Archive for the “Networking” Category
Posted by: in Networking
Filed under: Wireless, Networking
If you thought Verizon was taking its sweet time rolling out FiOS to your neighborhood, envision how long it would take to connect the entire continent of Africa. Verizon wouldn’t bother trying, but satellite company O3b, in partnership with Google, is doing just that. The pair plan to bathe that continent (and others) with soothing Internet waves via 16 medium-earth orbit (MEO) units. Latency is stated to be only 120 milliseconds, with maximum download speeds at 1.25Gbps. That’s seriously fast, about the same as Japan’s Kizuna (set to cover disconnected Asian regions), but before you cancel your 1.5Mbps WildBlue account and go on a bandwidth safari know that these new orbital hotspots are destined to act as backbones for use by smaller ISPs. They’ll in turn provide wireless access direct to customers over 3G or WiMax, throttling things appropriately.
[Via ZDNet Government]
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Posted by: in Networking
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Networking
 We were all excited to stream Genius-generated playlists from iTunes 8 to our Airport Express last night when — poof — “-3256 Unknown Error Occurred.” This cryptic error, along with another under the equally descriptive name “-15000,” has been keeping iTunes 8 upgraders from using their Airtunes on remote speakers. Turns out the issue is one of Firewalls and Firmware. The solutions come from users at Apple’s discussion boards. Basically, you need to either turn off your Firewall and / or allow iTunes to accept incoming requests or update your Airport Express to the latest (7.3.2 as of this post) firmware version via AirPort Utility 6.3. Meanwhile, Windows-based iPod touch users are seeing Blue Screens of Death when plugging in their players due to some other undocumented problem. The solution there looks to be a reboot with the touch plugged in to force the system to recognize the device, run a sync, and turn off pic syncing (not the most elegant solution, clearly). Let’s hope Apple at least updates this with something more descriptive than “-3256″ in the future. Customer service reps at Apple say they’re aware of the problems and are working on a fix.
Read - iTunes 8 & Airtunes/Airport Express
Read - blue screen comes up when plugging in ipod
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
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Posted by: in Networking
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Storage, Networking
The idea of floating data centers is hardly a new one, but Google looks like it might be set to take things a large step further than most, at least if one of its current patent applications is any indication. Apparently, Google not only plans to take advantage of the sea water for a cooling system, but generate power for the floating platforms using so-called Pelamis Wave Energy Converters as well (you can see it doing its thing in the video after the break). According to the patent application, that would grant the data centers to be moved closer to users to cut down on cross-country latency, and also make them ideally suited to more transient needs for computing power, such as after a natural disaster or when a military presence is needed. Of course, there’s no evidence that Google has moved much beyond the sketch above just yet, but we certainly wouldn’t put it past ‘em to all of a sudden deploy a fleet of data centers when we least expect it.
[Via The Earth Times, thanks Bob] Continue reading Google patent application reveals plans for floating data centers
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Posted by: in Networking
Filed under: Desktops, Networking
 As we’ve seen, Microsoft’s job postings can often be one of the best places to get early word of potential new products, and it looks like the company’s recruiters have done it again, with a new ad offering a glimpse of what might be in store for the next version of Windows Home Server. Most interestingly, the posting includes the little tidbit that Microsoft is looking for someone to help it create a “Time Machine compete UI for backup and restore,” as well as a Windows Media Center integration UI, and a Live Mesh integration UI. According to Microsoft, that’ll help it position Home Server as “THE backup and Media Server within the home” by the time this next release rolls around which, taking into account that they’re still looking for people to help build it, likely won’t be anytime soon.
[Via istartedsomething, thanks Anand]
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Posted by: in Networking
Filed under: Gaming, Wireless, Networking
Nintendo just announced a 5,800 Yen (about $54 US) WiFi router, built to take that pesky wired Ethernet internet and blast it across your home in a palatable WiFi fashion for use by your Wii or DS. Just like every other router ever. Only this one is cheap, adorable and built by Nintendo, so watch out Linksys / Netgear / everybody. The “Nintendo WiFi Network Adapter,” meant to supplement 2005’s WiFi USB Connector, looks to be Japan-only at the moment, and is due for a September 18th release.
[Thanks, Sanimir]
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Posted by: in Networking
Filed under: Networking
We knew the US military was looking to hook up space with a WLAN router, and lo and behold, WiFi has finally launched well above the stratosphere. According to a status log from the International Space Station over the weekend, the Joint Station LAN network was transitioned to “new Netgear wireless APs, which provide the ISS with WiFi connectivity.” The official report details the crew using it for very official and politically correct things (you know, testing and whatnot), but we’re pretty darn sure a deathmatch or two went down as well. Or maybe those guys we saw yesterday just had some sort of gravity hack going on…
[Via Slashdot, image courtesy of LowPings]
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Posted by: in Networking
Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Networking
Sony’s got a smorgasbord of new kit comin’ atcha from the heart of Denver, so we’ll get things started with two new ES-series receivers. Just when you thought you’d seen the last of Sony’s 2008 ES lineup, along comes two more making their US debut. Both the STR-DA6400ES and STR-DA5400ES offer up second room high-def video / audio distribution via CAT5e wiring, meaning that you can zip along HD content over your existing home network. Additionally, the former unit packs two CAT5e inputs and is DLNA-compliant. Wondering what that means for you? It means that Sony now has an AVR that can stream music, pics and video from a DLNA-compliant PC while accessing on the web music content from Rhapsody and Shoutcast sans a Personal computer. Beyond that, there’s the Faroudja DCDi Cinema chips, support for x.v.Color / Deep Color, Direct Stream Digital decoding, BRAVIA Sync and a 120-watt x 7 internal amplifier in each device. Catch the full release after the jump, and catch whichever unit suits your fancy within the next month for $2,500 / $2,000.
Continue reading Sony’s STR-DA6400ES and STR-DA5400ES receivers do HD streaming over CAT5e
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Posted by: in Networking
Filed under: Wireless, Networking
Maybe we suck at WiFi, maybe the internet hates us, but for whatever reason we’ve always found our wireless home internet connection to be one of the most consistently unreliable aspects of our digital life. Luxul hopes to help with that with its new Pro-WAV 100, a ceiling-mounted signal booster that works with your existing router to extend coverage by a promised 400% or more. The device can apparently cover an area up to 10,000 square feet, using “patented WiFi signal boosting technology” and some “advanced circular polarity signal capability” called Clear-WAV. We’re pretty sure they made that second one up in the press release just to sound fancy, and there’s no word on price or availability, but we’re intrigued.
[Via eHomeUpgrade]
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Posted by: in Networking
Filed under: Wireless, Networking
D-Link’s been sipping power of late with its newish DWA-643 and DWA-556 desktop “Green Ethernet” switches, and now it’s shipping those power savings upstream to its DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit router and DIR-855 dual channel routers with freely downloadable firmware updates. We’d scoff, but that’s a power savings of 32 percent and 41 percent, respectively. It might only shave a few cents off those electric bills, but hey, you can always melt that copper down to make arrows for the coming apocalypse.
[Via TrustedReviews]
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Posted by: in Networking
Filed under: Networking
 Rumor has it that a big quantity of genetically-superior human beings are amassing in Beijing at the moment and attempting to squeeze into spandex-like outfits for your entertainment. Those interested in watching such tight-outfitted goings on are going to find themselves faced with even tighter world wide web restrictions when they get back to their hotel room or local internet cafe, thanks to that handy dandy Great Firewall of China. Lucky for them, the Chaos Personal Club has prepped a solution called the “Freedom Stick” which when plugged into a personal redirects its world wide web traffic over The Onion Router, a worldwide network of anonymous computers designed to hide your steps. Naturally, you can just download the software yourself, but the $30 USB dongle could come in handy if you’re not on your own Computer, or just want to leave behind material evidence of your indiscretion. The Freedom Stick will only be available through the duration of the Olympics, so get one while you can.
[Via Wired]
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