GadgetReview

The Xbox 360 might reign supreme in the game department, but from a hardware perspective it stills falls short when compared to the PS3.  You’re probably think I’m talking about Blu-ray, right?  Wrongzo.  I’m talking about the lack of built-in WiFi.  And it now looks like you’re gonna have to drop a pretty penny if you want your 360 to have the latest and greatest in wireless connectivity, because Gamestop currently lists the Xbox 360 Wireless N Networking Adapter for $100.  If you commit now you can expect it to ship 11/3, but seeing as it costs 1/3 as much as a brand new Elite system I’d suggest you take a big fat pass.

[via Joystiq]

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If you’ve ever spent time cruising around looking for a WiFi hotspot to patch your laptop in to, you’ll know that sometimes that’s a tall order that’s much easier said than done.  But now, thanks to the WiFi Seeker and Light, finding WiFi is as easy as consulting your keychain.

One button on the device activates a one-LED flashlight, where a second button will tell you the strength of any surrounding WiFi signal.  Talk about your simple operations…but interestingly, the WiFi Seeker And Light doesn’t seem to be available online, but thankfully, the folks at Amazon are more than ready to step in and offer, if not necessarily the product you want, then at the very least a product that will do what you want it to.

Of course, you don’t really NEED a WiFi finder like this–just bring your laptop–but the idea of being able to possibly find WiFi spaces while walking around the neighborhood with a little thing like that that probably makes you feel like a Ghostbuster tracking Slimer around is almost unavoidably cool.

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A guy over at Wi-Fi Planet by the name of Mike Flynn put forth an interesting idea, one that’s almost as terrifying as it is plausible, and is possibly terrifying because it’s plausible, is the idea that the iPhone is actually a kind of disease.

Flynn believes that it has one primary symptom, to spread virulently through your life and force you to filter all your experiences in life through it.  The sheer number of applications, Flynn posits, allow you to do just about everything with your iPhone.  For instance, Flynn planned to take his wife to a movie.  His first thought was to check his Moviefone app, which he did, and the results it gave altered his plans.  An iPhone app changes his reading habits from magazines to books, since the iPhone doesn’t allow for magazine reading.  An iPhone app changed his music listening habits, his workout habits, and plenty else.

Flynn traces back the common cause of all this to one key point–the iPhone.  Without its many apps and sheer ubiquity, he wouldn’t have these problems, he claims, especially since he’s used Blackberries and similar devices without trouble, nor does he recall other people having these same issues with any other device.

So is the iPhone a kind of parasite?  The idea’s worthy of a horror movie, but whether or not it’s true likely depends on the user.  I personally wonder if he’s describing not so much a disease as an addiction (which are admittedly very close in nature, though addiction really isn’t caused by bacteria or viruses but rather at the genetic level), but that’s a fairly fine point on its own.  These things are here to stay, so we’re going to have to learn to live with them.

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Remember Fonera’s second iteration of their WiFi router?  Well, it’s now available for purchase in the US for $99.

Not only does this wireless box offer the latest in 802.11 connectivity, but it enables you to shut down your computer while in the middle of a download or upload and still continue its progress, that is assuming of course you’ve got a hard drive connected to its USB port.  If that isn’t enough in the versatility department for you, checkout some of the Fonera 2.0’s other features below:

• Use it as a hotspot with a 3G USB dongle
• Easily share your WiFi signal and charge for it
• Connect to other Fonera WiFi user’s hotspots completely free
• NAS enabled

…Continue reading: Fonera 2.0 WiFi Router Now Available In The US, $99

All right, folks, if you’ve been waiting anxiously to get your hands on the Motorola Cliq, you should be happy to know that they’re looking to start taking orders October 19th.

Seems the company actually released this date in a brochure, which was then photographed and began making the rounds.  This handset will feature a touchscreen, and assures connectivity with your devices by both GPS and WiFi radio, and rumors suggest that Android 2.0 will come with the Cliq, so if you weren’t interested before, you might be now.

T-Mobile further threw some confirmation in by saying that they would start delivering product to their stores starting November 2nd.  Add this all up and it means, chances are, you’ll be able to get a Cliq right soon.

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What’s slim, trim, wireless and black all over?  Logitech’s newest router, that’s what.  The LAN-W300N/R provides 802.11n speeds and measures just 23mm wide at its thickest point.  Inside are to internal antennas, 4 Ethernet ports and a set of front facing LED lights.  It’s hitting Japan this August for about $95, which ain’t cheap, but if all else fails it will surely make a great door wedge.

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Sprint might be taking their sweet time rolling out their WiMax service, but that doesn’t mean they’ve got apprehensions about launching gear associated with the high speed wireless service.

Announced today, the Sprint Personal Hotspot PHS300S and the Cradlepoint MBR-1000 Broadband Router both accept 3G and 4G USB dongles and turn the single user broadband service into a WiFi hotspot.  The PHS300S can facilitate up to 4 users while the MBR-1000 allows up to 32 separate devices to jump aboard.

Both devices are available now for $159.99 and $249.99 respectively.

Full release after the ‘leap’ …Continue reading: Sprint Kicks Out Two New 3G & 4G WiFi Hotspot Routers, Sprint Personal Hotspot PHS300S and the Cradlepoint MBR-1000 Broadband Router

If you mansion’s WiFi connection, or lack there of has got you down, fear not, for hField Technologies is here to save your from interrupted YouTube streams.  Announced yesterday, the Wi-Fire, which is in its 3rd iteration, claims to increase your computer’s wireless connection by up to 1,000 feet.  It’s limited to b and g speeds, but since it’s 30% lighter and 40% smaller than the previous versions, and appears to clip conveniently to the top of your laptop and plug in via USB, I’d say they’ve got a winner.  Just keep in mind that it draws some added juice, which means less battery power.

You can grab one now for $59.

[Thanks, @cran3cr33k]

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A home’s standard WiFi network is usually sufficient, that is assuming you live in a house with limited square footage, walls and floors.  But what is one to do if you live in a mansion with 1000s of square footage?  You could prewire your home with Cat5 cable, that is assuming you have the foresight and don’t purchase a historic or already completed house.

Introduced today, the Belkin Gigabit Powerline HD Starter Kit provides up to 1000Mbps data speeds throughout your home by utilizing the existing electrical wiring to form a network.  Just plug in the sender adapter into your router and the receive adapater into the wall, run an Ethernet cord to the appropriate device and you’ll be in business.  Unfortuanately, I’ve heard that these types of systems tend to be senstive to interference, old wiring and provide spotty connections over long distances.  It’s available now and start at $149.99.

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Today Microsoft officially announced the Zune HD to thousands of screaming fans.  While possibly too little too late, the Zune HD will attempt to steal some iPod Touch thunder with the inclusion of such features as:  A built in HD radio receiver, HD video capabilities, OLED touch screen, and WiFi.  What also will be of mass importance is the addition of Xbox Live’s MarketPlace, where you can go for movies and TV programs.  No word on whether or not games or apps are on the horizon, but I’m sure someone somewhere in the Microsoft matrix is gargling on about it.  E3 will have more to say about the Zune HD and will demonstrate the Xbox Live lovechild.  Is this cool?  Does anyone care? …Continue reading: Zune HD Gets Officialized: In Cahoots With Xbox Live