Tag Archives: wifi

Mercku M6 Mesh is an attractive, powerful Wi-Fi system @ CES 2021



Mercku M6 Mesh Wi-Fi systemWi-Fi is an essential part of our daily lives, made even more important with the global lockdowns. But, many home wireless networks are questionable, which can cause a lot of problems working from home or watching content on your phone, computer, or tablet. A strong, powerful Wi-Fi system running on the most modern publicly available standard, can help address this. The Mercku M6 Mesh is just such a system.

Mesh systems, like the Mercku M6 Mesh, allow you to use multiple access points around your home or office, which all identity as the same wireless network. This allows you to walk around your home while maintaining your Wi-Fi connection. This can be almost required for a two-story building, like our offices, where you lose almost all coverage when you change floors. But, by placing a second device, which connects to the first and acts as a repeater, you can keep your signal strength at peak performance.

The Mercku M6 Mesh also features Wi-Fi 6, which is the current standard coming into CES 2021. This standard provides the fastest speeds and strongest signal available. With a faster maximum bandwidth, it allows for better speeds even with degraded coverage (such as in outer corners). Wi-Fi 6 also allows the mesh to have the best possible connection between access points.

Another big focus for the product is appearance. Unlike Wi-Fi routers of the past, mesh routers are designed to be placed out in the open to maximize signal strength. As such, appearance is an important aspect of the product. Many mesh routers take a minimalistic approach, looking like boxes or air fresheners. The Mercku M6 Mesh, however, is designed to be seen and to be a point of aesthetic pride.

The Mercku M6 Mesh is coming soon and will have a suggested price of $349. To learn more about the product and to find out when it comes to market, check out the Mercku website.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Wi-Fi 6E and The Wi-Fi Alliance are making our lives faster @ CES 2021



Wi-Fi Alliance discusses Wi-Fi 6EOur lives are increasingly connected, and many of those connections are made via Wi-Fi. These days, while many of us are working from home, signal strength and speed have become even more important than before. Not because of this need, but in support of this need, the Wi-Fi Alliance has announced the next upgrade to the Wi-Fi standard: Wi-Fi 6E.

You may be unaware of the Wi-Fi Alliance, but they are an essential part of our lives. The organization is responsible for creating, maintaining, and advancing the standard that is Wi-Fi. They are the reason why it keeps getting faster and more reliable. They are also the reason why your HP laptop can connected to a Linksys router and have all of the benefits, without being manufactured by the same company.

The most recent version of the Wi-Fi standard was the renamed Wi-Fi 6. Like its Wi-Fi 5 (formerly 802.11ac) predecessor, the new standard runs on 5GHz spectrum. But, new spectrum has been opening up across the globe in the 6GHz bands, which gives additional speed and reliability. New spectrum means a new draft for what is being called Wi-Fi 6E. The updated standard will bring with it 14 additional 80 MHz channels and 7 additional 160 MHz channels. The additional of new channels means more opportunity to find channels without any local interference, improving stability.

Potentially even more important that all of this is the addition of capacity. Connected homes and smart homes mean more devices, all of which are looking for internet access via Wi-Fi. Fortunately, Wi-Fi 6E compatible devices will be coming to the market soon. As always, older Wi-Fi devices will still be able to connect to the newer routers, and newer devices will still be able to connect to older routers. To learn more about Wi-Fi 6E and the Wi-Fi Alliance, head over to their website.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central.

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Swidget is future-proofing your smart home devices @ CES 2021



Swidget modular smart homeThere is no doubt that smart home devices are becoming a normal part of most homes. Whether it be a daily driver type device, like a connected thermostat, or a less complex product, like a lightbulb, connected devices are everywhere. One of the big problems, however, is the interconnectivity, or lack thereof, between different brands and technologies. Fortunately, Swidget has a way to keep your products working with one another.

Swidget has taken the concept of smart devices and broken it into components. Take, for example, a connected light switch. Let’s say you purchase a set of 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi bulbs and get a light switch that controls them. When the bulbs need to be replaced, the brand no longer exists, so you buy new bulbs. Unfortunately, these bulbs work on Z-Wave. This means that your light switch no longer controls the bulbs, so you have to purchase a new switch, too.

With the Swidget technology, the communication method is separate from the device. That means that you can pop out the communication module for Wi-Fi and swap it to one for Z-Wave. Now you’re up and running again without having to do electrical work – it’s literally as easy as a snap.

In addition to just communication modules, Swidget allows you to add functionality. The modules can have USB ports, video cameras, thermometers, guide lights, and more. The idea, of course, is that your devices can carry forward with you as the technologies change. But, for those who like to be in full control of their devices, which is the target demographic for smart homeowners, you can truly decide exactly what features you want, and where you want them.

Swidget switches, outlets, and inserts are available now in Wi-Fi configuration, with Z-Wave modules coming soon. To learn more about the technology or find where to buy, check out the company’s website.

Interview by Christopher Jordan of The Talking Sound.

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Celestron Brings Smart Telescope Tech to CES



celestronA few years ago I was fortunate enoughto visit Kitt Peak in Arizona for an astronomy night. I looked up and saw the Milky Way properly for the first time; I was used to seeing a few bright stars with a few more during the cold winter. Nothing prepared me for millions of dots spread across the sky…the stars, like dust…  Jamie and Todd explore the cosmos with Bryan Cogdell from telescope manufacturer Celestron.

At the interview table is the Celestron NexStar Evolution, a portable computerised wifi-operated telescope with rechargeable battery. The telescope itself is a Schmidt-Cassegrain optical tube which can be controlled wirelessly from a tablet (or smartphone) using the Celestron SkyPortal app for both iOS and Android. It’s very easy to use; simply find the celestial body of interest in the app and then the telescope will orient itself to view the galaxy, star or planet of interest.

The NexStar Evolution is available now in three variants with 6″, 8″ and 9.25″ mirrors at around $1300, $1600 and $2200 respectively.

Interview by Jamie Davies of Health Tech Weekly and Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.

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Control your DSLR with Hyper’s iUSBportCamera



IUSB-CAM-2TRemotely control your digital SLR using Hyper’s iUSBportCamera. Whether you’re using a Canon or Nikon DSLR, the iUSBportCamera will turn your DSLR into a wireless digital SLR.

Essentially a router, the iUSBport Camera includes the battery, USB port, and some sophisticated software that allows you to communicate wirelessly with your DSLR camera. Simply plug it in your DSLR camera and because it is a router, it makes its own WiFi network. Take your tablet or smartphone, connect to the USBportCamera’s network, then open Hyper’s free app, which is available for both Android and iOS devices.

Once you  haveopened the app, you can see the screen with multiple options, one of which is being able to control the camera. At the touch of the screen on either your smartphone or tablet, you can adjust the autofocus, change the focus, move and adjust the HDR, adjust the white balance, set the ISO, switch from video to photo, and preview photos, among others. One of the greatest things about Hyper’s iUSBportCamera is that you can preview the photo or video that you are taking while you’re taking the shots.

Hyper’s iUSBportCamera can be used in most Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras. The iUSBportCamera is offers 5 MBps transfer rate and allows up to twelve devices that can connect to it at any given time. It also comes in two different models—iUSBportCamera and iUSBportCamera 2. The only difference is that iUSBportCamera 2 can be mounted however you want, but primarily vertically compared to its predecessor, which can only be mounted horizontally. In addition, iUSBportCamera 2 has two USB ports, whereas the iUSBport Camera only has one. Aside from being able to use it on a DLSR, you can simply connect any USB storage device to the iUSBportCamera 2, turning it into a wireless storage device. This way, you and up to twelve of your friends (or other devices) can share videos and images with each other from this WiFi network. You can even connect it to an existing network that will allows you to expand its range.

If you are a podcaster that is used to going back and forth just to check the focus of your DSLR camera when you’re about to do your podcast, the iUSBportCamera will save you time and energy. By just connecting it to your Android or iOS device, you can access it from your seat and change the settings whichever way you prefer without standing up.

At just $199.95, you can already own Hyper’s iUSBportCamera, while the Hyper’s iUSBportCamera 2 is available at $299. You can find these two great devices at Hyper’s website, as well as in as Amazon and specialty photo shops. Learn more information about its specifications and the complete list of the devices compatible with these two products and see how it can help make your media streaming easier and better!

Interview by Daniel J. Lewis from The Audacity to Podcast.

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ION has Gadgets for Many Types of People, Whether You’re Musical or Practical



ION Duo Deck Portable Turntable
ION Duo Deck Portable Turntable
ION introduced a bunch of products at the 2013 International CES. Some of the highlights include the DuoDeck, which is small and extremely portable turntable, where the vinyl record is larger than the device itself. This gadget is great for sampling, runs on batteries or USB power and needs no additional wires or drivers to work.

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Something else ION debuted at CES was AirCopy, a world’s first and something that makes you wonder why it wasn’t invented sooner. It’s a wireless scanner that generates its own Wi-Fi network so users can send any image over to their tablet or computer without needing to connect to an actual Internet network, or without having to load them into a computer, then sideload them to a mobile device. Call up the app from any device, slide the document in and off you go. It simply runs off a rechargeable battery that can charge via USB and gives you about four hours of use time in about half the time to charge and it works across almost every platform, iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

Video by Nicholas DiMeo of F5 Live.


Canon VIXIA: Six New Models With WiFi, iPhone Tethering



Canon Vixia
Canon Vixia

Video content creators, listen up. Canon has upgraded their VIXIA series to include some great new features. These cameras run high end – up to 24MB on AVCHD. They can also be switched to MP4 mode, so you don’t have to convert a video before uploading to YouTube.

Jeffrey Powers talks to Ben Thomas about the VIXIA R-32 and VIXIA HFM-52. These are two-of-six models upgraded to get you better images, and WiFi capability.

The WiFi can also be tethered to an iPhone (via app), so you can push content up on various hosting platforms.

The R-32 is the low end consumer model. They upgraded the stabilization to a four-mode system. You can turn on or off, and when you place on a tripod, it turns off automatically.

The higher end HFM-32 has a LUX rating of 1.2 and a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second. This is great for low-light situations.

Canon also makes a waterproof case for divers to go 100 meters below water.

The R series starts at $349. The HFM-52 costs between $549-$749

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine

Also check out – Canon – HD For All

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Armour Group PLC : Q2 Internet Radio



A novel unit out of the UK simplifies Internet Radio.

The Q2 Internet Radio has one of the most interesting interface systems for selecting station presets and adjusting volume that we saw at CES2012: Simply flip the cube. The listener can pre-select stations or podcasts in the control interface online , and choose from five color schemes. Price class $110

 

Interview by Andy McCaskey and Courtney Wallin of SDRNews for the TechPodcast Network.

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Wifi Compatible Sony Bloggie Live with Live Streaming from Qik



Sony Bloggie Live
Sony Bloggie Live

Monday, 9 am, Todd Cochrane and Jeffrey Powers head to Ceasar’s Palace and the Sony Lifestyle store to talk about the newest version of the Sony Bloggie – The Bloggie Live.

The Bloggie Live itself is an update of last years Bloggie Touch. With a big touchpanel and 1080p video (at 30fps), you can do video and stills on the camera with the 12 MP still image capture and 1080p /30 and 720p/60i. You can also do video and stills at the same time (but not while streaming).

“We keep the Bloggie very simple and easy to use,” says Amy. “The large red button remains, your power button and photo button are the other two. It is fully PC and Mac compatible.”

The fun comes in after you shoot. You can live stream into Qik (which needs to be set up ahead of time). People on Qik can send messages – you cannot respond, but you can see that information on the screen.

Play Memories Mobile Lets You Tether Your Bloggie

With a cellular signal, download the Play Memories Mobile (for iPhone or Android) and you can use your phone as a hot spot for your photos or video.

The Bloggie Live is available on January 10th for $249

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Pushbutton Password: Easy Set-Up Gigabit Router



The new Netgear WNDR4000 makes it easier for consumers to set up a Gigabit router, serving as the glue for the home network – connecting not just to computers, but to portable devices such as iPads, smartphones and other devices. Most consumers need high performance, but also need to have easy set-up. The unit comes with applications such as “Ready Share” remote, allowing you to access storage drives from anywhere in the world.

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