Amazon.com have the HP ProLiant MicroServer N40L for just $199.99 plus shipping.
I love the MicroServer – you can put anything on it you like, including Windows Home Server!
Thanks to Dieharder for the heads-up!
Apple’s 12 Days of Christmas : Day 12 – Foo Fighters 12 Days of Christmas
Apple’s annual 12 Days of Christmas continues, and for Day 12 it’s the Foo Fighters 12 Days of Christmas single.
![IMG_1194_thumb_thumb_thumb_thumb_thu[2]](https://i0.wp.com/moviesgamesandtech.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_1194_thumb_thumb_thumb_thumb_thu21.jpg?ssl=1 "IMG_1194_thumb_thumb_thumb_thumb_thu[2]")
You and your friends can download a fantastic selection of songs, music videos, apps and books for free. Each download will only be available for 24 hours. Get our special 12 Days of Christmas app to make it even easier to access your gifts while you’re on the go. Don’t have an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch? Don’t worry. Come back 26 December to download gifts from your computer.
You need to download the app and then each day for 12 days there will be something free.
Day 12 – Foo Fighters 12 Days of Christmas Single
And that’s it for another year!
QNAP TurboNAS 3.6.0 Beta Available
QNAP released a beta for TurboNAS 3.6.0 on December 22nd. Read on for details.
QNAP recently released a beta version of their TurboNASs firmware, now at 3.6.0 beta. I missed this while on vacation; sorry to be a bit late reporting it!
Here are the release log details:
[What’s New]
– VPN Service (with OpenVPN and PPTP services)
– LDAP Server
– Photo Station
– Music Station (with web streaming and USB speaker support for local playback)
– QPKG Center (with revamped UI for easy online installation)
– MyCloudNAS 1.2 (with Email invitation and password reset functions)
– Enhanced Web File Manager (with public file sharing link feature and advanced upload function for over 2GB file
– Experimental Windows ACL (with Windows native user permission settings)
– Windows Utility: NetBak Replicator 4 with Email notification
– Windows Utility: QNAP Finder with iSCSI /Samba Plug & Play for easy connection
– Windows Utility: MyCloudNAS Connect for quick remote VPN connection
– (QPKG) Squid proxy server 3.1.16
– Add Multimedia Station, Photo Station, Music Station, Download Station, UPnP Media Server, and iTunes Server for TS-x79 series
[Enhancements]
– Added RTRR & Rsync bandwidth control
– Updated the built-in UPnP TwonkyServer to 6.0.38
– Added Surveillance Station camera support for the following new IP cameras: AXIS 241S, VIVOTEK IP8330, PZ7151/ 7152, Brickcom CB-100Ae, CB-100Ap, CB-102Ap, FB-100Ae, FB-100Ap, FD-100Ap, FD-130Ap, OB-100Ap, VD-130Ae, VD-100Ap, VD-130Ap, WCB-100AP, WFB-100Ae, WFB-100Ap
[Bug Fixes]
– HDD standby mode will be interruptted daily by UPnP router port forwarding service.
That looks to be a pretty comprehensive update; if you have an eligible unit and want to try out the beta, go ahead and download it! The button below will take you to the download site where you can get the package for your unit.
TurboNAS 3.6.0 Beta AnnouncementCorning to Show Gorilla Glass 2 at CES
Corning announced that they would show the newest version of Gorilla Glass at CES. Read on for details.
Gorilla Glass is used in many mobile devices, such as Andrew’s iPhone4 and my Moto Droid 2, to protect the screen. Any improvements to that glass is good news to buyers of mobile devices. Here is what Corning had to say:
Corning to Showcase Glass Innovation for
Consumer Electronics Design at CES 2012New Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2 to be introduced
CORNING, N.Y., January 05, 2012 – Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) today announced its plans for the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next week. The Corning booth, #12642 Central Hall, will showcase the critical role of highly engineered specialty glass in addressing emerging trends highlighted at CES 2012, including: increased functionality from smaller form factors; touch technology; connected devices in new application spaces; and sleek, durable large-format design aesthetics.
A key feature of Corning’s CES exposure will be the introduction of Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2, the next generation of the popular, damage-resistant cover glass for consumer electronic devices.
“Corning Gorilla Glass has been a tremendous success for Corning, enjoying excellent market acceptance across mobile device industries. Handset and tablet device manufacturers are clearly driving toward higher functionality from thinner designs. Corning’s latest innovation in Gorilla Glass technology is very well positioned to meet these challenges and enable broader touch technology penetration,” said James R. Steiner, senior vice president and general manager, Corning Specialty Materials. Product details will be included in an announcement planned for Monday, Jan. 9.
CES attendees can engage with Corning experts and technologies featuring the latest applications and benefits of Corning Gorilla Glass innovations. “As we did last year, we’ll provide consumers and customers visiting the Corning booth the opportunity to test first-hand the outstanding damage resistance and flexibility of this industry-leading, ultra-thin, and tough specialty glass,” Steiner added.
Corning Gorilla Glass, the technology that made Corning one of the most talked-about companies at CES 2011, is currently featured on more than 30 major brands and designed into more than 575 product models, spanning more than 500 million units worldwide.
The Corning booth will also explore the benefits of Corning Gorilla Glass in larger format, touch displays for education, entertainment, auto, and home appliance applications featuring new design possibilities. These include:
An 82-inch advanced multi-touch LCD display prototype featuring Corning Gorilla Glass as a durable, touch-sensitive, and elegant cover glass.
Touch-enabled automobile interior and home appliance center simulators demonstrating the enhanced user interface experience that thin, durable glass can enable in new design applications.
A centerpiece, Gorilla Glass-covered video wall, flanked by Gorilla Glass fabricated sound speakers, projecting the latest in Corning specialty glass technology news.Additionally, Dr. Peter Bocko, Corning’s chief technology officer for Corning Glass Technologies and one of the foremost glass experts in the display industry, will be a panelist in the “Beyond the Flat Screen” session on Thursday, Jan. 12, 1:30 p.m. PST. He will discuss the latest advances in screen resolution, viewing angle, sunlight performance, and power consumption in an effort to isolate new products and opportunities.
About Corning Incorporated
Corning Incorporated (www.corning.com) is the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics. Drawing on more than 160 years of materials science and process engineering knowledge, Corning creates and makes keystone components that enable high-technology systems for consumer electronics, mobile emissions control, telecommunications and life sciences. Our products include glass substrates for LCD televisions, computer monitors and laptops; ceramic substrates and filters for mobile emission control systems; optical fiber, cable, hardware & equipment for telecommunications networks; optical biosensors for drug discovery; and other advanced optics and specialty glass solutions for a number of industries including semiconductor, aerospace, defense, astronomy, and metrology.
If you are planning on being in Vegas for CES, like Andrew is, make plans to stop by their booth and check this out!
Corning News ReleaseKindle WiFi 6″ E Ink Display In-Depth User Review
Back in March 2011, we reviewed the old Kindle WiFi, and gave it a big thumbs up. Back at the end of 2011, Amazon launched a new version of the Kindle WiFi, and I bought one. Consequently, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill press review – I’ve been using the “Kindle WiFi, 6″ E Ink Display” heavily for a couple of months now and am going to give you my impressions as a user. Amazon aren’t giving their various Kindle generations catchy titles, so to be clear, I’m talking about the WiFi-only version without a physical keyboard, launched in late 2011. Concurrently with this one, Amazon also have the Kindle Keyboard 3G, which I’m not reviewing here, although I will be making some comparisons of the pros and cons of having 3G or not, and having a keyboard or not.
I’ve always been a sporadic reader. When I start reading a book, I usually read it very quickly, reading for hours at a time, but then it’s usually several months before I pick up another. I do think that’s been largely because I rarely make time to go to bookshops to browse, and so would only read books I specifically sought out. My Kindle has changed that completely. I’m now a complete bookworm (or should that be kindleworm?). There’s something about it that has reawakened the thrill I remember having as a young teenager when I first started to read novels. I remember sitting in my English classroom after school reading Carrie’s War and Tales of Earthsea until I was turfed out by the caretaker. With my new Kindle in my hands, I experienced the same thrill again. Millions of books to choose from, right there waiting, and a vast number completely free.
Free books
There are so many free books because of the way copyright works. Copyright on a work lasts until a set number of years after the author’s death, after which time the content of the work is considered public knowledge; open-source, if you like. In the UK, publishers can charge for printing costs, cover designs and so on, but not for the content. This is why classics are so cheap in print now (in the UK at least), and free to download. You’ve never read Treasure Island, Pride and Prejudice or a Tale of Two Cities? Now you can for free.
My Initial Experience
My Kindle arrived on a Friday, and I read all weekend, barely stopping to sleep. The box is slim enough to fit through a letterbox (mail slot), so there’s no need to be at home for your delivery. For the first couple of weeks, I flitted from book to book, having several on the go at once. I read A.A.Milne’s Winnie the Pooh, Captain Cook’s journals, and Steven Fry’s The Fry Chronicles. I’ve since read Steve Jobs’ biography, and several books giving accounts of special forces operations, including the excellent SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper.
My main first thoughts about the Kindle were about the screen and the (lack of) weight. The “E Ink” display is, quite frankly, magical. It reminds me of Arthur C. Clarke’s statement that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Amazon have somehow made it look like a printed page of printer’s ink on paper has been trapped under the screen. It even has the texture of paper if you hold it at an angle to the light, and I swear they’ve made it so it looks like you can just see the text of the next page showing through slightly as with a real book. My octogenarian grandmother genuinely asked me how you get the paper into the Kindle. The advanced technology didn’t phase her though, as she successfully used it to read the Queen’s Christmas Address on Christmas Day. She doesn’t understand WiFi or the internet, but she could turn the pages and enjoy reading on it just the same. Accessibility is a big bonus with the Kindles as any book can be made into a large print edition just by changing the text size. It’s important to realise that the screens on Kindles aren’t backlit. Just like a book, you need a lamp, candle, torch-under-the-duvet, or daylight to read by. After using so many backlit devices like mobile phones and tablets, it takes a little while to get used to the sensation of looking at an unlit screen. Get used to that feeling though, and you realise that it’s so much more comfortable that way – again, just like a book.
As I said, my other thought was around the weight. The Kindle weighs about the same as a medium-weight paperback, and certainly a lot less than books like The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, which are pretty darned heavy to hold for hours on end. Of course, the biggest factor to do with the Kindle’s lack of heft, is the fact that it weighs a mere fraction of the small library of books and magazines you can carry around in it. Were they all available in Kindle format (which the majority probably are), I don’t doubt you could fit most, if not all, the books I’ve ever read on one Kindle at once. Not surprising in the Information Age, but still amazing to be able to carry around all your books with you if you want to.
Gibson Guitar and Onkyo Create Strategic Partnership
Gibson Guitar announced yesterday a deal to to enter into a strategic partnership with Onkyo in Japan. Read on for details.
Gibson Guitar, a privately-owned manufacturer of musical instruments like the classic Les Paul electric guitar, announced an interesting venture with Onkyo. Here is the news release:
Gibson Buys Stake in Onkyo Japan and
Majority Interest in Onkyo USAForms Strategic Alliance to Take Consumer Audio Experience to a New Level
Nashville, TN. January 04, 2012: As part of its continued diversification into the music and audio lifestyle arena, Gibson Guitar Corp., the world’s premier musical instrument manufacturer, today announced a strategic partnership with Onkyo Corporation, a worldwide leader in consumer audio. With a reputation of excellence for high quality audio equipment and home theater systems, Onkyo offers Gibson’s newly-formed Pro Audio Division substantial technology resources. Gibson will provide Onkyo with its marketing resources and expertise. The result will be an ability to deliver a far superior audio experience to the consumer who has become more and more used to hearing only inferior compressed music through inexpensive ear bud headsets.
Through this venture, Gibson will acquire a majority of Onkyo USA (Onkyo’s exclusive distributor for North America and a distributor for Central and South America) and become the second largest shareholder in Onkyo Corporation. Gibson will make a strategic investment in the company, and Gibson Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz will be given a position on the Onkyo board of directors. Likewise, Onkyo will invest in Gibson, and CEO and President Munenori Otsuki will take a position on the company’s Board of Directors. Together, the two entities will form a Hong Kong-based joint venture focusing on design and development of unparalleled consumer audio products. Through this alliance, Onkyo USA becomes the latest addition to the Gibson Pro Audio division, which already includes KRK, Cerwin-Vega! and Stanton.
“Onkyo makes some of the world’s best audio equipment, and this partnership will give Gibson the ability to bring a deeper and more enhanced audio experience to music lovers around the world,” says Juszkiewicz. “While people may be listening to more music, they are listening to it primarily in a severely compressed format. The aural disparity between a real system and compressed sound is vast, and as a result, they are simply not hearing tremendously rich sounds. With Onkyo, our goal is to bring the same exceptional experience artists demand in the studio to a larger consumer base.”
“This partnership has significant positive implications for Onkyo as we are always seeking ways of creating new value,” says Otsuki. “Gibson is a leading global company with a massive fan base, best-in-class products and superior marketing skills. Coming together in this way opens the door for amazing opportunities for both companies and, more importantly, fans of Onkyo and Gibson.”
All agreements are subject to Japanese regulatory clearance, negotiation of definitive agreements and financing approvals of lenders.
ABOUT GIBSON GUITAR CORP.
Gibson Guitar Corp. is known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins, and banjos. The Gibson Les Paul Guitar is the bestselling guitar of all time and is a tribute to the late, famed musician of the same name. Collectively, the Gibson Robot Guitar, Gibson Dark Fire, Gibson Dusk Tiger and the Gibson Firebird X represent the biggest advances in electric guitar design in more than 75 years. Through the Gibson Foundation, Gibson Guitar Corp. has become equally known for its philanthropic efforts on behalf of music, education, health and human services. Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo, MI, and headquartered in Nashville, TN, since 1984, Gibson Guitar Corp.’s family of brands includes Epiphone, Cerwin-Vega!, Dobro, Kramer, Onkyo, KRK Systems, Steinberger, Tobias, Echoplex, Electar, Flatiron, Slingerland, Stanton, Valley Arts, Maestro, Oberheim, Baldwin, Sunshine Piano, Take Anywhere Technology, J&C Fischer, Chickering, Hamilton, Wurlitzer and Gibson Pro Audio. Visit Gibson’s website at www.gibson.com. Follow Gibson Guitar at www.facebook.com/gibsonguitar and www.twitter.com/gibsonguitar.
ABOUT ONKYO
Since 1946 Onkyo has been passionately committed to developing audio products that deliver uncommon performance, quality and value. Bundling proprietary technologies and innovations with other sound-enhancing exclusives, Onkyo continues to created award winning products that are lauded by many of the industry leading audio publications. The company’s philosophy is to deliver products that are superbly designed and built to a consistently outstanding standard of excellence. The results can be seen in the obviously high quality of any Onkyo-manufactured product, even before it is turned on. Visit Onkyo’s website at www.onkyousa.com. Follow Onkyo USA at www.facebook.com/OnkyoUSA.
It will be interesting to see what products result from this alliance. The release specifically says this:
The result will be an ability to deliver a far superior audio experience to the consumer who has become more and more used to hearing only inferior compressed music through inexpensive ear bud headsets.
With a reputation of excellence for high quality audio equipment and home theater systems, Onkyo offers Gibson’s newly formed Pro Audio Division a stronger foothold in the ever-growing consumer electronics market, specifically in the areas of amplification, receiver and speaker technologies.
I look forward to seeing what new products result from this alliance!
Gibson Guitar News ReleaseGoogle TV Adds LG
Google announced today that they are adding LG to the Google TV family, along with several other Google TV news items. Read on for details.
Google TV’s blog announced that LG will sell Google TV-enabled devices and will show several at CES. Here is what Google had to say:
From the Las Vegas Strip to your living room: Google TV partners at CES
Last October, we launched an update to Google TV: a simpler interface, a new way to discover great web and TV content, a more TV-like YouTube experience, and Android Market. Since launching the update, we’ve seen our activation rates more than double. New features and new apps are coming to the living room via Google TV almost every day. We now have more than 150 apps which developers have specifically built for TV with thousands more Android apps from the mobile world available to deepen your living room TV experience. We’ve also been working with our hardware partners to bring new Google TV-powered devices to consumers. Next week is the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Here are some of the Google TV partners to look out for at CES and throughout 2012:
- LG – We’re thrilled to welcome global consumer electronics leader LG to the Google TV family. LG will showcase a new line of TVs powered by Google TV running on their own L9 chipset at CES.
- Marvell – Also new to the Google TV family this year is Marvell, an innovative worldwide leader in chipsets. Marvell will be showcasing a new generation of Google TV solutions which will help bring more products across more price points to consumers.
- MediaTek – We’re also excited to partner with MediaTek, the leading Taiwanese chipset designer. MediaTek chipsets will power yet another wave of Google TV devices.
- Samsung – We’re excited to work closely with Samsung to bring Google-TV powered Samsung devices to market in 2012.
- Sony – We’re happy to build on our partnership with Sony. At CES, Sony will unveil new devices for the US and plans to offer Google TV powered products in several countries around the world in 2012.
- Vizio – Last year we announced our partnership with Vizio at CES. This year we’re excited to join Vizio as they hold private demos at CES showcasing their new line of Google TV-powered products.
As we’ve said before, Google TV is about bringing new entertainment and innovation from the Web to TV and our team along with our partners are pleased to bring more Google TV powered products to more people, across more devices in more countries in 2012.
Personally, I have been turned off on Google TV by the lack of content and the bugginess of the initial release software, but it is good to see Google keep at it and adding more partners to grow the platform. If you are interested in Google TV in 2012, it looks like you will have some more options!
Google TV Blog PostSkype and Tely Labs Partner to Bring HD Video Calling to TVs Using telyHD
Have you wanted to use Skype in your living room on your TV but don’t have a computer connected? Well now you can with telyHD!
telyHD is a revolutionary new device that delivers video calling to your living room in stunning high definition.
Instantly connect with the people you care about no matter how far away they might be!
What you need to know about telyHD:
- 720p HD video, high quality audio
- Talk to anyone who uses Skype on any Skype compatible device
- No computer required
- No monthly fees
- Designed for the living room
- Works with any TV with an HDMI port
- Easy to set up, in less than 10 minutes!
Here is the press release:
Skype and Tely Labs today announce a partnership in which Tely Labs will offer Skype’s globally popular communications software in their powerful, yet compact, video calling device – telyHD, allowing everyday consumers to experience free Skype video calling with big-screen impact and high-definition clarity. Now, the entire household can use their TV to instantly and easily connect face-to-face with family and friends worldwide through Skype – whether on a computer, tablet, smartphone or TV. telyHD – which doesn’t require a computer and is compatible with most HD TVs – is well-priced, sets up in minutes, uses industry-leading Skype and Android technologies, and allows for video calls to take place in a comfortable, naturally social setting – your living room.
“telyHD fundamentally redefines the video calling experience and, in a larger sense, how we connect and communicate with people across the globe. We acknowledge the potential of video calling and the power of Skype as we evolve it beyond the computer screen and onto an HD TV that closely resembles immersive, real-world interaction. What’s truly exciting is that we make this next-gen video interaction possible with telyHD, an extremely simple-to-use device designed and priced for everyday consumers,” said Sreekanth Ravi, CEO of Tely Labs.
“We are proud of our work with Tely Labs, because it demonstrates how pioneering companies can integrate the Skype platform into our users’ daily lives in compelling new ways providing our community with the widest possible range of video calling options. We are excited that, with telyHD, our users will have an entirely new way to enjoy HD big-screen interaction with their friends and family,” said Manrique Brenes, Skype’s senior director of platform business.
Skype in HD Moves into the Living Room
telyHD gives consumers the freedom to share moments big and small with friends and family around the world. Unlike traditional computer-based web cameras, telyHD is designed for the living room with a wide-angle camera that zooms, pans and tilts to capture an entire room and all the participants in stunning HD video.1 By opening up the living room to Skype, consumers can interact in a more natural, social way. Anyone on Skype can receive a telyHD video call, whether using Skype on a computer, tablet or smartphone, and can enjoy the improved telyHD video regardless of whether or not they have their own telyHD system.When both parties have telyHD systems, they can take advantage of even more capabilities including video mail − a messaging system feature that allows users to record a video message such as a birthday greeting for friends or family that are not available to chat. Additionally, participants can share photos together while interacting on a telyHD video call. Users can even download a favorite photo right to a USB memory stick or SD card that plugs into the telyHD system as they video chat.*
Simple, Affordable, and Complete System
An all-in-one system, telyHD includes everything necessary to initiate a video call in minutes. The single-box solution features a wide-angle HD camera, four microphones with noise cancellation, built-in Wi-Fi or wired Internet connectivity, an easy to use remote control, and all necessary cables. telyHD does not require a computer or any additional hardware; users simply link it to their home network and plug it into their HD TV via HDMI. The telyHD unit sits discreetly on top of the TV or can be placed on a nearby shelf or tripod. It has a fully adjustable clamp so that it will fit perfectly on any size TV.Extensible Android-Based Entertainment Platform for the Future
When a consumer purchases telyHD today, they benefit from the immediate Skype video calling capabilities and also buy into a system that is designed for the future. The telyHD system is built on the powerful, extensible Android OS and uses the high-performance Tegra 2 Dual-Core ARM A9 processor from NVIDIA. With this solid foundation, telyHD users will be able to use the system for an array of compelling home entertainment activities in the future − from social networking and gaming to video streaming and more. Tely Labs is already working with the Android developer community to identify new apps that extend the ways consumers can use and enjoy telyHD in the home.Pricing and Availability
telyHD will be available beginning January 5, 2012 through online retailers Amazon, Tely.com and Skype.com. The telyHD system is priced at $249 with no monthly fees and no PC required.
About Tely Labs:
Founded in 2010 by the successful entrepreneurial team Sreekanth Ravi (president and CEO) and Sudhakar Ravi (CTO), Tely Labs is a pioneer in developing simple, affordable next-generation entertainment and communications systems that fundamentally change the way consumers communicate across the globe. The company’s flagship product, telyHD, will be publicly unveiled at CES 2012 in Las Vegas. Built on the fast-growing Android OS and Skype software, telyHD delivers full HD Skype video calling to the living room on an HD TV allowing everyday consumers to experience free Skype video calling with big-screen impact and high-definition clarity. Tely Labs is based in Menlo Park, California.
Microsoft Talk Storage Spaces for Windows 8
In another article about Windows 8, Microsoft talk about Storage Spaces, which is a feature similar to that of the now dead Drive Extender technology from V1 of Windows Home Server.
This is how the article starts:
Windows 8 provides a new capability called Storage Spaces enabling just that. In a nutshell, Storage Spaces allow:
- Organization of physical disks into storage pools, which can be easily expanded by simply adding disks. These disks can be connected either through USB, SATA (Serial ATA), or SAS (Serial Attached SCSI). A storage pool can be composed of heterogeneous physical disks – different sized physical disks accessible via different storage interconnects.
- Usage of virtual disks (also known as spaces), which behave just like physical disks for all purposes. However, spaces also have powerful new capabilities associated with them such as thin provisioning (more about that later), as well as resiliency to failures of underlying physical media.
Before we start exploring Storage Spaces in more detail, I will digress briefly to give you a little more context: some of us have used (or are still using), the Windows Home Server Drive Extender technology which was deprecated. Storage Spaces is not intended to be a feature-by-feature replacement for that specialized solution, but it does deliver on many of its core requirements. It is also a fundamental enhancement to the Windows storage platform, which starts with NTFS. Storage Spaces delivers on diverse requirements that can span deployments ranging from a single PC in the home, up to a very large-scale enterprise datacenter.
You can read the rest of the very interesting article here.
Cisco Connect Express App for iOS and Android Now Available
Would you like real-time network information on your iOS or Android device from your Linksys E-Series, X-Series or Valet router? Well now you can the Cisco Connect Express App.
Home networking just got easier. When connected to your home Wi-Fi, use the Cisco Connect Express App to add devices to your network, manage guest access, and change Wi-Fi and router information. Now Linksys E-Series, X-Series and Valet router users can have their real-time network information at their fingertips from anywhere in the home.
Key Features:
Guest access – An easy way for visitors to get online. Give password-protected Internet access to visiting friends and family while keeping your own information private. No need to remember the guest password, it’s in the app. Simply email the password to your guest and they’ll be online in no time.
Add devices to your network – Quickly connect your computers, gaming consoles, tablets, and other Wi-Fi enabled devices to your network. You can add them manually, or with Wi-Fi Protected Setup™ if your device supports it.
Access Wi-Fi settings – Access your network name and password at anytime from anywhere in your home. If you need your password to add a device manually, quickly access it via your app.
Access router features – Keep your router up-to-date. Check for firmware updates and view details about your router, including model name and number, serial number, firmware version, and more. Plus, easily get a new WAN IP address or reboot your router.
Download Cisco Connect Express from the App Store Download Cisco Connect Express from the Android MarketWatch Steve Ballmer’s CES Keynote Next Week Live
Not everyone can go, or will want to go to CES in Las Vegas next week. For the last time Steve Ballmer will be giving the keynote and you can watch it live on Microsoft’s Facebook page.
A lot of people there will be live blogging the keynote – you can follow the twitter stream @Aedney – and / or you can watch the keynote here.
RIM to Preview BlackBerry 10 at Mobile World Congress 2012 in February
Earlier today I received an email from RIM telling me about their plans for the forthcoming Mobile World Congress even in Barcelona in February.
This is what RIM said earlier today:
2012 will be the year of BlackBerry 10 so we’ll be showcasing the capabilities of our future operating system as well demonstrating the power of BlackBerry 7, with a particular focus on NFC and BBM connected apps. We’ll demonstrate how we align constructively with our carrier partners, as well as highlighting the value added by the recent additions to the BlackBerry family including NewBay Software, The Astonishing Tribe (TAT), Jaycut and Scoreloop.
So I wonder just what RIM have up their sleeve? More information as we get it.
Google TV 2.0 to be Powered by Armada 1500 HD Media SoC
Marvell have just announced that their Armada 1500 HD Media SoC (system on a chip) will be used to power Google TV 2.0.
As more and more internet-ready “Smart TVs” come to market, the ability to access Web-based content in addition to broadcast television in a high-quality format is critical. With the launch of the second-generation Google TV platform, Marvell technology takes center stage in this convergence of TV, gaming, streaming video, web-based applications, and social networking for the home entertainment system. Powered by the Armada 1500 HD media SoC with a superscalar dual-core CPU, Google TV 2.0 devices can deliver the varied, robust content and applications that users demand.
The ARMADA 1500 is the central hardware component of the Google TV 2.0 platform. With its high-performance superscalar dual-core CPU, the ARMADA 1500 is capable of powering search engines, rendering streaming video from HD and SD sources, as well as enabling a seamless user interface with the 3D graphics Qdeo processing engine. Its unique chip architecture gives users the power to access broadcast TV and Web content from a single device.
Using Marvell’s award-winning Qdeo video processing technology, the Armada 1500 is designed to deliver superior 3D video, impressively rich audio, striking 3D graphics and TV-friendly Web content. In addition, the second-generation Google TV platforms feature a simpler design, more intuitive interface, and the new Android Honeycomb OS. Coupled with the powerful Armada 1500 processor, Google TV 2.0 solutions can provide unprecedented, seamless access to YouTube, Netflix, Pandora, Skype, Picasa, and the latest Android applications all optimized for your Smart TV.
Here is the press release:
Santa Clara, California (January 5, 2012) – Representing a major breakthrough in the convergence of TV, gaming, streaming video, popular web apps and social media, Marvell (Nasdaq: MRVL), a worldwide leader in integrated silicon solutions, today announced that the new Foresight Platform, powered by the Marvell® ARMADA™ 1500 HD Media System-on-a-Chip (SoC), has been designed into the next generation of Google TVs debuting at CES 2012. Using Marvell’s award-winning Qdeo™ video processing technology, the ARMADA-based Foresight Platform is designed to deliver superior 3D video, impressively rich audio, striking 3D graphics and TV-friendly Web content.
“Marvell and Google have teamed up to change home entertainment forever – transforming the TV into the command center for our connected lifestyle. Marvell and Google are fundamentally changing the relationship between the producers and consumers of content – from Hollywood to Madison Avenue to publishing and major news networks – creating a dynamic, two-way experience featuring real-time global news, social network, entertainment and information,” said Weili Dai, Co-founder of Marvell. “I believe this is a major breakthrough movement and it’s just the beginning of our bigger vision. The same forces that are revolutionizing today’s television experience will transform numerous vertical applications for small businesses and large enterprises, enhancing the way we all work, connect with each other and collaborate globally.”
"The Google and Marvell teams have been working closely together to bring our combined software and chipset technologies to market to grow the Google TV ecosystem of manufacturers and devices. Marvell-powered Google TV solutions will enable powerful products to be brought to market at attractive prices,” said Mario Queiroz, VP, Product Management Google TV.
For consumers, today’s digital home offers an endless choice of devices and content. For OEMs and service providers, it’s an all-out sprint to create offerings that perform noticeably better than competitors and at mass-market prices. The Connected TV Marketing Association (CTVMA) estimates 123 million connected TVs will be sold worldwide in 2014. Those consumers will expect access to the services they love – Netflix, Pandora, YouTube, Picasa and many more – in a lightning-fast, crystal-clear and resource-friendly package.
Powerful, energy-efficient, ultra-scalable and immensely affordable, the ARMADA 1500 contains Marvell’s highest-performing ARM v6/7-compatible PJ4B SMP super-scalar dual-core CPU. The chip is designed to enable PC-like processing power to support Web browsing with support for Flash™ and other key technologies – with the aid of more than 6000 Dhrystone MIPS of computing horsepower, FPU v3.0, 512KB of L2 cache and WMMX2. The Foresight Platform is energy efficient and has advanced cell-phone like power management.
The ARMADA 1500 also contains Marvell’s award-winning Qdeo video processing for state-of-the-art HD and 3D video, including scaling, noise reduction, de-interlacing, low bit-rate internet video enhancement and FRC and color/contrast enhancement. The chip offers VMeta™, a multi-format video decoder/encoder/transcoder that can decode up to two simultaneous 1080p streams as well as a host of other video formats and containers. These features make the Foresight Platform ideal for Google TV, which requires tremendous processing power for its numerous applications at a cost effective price point.
About Marvell
Marvell (NASDAQ: MRVL) is a world leader in the development of storage, communications and consumer silicon solutions. Marvell’s diverse product portfolio includes switching, transceiver, communications controller, wireless and storage solutions that power the entire communications infrastructure, including enterprise, metro, home and storage networking. As used in this release, the term "Marvell" refers to Marvell Technology Group Ltd. and its subsidiaries. For more information, visit Marvell.com.
Let’s hope Google TV 2.0 will be better than the original Google TV!
WD Introduces My Book Live Duo Personal Cloud Storage System
Western Digital (WD) have today introduced the next iteration of their My Book range – the My Book Live Duo Personal Cloud Storage system.
Here is the press release:
WD’S MY BOOK® LIVE™ DUO PERSONAL CLOUD STORAGE WITH DUAL DRIVES OFFERS HIGH CAPACITY OR DOUBLE-SAFE FILE PROTECTION
Provides Anytime, Anywhere Access to Stored Media and Files from Computers, Tablets or Smartphones
Western Digital (NYSE: WDC), the world’s leader in digital storage solutions, today introduced My Book Live Duo, a personal cloud storage system that combines the benefits of shared storage and remote access with double-safe backup or increased capacity of a dual-drive system with RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) technology.
Double-Safe Backup
Compatible with Mac® and PC operating systems, My Book Live Duo continuously maintains a second copy of all your files for real-time data backup in mirrored mode (RAID 1). Half the capacity is used to store users’ data and half is used for a second copy. In the unlikely event that one drive fails, data is protected because it’s duplicated on the other drive. For automatic backup Windows® users can use the included WD SmartWare® software and Mac users can utilise all the features of Apple® Time Machine® backup software to protect their data.
Maximum Performance and Storage Capacity
In spanning mode the two-drive system combines both drives into one large volume acting as one drive for maximum storage capacity, while its built-in 800 MHz CPU delivers the power and performance needed for today’s most demanding applications. Designed around the most recent advances in Ethernet chip technology, My Book Live Duo personal cloud delivers best-in-class read speeds faster than traditional USB 2.0 drives. My Book Live Duo is currently available in 4 TB and 6 TB capacities.
WD’s Personal Cloud
As with WD’s My Book Live™ personal cloud storage solution, My Book Live Duo connects to the home network to create shared storage that users can access within the home or anywhere in the world through secure remote access. Remote access to My Book Live and My Book Live Duo is available on any computer through www.WD2go.com and with WD mobile apps for iPad®, iPhone®, iPod touch® or Android™ smartphones and tablets.
Home Entertainment Hub
Additionally, the My Book Live Duo system’s built-in media server streams movies, photos and music to any DLNA™-certified multimedia device such as a WD TV® Live™ streaming media player, Blu-ray Disc™ player, PlayStation® 3, as well as Xbox® 360s and smart TVs. Users can also stream movies, photos and music to their tablet or smartphone directly from My Book Live Duo through the WD 2go™ mobile application.
“My Book Live Duo is really the ideal, all-in-one storage and entertainment solution for today’s ultra-connected consumer,” explains Chris Bull, director of marketing for WD’s Connected Home Solutions group. “The ability for consumers to safely backup all their digital content, as well as access and share content from anywhere in the world on their tablet, smartphone or any computer, truly provides a unique and rewarding experience for anyone who wants to enjoy, and needs to protect, valuable digital content.”
Compatibility
My Book Live Duo is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista®, Windows 7, Mac OS® X Leopard®, Snow Leopard®, or Lion™, as well as DLNA/UPnP® enabled devices.
Price and Availability
My Book Live Duo personal cloud storage is available at select UK retailers and online at www.shopwd.co.uk . MSRP is £409.90 for 4 TB and £499.90 for 6 TB.