Tag Archives: 802.11ac

Nintendo Switch game streaming starts in Japan this week

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The Nintendo Switch might not be the most capable piece of gaming hardware on the market today, but it never ceases to surprise us. Case in point: This morning Capcom announced that last year's terrifying Resident Evil 7 biohazard will be available o...

WiFi spec update promises to double your wireless speeds

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You might not have to wait until 802.11ad arrives in earnest to get a big boost in WiFi network speeds. The Wi-Fi Alliance has officially debuted the 802.11ac wave 2 standard, which promises a big leap in speed without reinventing the wheel. It dou...

Broadcom announces WiFi and Bluetooth combo chips for in-car connectivity

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DNP Broadcom announces wireless automotive chips that combine 80211ac and Bluetooth 40

Be it PCs, phones, televisions or wearables, if it can go wireless, Broadcom wants in on the action. Today the company has added one more category to that list, and it's the car. Indeed, its new line of wireless chips is specifically catered for automotive use, and is decked out with the latest 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth Smart Ready technologies for smoother streaming between mobile devices and in-car displays. But the technology's scope doesn't stop there. You could also use it for smartphone remote control of your vehicle's settings, high-speed connectivity via LTE hot spots, vehicle-to-infrastructure communications and even the syncing of biometric data to make sure the driver isn't fatigued or drunk when he or she's behind the wheel.

Broadcom's current automotive portfolio consists of the BCM89335 5G WiFi / Bluetooth Smart Ready combo chip and the BCM89071 Bluetooth and Bluetooth Smart Ready chip, which are now in the sampling stage. Of course, as this is still in development, we're not sure just which cars will incorporate such tech just yet. Seeing as how more cars are getting connected, however, you'll probably see it in action at your local auto dealership sooner than you think. For more on Broadcom's automotive initiative, check out the press release after the break.

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Source: Broadcom

Apple Updates iMac Processor, WiFi

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Apple iMacs updated with new processor and updated WiFiApple announced today an update to its iMac computers, improving performance through faster processors, WiFi, graphics and storage options.

The 21.5 inch and 27 inch models of the iMac both will come equipped with Intel’s faster, Haswell fourth generation quad-core processors. They will also both support the 802.11ac WiFi standard (if you have an 802.11ac base station to connect to, of course) for data transfer speeds boasted as much as three times faster than the previous WiFi generation. Apple has also added in PCIe-based storage to both models to support faster Flash storage and Apple’s Fusion Drive configurations even quicker.

Apple is offering the entry level 21.5 inch model for $1,299 with a 2.7GHz quad-core i5 processor, 8GB of memory and a 1TB hard drive. The 27 inch model is listed starting at $1,799 and comes with the slightly larger 3.2GHz quad-core i5 processor, 8GB of memory and a 1TB hard drive.

USA Today

DisplayLink’s adaptor streams 4K content over USB 2.0 and 3.0 (eyes-on)

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DisplayLink's streams 4K content over USB 20 and 30 eyeson

DisplayLink's been wringing all kinds of connectivity out of our computer's USB ports for years, turning one connection into many. It should come as no surprise, then, that the company's using its considerable compression expertise to send high-resolution 4K video through that very same pipe. Ideally, the system shoots video over USB 3.0, while still giving users the full connectivity options of any compatible DisplayLink device -- but it can also function using USB 2.0, though the dynamically compensating data compression at work may cause some frames to drop.

We chatted with Displaylink's Director of Marketing, Andy Davis, about the feature and he informed us that the new 4K capability comes courtesy of a chip design first revealed back at CES that, while upping the max resolution of transmitted video, has no trouble driving multiple displays. In theory,the number of 4K screens the chip can drive is only limited by the graphics drivers and video decoding capabilities of the computer it's connected to. And, the new architecture also enables wireless streaming of 4K video using 802.11ad and can stream 1080p video over 802.11ac (4K over 802.11ac is in the works). We got to see a brief demo of the technology in action, and the video played back flawlessly over USB 3.0 for the few minutes we saw it work. Using 2.0, we noticed a slight flicker once or twice during playback, but the feed was still quite watchable. All in all, its a nice addition to the DisplayLink feature set. Now if they'd just let us know when we'll actually see it implemented in something we can buy.

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Amped Wireless’ ACA1 802.11ac WiFi adapter launches July 22nd for $89.99 (video)

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Amped Wireless' ACA1 80211ac WiFi adapter launches July 22nd for $9999

"It's not me, it's you," scolds the distant WiFi hotspot as your connection drops for the ninth time in an hour. As much as you may dream of buying a 20 meter Ethernet cable, Amped Wireless is determined to curtail that flirtation with its latest piece of 802.11ac hardware, the ACA1. The USB 3.0-powered unit clips to Windows and OS X machines, utilizing the company's long-range mojo to ensure that you'll be the envy of frustrated tweeters on the periphery of a public router. The gear arrives on July 22nd, but pre-orders begin today with $89.99 securing you a piece of the action -- and if the idea of that big Ethernet lead still appeals, we've got a video to convince you otherwise after the break.

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Source: Amped Wireless

BT Infinity customers to get 320Mbps top speed, 802.11ac HomeHub 5 by end of the year

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BT Infinity customers to get 320Mbps top speed, 80211ac Home Hub 5 by end of the year

The BT HomeHub 4 router has barely had time to settle in, and yet already a prototype of its replacement is being callously shown off at PR events in London. It'll support the still-maturing 802.11ac standard, should you come to own any compatible devices, and is to become the default router shipped to new Infinity fiber customers -- we're just not sure exactly when, as BT execs have only indicated that it'll be towards the end of the year. Equally exciting (and equally imprecise) is a second promise that the current 160Mbps max speed on the top-end Infinity plan will be increased to 320Mbps, at a cost of £50 per month. Though the new service tier and Home Hub may be slow in coming, they'll at least be fast once they get here.

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Source: Pocket-lint, Trusted Reviews

Amped Wireless’ flagship RTA15 802.11ac router arrives July 16th for $190 (video)

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Amped Wireless' flagship RTA15 80211ac router arrives July 15th for $190 video

It's rare that people email to ask us when a certain product is launching, but plenty of you have been jonesing for Amped Wireless' new 802.11ac WiFi router. Six months after the company teased the flagship hardware at CES, the unit's finally ready to step into the spotlight. Marrying the latest WiFi standard with Amped's trademark high-power wireless gear, the RTA15 comes with the usual four gigabit Ethernet ports and a USB 2.0 slot for file sharing. The unit's available to pre-order, at a cost of $190, from Amped's website from today, with orders shipping from July 16th and if you'd like to learn some more, there's a commercial nestled down after the break.

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Source: Amped Wireless

Apple allegedly looking into MacBook Air WiFi issue, replacing machines

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Apple allegedly looking into MacBook Air WiFi issue, replacing machines

Over the last few days we've been hearing from several of our readers about WiFi instability on new Haswell-equipped MacBook Airs, which also happen to be Apple's first computers with 802.11ac. Despite those rare reports, the company's new laptops impressed us in our recent review with solid performance and incredible battery life. Today 9to5Mac learned that Apple is supposedly aware of the issue and working on a fix, while some customers have also reported getting their systems replaced. In the meantime, the company's apparently directed its Genius Bar employees to "capture" machines experiencing the problem -- i.e. return them to Cupertino for testing. We've contacted Apple for comment and will keep you posted if there's any official response.

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Source: 9to5Mac