So you wanna take your music wireless?  You could always opt for a Sonos setup, but that requires at the very least a $300 investment, not for the faint of heart.  There are other cheaper solutions, as found at Audio Engine, but that largely only works if you have a set of powered speakers or a prexisting amplified system.  The same caveat applies to Apple’s Airport Express, and while it doesn’t require any dongles or cases to plug into your computer or iPhone, you’ll need a set of powered speakers to draw tunes from the wireless hub.  That is until now.

Today, Griffin announced the Twenty Audio Amplifier.  At the core of the device is a 40 watt amplifier designed to power a set of stereo speakers.  But what sets it apart from the usual array of amps, is that the Twenty from Griffin has a slot specifically built for Apple’s Airport Express.  Plug it in and it can transmit lossless, wireless audio from any Airplay compatible device to a set of unpowered speakers.  It also boasts an active, autoswitching 80hz crossover so you can add a powered subwoofer to the mix.   There is also a Toslink connector and an included S/PDIF cord for adding a wired device, such as a CD player.

Griffin hasn’t said when and for how much, but will try to get an ears on while at CES.

Seagate’s wireless hard drive has only been around for a few months, and the rug has already been pulled out from under them.  What are we talking about?  Seagate’s GoFlex Wireless hard drive is targeted at iPad and iPhone users who are challenged with capacity caps on their devices.  This hard drive provides up to 500GB of data storage and allows anyone with a WiFi enabled device to connect to it wirelessly and playback movies, music and access the usual vareity of other documents and files.  However, some caveats of the device include the price ($200) and that you can’t daisy chain other USB storage devices to it.

Enter the CloudFTP.  Yup, it’s another Kickstarter project, but this one already has legs, over 100,000 of them.  In a nutshell, this tiny box allows you to convert any USB storage devices into a wireless USB storage device.  Just plug in a USB flash drive or a hard drive, connect to the box on your computer or portable device by selecting it from your list of available WiFi network, navigate to the appropriate page and you can play movies, music and more.

For those who are attuned to a more advanced setup, you can add the CloudFTP to your wireless network, which should allow anyone whose joined the network to access the attached drive’s contents.  With this featured enabled, you can also set the CloudFTP to automatically back up its contents to DropBox, iCloud or pretty much any cloud service out there.

Inside the tiny black, plastic box is an LCD screen to keep you up to date on its activity, a low power ARM Cortex A8 microprocessor to keep things humming along smoothly and a 2600mAh li-ion rechargeable battery that can power any attached USB device for up to 5 hours.  It’s capable of connecting with up to 3 WiFi devices simultaneously, which is 2 less than Seagate’s offering, but at intro price of $69.99, $130 less than the competitor, who cares.

As we’ve already inferred, this project has already received over $100,000 in funding, exceeding their goal.  We’d expect more funds to flow in over the next 32 days, where upon the project will be officially funded and the CloudFTP will go into production.

If there’s one thing I absolutely hate doing, it’s having to take my memory card out every time I want to transfer pictures to my computer – it’s either that, or keep a multitude of USB cords plugged in so I’m always ready to clear up space.  It is a very tiring process, and I’ve often wished for someone to come up with a better solution.  Thankfully, someone at Eye-Fi must have been thinking the same thing that I was, because their line of Eye-Fi memory cards have the potential to revolutionize the way you take pictures.

How the Eye-Fi cards work is such an ingenious concept, I’m amazed at how long it took someone to come up with it.  The Eye-Fi memory card has a tiny Wi-Fi antenna built in.  When you first plug it into a computer (you only need to do this once – after that the information is stored) you’ll specify any networks that you want it to be able to connect to.  After that, any time the card is within range of one of those networks, it will automatically upload your pictures to wherever you specified.  Most people will probably use it to upload things to sites like Flickr or Shutter Bug, but if you have a network hard drive and set up port forwarding, you can have the card upload it directly to there whenever you’re away from home.

Speaking of being away from home – say you’re at the beach and there’s no Wi-Fi network around, but you know your card is getting full – what are you to do?  Surely not stop taking pictures, after all what if little Jimmy does something cute or funny.  Well, as long as you have an Android phone or tablet, or an IOS device (and realistically, if you’re going to have something high tech like an Eye-Fi card, you’re going to have one of those devices as well) then your Eye-Fi card can go right into direct mode and send pictures to those devices for backup, or if you have a hefty data plan you can upload them then and there.

There are also upgrades you can purchase for your card – although some of them come free with more advanced cards; take Geotagging for example.  In order to enable Geotagging on my card, I would have had to pay an additional $29.99 for a lifetime license, but the Geo X2, Explore X2, or Pro X2 cards all come with that feature free.  I wasn’t really worried about having it, but in case you’re not sure how it works, the card will “imprint” each picture with the information about where you took it.  I have three cameras that do that for me automatically though, and they do it with GPS (giving me longitude and latitude), which in my opinion is more accurate than how the Eye-Fi card geotags things.  Since the card doesn’t have built in GPS, it instead relies on a Wi-Fi Positioning System.  It allows the Eye-Fi card to map the locations of wireless networks that it finds – even if they’re not on your list – and then gives you a general idea of where you were (i.e. city name and such).

You can also upgrade your card to be able to access AT&T Hotspots around the world.  This also costs an additional $29.99 a year (though the Explore X2 and the Pro X2 both come with a year free), and again I saw no need for me to upgrade to this function.  I always have my tab and iPhone with me (and my tab can make it’s own Wi-Fi network), so there was little point in spending money on a service I’ll never use.  I did think it was kind of neat however, because when you set it up you can also set the system up to sent you a text message (or email – or even tweet) whenever your Eye-Fi card was within range of a Hotspot.  Unless you take a LOT of pictures though, I’m not entirely sure that it’s worth the price.

On the subject of price – they’re actually a lot cheaper than you might think.  Okay, it’s going to be a good deal more expensive than that $5 4 GB card that Wal-Mart was selling on Black Friday – but it is also is a lot higher quality (I bought one of those $5 cards so I can attest to that).  The card I was sent was actually the cheapest of the bunch, and comes in under $50.  The others go up in price according to size and features, but since you don’t ever have to really worry about running out of room on these, I think 4 GB is plenty.

Editor’s Rating:

4.5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

The Bottom Line:  When you buy an Eye-Fi memory card, it has the potential to be the last memory card you’ll need – constantly transferring pictures to make room for more means you’ll realistically never run out of space; they do come at a price a good deal higher than standard memory cards though.

Pros:

• Being able to put pictures on your computer without having to remove the memory card or attach anything is absolutely wonderful
• The unlimited space option automatically deletes old pictures if they’ve been uploaded to make room for more, and is well worth using
• Since most people have an Android or IOS device, Direct mode is worth it’s weight in gold for when you’re traveling (and it is free)

Cons:

• Unless you’re willing to pony up more cash for an upgraded card, the add on features are extremely pricey
• The Geotagging feature on an Eye-Fi card isn’t as accurate as what might already be on your cameras
• $29.99 a year just to access a Hotspot (and only to use that Hotspot to be able to upload pics) seems pretty steep to me

You can get an Eye-Fi Connect X2 4 GB Class 6 SDHC Memory Card from Amazon for only $39.88 (and yes, they sell the others there as well)

Whether you just prefer to do your web browsing from the bed or if you want some inputs to get used to no matter where you are, the Verbatim Mini Wireless Slim Keyboard and Mouse is a nice, compact solution that is incredibly easy to set up, comfortable to use, and effective for just about any purpose shy of gaming. With a roughly laptop-sized keyboard and a small mouse that also houses the wireless receiver when not in use, this set comes with pretty much everything you could need from a wireless keyboard and mouse.

The keyboard itself is fairly standard, complete with function keys and even selectable number pad keys and volume controls. The keyboard runs off of 2 AAA batteries and just stays on, waiting for inputs. The keys are push in comfortably, and it’s very easy to adapt to for anybody who spends any amount of time using a laptop. The letter keys are spaced more like a traditional desktop computer, which is great for typing, though the other keys tend to be more bunched up and in different places, which means looking around a bit if you’re trying to insert or delete.

In order to save on battery life, the mouse features an on/off switch on the bottom. More responsive than other optical mice I’ve tried, the Verbatim Mini Wireless Mouse is a comfortable yet small size, works great on almost every surface I tried (including my white desk), and the scroll wheel is smooth but responsive. The fact that the mouse can be used anywhere is a serious perk to consider when you imagine that you might be taking these out to use on a conference room table or a couch arm or anywhere you can think of, really. Knowing that the mouse is going to be responsive on a wide array of surfaces increases the potential uses for a wireless combo like this.

As nice as the Verbatim Mini Wireless Slim Keyboard and Mouse are, however, there is still room for improvement. The lack of a power button on the keyboard means that battery life is always draining, albeit slowly, though if you’re carrying the keyboard with you, every time a key is pressed it’s pecking away at the battery. The tiny wireless USB receiver, while convenient in its size, is pretty easy to lose track of if you don’t want to keep removing and replacing the mouse’s battery case to store it. While I’m sure they would make the battery life drop a little faster, some lights on the keyboard to let you know if Num Lock or Caps Lock are activated would go a long way. I also would like to see some kind of USB compatibility so that if your batteries run out and you don’t have a spare set on you, you could still use the keyboard at least.

With a solid wireless distance and decent battery life, the Verbatim Mini Wireless Slim Keyboard and Mouse make for a very good temporary solution for presentations or the odd situation where you don’t want to stretch cables. However, because of the reliance strictly on AAA batteries that do wear down after about 15-20 hours, I don’t recommend getting these for use in making your home a bit more mobile or wireless. The products themselves work to specifications and the fact that all it typically takes to get going is plugging them in and putting batteries in goes a long way in my opinion of any wireless device. Finding a regular use for them that makes sense in terms of not constantly buying batteries, on the other hand, is a little harder to do.

Editor’s Rating

3.5 out of 5 stars

Very Good

Bottom Line: The Verbatim Mini Wireless Slim Keyboard and Mouse isn’t perfect, but has enough going for it that it should be considered for anybody looking to add some wireless functionality to any computer around. The compatibility across multiple operating systems means that no matter where you are or what you’re doing, getting started is often just as easy as plugging in the wireless USB receiver to the system and going. For a product designed for portability and ease of use, something as pivotal as that simply can not be overlooked. Anyone looking for a replacement for their current keyboard and mouse aren’t going to like shelling out battery money frequently, however.

Pros:

• Full number pad via a function key is a rarity for portable keyboards
• Works with a variety of operating systems simply by plug and play
• Mouse works great on virtually every surface and has a full, clickable scroll wheel

Cons:

• 2 AAA batteries for the keyboard, another 2 for the mouse, if you use these devices with any degree of long-term frequency, you’ll need to keep a lot of batteries stocked
• Lack of LEDs for Num Lock, Caps Lock, or Scroll Lock means relying on the installable toolbar that comes with the keyboard on a CD to know if you have any enabled
• With no shutoff switch for the keyboard, batteries need to be removed to make sure life isn’t being drained while it stows in your bag or briefcase

The Verbatim Mini Wireless Slim Keyboard and Mouse is available from Amazon for $29.24.

The Belkin F9K1107 Wireless Dual-Band Travel Router is designed to be taken on the road and more importantly stuffed inside a bag.   There is no mention of its actual measurements, but Belkin is tossing in a a carrying case that holds the plug and some additional cords.  Like many of today’s full sized routers it supports WiFi b/g/n and simultaneous dual band mode.  There is also the usual assortment of security protocols and even a push button WPS setup.  So at the end of the day it’s a full featured router, though it lacks the additional Ethernet ports or a USB port for sharing storage devices on the network.  It’s just too bad there isn’t a built-in battery.

No word on availability, but it will retail for $79.99.

This week, Google released a huge update to the Android platform which promises some notable improvements to the look and feel of the interface and which hopes to address the troubling problem of fragmentation of both tablets and smartphones alike. Gingerbread users can look for Ice Cream Sandwich to be available starting October 19 or when your wireless carrier deems you’re worthy enough to receive it.  All told, Android 4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) has over has 1200 changes from Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) and over 3200 changes since the Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread).   Here are the twenty most notable features we thought took center stage.

1. Complete redesign of the user interface

With the new interface, users can re-size widgets to make room for others or to dominate the home screen, a Windows-esque favorites tray on the bottom of the screen quick launch of contacts, apps and web pages.

2. Virtual buttons

Google has eliminated hard buttons for Home, back, menu and search, moving them onto the touchscreen. In addition, in likely response to Apple’s lock screen camera option, a camera button has been placed on the lock screen for Android as well.

3. Better organization and navigation

Thanks to a new tabbed home screen and the ability to navigate pages by swiping left-right on any screen, users can navigate to their favorite apps more easily.  And like the iPhone, they can now create folders to organize liked apps together.

4. Face Unlock

Rather than swiping and inputting a code, ICS offers the option of unlocking via facial recognition. If your phone knows you, you’re in. If it doesn’t, you’re not. Nice feature if it works, but according to reports, it failed miserably during the announcement demo.

5. Screen shots with hard buttons

Android users have been requesting this feature for quite some time and now, like the iPhone, with ICS they can now take a screen shot by simultaneously pressing the power and home buttons.  So, while iOS 5 can now take a picture using the volume button, ICS users get screen capture.  I call that a fair trade.

6. Quick Response

Whether you’re in a meeting or driving, often you can’t take a call. Quick response let’s you send a pre-written text in response so whoever is calling knows you’re not ducking them.  All you do is click on the little smiling speech bubble and select a response.

7. Data Usage View

This is a good one. Going into data usage, you can get a pie chart on how you’re using your data, as well as broken down by application. Users can even give themselves a data budget.

8. Expanded camera features

Not only can users share any pictures with third party apps that support Android PhotoShare, but there’s also native panorama capability, time-lapse video, and still shots while recording. Users can also zoom while recording video. Photo editing tools include red-eye removal, cropping, and other edits.

9. Social contact integration

This new app will collate all contact information over several social networks and input it into a single feed.

10. Android Beam

Based on near field communications technology, Android Beam will not only allow for purchases by phone, but also data sharing by pressing the Beam button.

11. Improved Keyboard

The keyboard is revamped for more accurate typing and offers better error correction and spell checker.

12. Better Cut/Copy/Paste

Based on Cut/Copy/Paste in Android 3 (Honeycomb), cut/copy/paste in ICS offers animated dragging and dropping.

13. Better Gmail

As if it needed any attention, Gmail has been upgraded with a new edit bar for compose, search, labels, and off line search going back 30 days.

14. New Calendar with pinch-to-zoom

Pinch and zoom allows users to focus on a set day or event.

15. Updated Google apps: YouTube, Maps, Google+, Google Music

16. Tabbed Internet browser

A new tabbed internet browser brings desktop features including support for full versions of web sites, rather than their mobile versions. There’s also better page rendering, especially for pages that use JavaScript.

17. Better contact management

New tile-based “People app” interface for contacts, very similar to Windows Phone.

18. Speech to text entry has been improved

With the new “open mic” feature, users can dictate what they want, as long as they want and it’ll even offer correction suggestions and there’s no delay.

19. Visual Voicemail

Yet another Apple feature finally comes to the Bot with Visual Voicemail, which not only integrates messages, from the phne app, but also third-party apps which can add messages and other data to the voicemail inbox.

20. Accessibility

With Android 4, users who are disabled will have better accessibility features through TalkBack, including explore-by-touch with audible feedback and screen reader. Activated and setup with a simple touch gesture for all accessibility features.

Logitech’s M525 looks like your garden variety mouse, but what makes this peripheral worth a closer look is its unbelievable battery life. But before we tell you what that is, we’ll go ahead and torture you with some benign specs.

The M525 is of the laser tracking ilk and sports a micro-precise wheel that Logitech says “packs more grooves per millimetre, giving you a smoother navigation experience.”  In fact, they’re sort of hoping this scroll wheel, which also includes some sort of “built-in tilt wheel”, is analogous to swiping…on a touchscreen.  A bit of a stretch, but we applaud they’re marketing verbage nonetheless.

Now for the juicy deet: the battery life.  Assuming the moon, the sun and the stars are all aligned – there is an on/off switch to boot – you can achieve up to 3 years on a single pair of AAs.  That’s right, you’ll be able to go almost 1100 days without replacing the M525′s batteries.  And like all of Logitech’s wireless mouse, they’re including their ultra tiny Unifying receiver, which can connect up to 6 compatible devices at the same time.

No word on a US release date, but the Logitech 525 will hit retail shelves this month for £34.99 ($55 US).

Logitech Unveils New Wireless Mouse

Logitech Wireless Mouse M525 Offers Perfect Mix of Precision, Performance and Comfort

LONDON, UK – Oct. 17, 2011 – Today Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) introduced the Logitech® Wireless Mouse M525, the ideal solution for anyone who wants to scroll quickly and easily through the Web.

The Logitech Wireless Mouse M525 features an innovative micro-precise wheel that packs more grooves per millimetre, giving you a smoother navigation experience. It makes scrolling through long Web pages faster and easier. Plus on most computer systems, the built-in tilt wheel lets you move backward and forward on the Web just like with a swipe.

“The Logitech Wireless Mouse M525 features faster scrolling, tilt wheel navigation and laser grade precision so you can surf the Web with ease,” said Marcus Harvey, UK Country Manager of Logitech. “It offers a perfect mix of precision, performance and comfort – letting you freely interact with the digital world, a place where we spend an ever-increasing amount of time.”

The Logitech Wireless Mouse M525′s sculpted design and soft rubber grips conform to your hand for natural comfort, and the compact size makes it easy to take with you wherever you use your computer – at home, at work, or anywhere else. And with up to three years of battery life, smart sleep mode and an On/Off switch, you can almost forget about changing batteries.

The tiny Logitech Unifying receiver connects up to six Unifying-compatible devices with a single nano receiver, so your space is free of clutter and your USB port stays free for other devices. And Logitech Advanced Optical Technology delivers laser-grade precision over the most challenging surfaces, while using less power so you get up to three years of battery life.

Pricing and Availability

The Logitech Wireless Mouse M525 is expected to be available in the UK in October 2011, for a suggested retail price of £34.99. For more information please visit www.logitech.com.

Logitech Unveils New Wireless Mouse
Logitech Wireless Mouse M525 Offers Perfect Mix of Precision, Performance and Comfort
LONDON, UK – Oct. 17, 2011 – Today Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) introduced the Logitech® Wireless Mouse M525, the ideal solution for anyone who wants to scroll quickly and easily through the Web.
The Logitech Wireless Mouse M525 features an innovative micro-precise wheel that packs more grooves per millimetre, giving you a smoother navigation experience. It makes scrolling through long Web pages faster and easier. Plus on most computer systems, the built-in tilt wheel lets you move backward and forward on the Web just like with a swipe.
“The Logitech Wireless Mouse M525 features faster scrolling, tilt wheel navigation and laser grade precision so you can surf the Web with ease,” said Marcus Harvey, UK Country Manager of Logitech. “It offers a perfect mix of precision, performance and comfort – letting you freely interact with the digital world, a place where we spend an ever-increasing amount of time.”The Logitech Wireless Mouse M525′s sculpted design and soft rubber grips conform to your hand for natural comfort, and the compact size makes it easy to take with you wherever you use your computer – at home, at work, or anywhere else. And with up to three years of battery life, smart sleep mode and an On/Off switch, you can almost forget about changing batteries.
The tiny Logitech Unifying receiver connects up to six Unifying-compatible devices with a single nano receiver, so your space is free of clutter and your USB port stays free for other devices. And Logitech Advanced Optical Technology delivers laser-grade precision over the most challenging surfaces, while using less power so you get up to three years of battery life.
Pricing and AvailabilityThe Logitech Wireless Mouse M525 is expected to be available in the UK in October 2011, for a suggested retail price of £34.99. For more information please visit www.logitech.com.

Beats by Dr. Dre have had unrivaled success. The company offers a variety of headphones for listeners of all types. And despite their excessive price tag people continue to scoop them up. However, they’ve long lacked a wireless option, which means that Dre and company have been leaving money on the table, until now.

These are Dr. Dre’s newest headphones, the Beats Wireless. If you haven’t guessed, they connect to any audio device using Bluetooth. Unfortunately, this means that sound quality can only be so good since the throughput on Bluetooth is limited and won’t support HD audio. However, Bluetooth insures that they’ll be compatible with almost any portable audio device and not limited to say the iPhone, that is to say if Dr. Dre had chosen AirPlay instead.

Voice and music playback controls sit on the right ear cup along with a built-in mic for taking calls directly on the wireless headphones. We don’t know battery life, but if we had to guess you can probably assume 10 hours on a single charge. Dre says these headphones are lightweight even though they sport a built-in battery and some wireless tech. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to include a wired option, which might’ve help alleviate some of the pain associated with the $280 price tag, which comes by way of Gizmodo who got an ears on today.

Update: Looks like these will cost $329.95.

No word on an official release date, but expect them in the next 30 days.

LaCie isn’t known for releasing knew an innovative products, but let’s be honest, they’re a hard drive manufacturer.  We’ve seen a variety of Internet connected hard drives from the company before, but most of those cost a pretty penny. Now the company has released the LaPlug.  It’s a NAS (Network Area Storage device), but instead of including built-in storage you’ll need to bring your own.

So in effect, the LaPlug isn’t anything more than a sleeker looking PoGo Plug.  You can plug any USB device into one of the 4 USB ports and share whatever media or data you have stored.  It’s compatible with iTunes and DLNA device, so streaming movies from the LaPlug to your Xbox 360, PS3 or DLNA compatible TV should be a sinch. It’s also Time Machine compatible, so Mac users should probably take a close look at this $75 box if they don’t wanna to splurge for Apple’s wireless Time Machine drives.  Lacie has outfitted the front of the device to accommodate USB sticks, while the back features 3 USB 2.0 ports for USB drives you want to leave plugged in for the long term.

Accessing the drive is as simple as dialing up a web URL and Lacie has built an interface that allows you to share links with friends so you don’t have to email pics, music or any files.  Simple, clean and efficient.

While the LaPlug can be accessed via WiFi, you’ll need to plug it into your home’s router using an Ethernet plug.  A small caveat but a normal one for a NAS.

The Lacie LaPlug is available now.

We generally don’t knock a press release for being short and sweet, but this one regarding 50-cent’s wireless headphones just seems straight up lazy.

Dismay aside, these audio cans can receive audio wirelessly from up to 50 feet from the source unit.  Get it, 50-feet, 50-cent.   Your cringing can now ensue, ours did.

40mm drivers should provide thumping bass, but where we think they might fall a bit short, at least for the audiophile crowd, is that their wireless signal is capped at 16-bit.  Sorry HD audio enthusiasts, you’ll just have to wait on 50-cent to invest another round of R&D funding before you can be bathed in high bit rate audio.  However, they do boast passive noise cancellation, which is just another way of saying that don’t have active noise cancellation.

Nonetheless, memory foam ear pads should mean long lasting comfort and on ear controls for bass, treble and volume mean you won’t have to commute to the source of the audio.

Included is a transmitter that can beam tunes to up to 4 pairs of these headphones.  They’re also tossing in a hard shell carrying case, a wired mic cable, an airplane adapter and a USB/AC plug.

No word on a price, but expect the SYNC headphones to roll out this holiday for what we guess will be about $150-200.

SYNC by 50
Professionally tuned wireless headphones

Features
- Professionally tuned Digital EQ
- 16-bit lossless digital sound – Full on-board controls with bass boost, volume control & mute
- 50′ wireless range
- Custom 40mm driver
- Soft memory foam cushions
- Passive noise cancellation
- Sync up to 4 users from one source

* Available in Black and in White

Includes
- Wired mic cable
- 3.5mm wireless transmitter
- Hard-shell carry case
- Micro USB charging cable
- USB/AC adapter
- Airplane plug adapter
- 1/4″ gold-plated adapter
224

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 3.5 out of 5 stars

Hard drives, while a necessity, aren’t exactly a product that warrants much fervored discussion.  However, Segate’s latest GoFlex Satellite hard drive is a new breed of storage thanks to built-in WiFi and a battery, and it’s, well, kind of exciting.

The Seagate GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage, model STBF500101, can store up to 500GB of data, and while it is geared largely towards iPad users, it can be used by any tablet, laptop or computer with a built-in WiFi or USB connection.

Design

Recessed power button adds a nice touch – click to enlarge

The enclosure of the drive is all plastic, so it’s not the sleekest or most svelte of drives that I’ve seen from Seagate, but that’s a caveat I’m willing to accept given the unique feature set.

Two small LED lights adorn the face of the drive indicating wireless status and remaining battery power.  A recessed power button is embedded on the edge of the drive and sits adjacent to the LED lights.  On the opposite side is a 5V DC port, which unfortunately is not mini or micro-USB.  Nonetheless, Seagate has provide not only a USB wall wart for charging the internal battery, but an unusually handy and small car adapter that isn’t any larger than a mini Bic lighter.

Much like all of Seagate GoFlex line of hard drives, there is a proprietary port that is covered by a small plastic flap.  Remove it and you can plug in the included USB 3.0 cable.  The cover is small and black, so I could see myself easily losing it in the depths of my bag.

Battery and connectivity status LED lights – click to enlarge

The internals of the drive have been designed to be extra rugged.  Drop it or give the drive a sudden jolt while the spindle is rotating and it will automatically lock into place to prevent any damage to your data. However, I’m not sure I can say the same for the plastic casing.

Accessing the drive takes about 45-60 seconds, but once connected it is as simple as opening your web browser and punching in any URL; by default your browser will redirect to the drive’s built-in menu system.  If you’re accessing the drive from an iOS device, you can use the aforementioned method or download the accompanying app from the iTunes store.  Both are a mirror images of one and other, though the app is useful since in theory it speeds things up a bit for an iOS device since it doesn’t have to waste seconds downloading additional data.  On the other hand you can upload a file to the drive when accessing it from a computer, something not available in the iOS app.  Simply navigate to “folder view” where upon an upload button will appear.

A variety of tabs divide up the drive’s content by type.  So if it’s an MP3 files it will be listed under “music”, if a MOV file then under “videos” and so forth.    Unfortunately, the drive’s firmware hasn’t been designed to catalogue files and more importantly music using the embeded MP3 ID3 tags. As a result you’ll have to manually search and painstakingly crawl through you library to locate a track, though there is a search feature.  In other words, you can’t sort by artist, song title, time or any other info, which is what makes iTunes so useful.  Furthermore, this storage device, when connected wirelessly, doesn’t behave like a ‘host USB’ device, so you won’t be able to access the stored files from the iTunes application. Ultimately, this seriously diminishes the drive’s usability for the sake of taking your music on the go.  But Seagate’s intention is market this drive to those who are looking to the watch movies while in the car or on a plane.  So by the very nature of the movie files, which are generally speaking large in size, there will be less of them, so sorting and finding what you’re looking for shouldn’t be such an endeavor.  So to summarize the drive’s UI and app, while intuitive, is anything BUT analogous to that of the native iTunes apps for the iPhone or iPad.

Update: Seagate reached out and said they’re planning to launch a new firmware update on 10/16 which will address some of the sorting and UI concerns that I’ve stated above.  Expect an update around this time.

On a separate note, the iOS app will open files stored in an iTunes folder in the iOS browser, while other files, located I suppose else where, are opened directly in the app.  I’m not sure what the logic is here, but I can only presume that this has something to do with an Apple stipulation.

Connectivity

Seagate GoFlex interface – click to enlarge

Plug the Seagate GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage in via USB and it behaves like a standard hard drive.  However, it is formatted for PCs, so you’ll need to install the included Paragon software to make it Mac compatible for writing contents to its memory.  Seagate was quick to point out that this is a $50 piece of software that they’re including for “free”.

Connecting to the drive wirelessly, although not entirely unorthodox might take a bit more patience than you’re generally accustom to.  First you must find the drive’s SSID in your WiFi menu.  Once you’ve forged a connection you won’t be able to access the drive’s contents and surf the net simultaneously; it’s one or the other, though Seagate says they’re working on a firmware update that might negate this shortcoming.  If you’d like, you can add a WEP security pass code to the drive, much like a router, so your neighbor can’t login and steal your data.

I did have a few issues connecting directly with the drive wirelessly. However, I should point out that you need to be patient.  The drive takes about 30 seconds to appears in your computer or iPad’s WiFi list and another 30-45 seconds to form a connection.  In terms of connectivity, the drive froze on me a few times requiring me to power cycle it.  When the LED battery light glowed red this issue seemed to be a more prevalent, but perhaps the battery was almost dead and didn’t have enough juice to stream a movie or form a connection, despite emitting a wireless signal and SSID.

When testing the drive at my local Starbucks, I was able to make an initial connection, but after a few minutes, once my iPhone locked and the display turned off, the connection to the drive was lost requiring me to return to my iPhone’s settings menu, reinput the WEP code, and relaunch (as in close the background process) the Seagate accompanying app.  So fair to say that making and maintaining a connection, especially after adding a WEP security code, is a laborious task.  This is complete conjecture on my behalf, but the connectivity issues largely erose after adding the WEP security code.

Update: A recently issued Firmware update seems to have improved the drive’s overall connectivity. It now connects faster and maintains a connection with my iPhone or iPad despite it locking.

Connecting to the drive using a laptop or computer is a slightly different experience than an iOS device.  While you can stream movies directly from the wireless hard drive on an iOS handset, I was forced to download them to my computer’s local storage before I could use them.  Unfortunately, mid way through my testing, I was unable to access the drive using my laptop’s browser despite connecting to the drive’s WiFi signal.

Update: I managed to find a work around, which is to punch in the “router’s” IP address: 192.168.0.1.  Unfortunately, using this method I wasn’t able to view or download .m4v files, although .mov files played in the browser.  I’m still trying to figure out a better resolve, if any exists.

Performance

5V DC port – click to enlarge

The battery on the GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage is designed to last for up to 5 hours.  Expect to get about 25 hours on standby mode, which means the drive won’t be spinning, but will be available if you decide to connect to it.  If the battery status LED light glows green it is fully charged or has more than 50 minutes of juice left. Once it glows red the drive’s battery needs to be recharged.  I would have preferred if Seagate added another LED color to indicate a wider range of charge remaining as 5 hours and 51 minutes is a pretty large gray area.  During my testing I can say that this battery life isn’t quite on par and it seems to be questionable as to when the drive enters standby mode.  During one day of testing, after a full over night charge, the red LED light turned on after little to no use of the drive, although it had been in “standby mode” for 6 hours.

In terms of playback performance and usability I had a few issues when initially testing the drive.  Playback was a bit spotty when streaming my first movie, “True Legend,” but has ceased to be a problem since.  The drive’s refresh between menus aren’t exactly what I’d call speedy and you’ll need to be a bit patient when accessing content compared to the speed of natively stored files on the iPhone, iPad or laptop.  Despite my initial streaming issues I was able to “scrub” through a movie’s time line with little to no delay with image and audio appearing almost instantly.

Up to 3 devices can access the drive simultaneously.  That, in my opinion, is a feat in and upon itself.  But the buck doesn’t stop there.  Those same devices can stream an HD movie simultaneously.  And not just the same movie, different movies. I tested this feature on two iOS devices and the speed and quality at which the content played back was seamless, almost to the point where anyone none the wiser wouldn’t believe it was being drawn from the same wireless source.

Conclusion

We’ll probably never see a day when the iPad and iPhone can store 500GB of data.  Not because it isn’t plausible, but because the storage landscape is rapidly shifting to the cloud, negating the need for large amounts of local storage.  Pair that with 4G networks which can deliver theoretical download speed of up to 50mbps, and mass local storage for portable devices is all but needed.  Netflix is a perfect example of this shift as is Spotify (amongst others). But nonetheless, all of the aforementioned technologies have yet to to mature to the point where it negates a device such as Seagate’s wireless hard drive.

As a result Seagate’s GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage solution is a excellent product for families and friends that are traveling together and want to be able to share their media.  However, the firmware or software leaves something to be desired, at least for now.  They’ve been listening to their customers and have plans to continue to issue updates that will improve and streamline its UI.  In fact, Seagate will launch the next Firmware update 10/16 which will address many of the shortcomings I unearthed during my testing.

Bottom line: It’s a stellar wired hard drive that happens to boast a wireless connection when you need it. So the way I see it, it’s all gravy, though you’ll pay a premium for that sauce.

The Seagate GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage can be purchased from Amazon and a variety of retails for starting at $179.

Pros:

• Wirelessly streams up to 3 HD movies simultaneously
• Can be used as a normal 500GB hard drive to store contents
• Rechargeable battery includes a tiny car adapter

Cons:

• Cannot simultaneously connect to the net and the hard drive
• Can’t access stored content wirelessly from a native iOS apps such as iTunes; won’t behave like a USB host device
• Battery life is questionable

123►

4 out of 5 stars

With everyone and their mother having smartphones and tablets now-a-days, portable storage is a big thing.  Normally you would facilitate extra storage for your device by slapping a memory card into it, however unless your device can handle an SDXC card (and no tablets or smartphones can yet), then you’re limited to 32GB.  What if you wanted something more – something more substantial?  Enter the Seagate GoFlex Satellite 500GB ultra portable hard drive.

The concept behind the Seagate GoFlex Satellite hard drive is an interesting one – make a pocket-sized hard drive that can easily be accessed from any mobile device at any time.  Think about the possibilities here – you can store whole movies or a load of music without having to worry about running out of room, and just stream them when you need them.  You can even download things from the hard drive straight to your device – just in case you would ever need to (in case you didn’t feel like carrying it but needed something off of it).  It does all of this by creating it’s own WiFi network which you then connect to from your various devices.  In concept it’s a really great idea, in practice though it does fall short at times.

One of the ways that it falls short, is that you can forget about using the internet while you’re connected to it.  It would have been great if it would have worked as a “pass through” – I understand that it couldn’t be done for 3G or what have you (because of different service providers), but if I’m connected to another WiFi network, why can’t I just set the GoFlex to connect to that same network?  For someone like me who’s job requires them to be constantly connected to the net in order to answer emails and look ad product data, the down time can be a killer.

Also, if you’re using an iOS device, the Seagate GoFlex Satellite doesn’t work nearly as well as if you were using an Android based device.  While most of the features work the same, downloading from the GoFlex becomes an issue.  It’s not because of any fault of the drive, but rather because of the way that Apple stores it’s files.  With any of the Android tablets I have, I was able to download music from the drive straight to the tablet, disconnect, and then easily play said music.  On my iPhone however, the second I disconnected, the things I downloaded were no longer accessible.  It’s not just that they didn’t transfer into the iPod file list; even when I opened the GoFlex app and went to local content, the files would be visible for all of two seconds, then would disappear.  No matter what I tried, this was the result – it showed me the files long enough for me to know they were on my iPhone taking up space, but I couldn’t access them until I re-connected to the GoFlex.

For my Android devices though, the GoFlex proved a very valuable tool – I was able to put a few kid’s movies on it so that for once I had some peace and quiet on the road (it even comes with a car charger for just such purposes), and I was still able to store a large library of music for myself.  I’ve taken to just leaving it in the car anymore, because that’s where I most use it, and it’s so small it fits pretty much anywhere I have space.

Right out of the box it works with USB 2.0, where it gets decent transfer speeds, however you can upgrade to USB 3.0, or eSATA though by just buying a cable kit.  I transferred close to 400 GB of music, pictures, documents and two movies to this, and it took about five and a half hours – pretty much what I was expecting from the USB 2.0 connection ( Windows showed an average transfer speed of 17 MB/second).  Normally I wouldn’t be transferring so much at once though, so that’s not really an issue – besides, anyone who’s archived drives before knows how long it takes.

Despite the few issue I had with it, the Seagate GoFlex Satellite 500GB hard drive is a decent little product.  It’s a lot of space for a price that’s not too bad.  I’m not sure if an update to the app or a firmware update will fix the issues on iOS devices, but again I don’t fault Seagate for the stupid ways Apple handles files.  While I still wish that I could connect the GoFlex to another WiFi network so I didn’t lose all internet access while connected to it, that’s not really a deal breaker either, as you just have to remember to disconnect from it when done.  All in all, I’d recommend this to anyone who owns an Android device, and to iOS users as long as they know the limitations.

Final score?  Four stars out of five.

Pros:

• Extremely small and lightweight – you can keep it in your pocket and forget it’s there
• Nice large capacity means you can store a LOT and access it whenever you need to
• Included car charger is a welcome bonus

Cons:

• Some issues with transferring files to an iOS device for use when not connected to the GoFlex
• The glossy black finish is a magnet for fingerprints
• No way to access the internet on whatever device is connected to it

You can pick up a 500GB GoFlex Satellite drive from Amazon for $179.99

Update: According to Launchport the preorder fee ($10) is actually a deposit good towards the purchase price.

3 years ago Palm made headlines by introducing not only a new handset, the Palm Pre, but by including an optional base that utilized inductive charging, as in magnets, to charge the smartphone.  To charge it you just laid the handset onto the surface and assuming the two devices were aligned properly charging would commence sans wires.  Following that a number of aftermarket options, such as Powermat, broke onto the scene, but in the end the tech has yet to see mass adoption, large in part because you still need to physically place your phone directly onto a pad.  Despite the slow adoption rate, that hasn’t stopped Launchport from jumping on the inductive charging bandwagon, though they’ve hedged their bets considerably by targeting iPad users.

Much like Powermat, the Launchport requires that you retrofit a case to the iPad which no doubt plugs into its 30-pin port.  Two versions of the charging base are offered: one that mounts into your home’s wall and one that simply sits on the desktop holding the iPad at a convenient 45 degree angle.  While both cost $200, a daunting amount of cash to charge a $400+ device, the wall version will require a relatively significant installation, that is assuming you want a seamless experience.  However, once installed, it will double as a magnetic mount, not only charging the iPad but enabling you to stick it to the wall and leave loved ones notes as to your where abouts, as seen in the product video.

Unfortunately, the cost doesn’t stop there as you’ll also need to throw down an additional $150 for the compatible case, which includes “a built-in wave guide for the iPad 2 speaker that allows the sound to be directed back at you” and lets you stick the iPad 2 to any magnetic metal surface.  Nonetheless, the price is hardly justifiable in our minds, but perhaps they’re counting on the convenience of a wall mountable charger being just too hard to resist.

Did we mention that they’re demanding an additional $10 if you preorder the device?  Odd, because usually early adopters are awarded for their bravery, not punished.  Launchport better get their act together quick, otherwise they’ll find themselves with an overpriced paperclip holder.

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If you own a laptop and a desktop computer, the experience can be frustrating when you transition from a trackpad to an external mouse. Suddenly the multigesture commands you’ve come to love and know are now relegated to a a scroll wheel and a set of macro buttons, that’s assuming you’ve invested in a decent desktop mouse. Now Logitech has the product to quell your frustration and it comes in the form of the their Wireless Touchpad.
Okay, so it’s not a ground breaking device by any account, but it costs just $50 and enables the same multigesture controls found on any Macbook to be enjoyed right on your desktop. As it happens it’s about the same size as Apple Magic Trackpad, but costs $19 less. And much like Apple’s offering, Logitech has provided the same multigesture commands, which we assume arrives in the form of a Logitech developed driver and is only compatible with Windows.
Battery life caps out at 4 months, though it will vary with use. An LED light indicates when the juice is running low, where upon you’ll need to plug it in to recharge the built-in battery. Included is one of Logitech’s Unifying receivers, connecting it wirelessly and leaving you to choose where to place the handy device.
The Logitech Wireless Touchpad can be preordered now with shipping commencing sometime later this month.

Belkin has long been regarded as a company that makes routers and switches.  That is all about to change thanks to their newest product introduced today, the ScreenCast AV 4.

The ScreenCast AV 4 can wirelessly beam HD video from any HDMI equipped Blu-ray player to an HDTV.  The system consists of a transmitter and a receiver.  The transmitter plugs into the source device’s (Blu-ray Player, video game system, etc) HDMI port, while the receiver plugs into the HDTV’s HDMI input.  It works over the 5Ghz spectrum and is WHDI compliant.

Belkin says the receiver and transmitter need to be within a 100-foot proximity for them to connect.  But if the case is such you should be able to achieve full 1080 video, 3D video and 5.1-channel surround sound.  Belkin didn’t explicitly say, but we assume 5.1-channel sound and HD video can occur simultaneously.

But the buck doesn’t stop there.  The ScreenCast AV 4 features a built-in Leapfrog like remote system, which lets you control your device’s even when they’re located in the other room and out of sight.  So in theory you should be able to watch TV in your bedroom and still play/pause/rewind the wirelessly connected Blu-ray player in the living room.  Since the transmitter plugs into the source device’s HDMI port, which are generally located on the back, far from the infrared input, we assume they’ve got plans to include a dongle or eye like system that reaches around to the front.

The ScreenCast AV 4 will be available this October for $249.99

Full press release below.

ScreenCast AV 4

ScreenCast AV 4 wirelessly connects your home theater equipment to your HDTV via a transmitter connected to the device’s HDMI connection. Installation is easy—simply plug the HDMI® transmitter into your source device, such as a Blu-ray™ player, and plug the receiver into your HDTV. The powerful transmitter enables you to locate AV equipment up to 100 feet away within a room, or hide them in a closet or adjacent room at a reduced distance.

ScreenCast AV 4 allows you to enjoy the best picture and sound quality with full-HD 1080p resolution, 3D video, and up to 5.1 channels of surround sound. ScreenCast AV also gives you total control of your home entertainment system. The included infrared emitter connects to the ScreenCast AV transmitter and relays the signal from your AV devices’ remote controls, allowing you to use the existing controllers, even when the devices are located in another room.

“ScreenCast AV 4 is the perfect solution for both home theater buffs and interior design enthusiasts as it enables you to wall-mount your HDTV for ideal viewing without costly rewiring or drilling holes in your wall,” said Kraft.

Universal Wireless HDTV Adapter and Universal Wireless AV Adapter

Belkin’s Universal Wireless products turn any Internet-ready TV into a Wi-Fi-enabled TV and make getting connected to services like Netflix®, Pandora®, and Hulu Plus® easy. Both the Universal Wireless HDTV Adapter and the Universal Wireless AV Adapter work with all brands of Internet-ready TVs and provide dual-band performance for better wireless signals and high-quality 3D and HD video streaming. Both feature easy setup and plug-and-play wireless streaming using your existing home network and wireless router.

The Universal Wireless HDTV Adapter is designed specifically for smart TV applications. Powered by a USB cable that connects to any compatible smart TV, it offers superior wireless performance over USB dongles. Unlike wireless adapters from TV manufacturers, the Belkin Universal Wireless HDTV Adapter works with all brands of smart TVs and can be mounted anywhere on the back of the TV for enhanced streaming capabilities.

While the Universal Wireless HDTV Adapter enables Wi-Fi access for a single Internet-ready TV and mounts directly to the back of the TV through the Ethernet port, the Universal Wireless AV Adapter is designed to connect up to four AV devices for streaming to multiple components. Devices are connected to the Universal Wireless Adapter, which then accesses the Internet through your existing home network. This allows you to have wireless access in your living room even if your router lives elsewhere in the home.

“Streaming content is changing the way we watch television, play video games, and use our home theater systems, and Belkin’s Universal Wireless products help you get your gaming console, smart TV, or Blu-ray player connected to your home network without having to rearrange or reconfigure your wireless router,” said Kraft.

ScreenCast AV 4 Wireless AV-to-HDTV Adapter – F7D4515

· Store AV equipment up to 100 feet away or at a reduced distance through walls or closet doors
· Enjoy full-HD 1080p resolution, 3D video, and 5.1 channel surround sound
· The IR Blaster gives you total device control. Just point your remote at the TV, and ScreenCast does the rest.
· Tabletop or wall-mountable receiver, ideal for wall-mounted HDTVs
· Easy, professional-looking installation without the professional price. Connect your AV devices to the transmitter and hide them away.
· Uses 5GHz spectrum to minimize interference and provide superior audio and video quality
· HDCP-enabled; works with protected content like Blu-ray Disc™
· Compliant with WHDI™ standard
· $249.99
· Available in October 2011

Philips line of Fidelio speakers continues to expand.  Last week the company introduced the SoundRing with Airplay.  Two versions will be available when it goes on sale later this year, but both promise natural and immersive sound that fires in all directions.

Under the hood are a central bass sound pipe and four high definition drivers – two front-firing and two side-firing.  The DS3880W incorpates a a 5-hour rechargeable battery and iPhone dock, while the DS3800W uses the same speaker setup, but lacks a built-in rechargeable battery.  Total power caps out at 16 watts and a 5-band equalizer is on board, which can be accessed using their compatible Fidelio iPhone app.

Since both models feature Apple’s Airplay technology, you’ll be able to stream tunes from any iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or PC with a wireless signal.  Alternatively, there is an AUX input for non-compatible devices. Included is a remote that complements the design of the SoundRing, allowing you to change tracks and volume from afar.

No word on a price or a launch date.

Coming this fall, Apple will offer a cloud storage system for all your files.  However, the Cupertino company will require a monthly or yearly subscription to access the service, that is assuming 5GB isn’t enough to satiate your ever expanding library of photos, documents, email and more.  It’s ideal in many aspects, especially if you’re an iPhone owner since the integration should be seamless and as we already alluded to, 5GB is free to all users.   However, a major caveat is that there is a reoccuring fee if you exceed the allotted amount of space and your files are stored on a server located in the nether regions of the webosphere.

Pogoplug, one of the first entrants into consumer based cloud storage, is now pitching a new version of their device, and unlike previous iterations this one ditches the yearly fee.  It’s called the Pogoplug Mobile and despite the name, it’s designed to remain at home, wired to your router via an Ethernet connection.  Truth be told, the Mobile part really refers to their target audience – in other words smartphone users.

Much like Apple’s iCloud service, Pogoplug is promising to automatically back up all of your photos, music and more.  They say this action happens in the background, but since we haven’t got a hands on and our skeptical sensor is tingling, something tells us it won’t be as seamless as they promise.  Our skepticism is largely derived from that fact that Apple doesn’t allow apps, such as iTunes or the camera, to interact with 3rd party devices, so we’re really not sure how the backup can happen automatically if you snap a new photo or download a song on your handset. Unless of course their smartphone app can some how suck these from your device’s storage. We reread the press release more thoroughly, and the auto backup feature seems to be only compatible with Android handsets.  Sorry iPhone users.

Backup concerns aside, the hardware is a small black box that installs in a few minutes time.  Just connect it to your router via Ethernet cord, head to a designated web address and you can access any content (docs, music, movies, etc) connected to it.  There is a built-in SD card slot, which is a nice feature for those who want to share their photos with friends, and a USB port for adding a hard drive.  With a USB hub you could add additional USB devices, though it’s a bit difficult to tell how well it will play with the Pogoplug Mobile, but our assumptions are it should be a none issue.

At the end of the day the PogoPlug Mobile isn’t a massive evolutionary step over their previous products.  Clearly the winners here are Android users since they can automatically backup all of their content acquired on their smartphone, while iPhone users are better off waiting for Apple’s iCloud service to release later this fall.

You can preorder the PogoPlug Mobile for $79.99.

This is Sony’s newest Airplay compatible speaker, the SA-NS500 Wireless HomeShare Speaker.  According to The Verge it kicks out a fair bit of bass and out performs Jawbone’s Jambox by leaps and bounds.  However, it does weigh almost 10lbs, where as the Jambox is a mere 12oz, so it’s sort of like comparing a heavy weight boxer’s punch against a featherweight’s.

Inside the almost alien looking device are four drivers, a subwoofer, and a built-in 5-6 hour battery.  It produce 360 degrees of sound, so it’s ideal for a party, or at the very least a part on the go, provided you place it in the center of the room.  We’re not sure if that battery spec is based on wireless streaming, but since that’s the mainstay of this product, we can only assume it’s within reason to that number.

Sony has plans, or has already built a set of Android and iPhone compatible apps.  The latter device will of course stream over Airplay and Android should run over DLNA, or in the case of Sony HomeShare.

The Sony SA-NS500 Wireless HomeShare Speaker will be available this October for $399.

Expand your musical listening experience with some wireless speakers! We’ve picked out a 7 of the best solutions under $500 on the market, which allow you to play your favorite playlists, Internet stations or music subscriptions in any room of your pad, regardless if your audio system isn’t WiFi compatible. It’s time to step up your musical game!

7. CREATIVE SOUNDBLASTER WIRELESS ($150)

Easy and super simple, Creative’s SoundBlaster provides a great wireless solution without all the fuss. If you want music from point A to B, without having to worry about setting up all kinds of wires, then you’ve found what you’re looking for! The starter kit ($150) comes with a dongle for your Mac or PC, as well as a single receiver with 35mm or RCA stereo jacks.

Bonus: The hardware is pre-paired and works right out of the box!

6. PLAYGO USB WIRELESS SPEAKER ($500)

Enhance wireless streaming of your favorite jams with playGo’s USB Wireless Speaker System. Simply plug in the USB into your computer and your tunes will be wireless sent to any accompanying receiver unit. It’s price might be a tad scary ($499.99), but it features a stylish looks and is very durable.

Bonus: It can endure practically anything since it’s made from Corian, which is the stuff used to make countertops.

5. KLIPSCH LIGHTSPEAKERS ($599/$249 each)

Although it’s not entirely a complete WiFi solution, these speakers are capable of streaming music wirelessly from your PC …but also functions as a light source. Simply screw the Lightspeakers into any 5-or 6-inch socket and you have a light source.

Bonus: You can never go wrong with two-for-one devices, but this one is only great for PC peeps!

4. LOGITECH WIRELESS SPEAKER ($40)

Logitech’s Wireless Speaker Adapter allows for WiFi using Bluetooth so you can listen to all your music, movies and games that are on your Bluetooth-enabled gadgets on your home audio’s speakers. You’ll get a much better sound quality using this than with what you’d get from your mobile device’s tiny built-in speakers.

Bonus: Its $39.99 price is totally affordable and its sleek, modern design is pleasing.

3. APPLE AIRPORT EXPRESS ($100)

For those Apple enthusiasts who like to keep everything Apple-based comes their AirPort Express. Featuring blazing fast 802.11n, the AirPort Express may be tiny, but it’s powerful enough to connect up to 10 users on its network.

Bonus: Its small size allows you to take it anywhere!

2. AUDIOENGINE W1 AND W2 ($99)

The Audioengine W1 is a wireless audio adapter that sends music from your computer, iPod or any other audio device straight to your headphones or home audio system. It’s a great way to eliminate audio cables and features CD-quality HD stereo sound, making your music sound that much better. The W2 is a wireless adapter specifically made for your iPod. Send music wireless from your iPod or iPod Touch to any speaker or audio system in your home.

Bonus: It’s $99 price makes both a great bargain!

1. SONOS PLAY:3 ($299)

Plug in the Sonos Play:3 to enjoy music anywhere you want. The all-in-one wireless system allows you to stream your entire music library, any music services you subscribe to Internet stations without any real hard work. With HiFi sound quality and the convenience to place anywhere, all you need to do is plug in the Sonos Play:3 and listen anywhere.

Bonus: Free Sonos Controller apps for Android, iPhone and iPad let you control your zone players, music on the Internet and your computer right from the palm of your hand.

There are more than a myriad of options when it comes to wirelessly streaming music to a set of speakers in  your home.  For instance, there is Audioengine.  They provide a simple solution that consists of a USB dongle that plugs into your computer and sends tunes to an accompanying receiver unit.  They’ve also got a iPhone/iPod compatible transmitter dongle, though it will put a significant drain on your device’s battery.  Alternatively, there is Airport Express, which is compatible with Apple’s Airplay tech and integrates nicely with Apple products.  Lastly, there is the more expensive, yet scalable Sonos system.  Sonos is available at a variety of levels depending on the home owner’s needs, ranging from stand alone speaker systems, to a fully integrated speaker and receiver system that can be mounted into ceilings and walls.

Entering the fray is a company called playGO.  At the end of the day their offering is effectively the same.  A transmitters plugs into the computer’s USB port, while a receiver unit can attach to a set of speakers or compatible stereo equipment thanks to your choice of optical or RCA connectivity.

The units themselves are made of a material Corian, which is used in the manufacturing of countertops – in other words these things should be able to take a licking.  A set of LED lights indicate activity and the receiver unit features play and volume controls, though were not sure on their level of compatiblity barring a software driver for your computer.  The max wireless range is up to 75-feet and the transmitter is compatible with up to 4 receiver units simultaneously.  Much like Audioengine’s offering, the receiver unit will require power, as in an AC adapter.

So we give them high marks for a trendy look and durability.  However, the catch is the price, which is $449.99.  Audioengine’s W1 USB system, which is extremely comparable in feature set (minus the controls) is just $99, as is Apple’s Airport Express.