Belkin’s WeMo home automation gear up for pre-order, iOS current control for under $100

Belkin's WeMo home automation gear up for pre-order, iOS current control for under $100

Been quietly pining for Belkin's couch potato home automation solutions? Well, the wait is (almost) over, as the company has finally put its WeMo Switch and Motion products up for pre-order. You can reserve yours through Belkin or Amazon, with the Switch costing $49.99 and the Motion / Switch bundle setting you back a neat $99.99. Apple likes it enough to add the gear to its home-friendly repertoire in-store on the 26th, while other retailers, Verizon included, will be stocking them shortly afterwards. Rig the Switch up to your WiFi at home and you can control the flow of juice from its outlet via the WeMo iOS app (sorry, no Android love). Add in the motion detector and you can set rules for power control based on proximity triggers. Interestingly, Belkin also reports IFTTT integration, meaning the devices can be used for a lot more than the simple on / off remote commands and scheduling we originally thought. For those with iDevices, the free WeMo app is available now, not that it's particularly useful just yet. Need Mo? Check out the official PR and a promotional vid after the break.

Continue reading Belkin's WeMo home automation gear up for pre-order, iOS current control for under $100

Belkin's WeMo home automation gear up for pre-order, iOS current control for under $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jun 2012 20:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Congo femtocell pilot could spawn DIY mobile networks for isolated communities

congo-femtocell-diy-mobile-networksIt's nice to get a delivery, but what if your remote village could use the contents to finally talk to the rest of the world? That's what African communications company RascomStar-QAF is cooking up with a pilot network in the Congo's jungles. They're going in to villages throughout the African nation and installing 50 router-like femtocells -- normally used in homes for better cellphone access -- from UK vendor ip.access. Those devices will be connected through the ViaSat orbiting network to RascomStar's telecom gateway in the capital, Brazzaville. Since the femtocell setup is nearly automatic, anyone with limited technical knowledge could do it, rather than the team of engineers normally needed for more complex networks. The result would be a system which could be shipped in a box, connecting previously inaccessible areas to a telecom network -- a lot bigger deal than the WiFi veranda project we were thinking of. To see how it'll all come together, connect to the press release below for more details.

Continue reading Congo femtocell pilot could spawn DIY mobile networks for isolated communities

Congo femtocell pilot could spawn DIY mobile networks for isolated communities originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 18:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dish Network Remote Access iPad app upgrade brings a new UI, more speed

Dish Network Remote Access iPad app upgrade brings a new UI, more speed

Sure, it's not as revolutionary as the new automated ad skipping built into its DVRs, but Dish Network has also just revamped its Remote Access iPad app. While other pay-TV providers are proud about streaming channels to mobile devices only within the home or shifting a few recordings, Dish's tight Sling integration still provides the most video wherever the user might be, as well as DVR management, a full guide and remote control. The 3.0.3 upgrade brings an entirely new user interface that's optimized for the retina display, guide data without interrupting the video, favorite channels list, and claims to speed up the process of both loading various screens and connecting to stream live TV. Hit iTunes for the updated app or read the press release after the break for more details and let us know how it's working for you.

Continue reading Dish Network Remote Access iPad app upgrade brings a new UI, more speed

Dish Network Remote Access iPad app upgrade brings a new UI, more speed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2012 08:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Splashtop brings Windows 8 Metro Testbed to Apple’s iPad (video)

Splashtop brings Windows 8 Metro testbed to Apple's iPad (video)
This has gotta be uncomfortable for the iPad. Now, Windows 8 tablet developers -- or anyone, for that matter -- can test their apps and play with the Microsoft's Metro interface from within the confines of Apple's ubiquitous tablet. The functionality is made possible by Splashtop, which is known for its remote desktop apps that are currently available for Android and iOS. It seems that a good amount of effort went into this application, known as the Win8 Metro Testbed, which offers the same swipe capabilities that will be available on a native system. This includes the ability to swipe from the left to switch apps, swipe from the right to reveal the Charms menu, and pull down from the top to close an application. Splashtop's Win8 Metro Testbed is currently available for a promotional $24.99 in the iTunes App Store, whereafter it will sell for $49.99. You'll find the full PR and a quick video tour of the app's functionality after the break.

Continue reading Splashtop brings Windows 8 Metro Testbed to Apple's iPad (video)

Splashtop brings Windows 8 Metro Testbed to Apple's iPad (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OnLive Desktop migrates to Windows Server 2008, sidesteps licensing concerns?

OnLive migrates to Windows Server 2008, sidesteps licensing concerns
Just this time last month, we reported that OnLive was in hot water with Microsoft over the company's ostensible lack of proper licenses for its remote virtualization software -- you know, the app that gave Android and iOS users free access to Windows 7 and Office 2010. Just recently, OnLive Desktop transitioned to Windows Server 2008 R2, and while neither company has confirmed suspicions, the move may be sufficient to satisfy the licensing requirements for both the operating system and Microsoft Office. Due to their similar foundation, most consumers are unlikely to notice the difference with the Aero theme active, and while the Windows 7 virtual keyboard is no longer available, OnLive has already replaced it with a mobile-inspired alternative. Let this be a lesson, kids: it helps to play by the rules -- especially when there are plenty of loopholes.

OnLive Desktop migrates to Windows Server 2008, sidesteps licensing concerns? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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