TechSevens

AT&T recently announced their first iteration of a Femtocell.  For those of you unfamiliar with this term, it is basically a cell tower in your living room.  So if you are tired of standing in the corner of the bathroom to make a call, or have a sore arm from walking around like you have the Power of Greyskull in your hand, you might want to check this out.   When I visited the site again for some additional information it was set to “Maintenance In Progress”.  Hopefully this means they are getting ready to release some additional details and pricing information.   Here are the details I was able to find.

What is an AT&T 3G MicroCell™?

AT&T 3G MicroCell acts like a mini cellular tower in your home or small business environment. It connects to AT&T’s network via your existing broadband internet service (such as DSL or cable) and is designed to support up to 10 3G capable wireless phones in a home or small business setting. With AT&T 3G MicroCell, you receive improved cellular signal performance for both voice calls and cellular data applications, like picture messaging and surfing the web for up to 4 simultaneous users.

Device Features:

* Enhanced coverage indoors – supports both voice and data up to 5000 square feet.
* Available unlimited minute plans – Individual or Family Plan.
* 3G handset compatible – works with any AT&T 3G Phone.
* Up to 4 simultaneous voice or data users supported.
* Device is secure – cannot be accessed by unauthorized users, easy and secure online management of device settings
* Seamless call hand-over – start calls on your 3G MicroCell and continue uninterrupted even if you leave the building.

Device Requirements:

* 3G wireless phone/device
* Broadband service over DSL or cable
* Computer with internet access for online registration

Additional Information:

* Installing your device near a window is strongly recommended to ensure access to Global Positioning System (GPS). A GPS link is needed to verify the device location during the initial startup.
* The 3G MicroCell device is portable. The device may be moved, provided the new location is within the AT&T authorized service area and properly registered online.

The iPhone is amazing. What is even more amazing is the development community that keeps cranking out unbelievable applications to take advantage of it.  Don’t get me wrong, you can find a ton of crap in the App Store as well.   To each is own though and I am sure there are people out there that are going to download Zit Picker. I am defiantly not one of them.  While spending time on twitter, I came across Ustream.  I recall seeing some information on this site before but really didn’t pay attention.  I will now. Ustream.TV is the live interactive video broadcast platform that enables anyone with a camera and an Internet connection to quickly and easily broadcast to a global audience of unlimited size.  What is even better, some lucky iPhone users can now beta test this application. “We have a limited number of beta invites/testers.  Email iphone@ustream.tv to get Ustream’s viewing application on your iPhone.”  So go and sign up. You will be able to watch the Inauguration LIVE on Ustream with chat.

“Over the last two years, Ustream has had the privilege to work closely with President Elect Obama’s campaign.  We stream speeches, we streamed townhalls, and we even had the honor to stream his victory speech.

History will be made Jan 20th, and you will all be able to watch this LIVE on Ustream.   As always, our interactive chat will be there to make this experience more of a social experience.
If you are not going to fight the traffic in DC and the pat downs from the secret service, then watch the inauguration of fellow Ustreamer, President Barack Obama, with me.”

Brad Hunstable, Founder of Ustream
January 16th, 2009

Here is the link to the Official Inauguration Live Stream Page:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/barack-obama-inauguration-day-live

When you think of a router usually style does not come to mind.  D-Link is trying to change that with their new addition to the marketplace.  The 802.11n Wi-Fi router integrates a 3.2”LCD monitor which allows you to view your photos.  I will be curious to see if all this “style” subtracts any from the performance of the router.   The unit boasts a network attached storage (NAS) that features support both UPnP® server functions and BitTorrent™ downloads.  It also includes a built-in FTP server that allows users to access documents, photos, music and other media locally through the home network or remotely over the Internet. Read the full details below and let me know what you think.

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., January 7, 2009 — D-Link, the end-to-end network solutions provider for consumers and business, today unveiled an all-in-one home network router with all the features of a fast, far-reaching 802.11n Wi-Fi router combined with network attached storage (NAS), SharePort technology for sharing printers and scanners, along with a bright 3.2-inch LCD monitor on the face for displaying photos, desktop applications and network performance.

Designed with convenience and functionality in mind, the new D-Link® Xtreme N® DIR-685 offers a stylish, even chic addition to the digital home. Its upright design allows users to easily view the vibrant LCD screen that displays device status via graphical gauges, digital photos, streamed video, weather forecasts and other live streaming Internet content in up to 1.6 million colors.

As a router, the DIR-685 features a sleek design made possible, in part, by the router’s internal antennas. In addition, the network attached storage (NAS) feature supports both UPnP® server functions and BitTorrent™ downloads.     A built-in FTP server allows users to access documents, photos, music and other media locally through the home network or remotely over the Internet.

The DIR-685 employs D-Link Green™ technology that helps conserve energy in several ways – by automatically recognizing port activity and cable length and adjusting power usage accordingly, by consolidating all functions to a single device instead of many separate products, and by using the idle mode which automatically turns off power to the LCD screen. A wide local area network (WLAN) scheduler can turn off the router’s Wi-Fi module at a preset time, and the power adapter complies with Energy Star specifications for average power savings of up to 30 percent. The same power-saving features located in the gigabit ports are also included in the NAS drive.

Both USB ports located on the back of the DIR-685 utilize the new D-Link SharePort technology, enabling multiple users to seamlessly share USB devices – including printers, multi-function printers (MFP), and external hard drives – from any location in the home or office, in a Wi-Fi environment. SharePort turns the local USB ports located on the back of the 802.11n router into a fast and responsive virtual port by utilizing a new technology of USB over TCP/IP.

To manage the photo frame feature of the DIR-685, D-Link has partnered with FrameChannel, a free web service (internetphotoframe.com) that allows for the customization of content displayed on the screen, so photos can be easily accessed and viewed.

“This router is the ideal solution for the consumer who wants to be the first on his or her block with the ultimate ‘all-in-one’ networking device,” says Daniel Kelley, senior director of marketing for D-Link Systems in Fountain Valley, Calif. “Not only does it offer full functionality as a router/NAS storage/print server/FTP device, it is attractive on any desktop, environmentally friendly and Internet secure.”

About D-Link

D-Link is the global leader in connectivity for small, medium and large enterprise business networking. The company is an award-winning designer, developer and manufacturer of networking, broadband, digital electronics, voice, data and video communications solutions for the digital home, Small Office/Home Office (SOHO), Small to Medium Business (SMB), and Workgroup to Enterprise environments. With millions of networking and connectivity products manufactured and shipped, D-Link is a dominant market participant and price/performance leader in the networking and communications market. D-Link Systems, Inc. headquarters are located at 17595 Mt. Herrmann Street, Fountain Valley, Calif., 92708. Phone (800) 326-1688 or (714) 885-6000; FAX (866) 743-4905; Internet www.dlink.com.

I love my Slingbox. To me it is one of the best ideas in recent times. Dish Network has taken this idea one step further and included this technology in an HD DVR. It appears that other companies are going to follow as well. We will see more devices take advantage of giving consumers the “true experience of TV everywhere”. I recently had a great experience with the SlingMedia technical support team. That is rare these days. It’s fun to watch this company grow and take care of their customers along the way. There a long list of features in this beautiful piece of hardware. Check out the list below and let me know what you think.

DISH NETWORK® INTRODUCES WORLD’S FIRST “SLINGLOADED” HD DVR AT 2009 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW
________________________________________
New 1 Terabyte High Definition DVR with Integrated Slingbox, Touchpad Remote Control and Tile-based User Interface
Las Vegas, Nev., Jan. 8, 2009 — DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ: DISH), the nation’s third largest pay-TV provider and the digital transition leader, today unveiled the world’s first SlingLoaded™ HD DuoDVR™, the award-winning ViP® 922. The ViP® 922 is the first high definition digital video recorder that incorporates placeshifting technology.

The ViP® 922 was built by EchoStar Technologies L.L.C., a wholly-owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), and developed for DISH Network as an entertainment centerpiece that – combined with the only 1080p Video on Demand and 100 percent, all-HD suite of programming packages available today – will revolutionize the way consumers watch and enjoy their favorite programming. DISH Network will offer the ViP® 922 to customers in Spring 2009.
“DISH Network is pleased to add another award-winning product to our suite of MPEG-4 HD DVR ViP receivers: a groundbreaking set top box that offers consumers the true experience of TV everywhere,” said DISH Network Chairman, CEO and President Charlie Ergen. “By integrating Sling Media’s Slingbox technology into our industry-leading HD DVR, DISH Network is providing even more ways for our subscribers to view their TV programming – through their television sets, their desktops at home, their laptops on the road, and their smartphones including Blackberrys, iPhones and more.”

The ViP® 922 allows TV enthusiasts to watch and control their favorite TV shows and sporting events from anywhere in the world via a broadband Internet connection on their laptop or mobile phone. With five video sources, including satellite, broadband and optional over-the-air tuners, viewers will never run out of shows to watch. The ViP® 922 also features a multi-tuner DVR with up to 1,000 hours of recording time and supports connecting external hard drives for even more storage capacity.

An innovative touchpad remote control accompanies the ViP® 922, which eliminates half the buttons of a standard remote control and provides cursor-like navigation on a TV screen. With a slide of the thumb, viewers experience scroll-over activation of the new user interface: on-screen widget-like tiles and pop-up menus. All features are selectable by an underside index finger trigger selection on the radio frequency-controlled remote, which offers two-way learning of codes from other AV equipment remote controls.

The ViP® 922 can also be controlled using SlingGuide™, a new way for consumers to control their TV viewing experience over the Internet. SlingGuide features a powerful search engine for the TV along with the ability to schedule the ViP® 922 DVR timers remotely.

Other ViP® 922 features include:
• News feeds located on the home screen, giving viewers instant access to national news, weather, sports, and stock quotes.
• Ability to organize channels by channel name or number.
• 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480i and 480p support.
• Internet-delivered DISH On Demand including 1080p content.
• Ability to move one day in the guide while browsing full screen EPG or partial EPG.
• Connections to home networks via Ethernet, HomePlug Turbo (the next generation of HomePlug that allows for faster in-home transfer of content using home power lines), or WiFi (with optional WiFi adapter).
• Powerful search capability across all available video sources, including IP, VOD, satellite or DVR.
• Intuitive timer creation and DVR management, allowing users to categorize programming by groups (video source, title, genres) or by content description (date, length, ratings and more).
• Ability to load photos, MP3s and selected Internet content.
• Future upgrades such as photo sharing, movie ticket purchases, family calendars, instant messaging, streaming audio, and the ability to transfer content within a home network.

If you are like me you follow people in the gaming industry on twitter.  There are a couple reasons for this.  One, you get a peek into their daily lives as they create the games that you love.  Second, and most importantly, you get an inside track on industry news.  When following @fourzerotwo (who is Robert Bowling the Director of Communications / Community Manager for the award winning video game development studio Infinity Ward) I was able to get a heads up on a fake beta invite making rounds through the Interwebs. “Getting word of a fake beta invite email going out to people from COD5BETA@infinityward.com. FYI – Don’t open it if you get one. It’s bad” was the original post.  It appears the email is an exact replica of the beta invites sent out during the COD4 beta but all the references to COD4 have been replaced. Robert continues with detail about this on his blog. http://tinyurl.com/92xo23 Here he goes on to state what we should all know by now.  “just delete it. Don’t open it, reply, or click any links – it’s fake and could contain a virus or be an attempt to phish personal information.”