Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Switched On: Connected Electronics Show]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/22/switched-on-CES-connected-electronics-show/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/22/switched-on-CES-connected-electronics-show/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/22/switched-on-CES-connected-electronics-show/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

Compared to CES 2011, which featured an explosion of tablets and high-powered smartphones poised to jump on emerging 4G networks, this year's edition of Gear and Gloating in Las Vegas was a more muted affair when it came to mobile devices. Sure, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile trotted out a few devices and there were even a few standouts, such as the Transformer Primesque Lenovo IdeaTab S2 with its its docking keyboard as well as the heavily promoted Galaxy Note, coming soon the U.S. after launching in Europe.

Continue reading Switched On: Connected Electronics Show

Switched On: Connected Electronics Show originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4gAppleBoxeeces 2012Ces2012CetoncolumnDishDVREyefiG.hnGalaxy NoteGalaxyNoteGoFLex SatelliteGoflexSatelliteHomeGridHomePlugIdeaTab S2IdeatabS2LTEOLED TVOledTvRokuSimplet.TVsmartphonesswitched onSwitchedOntabletsTaggVoxxSun, 22 Jan 2012 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Motorola joins HomeGrid Forum, gets on board with G.hn powerline networking]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/09/motorola-joins-homegrid-forum-gets-on-board-with-g-hn-powerline/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/09/motorola-joins-homegrid-forum-gets-on-board-with-g-hn-powerline/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/09/motorola-joins-homegrid-forum-gets-on-board-with-g-hn-powerline/#commentsSure, we'd all like to have our home's wired with cat 5 cable, but that's not an option for most of us. Good thing there's powerline networking, and the HomeGrid Forum's G.hn powerline home networking standard just got another big name on board by adding Motorola to its list of supporters. With Moto in the fold, it's looking like IEEE's competing standard, P1905, has some catching up to do if it wants to win the hearts and minds of powerline aficionados everywhere. Get all the G.hn good news in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Motorola joins HomeGrid Forum, gets on board with G.hn powerline networking

Motorola joins HomeGrid Forum, gets on board with G.hn powerline networking originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>g.hnhome networkinghomegrid forumHomegridForumHomeNetworkingpowerlinepowerline networkingPowerlineNetworkingMon, 09 Jan 2012 11:22:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: No new wires, one new caveat]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/25/switched-on-no-new-wires-one-new-caveat/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/25/switched-on-no-new-wires-one-new-caveat/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/25/switched-on-no-new-wires-one-new-caveat/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

In the decade that WiFi has blanketed home networks across the United States, several technologies aimed at using existing wiring in the home have met with limited success. These have included MoCA (Multimedia over Coax, which has been adopted by some service providers for implementing multi-room DVRs) and HomePNA (originally for phone lines but later expanded to coax cable as well). At least three dueling standards have also sought to bring high-speed connectivity over electrical wiring. HomePlug, the most successful of these, has had several iterations. The latest - HomePlug AV - is rated at a theoretical throughput of 200 Mbits/sec. However, power line technologies have been held back by high prices and occasional interoperability problems.

But a new approach seeks to be the one protocol to rule them all, operating over phone lines, power lines or coax. Dubbed G.hn, the ITU standard promises up to 1Gbps theoretical throughput, with real-world usage over electrical lines expected to reach between 250Mbps and 400Mbps. If that sounds appealing to you, you're not alone. Service providers like the idea of G.hn since it allows them more flexibility than previous efforts. In fact, they like it so much that -- despite G.hn's capacity -- they have insisted on quality of service standards that could limit or prevent consumers from installing it themselves after they buy adapters from retailers.

Continue reading Switched On: No new wires, one new caveat

Switched On: No new wires, one new caveat originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Sep 2011 20:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>columnG.hnghnhdpostcrossHomePlugHomePlug AVHomeplugAvHomePNAituMoCAnetworkingpowerlinepowerline networkingPowerlineNetworkingprotocolstandardstreamstreamingswitched onSwitchedOnwireless streamingWirelessStreamingSun, 25 Sep 2011 20:14:00 EST<![CDATA[HomePlug fires back with powerline IEEE P1901 Draft Standard adoption]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/29/homeplug-fires-back-with-powerline-ieee-p1901-draft-standard-ado/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/29/homeplug-fires-back-with-powerline-ieee-p1901-draft-standard-ado/http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/29/homeplug-fires-back-with-powerline-ieee-p1901-draft-standard-ado/#commentsHomePlug Power Alliance logoHighly variable real-world performance aside, the lack of a well-defined standard for powerline networking isn't helping the technology take off; but sticking consumers between the warring G.hn and HomePlug AV factions doesn't help anybody. In the latest round of the fight, the IEEE P1901 reached Draft Standard acceptance, and -- wouldn't you know it -- the onus of coming up with compliance and interoperability testing for products will fall upon the HomePlug Powerline Alliance. Just to raise the stakes, the Draft Standard is aiming for backward compatibility with existing devices. Sounds like herding cats to us, but with finalization of the Standard slated for 2010, it looks like things are going to heat up in the coming months.

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HomePlug fires back with powerline IEEE P1901 Draft Standard adoption originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>draft standardDraftStandardg.hnhdhome networkingHomeNetworkinghomeplughomeplug alliancehomeplug powerline allianceHomeplugAllianceHomeplugPowerlineAllianceieeeieee 1901ieee p1901Ieee1901IeeeP1901other hardwareotherhardwarep1901powerlineWed, 29 Jul 2009 17:19:00 EST<![CDATA[UPA and HomeGrid Forum agree to support G.hn networking standard]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/01/upa-and-homegrid-forum-agree-to-support-g-hn-networking-standard/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/01/upa-and-homegrid-forum-agree-to-support-g-hn-networking-standard/http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/01/upa-and-homegrid-forum-agree-to-support-g-hn-networking-standard/#commentsWhile wireless HD / HDMI attempts to find itself a place in the market, G.hn is racking up its fair share of support from those who still get along with wires. Universal Powerline Association and the HomeGrid Forum have just announced an agreement to support the G.hn wireline networking standard. If you'll recall, G.hn was just recently ratified by the ITU as a new global standard for HDTV home networking, and while it's tough to tell how it'll react to HomePlug AV vying for those same customers, we can already see a battle shaping up. Still, a universal format for transmitting 1080p content around the home is certainly something that's easy to dig -- it's getting everyone on a single caboose that's difficult. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading UPA and HomeGrid Forum agree to support G.hn networking standard

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UPA and HomeGrid Forum agree to support G.hn networking standard originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Mar 2009 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>g.hnhdhome networkinghomegridHomeNetworkingnetworkingotherspowerlinestandardUniversal Powerline AssociationUniversalPowerlineAssociationUPAwirelineSun, 01 Mar 2009 10:16:00 EST<![CDATA[DS2 already concoting a G.hn-compatible chipset]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/19/ds2-already-concoting-a-g-hn-compatible-chipset/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/19/ds2-already-concoting-a-g-hn-compatible-chipset/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/19/ds2-already-concoting-a-g-hn-compatible-chipset/#commentsMan, these guys are really on top of things. Just days after the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) ratified the G.hn home networking standard, DS2 has emerged to announce that it is already working to introduce a G.hn-compatible chipset as early as next year. When brought to market, the DSS9960 chipset will enable manufacturers to jump in and attempt to revive the obviously flagging powerline niche. Will interoperability be what finally turns this segment into a viable business model? We'll wait 'til the wireless HD fiasco gets sorted before attempting to answer that.

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DS2 already concoting a G.hn-compatible chipset originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DS2DSS9960G.hnglobalglobal standardGlobalStandardhdhome networkingHomeNetworkingITUpowerlineukFri, 19 Dec 2008 16:07:00 EST<![CDATA[ITU ratifies G.hn as new global standard for HDTV home networking]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/14/itu-ratifies-g-hn-as-new-global-standard-for-hdtv-home-networkin/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/14/itu-ratifies-g-hn-as-new-global-standard-for-hdtv-home-networkin/http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/14/itu-ratifies-g-hn-as-new-global-standard-for-hdtv-home-networkin/#commentsCopperGate knew this day was coming when it snapped up HomePlug AV's powerline business, and now the ink has finally dried on a new global standard for HDTV home networking. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has ratified a standard that will be published under the G.hn banner and will serve to deliver "high quality multimedia over power, coaxial, phone and other home network wiring." Reportedly, the protocol will also bring "up to 20 times the throughout of existing wireless technologies and three times that of existing wired technologies." Moving forward, it's expected that the specifications will be used by chip manufacturers to "build transceivers that can be incorporated into set-top boxes, residential gateways, home computers, home audio systems, DVD players, TVs or any other device that may be connected to the network." Sounds good -- now let's get some gear to take advantage. CES, maybe? It's a date.

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ITU ratifies G.hn as new global standard for HDTV home networking originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 14 Dec 2008 12:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>g.hnglobalglobal standardGlobalStandardhdhome networkingHomeNetworkingITUother formatsotherformatspowerlineukSun, 14 Dec 2008 12:36:00 EST<![CDATA[CopperGate buys HomePlug AV Powerline business]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/11/coppergate-buys-homeplug-av-powerline-business/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/11/coppergate-buys-homeplug-av-powerline-business/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/11/coppergate-buys-homeplug-av-powerline-business/#commentsLet's face it -- HomePlug AV has had a pretty rough go of it, and while we wouldn't consider the technology dead just yet, we can't imagine it ever rising to prominence at this point. Our negativity isn't stopping one CopperGate Communications from following its heart, however, as it just announced this week that it would be taking the business off of Conexant Systems' hands. The pickup makes CopperGate the "the first semiconductor company with home networking technologies supporting all three wire types (coax, phone and power lines)." The deal gives the new owner "all relevant power line technology and silicon products, related patents, appropriate licenses, and requisite personnel," which sounds to us like everything including the kitchen sink. Of course, there's no way of knowing what kind of impact the acquisition will have, but CopperGate's hoping that it will "better prepare the company for the new ITU home networking standard, G.hn." Check out the read link for more details.

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CopperGate buys HomePlug AV Powerline business originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 May 2008 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Conexant SystemsConexantSystemsCopperGateG.hnhdhome networkingHomeNetworkingHomePlugHomePlug AVHomeplugAvitunetworkingpowerlineSun, 11 May 2008 11:07:00 EST