Recently Filed in Networking

You get it. Storing your music collection onto a hard drive is better than spinning discs on a traditional CD player. First off, you’ll be able to organize your library by genre, artist or alphabetically, making songs easy to locate. Besides that, you’ll be able to keep all your tunes on the hard drive of one machine, which means you can finally clean out the CD cases from the drawers of your entertainment cabinet.  It’s clear why you’d want to invest in a music server,… View this story
Digital Media Servers • Digital Media Stores • Web Services • Home Theater • Multiroom AV • Networking • Info and Answers

When it comes to customer service, it appears that Apple is king. “Consumer Reports” (via Macworld) says that Apple ranks number one when it comes to computer support. They scored an 80-percent success rate, which is high in the land of high-tech. The in-store Genius Bar got props as well, for delivering solutions 90 percent of the time. They also claim that Apple’s extended warranty is an exception to the rule, making it worth your hard-earned cash.  Out of a possible score of 100, the… View this story
Computers • Manufacturers • Networking • Product News

Home computers need to keep up with the pace these days. With the giant force gaming has become, you need a super slick PC to handle everything thrown at it. Gateway is addressing gamers by including in its new products a high-performance gaming PC, the FX7026, which it touts as offering performance and value. With an Intel Core 2 Quad processor Q9300, Nvidia 8800GT graphics, 4 GB of memory, 64-bit processor and a 640 GB hard drive, this Gateway offering should have no problem with… View this story
Computer Systems • Computers • Software • Networking • Product News

Tired of attaching photos and sending massive-size emails to your friends and family? Maybe you don’t want everyone searching on your Flickr page or having to go through slideshow after slideshow online? Maybe you don’t want to upload to YouTube anytime you want to share a video? Memeo wants some beta testers for its photo file-sharing service, which lets you do desktop-to-desktop media sharing. Memeo Share gives users the ability to automatically send pics, videos and other documents straight to PC desktops. You don’t have… View this story
Computer Systems • Computer Accessories • Software • Networking and Communication • Networking • Enhancements • Product News

One of the biggest ways we can be energy efficient in the future? Mesh networks using radio frequency technologies like ZigBee and Z-Wave to move information around the house wirelessly. If some electronics manufacturers have their way, these wireless networking technologies will help us better monitor our home’s energy use—and possibly the energy savings from alternative systems such as solar or wind power.  A hot topic at the recent European Home Control Summit in Frankfort, Germany was energy efficiency and how wireless networks can facilitate… View this story
Networking and Communication • Green Technology • Networking • Info and Answers

It’s not too hard to comprehend your monthly electric bill, once you’ve surveyed your home’s outlets. You’re using a lot of stuff! Try hooking the Cost Controller into one of those overloaded sockets. Gizmodo says you can plug in up to eight devices. From there, the unit’s large LCD will reveal the horror—how much energy you’re using, as well as the cost by the killowatt-hour. In case you want to get really geeky, it will give you reports by the hour, day, week, month, or… View this story
Surge Protectors • Green Technology • Networking • Product News

Instead of being content with that teeny sticker on your hard drive, AMD wants to snag more of the spotlight. The company just announced that it will launch a new PC platform. Although the products will be sold through the likes of Acer, Dell, HP, Fujitsu and Lenovo, they will be exclusively sold to business channels—so now would be a good time to start that inner-office paper-trail about your how bad your computer is. Dubbed ”Business Class,” the new units will include the triple-core AMD… View this story
Computers • Networking • Product News

Good or bad, the 1980s are making a comeback with pop icons like the Rubik’s Cube and Transformers. We can’t say the same, thankfully, about boxy TVs, enormous “hi-fi” consoles and brick-size mobile telephones. This decade is all about sleek. The latest trendsetter is Apple’s push buttonless iPhone, which hit store shelves in June of 2007. Reviews have been positive, with the chief complaint being slow Internet service. Internet on a phone is still a marvel. Especially on a device that also lets you store… View this story
Cell Phones • Networking • Info and Answers

Now you no longer need to be tethered to the computer to express your feelings via emoticon. VTech’s latest DECT cordless phone is the IS6110, and it’s packing the ability to instant message from anywhere in the house. While IM is nothing new for VTech and its band of gab geeks, the design certainly lends a hand to the instant message feature. “With instant messaging becoming part of the fabric of everyday communication – particularly for young adults – we sought to deliver a product… View this story
Telephones • WiFi • Gadgets • Networking • Product News

Back in the aftermath of the Consumer Electronics Show, when visions of new concepts and other gadgets were still dancing in people’s heads, we heard about a new product from Hauppauge—the HD-PVR. There was interest, but unfortunately not much info to appease the eager “Electronic House” reader (or the staff!). Rumored pricing for the box is about $250, which will allow you to hook this USB-enabled device into any cable or satellite box to record high-def content in the H.264 AVC format. Then you can… View this story
Blu-ray • Digital Recorders • DVD Recorders • Computer Accessories • Home Theater • Networking • Product News

Only one week after Comcast was talking with BitTorrent to change its webby ways, the ISP has announced super-fast speeds starting at 50Mbps. Comcast says that the new service will allow customers to download a 4GB high-def movie in about 10 minutes. Don’t get too excited; Reuters says that kind of web power will cost you—$150 a month.  Using fiber-optic cable networks, DOCSIS 3.0 (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications) technology promises up to 50Mbps on downloads and 5Mbps on uploads. Comcast says it plans… View this story
Cable • Internet • Networking • Product News

Is that a TV tuner in your pocket—because we’d be very happy to see you. After months of waiting, AVerMedia has finally announced the availability of its AVerTV Hybrid Volar MAX. It’s a big name for a small product with massive features. Combining NTSC, ATSC and QAM capabilities, the USB TV tuner promises high-def (720p/1080I), analog TV and FM radio for any XP or Vista user. Aside from watching your beloved TV shows from any computer, the device also comes with AVer MediaCenter, which allows… View this story
Digital Recorders • Computer Accessories • Gadgets • Networking • Product News