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Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock hands-on (video)
So, Belkin pulled a bit of a switcharoo on us with its Thunderbolt Express Dock. The device we saw back at IDF was very different from what made it out on the CES floor here in Vegas. But you know what? We're not mad because they managed to slim the dock down in the process. The outfit was also able to fit a single HDMI port into the peripheral while adding a nice cable channel to hide that unsightly Thunderbolt cable that connects the device to your PC of choice. If you'll recall, the dock also packs a trio of USB ports, Ethernet, 3.5mm audio, FireWire and an additional Thunderbolt port for all your connectivity needs. Head on past the break and we'll give you a quick tour.
Qualcomm's sounding off about powerline networking for 2012
Qualcomm's taking to the stage at CES to unveil a new chip designed to make power-line communications less of a last-resort for people in lead-lined houses. The Qualcomm Atheros QCA6410 is a single chip designed to make powerline gear much smaller and cheaper than current models. It's also taking the moment to throw weight behind the IEEE 1905.1 hybrid networking standard, which'll be supported in the Hy-Fi portfolio of networking CPUs that coordinates WiFi, Powerline, Ethernet and Multimedia over Coax connections to make sure you can tweet about your new t-shirt in every square inch of your home. PR's after the break, folks.
Belkin details Thunderbolt Express Dock at CES, shipping this Summer
We first caught a glimpse of Belkin's Thunderbolt Express Dock back at IDF. Here at CES, the company has offered more info on the high-speed peripheral -- including an expected Summer 2012 arrival window. The dock features all sorts of added connection potential: three USB 2.0, two Thunderbolt, one FireWire 800, one HDMI, an Ethernet and a 3.5mm audio jack. Lending a hand to your port-deprived MacBook Air or Ultrabook via Thunderbolt, the peripheral offers the expected bi-directional transfer rates up to 10Gbps while keeping with the Apple color scheme. Pricing details aren't expected until closer to the ship date, but for now, take a look at the design render and PR just past the break. Update: We've just been passed some official images for the Thunderbolt dock. Peep 'em in the gallery below.
QOOQ tablet gets a dual-core bilingual upgrade: We get our chef on (video)
Tablets need to specialize or die -- at least that's what the folks behind QOOQ are hoping. As an accompaniment to its cooking-centric tablet of yesteryear, it's announced a new upgraded tablet for 2012. With a dual-core processor clocked at 1GHz, the 10.1-inch tablet is now speaking several languages - and one of them's now English. While the tablet's still running on its own platform, there's still social network and streaming media access. There's a plethora of ports including USB and ethernet, with space for an SD card too. The QOOQ is set to arrive in the US in Q2 and is priced at an ambitious $400, with recipe updates delivered through a subscription system that costs extra.Roll up your sleeves, because our hands-on is right after the break.
Behind Amazon's Silk browser lurks a really fast supercomputer
We were hardly shocked to see Fujitsu atop the most recent list of the world's fastest supercomputers, but perhaps more surprising is the fact that Amazon cracked the top 50, as well. Turns out, the company's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) servers are powered by a Linux-based, 240-teraflop beast that boasts 17,024 cores, 66,000 GB of memory, and a ten gigabit Ethernet interconnect. That's good for 42nd place on Top 500's global rankings, and it's also good enough to power Silk, the browser you'll find on the Kindle Fire. But Amazon has a long way to go before catching up with the Fujitsu K, which recently cracked that vaunted ten petaflop barrier.
TP-Link Portable 3G Wireless N Router fits in your pocket, draws power from USB
Sure, we may be fast approaching the 12th year of the 21st century, but as you may have noticed, planet Earth has yet to be coated in a warm, fuzzy blanket of WiFi. And yes, we're just as befuddled as you. For now -- and for the foreseeable future as well -- we'll need to continue furnishing our own provisions for reliable wireless internet access, which is often no small feat. Fortunately, if you're able to find a USB 3G modem or Ethernet connection, TP-Link's new Portable 3G/3.75G Wireless N Router (TL-MR3020) can hook you up with WiFi for a mere $40. The tiny device is small enough to fit in your pocket, and offers a variety of power options, including a built-in plug and mini USB connector -- enabling you to use the device with an external battery pack, for example. A second USB port lets you hook up a UMTS/HSPA/EVDO USB 3G modem, which you can then dish out to other wireless gadgets. This pocketable WiFi wonder will be available on December 14th at Fry's, Micro Center, B&H and Data Vision, along with e-tailers like Newegg and Amazon. If an Ethernet-only model will suit your needs, the TL-WR700N is another option, shipping on November 23rd for $30. Jump past the break for the full rundown from TP-Link.
LaCie's LaPlug turns your USB HDD into a network storage device, for LaPrice of $75 (video)
LaCie has always taken an understated approach to its lineup of boxy network storage devices, and the LaPlug is no different. With this little guy sitting in your living room, you can wirelessly share and access data across your home network, while streaming USB drive-stored multimedia content to any UPnP/DLNA-certified devices, including the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or any compatible smartphones and tablets. With a quartet of USB 2.0 ports, along with gigabit ethernet and WiFi b/g/n capabilities, the LaPlug also allows you to back up your files in a centralized and remotely accessible location. You can grab one now for $75 at the source link below, or breeze past the break for more details in the full PR and accompanying video.
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.
IOGEAR USB Sharing Station connects to WiFi, cuts the cord on four of your devices
You're so over corded gadgets, but you can't justify replacing every device in the house with a pricier wireless version just because being leashed to a USB printer or external hard drive is a slight inconvenience. We get it, and it looks like IOGEAR does too. The peripheral company's Wireless 4-port USB Sharing Station makes any connected gadget WiFi-enabled, letting you wander far away from those desktop devices without dropping your connection. The compact hub includes one USB 2.0 port on the front and three on the rear, along with an Ethernet port and wireless antenna, and it's compatible with a variety of USB gadgets, including printers, hard drives, memory card readers, scanners, and webcams. Oh, but why would you want to wander far from your webcam, you ask? A remote webcam can be used as an instant, inexpensive home security system, providing access from anywhere within your wireless network. Sure, $100 may seem like a lot to spend on a wireless USB hub, but considering the cost of WiFi-enabling four individual devices, it's probably the way to go.
LaCie's CloudBox 'hybrid HDD' doubles your backups in the cloud (video)
Tempted by the allure of the cloud? Still not quite ready to give up that local backup at home? Fret not, as LaCie's new CloudBox gives you a pinch of both. The gizmo pictured above may look similar to the company's Wireless Space NAS, but it's actually a 100GB "hybrid HDD." The device connects to a router exclusively via its single Ethernet port, enabling it to handle local backups while also automatically mirroring an AES encrypted copy to a cloud server daily -- even if your computer is off. Using LaCie's Online Restore software, the offsite copy is accessible by up to ten previous volumes should the box ever become inoperable. The CloudBox comes with a one year subscription for online backups (mum's the word on future fees), and will be available in July priced at $200. You'll find more details in the PR past the break, as well as a video showcasing a variety of unfortunate -- mostly baby induced -- situations it's intended for. %Gallery-127028%
HomePlug and IEEE want our home networks to play nice, talk to each other
HomePlug hasn't exactly struck it big on the home networking scene but, with so many disparate options (none of which play very nice together) it's not hard to see why. The Powerline Alliance is throwing its support behind a new IEEE standard, P1905, that may ease our consumer pain and make the outlet connectivity tech a better fit for our dungeons living rooms. The goal is to create a layer that sits atop the various wired and wireless hookups that blanket our homes and let them easily share data. Bridging the gap between HomePlug, HomePlug AV, Ethernet, WiFi, and MoCA is an ambitious task to tackle, but we've got faith our gadgets can get along.
G-Technology's G-Connect offers 500GB of wireless storage, portable WiFi network to smartphone, tablet users
Hitachi's G-Technology unit has already showered us with a slew of external hard drives, but it's taking a slightly more hybridized approach with the G-Connect -- a device that offers both wireless storage and portable WiFi access to smartphone and tablet users. Designed with nomadic content-hoarders in mind, this little rascal boasts 500GB of mobile storage, can simultaneously support more than five different devices on its 802.11n wireless network, and, when connected via Ethernet, serves as a WiFi access point. It's also robust enough to stream up to five standard-definition movies at one time (or up to three HD flicks), and, at about 9.7 ounces, it won't add too much weight to your quiver of gadgets, either. If you're worried about security, you can surround the network with a password-protected fortress, or store some of your less mentionable content in your very own private folder. iOS users can further enhance their G-experience by downloading the accompanying app, which will allow them to view and access all of their G-stored documents and media from the comfort of their iDevices (an equivalent app for the Android crowd will launch this fall). If you're interested, you can pre-order the G-Connect from G-Technology's website for $200, or wait until it hits retailers next month. Full PR after the break. %Gallery-126886%
HDBaseT Alliance ready to certify hardware for its do-everything cable, first product revealed
If you've been waiting to get rid of your current cable clutter and rely on one connection to bring video, audio, power, data and control to your devices then your some time is now. the HDBaseT Alliance announced today it is releasing version 1.0 of the Certification Program along with its first test facility to put the approved stamp on compatible equipment. LG, Samsung and Sony pledged alliance with the spec last year, but the first out of the gate with a product using its (of course) Gefen, ready to extend HDMI cables over long distances with the boxes shown above. While that may be an initial killer app for the tech, we'll have to wait and see if it gets picked up elsewhere, and to find out how much cheaper running Cat5e/6 cables throughout our homes are than other options.
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?
Logitec's new wireless router is crazy-looking, crazy fast
The new Logitec (not Logitech) LAN-WH450N/GR offers four Gigabit Ethernet ports, 802.11a/b/g/n wireless networking that maxes out at a theoretical 450Mbps, and just about the wildest router design we've yet seen. Yes, it's justified by improved wireless throughput as a result of having three antennas sprouting out of the thin-bodied device, but who is Logitec trying to kid? It's a futuristic, desktop-straddling robocopter and everyone at that company knows it. Should you or the geek in your life be interested in obtaining one, the new routers are going on sale in Japan in mid-April for ¥19,000 ($230).
VisionTek Killer HD 5770 combo NIC / GPU hikes frame rates, lowers ping times for $200
Mama always said that one was never enough, and just five months after revealing its first NIC / GPU combo card to us at Computex, Bigfoot Networks has taken the wraps off of its second. This go 'round, the outfit is partnering with VisionTek to produce the VisionTek Killer HD 5770, a single PCIe card that combines an AMD Radeon HD 5770 GPU (with 1GB of GDDR5 memory) and a Killer E2100 networking card. All told, buyers are presented with two DVI ports, a single HDMI output and a gigabit Ethernet jack. The card is compatible with Windows 7, Vista and XP, and put simply, it's designed to both improve your frame rates (that's AMD's role) and lower your latency / jitter (hello, Bigfoot!). The NIC portion actually has a 400MHz onboard processor that helps minimize the impact of slight changes in your connection, and Bigfoot's management software will be thrown in for good measure. The board is expected to hit North American retail shops within a fortnight or so, with the $199.99 asking price representing a ~$10 savings compared to buying an HD 5770 GPU and Killer 2100 separately. Oh, and you get a pretty sick dragon, too. %Gallery-108536%
Killer 2100 network card sees $40 price drop, adoption by Alienware
For a computer peripherals startup, there's nothing quite like landing a contract with the big boys, and that's precisely what the whiz kids over at Bigfoot Networks have done. When we spoke with company executives back at Computex, we got the impression that they were pushing for OEM integration, and if you're going to aim, you may as well aim high. As of today, Dell's Alienware line can be configured with one of the well-regarded network cards pre-installed, and while you may find it impossible to believe that a NIC could lower your ping time, quite a few critics have been proven wrong. The card can be added to the Alienware Aurora, Aurora ALX, Area-51 and Area-51 ALX desktops, and if you've already got a tower you're pleased with, you'll probably enjoy the $40 price drop on standalone retail units. If you need your memory jogged, that makes the once-$129.99 card a far more tantalizing $89.99.
Dear Aunt TUAW: Will my MacBook Air Ethernet adapter work with my iPad?
Dear Aunt TUAW, Whoa, it's sure been hot here in Texas lately, so it's a good thing you're staying in air-conditioned comfort at the resort there in Florida. That reminds me of something I meant to ask you... Since I'm basically hanging out in my dorm room with its gigabit Ethernet connection to beat the heat, I'd love to figure out a way to hook that big pipe to my iPad. Remember the old MacBook Air that I got rid of? Well, I still have the USB Ethernet Adapter for it, and I was wondering if plugging that into the USB port on the iPad Camera Connection Kit would give me a way to use Ethernet on the iPad. I don't have a Camera Connection Kit, but if this works, I'll run out and buy one as soon as I get money from Mom & Dad. Stay cool, Your loving nephew, Chris
HDBaseT 1.0 finalized; LG, Samsung & Sony ally behind one do-everything cable
Valens Semiconductor has been pushing the benefits of an Ethernet-based cable standard that easily carries HD video, audio, power, data and control (5Play) signals all at once for a while, and with the HDBaseT Alliance officially incorporated, it's found powerful friends in LG, Samsung and Sony to fill out the Board of Directors. The HDBaseT 1.0 spec has also been finalized, so we can expect to see the first DVRs, Blu-ray players, or anything else that can be plugged in with compatible hardware to ship with the technology in the second half of this year. Check the press release after the break for more details, we'll be in the back putting ends on a few new cables.
Bigfoot Networks trounces ping times with Killer 2100 network card
We haven't been this worked up about a product since we realized that someone actually made a Hello Kitty warming blanket, and if we can convince our sound card to slide down a slot, we'll probably be kicking our integrated Ethernet port to the curb in favor of the Killer 2100. All jesting aside, Bigfoot Networks has returned after 14 months of silence in order to debut the "world's fastest online gaming card." According to the company, this here NIC is equipped with a dedicated network processor, Windows stack bypass, Visual Bandwidth Control and "other optimizations" designed to provide the most optimal online gaming experience ever. For those drinking the Kool-Aid, it'll be available for £86 ($127) in the coming weeks -- we'd caution you to wait for benchmarks first, though. Or just buy a faster internet connection.
