CES 2009

The Acoustic Research ARIR600i Internet Radio has an iPod dock, too.

While Internet Radios have been popular in Europe for a while, 2008 was the first year the products really gained some traction in the U.S. market. Acoustic Research showed off two new Internet Radios, the ARIR200 and the ARIR600i, which offer some unique features like the ability to record Internet Radio streams to their internal memories and access to the Slacker service. Here are the details.

Key features of the Acoustic Research ARIR200:

• Access to 12,000 Internet Radio stations
• Ability to add your own stations using a URL
• Can record up to 10 hours of Internet Radio using the internal 512MB memory
• Access to the Slacker music service
• Prepaid access to the WeatherBug service
• Alarm clock functionality
• AM/FM tuner
• Available in mid-February, $129 MSRP

Key step-up features of the Acoustic Research ARIR600i:

• iPod dock
• Available in mid-May, $200 MSRP

That's an impressive set of features considering the prices of these radios, especially the $129 ARIR200. Most of the Internet Radios we review--even the more expensive ones--don't include an AM/FM tuner, and we haven't reviewed an one with Slacker, WeatherBug or recording features either. However, because ease of use is so important with these units--especially how they handle searching those 12,000 stations--we're anxious to get review sample of these radios in to see how they compare with the competition.

The G-Fi GPS router is about the size of an iPhone.

(Credit: PosiMotion)

It's the last day of CES, and I ran into an unusual networking device called G-Fi from PosiMotion. It's the first router I've known that doesn't have the ability to share access to the Internet. Instead, it receives the satellite signals and shares the GPS information to any Wi-Fi-enabled device.

According to PosiMotion, other than the lack of support for the Internet, the G-Fi works just like any other wireless router. It allows for creating a Wireless LAN you use to share resources between up to 254 wireless networking computers and devices.

Measuring merely 3.08 inches by 2.91 inches by 0.69 inch and weighing about 2.5 ounces, the router is about the size of an iPhone and is battery operated for up to 4 hours. It can be recharged either via a regular included adapter or via a computer's USB port.

Considering the size and its niche, the G-Fi is a great device for group travelers or those who want to have access to GPS through their computer or other mobile devices, including the iPhone or iPod Touch.

PosiMotion currently has two GPS applications at Apple's App Store for the iPhone and the iPod Touch that you can download and use with the G-Fi for free called G-Spot and G-Park. The company is now developing applications for other platforms including smartphones and personal computers.

The G-Fi is available now for $179, which is rather expensive in my opinion. PosiMotion also offers another version of the G-Fi called G-F VS that doesn't have the GPS capability but just the wireless networking sans Internet, which costs $149.

In the future, the company is contemplating adding the ability to share Internet to the routers. Maybe then, the prices will stop sounding a bit too expensive.

The RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Router + DSL Modem DGND3300 from Netgear.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CBS Interactive)

If you sign up for a DSL Internet service, chances are you will be offered a router and modem combo device.

I would normally recommend against this kind of combo deal, as it doesn't provide the flexibility of choosing the right router for the network. That's not to mention that the combo router offered by the service provider tends to be subpar, in both performance and features. It's much more flexible to get just the modem and add a separate wireless router later.

Now I am about to change that mentality with what Netgear introduced at CES this year, the RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Router + DSL Modem DGND3300. It's because the router part of the device offers most of what you would look for in any separate router.

The DGND3300 looks basically the same as the WNDR3300 with one exception: instead of a WAN port (that works with cable and DSL modem) it has a telephone port so that you can just plug the phone line right in. According to Netgear, the router features a built-in DSL2+ modem and will work with most DSL services.

The DGND3300 is probably the first router/modem combo device that features concurrent dual-band wireless, meaning it can work in both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz frequencies at the same time.

Some other features of the DGND3300 include:

• Automatic quality of service
• Eight internal smart antennas
• Wi-Fi protected setup with a push button that allows for quickly adding wireless client to the network
• Automatically upgrades to the latest router firmware
• Convenient on/off switch helps save energy when not in use
• Efficient Energy Star compliant power supply
• Made out of 80 percent recycled materials

The The RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Router + DSL Modem DGND3300 seems a good choice when you want to cut down the amount of devices (and wires) in your tight office corner. And for now, it might just be the only solution that doesn't compromise advanced wireless networking features and performance.

The router will be available during the first quarter of the year and will cost about $169.

The back of the router shows its telephone port that takes the place of a WAN port.

(Credit: Netgear)

Intel's WiFi PAN management interface at the CES 2009 demo.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CBS Interactive)

I love my hotel room in Las Vegas. Great view! Very fast Internet access. However, the hotel controls and charges for access to the Internet by IP address. This means I have to keep my iPhone from getting connected unless I want to pay for another connection plan, in addition to the one used for my laptop.

This, however, is going to change next CES thanks to a new Wi-Fi technology that Intel announced this year.

It's called My WiFi and it is a wireless driver and software update to Intel's Centrino 2 processor-based laptops. This software allows the computer's built-in wireless networking chip to create a separate Wi-Fi personal Area Network (PAN). This network allows up to eight other Wi-Fi Certified wireless clients to connect to it, while the computer is still connected to a separate access point, the way any computer with built-in wireless networking does now.

This dual-interface is possible thanks to Intel's 5100 Wi-Fi and Intel's 5300 Wi-Fi Link adapters that can manage both Wireless LAN and Wi-Fi PAN connections at the same time.

The PAN has its own HDCP server and supports Windows' Internet Connection Sharing, meaning that if my laptop is connected to the Internet through the hotel's service, it can share that connection wirelessly with eight other Wi-Fi clients without the knowledge of the hotel.

Sharing the Internet (whether you want to be sneaky as in my above example or not) is, of course, not the only offering of My WiFi. The technology enables users to simultaneously connect their laptops to multiple other peripheral devices, such as printers, photo frames, and cameras without a need for an access point or a wireless router.

Current Wi-Fi laptops can also do this by putting the wireless adapter in ad-hoc mode, but that is very limited. An ad-hoc connection allows a laptop to connect to one wireless device at a time and no access to an access point or wireless router at the same time.

Intel's My WiFi technology supports multiple types of security protocols, including WEP, WPA, and WPA2. It also supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup, a technology that lets you add wireless clients to a network quickly without having to manually entering the encryption key.

The deployment of My WiFi depends on vendors, but you can expect to find this as a free update to any laptop computer that run Intel's Centrino 2 processor by the second quarter of this year.

In the meantime, you can also do this a little less conveniently with an add-in travel router such as the Windy31.

The Wi-Fi interface of Apple's iPhone.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CBS Interactive)

Despite the economic downturn, the Wi-Fi section of the high-tech industry has been doing well.

According to In-Stat and Wi-Fi Alliance, the groups that certify wireless networking devices to ensure their interoperability, Wi-Fi chipsets were sold in a total of 387 million units in 2008, a 26 percent increase from 2007.

This was thanks to the demand by both consumers and businesses for a wide range of Wi-Fi-enabled devices. Almost all new mobile computers now have build-in Wi-Fi and so do most smartphones. The Wi-Fi implementation has branched out to other devices too, such as game consoles or media players. By now, it's clear that Wi-Fi has become an essential technology.

However, the increase of Wi-Fi chipset sales varies by category:

• Cellular Wi-Fi phones: 56 million units shipped (up 52 percent)
• Stationary consumer electronic devices (gaming consoles, digital televisions, set-top boxes, printers): 48 million units shipped (up 51 percent)
• Portable consumer electronic devices (handheld games, cameras, portable music players): 71 million units shipped (up 33 percent)
• Notebook PCs, mini notebooks, ultramobile devices, mobile Internet devices: 144 million units shipped (up 23 percent)

The companies predict that in 2009 the demand for Wi-Fi chipsets will continue to rise in cellular Wi-Fi handsets, portable consumer electronics, home networking, and mobile PCs. Like notebooks, all handheld gaming devices ship in 2009 will have Wi-Fi.

Last year also marks the proliferation of the 802.11n or Draft N wireless networking chipset. So far Wi-Fi Alliance has certified more than 500 consumer products for advanced Wi-Fi performance. More than half of the mobile computers shipped in 2008 support this advanced generation of Wi-Fi.

Smartparts has added two new Wi-Fi enabled digital photo frames to its lineup, the 10-inch SPX10WF and the SPX19WF. They feature such things as one touch Internet setup and automatic image correction.

As with the current Smartparts Wi-Fi digital photo frames, the new SPX10WF and the SPX19WF have photo e-mail capability allowing users to automatically receive e-mailed photos directly onto their photo frame. They also have Smartparts' SmartFix technology which automatically resizes, enhances, and crops photos to maximize appearance and storage capacity on the frame.

The SPX10WF has an espresso color wood frame with a 10-inch 800x600-pixel 24-bit LCD screen. The SPX19WF has a brown wood frame with a 19-inch 1,448x880-pixel 24-bit LCD screen.

Both models support SD, MS, xD, MMC, and Compact Flash memory cards, as well as have a USB port and 512MB of built-in memory. They will be available in March 2009, with the 10-inch SPX10WF having a MSRP of $199.99 and the 19-inch SPX19WF having a MSRP of $299.99.

The DSC-G3 includes an embedded Web browser.

(Credit: Sony Electronics)

Wi-Fi-enabled cameras have been around for several years, but arguably never took off because they never hit on the right combination of performance and capabilities; at various points we've seen powerful Wi-Fi but subpar photo quality, good cameras but with limited Wi-Fi capabilities, or simply middling all around. Now Sony's giving it a shot with the Cyber-Shot DSC-G3, and it looks like the company may at least get the feature side of the equation right.

The 10-megapixel, 4X zoom G3 includes 4GB of storage and a 210ppi 3.5-inch touch-screen display with Wi-Fi connectivity that allows you to wirelessly upload photos and video and deliver e-mail notifications. Unlike other implementations, the G3 gives you the tools to navigate and connect to networks, for instance, behind the terms-of-service agreement screens on public and hotel hot spots, via an embedded Web browser. The combination of organization tools and sophisticated and selective upload greatly expands the usefulness of both aspects of the camera. It includes free AT&T Wi-Fi access to Sony's Easy Upload Home Page until January 31, 2012.

Of course, like the others, this model may turn out to have performance or photo-quality flaws. And some may find $499 a bit pricey. But hope springs eternal. We'll find out when we get it in; that should be soon, since it's shipping now.

The all new true dual-band wireless router WNDR3700 at CES 2009.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET Networks.)

I reviewed the Netgear WNDR3300 wireless router a while ago and complained that it wasn't a true dual-band router, citing that it was only able to offer Draft N performance in one band at a time. Now at CES 2009, Netgear makes up for that with its all new successor called RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router WNDR3700.

Netgear hopes to make the WNDR3700 the ultimate in wireless routers for both home and small business environments. Like all true dual-band wireless routers, such as the D-Link DIR-825 or the Linksys WRT610N, the WNDR3700 features separate Wireless-N access points that can operate concurrently. This means both 5Ghz-based and 2.4Ghz-based wireless-N clients can get connected to the router at the same time.

The router also supports Gigabit Ethernet with all of its ports (4 LAN and one WAN) being able to handle bandwidth up to 1000Mbps. Like the Linksys WRT610N, the WNDR3700 supports external storage via its USB port. Coupled with an external hard drive, the router offers network storage functionality to all computers in the network.

Other than that, the rest of the router's features include:

• Powered by a 680 MHz MIPS processor, efficient power amplifiers and eight ultrasensitive antennas--promising some of the highest speeds and most reliable coverage.
• Advanced QoS with automatic traffic shaping ensures lagfree gaming, solid VoIP call connections, and jitter-free HD streaming.
• New Smart Wizard installation process, featuring a multilanguage graphical user interface
• Simplifies security setup with a "Push 'N' Connect" button that seamlessly connects wireless clients based on WPS
• Provides double firewall to protect the network from external hacker attacks
• Supports multiple SSID feature for guest access
• Configurable as a wireless repeater

The new Netgear WNDR3700 will be available in the first quarter of 2009 and is estimated to cost $179.

Netgear's mobile router at CES 2009.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET Networks)

D-Link did this a while ago by making its DIR-825 router support USB 3G mobile modems, and today at CES, Netgear introduced its 3G-only mobile router, the MBR624GU.

The router has a compact form factor and can be used only with USB 3G modems. It is compatible with most 3G modems on the market. It will not, however, work with other DSL or cable modems like most regular wireless routers do.

The MBR624GU mobile router doesn't have a WAN network port to support regular broadband modems.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET Networks)

It's rather disappointing that the MBR624GU doesn't support Draft N but instead stays with the 802.11g standard speed, which caps at 54Mbps. While this speed is already faster than the cell data speed that most cell carriers can offer, data exchanging between computers within a wireless network would benefit from the much faster wireless-N speed.

Other than that, the MBR624GU shares a long list of networking features with other Netgear routers such as Wi-Fi Protected Setup, double firewall, VPN pass-through and the option to turn the Wi-Fi on/off with a button. The router supports the highest level of Wi-Fi and WPA security encryption. It will also work with most universal car-power adapters.

This seems like a great router for those who are on the go and need to share their mobile cellular data plans with others. If you are looking for a router that can handle both mobile USB modems and regular broadband modems, however, I would recommend the D-Link DIR-825.

The 3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router MBR624GU will be available in the first quarter of 2009 with the estimated price of $129.

The IS9181 will be available this spring for $199.95.

(Credit: VTech)

In an interesting move, VTech, the makers of wireless home phones, has entered the home-audio fray with the IS9181, a Wi-Fi-enabled Internet radio receiver that will cost $199.95 when it's released this spring.

VTech claims the "competitively priced music hub delivers higher sound quality than other similarly priced music devices" and it allows you to play not only Internet radio selections but also to stream your music library stored on your computer (the IS9181 is compatible with both Windows PCs and Macs). There's also the requisite line input so you can connect any digital audio player.

At launch, VTech will be hosting a comprehensive guide to the thousands of Internet stations worldwide on its Web site, www.vtechphones.com. The press release notes that, "Once a desired station is located using the guide, users can push their favorite stations directly to the IS9181 for one-touch access."

Stations can be programmed into presets and the unit ships with a remote. Interestingly, the IS9181 can be made portable by popping in six AA batteries, which means you can take the device outside so long as you remain within range of a Wi-Fi signal. We're not sure how long those batteries will last, but Wi-Fi devices tend to gobble power, so we recommend getting rechargeables for this guy.

All in all, the IS9181 looks pretty good on paper. Now we just have to hear how it sounds.

Here's a rundown of the full spec list:

*802.11 digital Wi-Fi technology, providing superior range and streaming rates

*Internet radio streaming from 11,000 stations or ability to search for any stations that stream online

*Internet radio stations search from VTech's site or on the device itself

*Preset favorites online

*PC- or Mac-stored MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, Real music file playing

*Connect an MP3 player or any audio device directly to the radio using the provided cord

*Connect the IS9181 (via RCA connections) to other audio systems for streaming access

*Internal 2.1 speakers

*Weather and horoscope text updates based on zip code

*Remote included

*Large full-color display

*AC Power Adapter

*Battery-operated option (requires six AA batteries, not included)