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Republic Wireless announces dual-band Motorola Defy XT, offers incentives to quell coverage woes
Republic Wireless is pretty candid that it's still learning the ropes of the mobile world, but with its monthly service cost of $19 per month, we know more than a few people who'd like to help test the water. Most recently, the company admitted an error with its deployment of a single-band Motorola Defy XT, which is compatible only with Sprint's 1,900MHz network. While this is fine for many -- especially given that subscribers are primarily expected to use WiFi -- it's presented a more tangible challenge for those who live within or travel to areas that rely on 800MHz service. Don't be alarmed, however, because the company is going to make it right. From today, Republic Wireless subscribers in waves B through E will have 30 days to evaluate their service, and if it's unacceptable, may seek a full refund from the provider. Those who are willing to wait it out, however, will receive a free dual-band Defy XT when it becomes available. Similarly, the company is incentivizing the upgrade for those in wave A with a $100 discount. Meanwhile, it will continue to offer the single-band Defy XT to those in waves F and beyond, but alternatively, it'll also keep the door open for its invitees to come aboard once the dual-band version is available -- it certainly seems wise to hold out for the dual-band version if you're able. You'll find the complete details at the source link. [Thanks, Connor]
Amped Wireless adds a dual-band access point to its range of super-strength networking gear
Amped Wireless has a single-minded purpose of eliminating blackspots in your WiFi coverage with a range of routers, adapters and repeaters to pump out 600mW of internet where you need it most. Now that it's done adding dual-band technology to its lineup of products, it's busting out a similarly-equipped access point that promises to add a further 7,500 square feet of coverage to your home. Capable of automatically setting itself up on your home (or office) network, it's packing the same USB port for storage that its recently revamped brothers have seen. It'll be available at the end of September for $170, and you can find a high-powered collection of words and punctuation arranged in the form of a press release included after the break.
D-Link unveils Cloud Router 1200 and 2000, dishes out WiFi in tube form
We'll admit: one of the biggest appeals for us in D-Link's new Cloud Router 1200 and 2000 is that tube shape, which is a nice break from the amorphous blobs we're used to as our WiFi routers. Not to say that there aren't convincing technical reasons to like them. Both will let you remotely administrate the 802.11n router's devices from an Android or iOS app, and they both carry four gigabit Ethernet jacks as well as a USB port for some network media storage. The differences lay exclusively in the wireless support, where the single-band 1200 caters to the frugal set at 300Mbps and the simultaneous dual-band 2000 hums along at 600Mbps. Thankfully, the prices of the just-shipping access points are both about right for what you get: the Cloud Router 1200 is a cheap and cheerful $60, and the 2000 won't strain the wallet much more at $100. You can catch the full details of our new cylindrical overlords friends after the break.
Amped Wireless caps off its new range with a dual-band repeater
Anyone keeping track of Amped Wireless' new range of dual-band products might have spotted that repeater-shaped hole in the team. It should come as no surprise that the company is now unveiling its SR20000G repeater, capable of extending your wireless network by a further 10,000 square feet. Built with the same five Ethernet jacks and USB 2.0 port for file sharing that we saw on its brother, it'll set you back $180 when it arrives later this month.
Apple slips out new AirPort Express with simultaneous dual-band WiFi (update: photo!)
Tucked in amidst talk of new MacBook Air and conventional MacBook Pro updates, Apple has trotted out a new AirPort Express. The new pocket WiFi router has a reworked design -- not unlike a white Apple TV -- as well as newfound support for simultaneous dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless. That's certainly good news if you want separate public and private hotspots when you're online at the hotel. The audio-out jack and USB 2.0 port are still there to share your sound or printing, and there's an extra Ethernet jack to feed wired devices. It's available now, and the $99 asking price certainly hits a sweet spot.
Amped Wireless launches dual-band 10,000 square feet router, now no wall is safe
High-power wireless maven Amped Wireless has finally filled that conspicuous dual-band gap in its lineup with the R20000G router. Promising to cover the same 10,000 square feet that its predecessor, it'll flit between the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands to ensure you can catch unbroken video around your house on the go. Beside the five ethernet jacks you'll find a USB 2.0 port for adding some network storage and the company's usual raft of features. It's available for $180 on Amped's website from today, and should be arriving on store shelves shortly.
Amped Wireless releases two new USB adapters to cure internet blackspots (video)
Is your computer positioned just that little bit too far away from your home router to get consistent internet access? Amped Wireless is here for you with a pair of USB adapters that promise you'll never have to tilt your machine to maintain signal again. The UA1000 pushes out 500mW of power over the 2.4GHz band, will clip to your laptop screen and, if you connect it to two USB ports instead of one it'll be even more powerful. Meanwhile, the UA2000 can switch between its high-range 2.4GHz and low-interference 5.0GHz radios to ensure the best reception in the darkest corners of your home or office. The former will set you back $80 while its dual-band cousin retails at $100 and you can pre-order both from today.
Belkin reveals Advance N900 DB router, keeps your MW3 marathon top priority with IntelliStream
Belkin has added another wireless networking kit to it's N-series lineup here at CES. The company has announced its Advance N900 DB, a dual band WiFi router capable of 450Mbps speeds per band. Featuring six MultiBeam antennas, the tech makes watching Hulu Plus from your basement much easier and looks to cut down on those pesky dead spots. Also outfitted with IntelliStream, the device automatically prioritizes video and gaming streams and houses a 600MHz multi-thread processor that multitasks across all networked devices. For connected storage or wireless printers, the N900 packs two USB 2.0 ports enabling access to those peripherals from workstations other than your desk. If you're looking to take the leap, the router will be available for pre-order this month and at retailers in April, setting you back two Benjamins. See the PR after the break for all the details. Update: We snagged a quick hands-on with the device here at CES. Check out the gallery below and the video after the break.
HP Envy Spectre arrives at FCC, next year's model probably called HP Envy SMERSH
Even in the FCC's secret Washington bunker, our boys in lab-coats like to spread a little festive cheer. When this new HP Envy 14 Spectre was released into the streets, we found it wrapped in tinsel. We'll expect to learn more about this dual-band Wireless-N packing laptop in January, where we figure it'll be the last model to carry Intel's Sandy Bridge, since successor Ivy Bridge isn't due to arrive at OEMs for another couple of months. We're not sure about naming your laptop after a James Bond villain organization, but it wouldn't be the first questionable decision to come from the House of Meg this year, would it?
Asus to launch 5 new routers, moving data never looked so good
It may just sit in the corner, silently feeding you internet, but why can't it look good while doing it? Asus is one step ahead of us with this one by extending its Black Diamond design to a new range of five more room enhancing products. The baby of the bunch, the RT-N10 LX, stylishly serves up bog standard 802.11n, while the undoubted prom queen is the RT-N66U which brings simultaneous dual band and gigabit speed L/WAN speeds to the packet shifting party. Two more equally svelte models -- the RT-N10 LX and RT-N15 -- cater for those networking inbetweeners, and finally, for those that accessorize, a dual band USB dongle squeezes in 2x2 MIMO as well as matching perfectly with those new shoes you bought.
Netgear's N900 dual-band router hits 900Mbps top speed, pats itself on the back
Stopping just short of bundling its announcement with an "Eye of the Tiger" MP3, Netgear's rolling out the hyperbole carpet for its now available N900. Heralding it as "the most advanced wireless home router," the sleekly-designed $180 box packs six antennas for an extended WiFi range, and is capable of speeds up to 900Mbps -- that's with both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands delivering data at a full 450Mbps. Sure, TRENDnet's already called First! with its own 450Mbps concurrent dual-band device, but the real focus here is on the added extras. In addition to the two USB ports -- capable of 30% faster transfer rates -- Netgear's thrown in a suite of goodies, like its Genie network monitoring application, Live Parental Controls, printer sharing, video stream optimization, DLNA, gigabit wired ethernet, guest access, WPA and WPA2 security protocols, usage meter and, lastly, a shutoff timer. Clearly, this isn't your ordinary wireless router, and that's exactly the company's point. Click on past the break for the official presser.
Sony Ericsson Live with Walkman Android phone gets busted open by the FCC
Somebody's not wasting anytime. Just last month we reported on the musically minded Android handset, and now what looks to be a decidedly darker version of Sony Ericsson's Live with Walkman has made its way through the FCC and come out the other end in pieces -- literally. Since the outfit didn't hold back much in its initial announcement, we won't be making any big discoveries here, but if you're into dismembered smartphones we've got a gallery of the shredded handset awaiting you below.%Gallery-133113%
Netgear announces Universal Push2TV HD, dual-band WiFi adapter for Blu-ray players and TVs
Not due for a laptop upgrade anytime soon? For those of you carrying on without Intel Wireless Display, Netgear just trotted out a so-called universal version of its Push2TV HD adapter that brings wireless media streaming to the masses. Like the WiDi-compatible version already on the market, it mirrors your Windows desktop on a TV or monitor, streaming DVDs, 1080p movies, photos, YouTube videos and other content. As with the WiDi model, the setup consists of a small box that connects to your TV via HDMI, though because the intended customer presumably lacks Wireless Display, it also comes with a thumb drive-sized USB adapter. Look for it in the US and Europe in late September for $129.99 -- a good thirty bucks more than what you'd pay for that WiDi model. Meanwhile, Netgear also announced an $80 dual-band, USB-powered WiFi adapter meant for TVs and Blu-ray players. Full PR for both products after the break.
Sony Ericsson unveils Live with Walkman handset for music-loving Android users
Four months after unveiling the relatively bare bones W8, Sony Ericsson has now taken the wraps off yet another Walkman phone, known as the Live with Walkman. Powered by a 1GHz processor, this Android handset features a 3.2 inch, capacitive touchscreen (with somewhat disappointing HVGA resolution), a five megapixel AF shooter with 8x digital zoom, and a front-facing VGA camera capable of capturing HD video in 720p. The petite, Gingerbread-equipped device also packs a lackluster 320MB of RAM, provides up to 32GB of microSD storage, and offers either tri-band 3G support (HSPA+) at 850, 1900 and 2100MHZ, or dual-band 3G at 900 and 2100MHz, depending on the model. And, as you'd expect, Sony Ericsson has placed a special emphasis on the music phone's media capabilities, beefing it up with enhanced audio and Qriocity integration. The specs may not sound earth shattering, but we'll wait until we get pricing information before casting judgment. The Live with Walkman is slated to hit "selected markets" by Q4 of this year, but you can find more information in the full PR, after the break.
Apple AirPort Extreme refresh outed by the FCC, lends credence to Time Capsule rumors
The FCC just trumped Cupertino's plan to sneak out an updated AirPort Extreme wireless base station with the outing of an Apple 3x3 802.11n access point, model A1408. It's not clear what's changed over Apple's existing dual-band router but its arrival in the FCC database coincides nicely with a 9to5Mac rumor calling for the imminent launch of new AirPort Extreme at a lower price point. And hey, if you're lucky, it'll also arrive with support for the new three-stream standard for 450Mbps over both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands -- but that's just speculation on our part. We should also point out that the appearance of the AirPort Extreme lends credence to 9to5's other rumor of cheaper 2TB and 3TB Time Capsules. And guess what? Today's Tuesday, Apple's favorite day to launch new gear, so don't be surprised to see Apple updating its store sooner rather than later.
Qualcomm unleashes tri-band WiFi and new mobile wireless chipset
Qualcomm might be all juiced up about getting its Snapdragon processor in 250 upcoming devices, but that doesn't mean the company has forgotten its wireless roots. The San Diego-based chip maker announced that its partnership with Wilocity has finally bore fruit in the form of the AR9004TB chipset. This tri-band wireless setup adds 60GHz WiGig to the usual 2.4 and 5GHz dual-band 802.11n formula for "multi-gigabit in-room performance." Though far from finalized, the 802.11ad standard being pushed by the WiGig alliance should be able to hit speeds of 5Gbps -- more than enough to blast several HD video streams around your home. It also packs Bluetooth 4.0 for your less bandwidth intensive (and more battery sensitive) computing needs. Going smaller scale, Qualcomm also unveiled the WCN3660, a wireless chipset to complement its Snapdragon CPU in smartphones and tablets. Inside this sliver of silicon is a dual-band Wi-Fi radio, Bluetooth 4.0, and an FM radio. It also supports Wi-Fi Display (not to be confused with WiDi) for beaming video to a WiFi-enabled TV or monitor. Head on after the break for more PR than you can shake an antenna at.
TrendNet outs first 450 Mbps dual-band WiFi adapter
If you're reading this, we're going to go ahead and assume you've got a computer endowed with its own wireless radio, but that doesn't mean it's powerful enough to handle your non-stop streaming these days. For folks craving more oomph, TrendNet has just announced the first USB adapter that promises to boost your throughput to speeds as high as 450 Mbps (thanks to MIMO technology) -- a mighty boost over the 54Mbps or 150Mbps rates you might be used to. As a dual-band adapter, it'll connect to either 2.4GHz or 5GHz networks and -- bonus -- its design is relatively discreet, too. Feel the need for speed? It's on sale now for $80.
Belkin repackages old wireless routers for its new N-series lineup (updated)
This wouldn't be the first time a company repackages old routers for the new year, but to be fair, there haven't been many technological advances recently for them to do much else. Belkin happens to be one such company, which has just announced five N-series 802.11n WiFi routers ranging from $39.99 (N150 at up to 150Mbps) all the way up to $129.99 (N750 at up to 450Mbps with dual band and USB). Frankly, a quick glance at the specifications doesn't show much of an improvement from last year's models, and that "exclusive" MultiBeam range-extending technology seems to be just a fancy name for MIMO. Still, you gotta give it to Belkin's designers for the new chassis design -- we much prefer this rounded look to the previous boxes. You can now grab an N150, N300, or N600 DB in the shops, whereas the N450 and flagship N750 DB will be showing up in mid-May. See press release after the break for the full details. Update: Belkin got in touch to finally shed some light on MultiBeam. Essentially, this is a new antenna technology that beefs up the routers' MIMO signal with a 6db gain, as opposed to just 1.5db on traditional onboard "trace" antennas. Another feature delivered by MultiBeam is an improved, apple-shaped coverage pattern, which apparently bests the standard donut-shaped version. The high end N450 and N750 also come with "implicit beam forming" that focuses the radio signal beam onto client devices for more reliable connection. Let's see if the guinea pigs can prove these claims.
Netgear's N750 wireless router Newspeaks its way to 750Mbps
Believe it or not, blazing-fast WiFi routers don't have to look like anti-aircraft weapons. The new flagship device from Netgear, the N750, keeps its array of antennae stashed out of sight. Even without a gaudy design, this dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n router can hit speeds of 450Mbps over the 5GHz band and 300Mbps at 2.4Ghz, for an "aggregate combined data rate" of 750Mbps. Don't get too excited though, all that means is you can connect one device in either band without dragging down the transfer rate of the other -- you're still bound by the 450Mbps speed limit. The N750 also includes a ReadySHARE USB port for network storage, parental controls, and guest access -- not bad for $150, eh?
Samsung Galaxy S II hits the FCC, potentially ready for AT&T 3G
Surely you remember the Samsung GT-i9100, colloquially known as the Galaxy S II? Sammy's been tight-lipped about which US cellular carriers might offer it, but the Federal Communications Commission might have an idea. You see, the Exynos 4210-toting Super AMOLED Plus smartphone just made its way to the FCC authorization database, 850MHz and 1900MHz GSM frequencies in tow -- which just so happen to be the ones required to get a gig at AT&T. Mind you, the handset could also be moonlighting in Canada with those particular bands, but the odds are decent we'll see it stateside sooner than that. By the by, this particular Galaxy S II is also sporting 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies, meaning it'll almost certainly come with dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi. The Galaxy S II wasn't the only Samsung to hit the FCC this week, though, as the SGH-i708 also dropped on by -- it appears to be a worldphone with 850 / 1900MHz GSM frequencies alongside CDMA, EV-DO, and the standard Bluetooth and 2.4GHz WiFi.
