the biggest challenges facing the technology industry. That affects companies like Google and Facebook, of course, but Comcast has also been paying attention to what it can do to keep its internet customers safer online. To that end, the company is announcing Xfinity xFi Advanced Security, an AI-powered service that monitors a customer's network for threats both incoming and outgoing.
Comcast is now selling mesh WiFi 'pods' to its internet customers
It's been about a year since Comcast started revamping its Xfinity home internet services under the xFi brand. As part of the changes the company has been making, it started testing a simple way to build an in-home mesh network. After partnering with Plume, Xfinity started offering "xFi Pods" -- little nodes that plug into a power outlet that extend your WiFi network -- in three test markets. As of today, though, they're available nationwide to all Xfinity customers at the price of $120 for three pods or $200 for six.
Comcast xFi customers get push notifications for WiFi activity
Comcast is introducing a new feature for its Xfinity xFi customers. Starting this week, users will receive a push notification anytime there is a change in their network. That means that if your child hops on the Wi-Fi when they're supposed to be asleep, now a push notification will rat them out.
Xfinity's Gigabit router will soon double as a smart home hub
Comcast's Xfinity division has made some forays into the smart home world already: Xfinity Home started out as a home security product, but it now handles a number of common devices like locks, thermostats, lightbulbs and so on. However, the millions of people who subscribe just to Xfinity Internet haven't been able to take advantage of these features; you need to also have an Xfinity Home subscription. That's going to change this year: Comcast just announced that millions of its internet customers will be able to use their Xfinity Gateway routers as smart home automation hubs, free of charge.
Comcast’s xFi Advanced Gateway modem is now available nationwide
It's no secret that modems provided by your ISP can leave a lot to be desired. While we generally recommend you use your own hardware when it comes to your internet connection, plenty of people just go with the standard default modem and router. Comcast is making that process just a little bit easier thanks to the xFi Advanced Gateway modem and router. The modem, which the company is billing as the most advanced device it's ever made, made its debut back in May, but starting today it's available in every market that Comcast offers gigabit internet.
Comcast's xFi app makes setting up your parents' WiFi less painful
There are plenty of great routers on the market, but most of them have simply horrible interfaces for setting up and configuring your WiFI network. Companies like Google and Apple have built smartphone apps that make managing WiFi much easier, but it's still not a commonplace experience. Comcast, of all companies, is looking to change that. Today, it's launching a new app for Xfinity internet customers called xFi, and judging from the demo we saw, it'll make it much easier for the average user to control their WiFI network.
Creative X-Fi Go! mobile sound card set to appear at IFA
Creative isn't showing off too much new stuff at IFA this week, but we should be hearing about the X-Fi Go! mobile sound card, which looks to be an update on the old Soundblaster Play!. The tiny USB 2.0 stick packs in quite of bit of audio-tweaking magic, with Crystallizer, CMSS-3D, EAX Advanced HD and OpenAL support, as well as 1GB of flash storage preloaded with Alchemy, WaveStudio, and other apps. Available now in Singapore for S$79 ($56), we'd guess it'll be similarly priced when it hits Stateside.[Via Electronista]
