Wireless

Sony yesterday announced the Reader Daily Edition, a wireless digital reader with 3G connectivity. The Daily Edition joins Sony's new line of Readers, the Reader Pocket Edition and the Reader Touch Edition which were announced earlier this month. The Reader Pocket Edition and the Reader Touch Edition are available now, with the Reader Daily Edition being available in December.

The Reader Pocket Edition features a five-inch electronic paper display and is available in a variety of colors, including navy blue, rose and silver. Priced at $199, it is the most affordable dedicated reading device on the market.

The Reader Touch Edition has a responsive six-inch touch screen panel that lets you quickly turn pages, highlight text and take notes by simply swiping your finger. The included stylus pen can be used as well. It comes in red, black or silver and retails for about $299.

The big news is the new Reader Daily Edition with wireless access via AT&T's 3G mobile broadband network. You can access Sony's eBook store from just about anywhere in the U.S. Browse and download books, newspapers and magazines with no monthly fees or transaction charges for basic wireless connectivity. You also have the option to side load your own documents or content from other compatible sites via USB.Read more

Jabra just announced that their new HALO Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headset is now available at Best Buy stores in North America. This new headset is compatible with Blackberry smartphones, as well as Apple's iPhone and iPod touch.

Weighing in at just 3 ounces, the Jabra HALO is a compact, over-the-head, foldable headset that is small enough to take wherever you go. The HALO offers wireless connectivity with a 30 foot operating range, as well as the ability to connect to 3.5 mm multimedia playing devices such as cell phones and laptops.

The Jabra HALO lets you connect two Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mobile phones, MP3 players, or laptops. It also includes an intuitive on/off functionality, a display that shows battery and connectivity status, a touch volume control, and to make sure you don't miss a call, the HALO fades out music when you receive an incoming call. Read more

The Creative Sound Blaster Wireless for iTunes will wirelessly play iTunes, MP3 and all audio from a PC or Mac through powered speakers up to 100 feet away. The Sound Blaster Wireless for iTunes including a Creative Wireless Receiver is available today at Amazon.com and Creative.com for only $149.99.

Sound Blaster Wireless for iTunes enables speakers to be placed anywhere in the home. Because Sound Blaster Wireless for iTunes is only about the size of a thumb drive, the user can just grab it and plug it into the USB connection on a PC or Mac. Connect a Creative Wireless Receiver to speakers or the great-sounding Creative GigaWorks T20W speakers which contain a built-in wireless receiver and the Sound Blaster Wireless for iTunes is ready to go.

It uses a proprietary wireless technology based on 2.4 GHz designed specifically for audio so the listener doesn’t have to tolerate dropouts or interference, which commonly plague Bluetooth and Wi-Fi systems. Also, it doesn't require a wireless network.

The SoundLink wireless music system is a one-piece portable speaker system that allows users to play music from their computer, wirelessly, in and around the home. No software or Wi-Fi connection is required. Just plug the included SoundLink USB key into the computer, select music from iTunes, Pandora, or any other Internet radio or music source and the audio will stream to the SoundLink system via a long-range wireless link that works through most walls and floors. It also comes with an infrared remote control and a lithium-ion charged battery.

The new SoundLink wireless music system comes in Gloss Black, and will be available from Bose beginning August 27, 2009, for a price of $549.95. It will be sold at authorized Bose dealers, Bose retail stores, www.Bose.com or toll free at 1-800-444-BOSE (2673).

Lexmark will deliver eight new AIO inkjets ideal for small to medium sized businesses. From new product designs to industry leading touch screen solutions, Lexmark is introducing a robust, more business focused line of inkjet printers than ever before.

The new line includes three Web-connected touch screen AIOs with Lexmark's myTouch capacitive 4.3-inch touch screen technology. The touch screen AIOs will be available at competitive price points ranging from $199 to $399. These printers will feature SmartSolutions, which is an intuitive and innovative approach to user interfaces.Read more

I was recently given the opportunity to review Adesso's new WKB-3200 wireless multimedia keyboard…and good timing I might add, as the one I was using was so old most of the letters had worn off!

The WKB-3200 wireless keyboard features an 800 DPI Optical Trackball, Scroll Wheels, Windows Key, Multimedia Control Keys, Internet Hot Keys and (MCE) Media Center Edition controls all are built in. The MCE controls let you easily (and quickly!) operate most of the multimedia software...perfect for Windows Vista users.

Connecting it to my computer was a breeze too. No annoying drivers to install. I simply took it out of the box, put the batteries in, plugged in the USB receiver and I was good to go. A pleasant surprise. Read more

Comcast just announced they are rolling out Comcast High-Speed 2go Wireless Data Service beginning today in Portland, Oregon. High-Speed 2go is a 4G wireless high-speed data service that provides the fast wireless Internet service via wireless data cards.

Comcast is selling two different data cards and service plans:

• Comcast High-Speed 2go Metro service uses a 4G-only data card giving customers the fastest wireless service within the 4G metro coverage area. The Metro device operates only in a 4G service footprint.
• Comcast High-Speed 2go Nationwide service delivers the fastest metro 4G service plus coast-to-coast access on Sprint’s national 3G network. The Nationwide device automatically switches between available 4G and 3G networks.

Comcast is offering bundled access to both wired and wireless internet - sold together as a "Fast Pack" for as low as $49.99 per month for one year. Both new and existing Comcast customers will be eligible for bundled pricing, with Triple Play customers receiving 4G wireless as an add-on for as low as $30 per month. Visit www.comcast.com/highspeed2go for additional pricing plans and service packages.

Belkin is first to the market to have speeds up to 1,000Mbps, with its newly announced Gigabit Powerline HD Adapter.

Powered by Gigle Semiconductor's mediaxtream chip, Belkin's Gigabit Powerline provides a secure, stable networking signal anywhere in the home—even for areas that are hard to reach by wireless connections.

Because of its high Gigabit speeds and consistent connection, Gigabit Powerline reduces online gaming latency and provides large bandwidth, making it ideal for online PC gaming and ultrafast high-quality transmission of multiple video streams. While the current fastest powerline technology runs at 200Mbps, Gigabit Powerline delivers content at 1000Mbps of speed!

All you do in plug in one end of the Adapter into an available wall outlet and connect the other end to any device with an available Ethernet port (RJ45).

The Belkin Gigabit Powerline Adapter is available now in North America for $149.99. It is expected launch in Europe early this August, as well.

A new router was just announced that allows you to connect to the Internet from anywhere, at any time, even when a wireless connection isn't available. The new LevelOne 3G MobileSpot Portable Wireless HotSpot by CP Technologies lets you connect and share an Internet connection or create a VPN from anywhere in the world (yes, in the WORLD!). Simply plug a compatible 3G notebook adapter into the device's CardBus slot, and you can share a UMTS, EV-DO, or HSDPA network with any Wi-Fi enabled device. And…if your Internet connection fails, the router automatically connects to the Internet via 3G connection.

The MobileSpot Portable Wireless Hotspot (model WBR-3800) is available now with an MSRP of $149.

Find out more information by visiting www.level1.com.Read more

The need for speed comes from wireless devices doing more than just delivering voice communication. The manufacturers of consumer electronic devices are building smaller, more functional products that exceed our needs in most cases. Bluetooth technology must keep up the pace, and Bluetooth 3.0 delivers on the requirements for wireless devices that deliver large video files, music and photos.

The good news for consumers is the Bluetooth 3.0 devices have power control built in the device. This means longer battery life and use between charges. Those who understand radio protocols will appreciate the 802.11 speeds that Bluetooth 3.0 uses. This means data transfers will have an approximate rate of 24 Mbps!

The best way to find Bluetooth enabled devices is to search the Bluetooth Gadget Guide.