A few other encouraging developments

Despite being the grumpy old bastard that I sometimes am, there were a few things I found that put a smile on my face. The first was the emergence of DECT 6.0 cordless phones. Cordless phones are one of the biggest killers of 802.11b/g networks and many 5.8 GHz models aren't much better since they use both 2.4 and 5 GHz bands.

DECT 6.0 phones, however, use frequencies around 1.9 GHz, which won't interfere with 11b/g networks. GE (yes, that GE) actually had some nice looking products that felt more comfortable to hold and use than many of the phones I've been trying lately. GE's new line includes PSTN models as well as standalone Skype / PSTN, "InfoLink" (which can pull content like headlines and weather from the Internet), and "Cell Fusion" (which can send and receive calls from Bluetooth-enabled cellular phone) models. Most will be available toward the end of Q2.

GE 'Ultra Slim' DECT 6.0 phone

The other thing that put a spring in my step was Sling Media's SlingCatcher, which lets you take content "slung" from your SlingBox and display it on a TV without any computer involved.

Sling Media Sling Catcher

The poster below shows that the Catcher will also have a "Projector" feature that will also put any Internet or PC-sourced content on your TV. Maybe I'm missing something, but Sling Media may be the first company to actually let me enjoy any video content that I can get my hands on over a networked connection to my main video viewing device: my TV. And do it all over an encrypted connection that should keep content providers' lawyers out of its hair. Granted, this won't be a HD picture, but it sounds like a solution light years in capability and convenience beyond anything else I've seen. For me, this is one product I can't wait to see.

Sling Media Sling Catcher bullets

Tags: 802.11n, Apple, Buffalo, CES 2007, D-Link, NAS, Netgear,

Related Articles: