We've seen the?Xbox Wireless n adaptor on sale?in the UK, but now Microsoft has officially confirmed the launch of the Xbox 360 wireless n adapter in the US.?

Available on Amazon.com for $90, the new adapter promises faster connectivity over a wireless n network.

The?new?adapter?will?feature dual band 5 GHz tech and will be 2.4 GHz Wireless A/B/G home network compatible.

The device will be powered by the Xbox 360 to eliminate adapter clutter.

Read

Tags: Gaming Xbox 360 Microsoft Networking

Microsoft Xbox 360 wireless n adapter goes on sale in US originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:43:08 +0000

Sonos has hinted that it could make more dedicated all-in-one speaker systems for different situations in a "fire side chat" with Pocket-lint.

"It is possible", said Thomas Cullen, one of the co-founders of the company, when Pocket-lint asked him about the possibility of making a Soundbar for under the TV.

"Everything that is under the speaker is clutter", said Cullen pointing to a TV stand with the?Sonos ZonePlayer S5, and two Hi-Fi separates underneath echoing previous conversations with us.

"Or what about putting them in the ceiling?" Cullen questioned pointing to a speaker in the ceiling in the hotel suite we were in. "You could power it via Ethernet and let the mesh network do the rest".

That "mesh" network is at the core of how the system works with each ZonePlayer connecting to the system at the press of a button. Users can then get individual control over the system via a remote control that works on the same network.

"We are trying to simplify the process to two actions; your finger and your ear", says Cullen. "Your finger to control the music and your ear to listen".

The news comes off the back of the official launch of the company's new offering, the Sonos ZonePlayer S5, a 5-driver speaker system, including two tweeters, two mid-range drivers and a built-in single subwoofer.

Internet-connected, the system works in exactly the same way as the current Sonos system with control provided by a desktop application (in the box) although users can buy a dedicated controller or download the free iPod touch or iPhone app.

"The iPhone killed the speaker dock", states Cullen. "Here users don't have to lose the music if a phone call comes in."

The ZonePlayer S5 will cost ?349 in the UK and $399 in the US. Users will have to either cite the S5 next to their router or buy a ZoneBridge adapter that means they can then put their new speaker anywhere in the house.

Current Sonos system owners can connect the S5 to their system at the press of a button.?

?

Related links:

• link - Sonos

Tags: Audio Sonos Networking Sonos Zoneplayer S5

Sonos hints at more speakers beyond S5 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:05:12 +0100

Pure has announced that its new Siesta Flow will hit shop shelves in the UK in time for Christmas.

The company's first internet connected bedside radio, it boasts an alarm tone for every day of the year via Pure's online portal, including sleigh bells, a grandfather clock, a fog horn and police sirens.

The DAB and FM radio uses a Wi-Fi connection to access internet radio, podcasts, listen again content and can also stream music direct from a Wi-Fi enabled computers.

Siesta Flow gets the Pure "PowerPort" which provides power to any USB accessory as well as an auto-dimming display, touch sensitive controls, four quick-set alarms, sleep and snooze timers, 30 DAB/FM presets and an input for an iPod/MP3 player.

Pure's most affordable internet-connected radio to date, the Siesta Flow will cost ?99.99.

Tags: Audio Radios Pure Digital Pure Siesta Flow Alarm clocks Internet radios Networking Wi-Fi

Pure Siesta Flow will hit shops in time for Christmas originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:26:59 +0100

Your Wi-Fi-enabled gadgetry is about to get a whole lot more connected thanks to a new specification just announced by the Wi-Fi Alliance.

We say new, technically it was previously known as Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, however, it is now due with the shiny new moniker of "Wi-Fi Direct", in a device near you in mid-2010.

"Devices will soon be able to connect in a new way that makes it more simple and convenient than ever to do things like print, share and display", says the Alliance.

"The Wi-Fi Alliance is nearing completion of a new specification to enable Wi-Fi devices to connect to one another without joining a traditional home, office, or hotspot network".

Wi-Fi Direct, which will directly rival Bluetooth, as well as to a lesser extent MiFi solutions, can be implemented in any Wi-Fi device, from mobile phones, cameras, printers, and notebook computers, as well as the likes of keyboards and headphones.

Devices will be able to make a WPA-secure, one-to-one connection, or a group of several devices connect simultaneously - including older Wi-Fi certified gadgets.

Read

Related links:

• Link - Wi-Fi.org

Tags: Software Broadband Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Direct Online Networking Bluetooth Wi-Fi Alliance

Bluetooth-rivalling Wi-Fi Direct announced originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:18:33 +0100

Western Digital has announced the launch of the WD TV Live HD media player, a revamp of a previous product this time round with networking capabilities as well as support for Full HD 1080p resolution.

WD says the new drive makes it easy to play HD videos stored on USB and network drives, from PCs and Macs, as well as stream content from websites on big screen HDTVs.

Boasting a "more responsive" interface than the previous WD TV HD media player, the Ethernet- and Wi-Fi-enabled new player comes complete with remote control, boasts internet radio, two USB ports, one HDMI port and SPDIF digital output.

The WD TV Live Media Player is available now on the high street, online, and at www.shopwd.co.uk for ?119.99.

Tags: Hardware Storage Western Digital Networking NAS Home Cinema

WD TV Live HD media player launches originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:25:53 +0100

Sonos, the company that lets you to stream music around your house via a range of audio devices with the same name, has announced a new member of the family, the Sonos Zoneplayer S5.

The new model, which has a kitchen radio look and feel, will come with a built-in speaker, cost ?349 and fit into current Sonos networks at the press of button or alternatively be the starting point to the system.

Featuring a 5-driver speaker system, including two tweeters, two mid-range drivers and a built-in single subwoofer, Sonos is hoping that the considerably lower price point for the system will bring more people to the music system.

"Our customers tell us they listen to twice as much music after bringing Sonos into their homes", said John MacFarlane, CEO of Sonos. "The new S5 is our latest effort to simplify the Sonos experience so more people can enjoy more music than ever before".

Internet-connected, the system works in exactly the same way as the current Sonos system with control provided by a desktop application (in the box) although users can buy a dedicated controller or download the free iPod touch or iPhone app.

Like other Sonos Zoneplayers, users will be able to access up to 25,000 internet radio stations and music, connected to the system via a NAS drive or computer and via music streaming services like Last.fm and Napster.

The S5’s analogue audio input lets you connect to an external audio source (such as an iPod, CD player, TV, DVD, VCR, or radio) and play music or audio on all ZonePlayers in the system.

The S5 will be available in the UK for ?349 from 10 November and in the US slightly earlier at the end of October.

Tags: Audio Sonos Networking Sonos Zoneplayer S5

Sonos S5 brings all-in-one unit to Sonos music system party originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:00:00 +0100

Toshiba has unveiled the 55-inch Cell Regza 55X1 in Japan as its new flagship LCD television.

With high quality sound, a contrast ratio of 5,000,000:1, and brightness of 1250cdm2, the 240Hz TV boasts "ultra-high-speed processing and recording, enhanced navigation and seamless network interactivity".

The TV's Opera-powered browser also supports Full HD and can display HD YouTube videos while, thanks to Toshiba's Cell platform, the company boasts processing capability around 143 times that of standard Regzas as well as 512 distict LED backlit areas.

With a 3TB hard disk drive, two of those terabytes are dedicated to the telly's "time-shift machine", which can record up to 26 hours of programmes across 8 channels, so viewers can select to watch a show they've missed and search for content via key words.

The Cell Regza system is made up of a TV and a separate matching box that houses the tuner and the HDD. Both boast a "smoked aluminium finish", as does the remote.

The Cell Regza 55X1 will go on sale in the Japanese market from the beginning of December. We're unsure of pricing, but we're looking at thousands and thousands of pounds, for sure.

Tags: Home Cinema Toshiba Televisions LCD televisions Toshiba Cell Regza 55X1 Opera Networking

Toshiba Cell Regza 55X1, new flagship television unveiled originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:22:44 +0100

Not only do we have news of a new Asus product for you, but also a video of the new device as demonstrated by a charming Aussie nymph.

The new O!Play HDP-R1 is a networked, high-def capable media player and NAS storage device that can hook up to your television for video and music playback.

It offers an "ultra-fast eSATA interface", Ethernet, a music shuffle function and extensive file support.

Hit play now to see the device being unboxed and in action, while it's on sale now in the UK for around ?85.

Read

Tags: Hardware Asus Home Cinema NAS Networking Video Media streaming

VIDEO: Asus O!Play media player demoed originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:10:33 +0100

FlashForward, a television show just launched in the US from the creators of Lost and based on the book by Robert J Sawyer, has proved a surprise hit on filesharing websites.

At the time of writing, Mininova and the Pirate Bay are both displaying nearly 10,000 people sharing a full HD copy of the first episode, and another 20,000 downloading it. Even more people will have downloaded the file but aren't sharing it.

Both Mininova and the Pirate Bay share the OpenBitTorrent tracker, which was set up in the wake of the news of the sale of the Pirate Bay. It's a tracker that doesn't have an indexing site - it can be used by any BitTorrent website.

The show will be appearing on Five's freeview-only Fiver channel from 28 September - four days behind the US launch. However, the popularity of the series on filesharing sites will inevitably mean that the viewing figures will be impacted negatively. Five offers an on-demand TV service, but it's not clear yet whether the content will be offered free or paid-for.

In the meantime, if you want to get a taste of the show without resorting to a BitTorrent download, then we've embedded a trailer above.

Related links:

• News - OpenBitTorrent launches, aims at Pirate Bay refugees

Tags: Software Networking P2P Software BitTorrent OpenBitTorrent Pirate Bay FlashForward Mininova ABC Five

FlashForward proves a hit on BitTorrent originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:31:40 +0100