Tag: networking

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Networking

Turris Omnia aims to protect your privacy

Routers are among the most commonly-used tech devices in homes. However, when people are not using one to connect to the Internet, the device is idle and just consuming electricity.

The makers of the open-source Turris Omnia router have designed their device to have multiple functions within the home. In addition to serving as a fast router, it can be used as a home server, network-attached storage (NAS) device and a print server, according to its Indiegogo campaign. The device can handle up to 1 GB per second of traffic with no trouble, its makers say. It also has a SIM card slot and crypto chip for secure random number generation. Turris Omnia ships in April at future pricing of $285, although early bird backers can get one at pricing as low as $189. A version without Wi-Fi has a future price of $209, but early bird backers can get one at $139. Its makers are out to raise $100,000 by Jan. 12.

The device’s multifunctionality makes it fairly unique among routers. Other recent routers with crowdfunding campaigns focused on features including simplicity (Keewifi) and portability (Share Foil). Turris Omnia touts neither of those functions, but its more advanced functions may make it appealing to tech enthusiasts.

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Imaging Networking

U+ flash drive forms a triple threat for storage, charging and selfies

USB flash drives are extremely handy. But there are many of them on the market and the makers of several more of them have recently sought funding via crowdsourcing, including the Reversible USB Adapter.

patent-claimedWhat separates U+ is that the hybrid device serves not only as a wireless USB flash drive, but also a multimedia hub, external charger and a selfie shutter. For the latter functionality, it integrates with Android and iOS smartphone and tablet cameras to create a selfie shutter that activates at the click of a button on the U+. The campaign touts that it’s built with a Qualcomm CPU and Samsung RAM, and supports 1080p video.

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Categories
Music Networking

Back to the Backers: mBox multi-room music system

After failing to reach its Kickstarter goal of raising $40,000 AUD last year, the Australia-based maker of the mBox multi-room music system is now giving Indiegogo a try with a new campaign for the product. But he’s opted for an even more ambitious goal of raising $50,000 by Aug. 27 this time.

MBox can send music wirelessly throughout a home to any Bluetooth, Airplay or Universal Plug and Play/Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)-compatible speaker. The chief selling point remains that users aren’t locked into a proprietary technology and can create a multi-room audio system with speakers they already own. Included with each mBox system are two devices: an mBox hub that can be used to connect any wireless speakers and an mBox mini that will connect any wired speakers to the wireless mBox network.

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Networking

Shellfire Box hides all your home Internet traffic from prying snoops

Censorship and other draconian tactics to keep the Internet anything but the free and expansive entity it should always be are unfortunately enforced in countries around the world to various degrees every single day. Luckily, the virtual denizens of the Internet are a sly bunch, employing tactics like VPNs and the use of the Tor network in order to skirt prohibition. VPNs can also be used to circumvent location restrictions around accessing certain Web sites such as the BBC iPlayer or Hulu if you’re not in their home countries.

Shellfire is a VPN service, has been operating out of Germany for the past 12 years. While its service works for computers and some smart devices, there are many other devices like consoles and Blu-ray players that can’t connect and be protected. As such, there are many people looking for a single solution that can securely connect any device on their home network. That’s the mission of the Shellfire Box.

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Categories
Connected Objects Networking

Eero can be your hero in overcoming wireless dead zones

A frequent annoyance for Wi-Fi users is when a dead zone prevents them from accessing the Internet in certain locations of their homes. Another annoyance is having to reset a router when it mysteriously stops working.

Eero has been designed to blanket a user’s entire home with fast, reliable Wi-Fi in order to eliminate dead zones and all the other frequent wireless issues that Internet users typically experience. The device looks like a basic router and plugs into an existing cable or DSL modem. Users then just download an Android or iOS app and it will instantly recognize Eero and prompt users to create their own network name and password. Additional Eeros need power from a standard wall outlet and get placed around the home with the help of the app.

A typical apartment will need two Eeros, while an average house will need three and a larger house will require four to work at maximum effectiveness. The Eeros work together to form a mesh network. Unlike traditional routers and extenders that only allow for data to make a single hop, Eero allows for multiple hops with minimal signal loss. Consumers can connect up to 10 Eeros. One unit will cost $199 and its maker will bundle three at the discounted price of $499 when it ships this summer.

Eero holds a lot of promise, as long as it works as effectively as its maker claims. The Splitter is a rival device that attempts to resolve wireless dead zones, but Eero is a far more advanced system.

Categories
Connected Objects Technology

Keewifi stresses simplicity in security with new router

Routers are the essential gateway that connect our many home gadgets to the Internet, but setting them up can be a major hassle. Chinese newcomer Keewifi has focused on simple connectivity with a new $99 router that enables devices to securely access Wi-Fi without the need for passwords.

The plug-and-play device is small and uses the 802.11ac wireless networking standard, along with proximity technology to authenticate mobile devices as an alternative to standard Wi-Fi passwords. Keewifi stresses on its Kickstarter campaign page that by tapping one’s mobile device on the router one can set up a connection in only 30 seconds. But the company’s video on the site shows that when a mobile device is even held closely to the Keewifi, connection is achieved and a circular blue light glows on top of the router. The device needs to be held within just 2 inches of the syncing panel. Keewifi is looking to raise at least $50,000 on Kickstarter. The company expects to fulfill initial units to backers in July.

There are, of course, plenty of routers on the market, some of them cheaper than Keewifi and many of them from brands familiar to U.S. consumers, including Linksys and Netgear. The new router’s simplicity will likely be appealing to many consumers and stands to make it a hit, but only if Keewifi manages to get decent distribution.

 

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Maker/Development

Wizabiz business cards alight and animate when placed on a smartphone screen

Business cards are a great tool to have when networking at conferences and other social business gatherings. Wizabiz offers an opportunity to make a rather memorable impression with a business card. The translucent smart cards sit on top of the user’s smartphone and with the help of an accompanying app light up with color, animation, a short video or basic illumination, depending on preference. Then the card can be slid off the phone and handed to the prospect or new contact. The user can also take advantage of NFC to track who has viewed their business card anywhere in the world.

Given the fact that the average person spends about 1.5 seconds looking at a business card, this seems like it may have some potential to attract attention for a longer period of time and perhaps make a more memorable impression. However, the fact that the card is translucent seems like it could cause problems with contact information being visible once handed to the prospect or contact. This campaign seeks to raise $75,000. For $195, backers get 250 cards with an expected delivery of February 2015.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

PIE band aims to take a slice of the smart wristwear market

The Premise. Everyone’s had a moment where they meet someone new and everyone pulls their phones out and circles up to swap information and add a new contact or two. It’s more convenient than it used to be, but interrupts socializing for much longer than a simple pass of the business card used to do.

The Product. Looking to bring back that elegance and seamless networking is PIE (Personal Interactive Experience), a smart band that users wear on their wrist to interact with the world around them. PIE can take advantage of its proprietary protocol called FLEX to interact with other PIE devices. However,, for the foreseeable future, it will have to interact with other products using NFC and Bluetooth 4.0. PIE can be used to make purchases at any contactless terminal, trade information with other PIE users, and download any data from NFC hotspots. With a simple shake of the hand, potential employers can get a copy of a resume, or simply swap contact information.

The Pitch. In the extremely clever campaign video, we see a bearded PIE user go through his day, mostly through his eyes and perspective. While out and about, he does what people do: networks, enjoys company, meets new people, and engages in business, but does so with the assistance of the slim band on his wrist. Because the video is largely artistic in its narrative, the rest of the campaign goes over exactly what PIE does and how. PIE needs to raise $150,000 for pretty much the entire process, from materials and design to packaging and shipping.

The Perks. A PIE unit with all features, diary app, and charging base can be had by the end of this year for $110, plus $20 outside of Europe for shipping. A limited Indiegogo version is available for $165, a 2-pack for $200, and for those that can’t wait, a developer tier is available for $345 that will ship in August.

The Potential. The PIE is kind of a neat idea that’s just a little too late. Because it operates entirely on NFC and Bluetooth, there’s no reason that this kind of functionality can’t be employed on a smartphone or other smartwatch or band, either by hardware or by app. It doesn’t do enough to supplant any form of human interaction, and potentially could only be brought to its full potential by other PIE users, meaning early adopters will have a hard time getting the most out of the device, let alone explaining to a store clerk that they can just tap their wrist on a POS terminal to make a purchase. There’s more here in theory than there seems to be in practice, making the hopes of this product rather “PIE in the sky.”