LED Lights Could be Used to Transfer Data

Category: Networking
Posted: April 12, 2013 09:58AM
Author: EuroFight

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute have developed a way to transfer data using rapidly blinking LED lights. The data allows information to be transmitted at speeds of up to 1GBPS, with the possibility of speeds of up to 3GBPS through use of three different colors. The technology could soon be integrated into conference rooms, trade booths and hospitals, but has many more possible applications. Additionally, the technology can easily be built into conventional lighting with relatively little modification.

The technology is not without flaws, however. Use of LEDs for extended periods of time on battery-powered devices can significantly reduce battery life, and bright light can also disrupt the transfer of data. As well as this, the technology has a very limited range. In ideal conditions, data transfer rate can drop to 100MBPS at 20m, and is affected by any objects in between the transmitter and receiver. 

Source: CNET

4G LTE Connectivity to be Available on Flights by End of 2013

Category: Networking
Posted: March 26, 2013 10:55AM
Author: EuroFight

According to telecommunications company ZTE, 4G LTE data connections will be available for use on flights from later this year. ZTE conducted a test on a Hainan Airlines Flight which showed that 4G connectivity was available for a large portion of the two hour flight, with download speeds of more than 12 Mbps. The technology uses a 4G LTE data connection between the aircraft and the ground, which can then be used by passengers over a Wi-Fi connection.

ZTE expects to apply this technology to all Chinese airlines by the end of this year, and will continue to expand after this. ZTE, however, is not alone in developing this technology, with Airbus, Alcatel and a number of other companies also working on developing these high-speed data connections. The technology is likely to be adopted fairly quickly, especially considering 4G connectivity is now available in more than 67 countries, according to the Global Mobile Supplies Association, so we may begin to see in-flight high-speed internet connections become a reality in the near future.

Google Fiber In Kansas City Launches This Week

Category: Networking
Posted: November 14, 2012 08:02PM
Author: Marko Jurac

After months of construction on a new consumer network service, Google announced today the launching of its Gigabit Internet service to homes in Kansas City this week. Google Fiber is offering three plans: Gigabit Internet plus streaming for $120 per month, Gigabit Internet only for $70 per month and a Free Internet access service  The only drawback of the Free Internet access service is you are required to pick up the tab on a $300 installation fee either in a one time payment or divided up in monthly installments. The two higher tier services have the installation fee already included. The company had the following to say:

At up to 1000 Mb per second, Google Fiber is 100 times faster than today's average Internet, allowing you to get what you want instantaneously. You no longer have to wait on things buffering; everything will be ready to go when you are.

Currently, Google has no plans of expanding outside Kansas City, so don't expect to see Google Gigabit Internet service anywhere else soon.

ECS Showcasing Products at CES 2012

Category: Motherboards, Networking, Prebuilts
Posted: January 11, 2012 10:55PM
Author: Dale Shuck

ECS will be displaying its entire lineup of Intel and AMD platform motherboards at CES this year. As part of the show, ECS will be introducing tow top-end boards based on the Intel X79 chipset supporting LGA2011 Sandy Bridge-E processors — X79R-AX Black Extreme and X79R-AX Black Deluxe. Along with the motherboards, ECS plans to have its lineup of graphics cards on display as well.

ECS is also featuring two of its G11 all-in-one systems at CES this year, the ID2 photo frame style unit and the L-style ID4. ECS also has its Wi-Bridge wireless display adapter at the show. The new wireless display solution allows you to connect your PC or notebook wirelessly to a big screen supporting 1080p HD via HDMI.

I'm sure we'll see further coverage on the products from our OCC CES team here soon so keep checking back for coverage on these products and more from CES 2012.

ECS Wi-Bridge Wireless Display Solution Announced

Category: Networking
Posted: January 3, 2012 07:23PM
Author: Dale Shuck

ECS has announced its Wi-Bridge wireless display solution designed for HDMI display devices. The Wi-Bridge is a wireless display adapter in a small and portable package designed to bridge PC or notebook to your big screen display device supporting 1080P high-definition resolution via HDMI. The ECS Wi-Bridge supports all the various video/audio/photo formats. In the office, the Wi-Bridge is ideal for switching between multiple presenters. The ECS Wi-Bridge is effective up to a range of 30 meters and can be used with the bundled remote control. ECS has yet to announce pricing and availability.

New Record for Network Data Transfer

Category: Networking, Science & Technology
Posted: December 14, 2011 10:05AM
Author: Guest_Jim_*

Most motherboards you can buy today have a gigabit Ethernet port on it for transferring data on a network; and some even have two for even greater bandwidth. As nice as that combined 2 Gbps rate is, how about a combined rate of 186 Gbps? That’s fast enough to move 2 petabytes (2 million GB) in a single day, and may in fact become too slow for its intended users before very long.

A team led by the California Institute of Technology successfully established a 98 Gbps connection in one direction, and a simultaneous 88 Gbps connection in the opposite direction. This combined 186 Gbps between leaders in the research field is intended to share the truly awesome amounts of data they each collect. The current global grid for sharing such information has already moved over 100 PB, and that number is expected to increase a thousand fold as the LHC at CERN increases its experiments.

LED WLAN Hits 800Mbps

Category: Networking, Science & Technology
Posted: August 1, 2011 03:51PM
Author: Brentt Moore

German researchers have struck a new mark in the race for LED data transmission, using a multitude of white, blue, green, and red LEDs to surpass any speeds that laboratories have yet reached. Chinese researchers submitted this type of technology last year, using blue LEDs to transfer data by flickering them faster than the human eye can even perceive. Even earlier this year, a group of white LEDs was able to transfer data at 500Mbps, though the German researchers have obviously struck a new mark in this technology, enabling HD capable streaming at 800Mbps. This obviously will not replace Ethernet cable or a traditional WiFi router in a home type setting, but it does give the wireless technology a run for its money since places like hospitals usually have interference with radio signals. There is no news of this technology being widely implemented in settings such as health care facilities, however as it continues to pick up speed, it seems inevitable that it will be coming to a small niche of enterprises and corporations in the coming decade.

Microsoft Gains Approval Over Skype Purchase

Category: Networking, Software
Posted: June 18, 2011 11:41AM
Author: zackhaf

The proposition from Microsoft to purchase Skype for $8.5 billion has been known for about a month so far. Although the plan was laid out for the acquisition, it took until today for the OK from the US Federal Trade Commission. If this absorption of Skype is completed, it could open many new opportunities for connecting devices and enabling new avenues of communication. The agreement mentions Xbox and Kinect support along with Windows Phone integration. Through this purchase, Skype would become a permanent part of the Microsoft organization and would have a good chance to be further integrated into future software and hardware. Admittedly, Skype may not be the most profitable company through the current model, losing $7 million in 2010, but perhaps Microsoft envisions a way to change this. 

Using Empty TV Channels to Create Super WiFi

Category: Networking, Science & Technology
Posted: April 28, 2011 06:21PM
Author: Charles Coggins III

Ryan Guerra, a grad student at Rice University, has been trying to figure out how to extend the range of a WiFi signal to over a mile. Thanks to empty TV channels and some fancy engineering, Ryan has successfully extended the range of a WiFi signal belonging to a resident of Houston. This resident lives just on the outskirts of a free WiFi network, and since traditional WiFi signals use the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies the signal will not easily pass through the trees surrounding the resident's home. Ryan has figured out how to take the traditional WiFi signal and convert it into an empty TV channel. He calls this project "Super WiFi". Ryan starts off by using a typical 2.4Ghz WiFi card running on a Linux system and has the card's output sent through a frequency translator. The translator then shifts the 2.4GHz signal down to 563MHz which is sent to a small TV antenna on the resident's home. The signal is transmitted and eventually patched into the free WiFi connection using a local transmission tower. The reason behind the use of the empty TV channel is it uses a 563MHz signal, and that signal can easily be sent though the trees and walls surrounding the neighborhood.

The transmitter Ryan has created transmits in a 60 degree directional beam allowing anyone in its path to receive the WiFi signal. Since the transmitter is directional it also allows for a smaller more discreet TV antenna to be used on the resident's home. While the results so far have been excellent, Ryan does foresee problems in the future with existing WiFi protocols and his Super WiFi project. Fear not though, Ryan and companies like Microsoft are researching new protocols for empty TV channel use.

AT&T Creates Suitcase Cellular Antenna

Category: Networking, Mobile, Manufacturers
Posted: April 25, 2011 06:37PM
Author: IVIYTH0S

AT&T has a new suitcase to allow any businesses or law enforcement personnel to provide emergency cell phone service in areas with weak or completely non-existent coverage. When first responders arrive on the scene following a natural disaster, they are in need of a reliable method of communication. Before the creation of the cell tower suitcase, mobile phone providers would have to send mobile access points in the form of full-size trucks. For the new suitcase to function, it must be connected to a satellite dish and also receive an external source of power. The limitations of being such a small service provider is that the max number of simultaneous connections are 14 cell phones and data is available at sub-broadband speeds. The projected service area is a radius of up to half a mile and the prices range from $15,000 to $45,000 plus monthly fees.

Twitter Puts a Stop to Excessive Posting

Category: Networking, Internet, General News
Posted: April 21, 2011 10:52PM
Author: IVIYTH0S

Twitter is not a service that has received many updates toward improving its end-user experience, but recently it is planning to add a new feature familiar to many Facebook users. Twitter plans on targeting excessive posters and automatically hide that individual’s messages to prevent an overwhelming flood of messages to anyone following that feed. So far this feature has only been made available to a small portion of Twitter users, but will eventually be applied to its entire user base. Many users should be grateful for the upcoming addition, because the only way they could prevent excessive message notifications before was to un-follow that feed. It is not surprising that Twitter has adopted a similar feature to Facebook, seeing that both social networking sites are in fierce competition with one another.

Yahoo Holds On to Personal Search Data 6x Longer

Category: Networking, Internet, General News
Posted: April 20, 2011 01:04PM
Author: IVIYTH0S

As outlined in Yahoo's typical usage policy, it is supposed to retain personal user search criteria for a maximum of 3 months, after which the data is purged from the system. Recently, Yahoo has announced that it plans to extend the search records up to 18 months time. Oftentimes very sensitive topics may be searched through Yahoo or other popular search engines pertaining to financial or medical aspects of one's life. Yahoo's primary defense as to why it has extended the data retention is to "...support the innovative products we want to deliver to our consumers," says Anne Toth who is Yahoo's policy executive. Back in December 2008, Toth ironically was completely behind the the 3 month cap on searches as it seeks to promote a greater trust from its users. Based on company research, Yahoo's user base actually dropped from 16% after instating its 3 month policy and then dropped another 20% later that year. Yahoo seeks to follow in the footsteps of search engines like Bing and Google which both have an 18 month limit on personal search collection.

Electric Car Drivers Receive New Ways to Find Charge Stations

Category: Networking, General News, Science & Technology
Posted: April 20, 2011 01:02PM
Author: IVIYTH0S

Google, along with many other companies, are banding together to create what is to be called the GeoEVSE Forum. The goal of the group is to provide support for those who drive any type of plug-in electric vehicle, more specifically to help them quickly locate charging stations nearby. Any EVSE compliant charging station will even have its own GPS and mapping available to the user. Google Maps will provide the basic backbone for the location system, though all the major upkeep and management of the database will be entrusted to DOE itself. Users will be able to sort by the charging speed of individual stations from their search results. The system will also include listings for hydrogen, natural gas, or other petroleum alternative fuel sources. So far some Best Buy locations as well as charging station manufacturers, like Coulomb for instance, have signed on to the project. The new online infrastructure should most certainly improve the general population's opinion of the sustainability of alternative fuel source vehicles.

Google Maps Allows User Contribution

Category: Networking, Internet, Open Source, General News
Posted: April 19, 2011 05:40PM
Author: IVIYTH0S

Google has released an extension of its online Google Maps that will allow users to add new places to the database. Google Maps is available in 183 countries worldwide, but not all of the maps are detailed enough in some of the more remote areas. By allowing the average user to pitch in, some of the sections with less coverage may be improved from any of the residents with an Internet connection. Well supported areas also seek to benefit since the local populace will be able to improve directions or the accuracy of different landmarks in their city. The editor will even allow users to input such things as where parks are or even where individual dormitories may be on a college campus. Google will be adding a lot of verification for the new information, like checking accuracy, and will reward users who contribute a lot of good information with more privileges and even the ability to undo or change another user's input. In addition, Google will include Map Maker Pulse, which will allow users to watch the maps bear new updated information in real time.

Microsoft Holds Open Beta For Cloud Based Office

Category: Networking, Internet, Software, General News
Posted: April 18, 2011 01:55PM
Author: IVIYTH0S

Microsoft is nearing its release of the new Office 365 cloud service and is currently allowing users to beta test it in up to 38 countries. The plan is to have Office 365 available later this year and to have the servers always running for instant access wherever Internet is available. Office 365 is an extension of Microsoft's Web Apps featuring Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, with new additions of Exchange and SharePoint. Once the free beta period expires, small business owners will be required to pay a monthly membership fee of $6 per account and larger businesses given the option of plans ranging from $10 to $27 per individual employee. Microsoft also plans to offer some rate plans for educational users as well, but pricing has not yet been made clear.

New Zealand Kicks Anti-Piracy Corrective Action Up a Notch

Category: Networking, Copyright Infringers, General News
Posted: April 14, 2011 03:29AM
Author: IVIYTH0S

In an effort to decrease piracy within its borders, New Zealand has recently been pushing for heftier penalties on individuals caught doing any related acts of piracy. More specifically, the New Zealand government is cracking down on those sharing any electronic data that is a blatant infringement of any copyrights. The first infraction comes in the form of a written warning administered by the alleged pirate's Internet provider. The government has been granted clearance to rule on administering fines as high as $15,000 NZD (or roughly $11,133USD). Users who do not cease and desist their file sharing will have their internet service terminated for half of a year. Not all the government officials were ready to empower the government to disable the internet for any period of time. A couple of the officials had not even been made aware of the bill until after it was well along its way to becoming law. Lawyer Rick Shera makes the argument that copyright owners are given far too much power with the new bill. Rick believes that the copyright owners should not be able to prosecute any individuals based solely on the assumption they are carrying out piracy-like acts, and that all guilty rulings should be backed up by hard evidence.

ICY BOX Releases IB-NAS6220 Dual-bay NAS Server

Category: Networking, Storage / Hard Drives
Posted: January 12, 2011 11:54PM
Author: Daryn Govender

ICY BOX has released a new NAS server, the IB-NAS6220. This latest product from ICY BOX is designed for consumers who want to be able to access large quantities of data, such as music and movies from anywhere over the Internet. To achieve this goal the NAS6220 features a dual-bay design and supports up to 2TB in each 3.5" drive bay, adding to a maximum storage capacity of 4TB. Other features include a Marvel 6281 processor, clocked at 1.2GHz, supported by 256MB of flash memory and 256MB of RAM, a Gigabit Ethernet port and three USB 2.0 ports. The server has a stylish black finish, coupled with LED indicators and a rear cooling fan. Data protection is covered by RAID 0 and RAID 1 support, a one touch back-up feature and physical locks on the hard drive bays. The ICY BOX IB-NAS6220 NAS server will be available for 189 Euros (US$248), including VAT.

TRENDnet Showcases 450Mbps Concurrent Dual Band Router

Category: Networking
Posted: January 5, 2011 03:21AM
Author: Daryn Govender

TRENDnet today showcased its latest Wireless N router from CES 2011. The router, dubbed the TEW-692GR is the "first to market" 450Mbps concurrent dual band router according to TRENDnet. Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology enables the new router to offer theoretical speeds of up to 450Mbps simultaneously on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. The TEW-692GR also features Wi-Fi Protected Set-up (WPS) and wired Gigabit Ethernet ports for easy connectivity with other devices.

Sonny Su, Technology Director for TRENDnet said that "a true 450Mbps concurrent router will provide networking enthusiast[s] with another great option. With the proliferation of so many wireless networked devices, performance matters more than ever before."

The TEW-692GR wireless router should be available in April for around US$249.99 and will be backed by a three year warranty.

It Pays to Secure Your Wireless Connection

Category: Networking, General News
Posted: December 22, 2010 10:30PM
Author: Dale Shuck

These days it pays to use the best security available for your wireless connection, or maybe hacking your neighbor's wireless connection just doesn't pay. Either way you look at it, a man in Minnesota is facing up to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to hacking his neighbor's wireless connection, identity theft, possession of child pornography along with issuing death threats against Vice President Joe Biden among others.

Barry Vincent Ardolf used the Aircrack software to crack into his neighbor's Wi-Fi that was secured using WEP encryption standard. Ardolf then set up accounts on Yahoo and MySpace to begin a campaign to embarrass his neighbor and cause him other troubles by e-mailing child pornography to the neighbor's co-workers at the law firm where he worked. Ardolf also used the fake MySpace account to post additional pornographic images. Fortunately for the victim, the law firm hired a security consultant who installed a packet sniffer which detected Ardolf logging into the Wi-Fi connection.

Both the older Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and its replacement, Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) have known vulnerabilities which is why users should upgrade to the newer WPA-2 encryption.

Thecus Introduces 10Gb Ethernet PCI-e Adapter

Category: Networking
Posted: August 21, 2010 09:45AM
Author: Dale Shuck

File sizes aren't getting smaller, especially with all the multimedia files being created today. Thecus Technology has just announced the C10GT 10Gb Ethernet PCI-e adapter to allow users to take advantage of enhanced speeds offered by the 10Gb Ethernet standard.

The C10GT comes equipped with an enterprise-class Tehuti Luxor TN3020-D processor and delivers efficient high-bandwidth access to server and storage applications via its dual cable interface, which features one CX4 port and one SFP+ port – perfect for accommodating both copper and fiber optic cabling.

The C10GT is compatible with various standards including IEEE 802.3ae, IEEE 802.3ak, and IEEE 802.1q and supports Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Linux operating systems. The adapter can be installed in both PCI Express x4 and x8 slots, and can even be used to upgrade some Thecus NAS devices to 10Gb Ethernet capability including the N7700 and N8800 series units.

3.17% of All SSL are Being Used.

Category: Networking
Posted: June 28, 2010 09:13PM
Author: Dariuas

SSL or Secure Socket Layer have been used for a variety of different services such as Linux boxes,  FTP servers, even webmail and banking sites. According to research from Qualys, a security research firm, out of 119 million domain names scanned, 92 million were actually active, 12.4 million of the remaining domains failed to resolve properly, and the other 14.6 million gave no response at all. Out of the 92 million active domains, Qualys shows that 34 million domains use both port 80 (typical HTTP port) and port 443 (typical HTTPS/SSL port).

While those numbers do not seem to strike any significant problem, it seems only 23 million actually use SSL. The  cause for concern comes about when discussing SSL certificates. The bigger picture shows that only 3.17% of the 23 million servers have valid certificates. This problem comes from domains generating certificates with the the incorrect domain name. According to Ian Ristic, director of engineering at Qualys:

"We have about 22 million SSL servers with certificates that are completely invalid because they do not match the domain name on which they reside."

Essentially what this all boils down to is many sites that have SSL built in to their infrastructure are not gaining the benefits of the security it adds due to the invalid or improper domain name. 

New Killer NIC Produced

Category: Networking
Posted: May 12, 2010 11:01AM
Author: Brentt Moore

Bigfoot has claimed for a while that its Killer NIC improves gaming performance with a gaming processor onboard. The company has now redesigned the card, and has dubbed the new model the Killer 2100. The new NIC from Bigfoot comes with 128MB of DDR2 on the card, support for the Windows network stack bypass, and runs off of a PCIe x1 slot. Reviewers have usually shown improved performance in terms of lag on online games, but most cannot justify the price, as even the previous model was a tad expensive. This go around, the Killer 2100 is retailing for roughly $130, and probably only a select number of gamers will even purchase the card.

New Belkin Routers are Plug and Play

Category: Networking
Posted: March 24, 2010 02:21PM
Author: bp9801

For most people, setting up a wireless router is a bit of a hassle to make sure everything works and can get online. But now, Belkin is intent on changing that with a new series of wireless routers that are as simple as they come. Belkin has finally ditched the alphanumeric names of its past routers and is releasing four new ones with the names of Surf, Share, Play and Play Max. Each one comes with SSID and encryption pre-configured, so all the user has to do is plug it in and you will be online in no time at all. If you want to change the network name, just load up the included software to do so. All the routers are 802.11n and all of them, minus the basic Surf one, come with preloaded apps. The Share model comes with a USB port that you can plug an external hard drive or printer into as well as using Belkin's own backup and printing software. The Play Max model comes with an app that will even shift your downloads to the router itself while your computer is turned off.

The prices for the new wireless routers start at $49.95 for the Surf model and up to $129.95 for the Play Max model. Availability will begin in April for the U.S. and early May for Europe, with other regions to follow after the initial launch.

Cisco lives up to their promise of changing the internet forever

Category: Networking, Internet
Posted: March 10, 2010 12:39AM
Author: Scott Young

On Monday, Cisco announced that they were going to change the internet forever and there was a lot of speculation on what the hell they were talking about. Well we can stop speculating, Cisco introduces their CRS-3 Carrier Routing system. While the name doesn't sound that impressive, what it's actually capable of sure is. Designed for the next-generation of internet serving, the CRS-3 is capable of delivering 322 Terabits of data per second. Not quite sure how much is a Terabit? I could pull some wikipedia data, but that's pretty boring and we don't need to see a bunch of zero's and commas anyway, so I'll let Cisco explain it better:

The CRS-3 enables the entire printed collection of the Library of Congress to be downloaded in just over one second; every man, woman and child in China to make a video call, simultaneously; and every motion picture ever created to be streamed in less than four minutes.

Oh. My. God. Do want! How do you think this will change our internet experience? Discuss it in the comments

Apple Continues To Defy Recession, Releases New Hardware

Category: Networking, Mobile, Input Devices, Prebuilts
Posted: October 21, 2009 03:35AM
Author: d3bruts1d

On Monday Apple announced their FY09 Q4 earnings which ended on September 30, 2009. Net profit for the company rose nearly 46-percent to $1.67 billion on sales of $9.87 billion. During the quarter, Apple sold:

• 4.7 million iPhones, a 7% growth over a year ago,
• 3.05 million Macintosh computers, a 17% increase over a year ago, and
• 10.2 million iPods, which while it appears to be a staggering number, is actually a decline of 8% from last year.

"We are thrilled to have sold more Macs and iPhones than in any previous quarter," said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. "We’ve got a very strong lineup for the holiday season and some really great new products in the pipeline for 2010."

Continuing on the momentum of the Q4 earnings, Apple on Tuesday released a slew of new hardware in a very un-Apple-like way. Rather than a big media event, Apple simply pushed out the new hardware with a press release and update splash page on the main Apple website.

Magic Mouse - Apple introduced multi-touch technology as a new way to interact with mobile devices on the iPhone and Mac Book, and now they are taking it to a new level with the "Magic Mouse". The low-profile seamless top is a multi-touch surface that allows you to scroll in any direction with one finger, swipe through web pages and photos using two fingers, and click or double click anywhere on the device. Apple claims that the sensor inside the mouse can determine when you are simply resting your hand on the device, swiping, or clicking. It will be interesting to see how well the device works, as previous Apple mice have been less than stellar.

iMac - The iMac lineup comes in 21.5" and 27" varieties. While the 21.5" iMac uses the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the new 27" offers an Intel i5 or i7 quad core option. Both screens are LED-backlit, and the 21.5" supports a resolution of 1920x1080. Screen space on the 27" is increased by 78% more pixels and has a resolution of 2560x1440. Sony may use the slogan "Beyond High Definition" for Blu-ray, but it certainly applies to the 27" iMac. Speaking of Blu-ray, it would have been nice to see that as an option in the 27" iMac. Also used in the 27" iMac is a ATI HD 4850 video card. Apple is also really happy about the design of the new iMacs, check out the video (Quicktime) for more on that.

MacBook - The $999 MacBook now has a unibody design with rounded contours to make it easier to pick up and slide in or out of a bag. The rugged polycarbonate body makes it ideal for everyday usage by students and those on the go. It also has added a glass trackpad with, you guessed it, multi-touch support. The non-removable battery claims a 7 hour battery life, with 1000 charges. Some will be said to learn that along with the update, the MacBook lost its FireWire port. Interested in what the MacBook looks like on the inside? iFixit already has a teardown of the device.

Mac Mini & Mac Mini Server - The Mac Mini is a nice little system, though often feels neglected by Apple. It was nice to see it get an update in processing power and memory. What is interesting here is not the updated specs, but Apple has finally decided to embrace the little system as server worthy. For years now many people have taken the Mac Mini and used it as a cheap, entry level OS X server. Small business now have a more affordable server option, the Mac Mini Server. For $999 you get a nice little system than can easily be tucked away some place, but you also get OS X Server with unlimited users, no extra client access license fees required. Anyone who has ever spec’ed out a Windows Server will know that the CALs for the Server OS can end up costing more than double the hardware. TUAW goes into the other big possibilities of the Mac Mini Server.

Other Stuff - Apple's Mighty Mouse has been renamed to Apple Mouse due to the lawsuit by Man and Machine. An updated Apple Wireless Keyboard was release, the new version only requires 2 AA batteries whereas the previous used 3. A new 60W MagSafe power adapter has an aluminum connector to make it more durable. The Apple remote is now aluminum, looks goofy, and can control your iPhone or any iPod connected to the Universal Dock. The AirPort Extreme Base Station and Time Capsule devices now have a bigger and more powerful antenna which promises 50% better Wi-Fi performance and 25% better range, and are certified 802.11n.

IEEE Passes 802.11n Wireless Standard

Category: Networking
Posted: September 14, 2009 02:12AM
Author: Daryn Govender

The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) has finally certified the 802.11n wireless standard. This news comes after the approval of the 802.11n-2009 amendment last weekend which "defines how to design interoperable WLAN equipment that provides a variety of capabilities including a wide range of data rates, quality of service, reliability, range optimization, device link options, network management and security" and describes "WLAN Enhancements for Higher Throughput" which "will enable rollout of significantly more scalable WLANs that deliver 10-fold-greater data rates than previously defined while ensuring co-existence with legacy systems and security implementations." This approval is long overdue, seven years in total! Wireless-N products currently available are of the "draft-n" specification and "proper-n" devices should be available from manufacturers in the near future. The 560 page amendment document should be published next month. The differences between the draft-n and proper-n specifications are minimal, and shouldn't affect consumers significantly. Here's to the next faster wireless standard, and in the meantime we can feel confident knowing that wireless-n is fully certified!

New WPA Attack Revealed

Category: Networking
Posted: August 27, 2009 04:13PM
Author: Nick Harezga

A new attack developed by a pair of Japanese researchers will allow an attacker to intercept certain packets, but won't give them access to the encryption key. This new attack on the WiFi Protected Access encryption scheme improves on a previous attack developed by a German team. The previous attack took nearly 15 minutes, but this one can be executed in around 1 minute. The attack will work on any WPA network using TKIP encryption. The attack is executed by acting as a wireless access point, and passing the packets from the computer to the real wireless access point. The attacker can then send falsified packets to the wireless access point and they will appear to be completely legit.

Wi-Fi Alliance promises compatibility between 802.11n draft and final products

Category: Networking
Posted: July 27, 2009 05:05AM
Author: d3bruts1d

Earlier this month it was announced that the 802.11n "draft" standard could become finalized by as early as September. Now the Wi-Fi Alliance has announced that it will not be changing any of the baseline requirements for the 802.11n certification, allowing for backwards compatibility with the nearly 600 Wi-Fi Certified 802.11n Draft 2.0 products that have been released since June 2007. The final certification process will include testing for some optional features now included in the standard. Product testing to the new certification is expected to begin in late September.

802.11n May Be Finalized by September

Category: Networking
Posted: July 22, 2009 09:06AM
Author: redtigerdragon

Routers may not have to specify "Draft N" wireless anymore. The 802.11n wireless standard may be finalized as early as September 11th. That's according to a recent email from Bob Heile, the chairman of the IEEE 802.15 working group on Personal Area Networks.  

"On other fronts, 802.11 was granted unconditional approval to forward 11n to RevCom. After a bit of a rocky period on getting acceptable coexistence language included in the draft, I was pleased to support this approval."

 The standard has been around since 2004, and in 2006 the Enhanced Wireless Consortium had to be formed to get a draft version approved in January of that year. In May of that year, the draft standard failed to pass, so the Wi-Fi Alliance agreed to certify draft-n products in May 2007.

App Store turns One

Category: Networking
Posted: July 15, 2009 03:48AM
Author: kingdingeling

You may not believe it, but it's just been one year since the Apple App Store was launched! The App Store is a platform for the iPhone and the iPod Touch where users can download applications to enhance the experience from their mobile devices. Just recently in April, the App store saw its 1 billionth download (OCC News), a number that has increased to 1.5 billion up to now, which is only 3 months behind the 1 billion mark. Recently, downloads have been fueled by the release of the iPhone 3GS. Apple says there are about 65,000 apps available for download, a number that is steadily increasing. However, some of the developers are not happy with Apple's ambiguous policies regarding which apps are approved and which are not. For example, an application that lets the user watch live baseball matches was approved, however an app that allowed for TV on the go was not. Even at the WWDC, Apple did not answer any questions regarding these policies, but only told the developers to go to the website for clarification.

Of course, a working concept is often copied, as is the App Store. Phone developers Palm, RIM and Nokia have launched similar platforms for users to download applications to their mobile devices. Google Android and Windows Mobile also have the option of enhancing the operating system with programs. Verizon might also launch an App Store for their devices soon.