Archive for October 29th, 2009

The Airport Express is a slick little device, but I believe E-Top may have bested Apple with the 3R161N.  The device features two USB ports and a LAN port, a hard operation mode switch to move between router, access point and WiFi modes, as well as 5 status lights.

Sure, this thing knocks off the Airport Express shamelessly, but at least us PC users now have a portable 802.11n option that actually looks decent.

Earlier this month we reported that a tiny remote control from Flip Video had passed through the FCC.  Today we learned what that remote will control:  FlipShare TV.

FlipShare TV enables you to display PC-based video on your TV.  Friends can also give you access to their videos over the Internet using FlipShare’s Flip Channels functionality.

To make this happen, all you need to do is plug the FlipShare USB key into your PC and connect the FlipShare TV Base unit to your TV via HDMI or AV cables.  And that’s it – pretty simple, huh?

Once connected to your TV, FlipShare TV relies on a simple, 10 foot-style interface that allows you to play video, root through your various video folders, mark videos as favorites, or view Flip Channels, which are videos shared by other FlipShare users.  All of this is controlled by the remote control that we spotted earlier this month.

Overall, FlipShare TV seems like a pretty basic solution that meshes well with the simplicity of Flip’s video cameras.  Sure, it doesn’t provide you with a ton of features, but if all you’re looking to do is quickly view your videos on a TV, then this solution will work well.

However, I am concerned about the throughput of the FlipShare USB key – any interference could degrade the quality of your videos, particularly since your TV and PC may be far from each other.

More pics after the jump:

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Huawei’s B260a Wireless Gateway passed through the FCC today.  In addition to traditional WLAN features, the B260a also works as a 3G wireless router.  All you need to do is plug in your SIM card into the B260a, and you have access to WCDMA wireless goodness.

Interestingly, you can also plug a traditional phone into the B260a to make calls over the Internet.  This is an interesting features, because it allows you to turn your mobile phone into a landline, and vice versa.  That makes me think the B260a may be used by wireless carriers to bring a “landline” into the homes of wireless customers.

Although the B260a isn’t the first device with these features, it does seem like it brings a variety of wireless technologies together in an eloquent manner.

Although it looks a bit odd, the XpressWay Bluetooth headset from BlueParrott is actually a pretty versatile device.  The XpressWay comes with three interchangeable headpieces that allow you to wear the headset over your head, behind your head, or over your ear (like most Bluetooth headsets).

It’s a good idea, particularly if you use your Bluetooth headset at work and on the road.  However, the device is not exactly compact, and the long mic is a bit more obtrusive than most headsets.