wireless

Thousands of people pay thousands of dollars to have flat-panel HDTVs mounted on the wall with no visible wires. Samsung's FP-T5894W, the first mainstream large-screen "wireless" TV that I've seen, aims to make those wireless-looking installations a lot cheaper and easier. Like most "wireless" A/V gear, it does require one cord--to supply AC power--but that's it. The rack full of A/V equipment that accompanies any self-respecting plasma installation connects to the FP-T5894W's "wireless A/V center," which the company claims can sit up to 300 feet away from … Read more

Though Verizon Wireless has yet to announce officially that it will start offering the Motorola Slvr L7c, Motorola demonstrated such a phone this evening at a CES press event. Motorola reps declined to comment, but it's clear Verizon will join Sprint in offering the candy bar version of Moto's slim handset line. And in any case, bloggers have sighted the Slvr L7c on the carrier's prerelease Web site. Clad in silver, Verizon's Slvr L7c will be similar to both Sprint's model and the GSM Slvr L7 for Cingular. Features should include a VGA camera, Bluetooth, … Read more

A Pennsylvania start-up says it has the answer to one of the biggest problems in mobile phones: battery life.

After three years of keeping its technology under close guard, Powercast has come to CES 2007 to get consumer and manufacturer attention. Powercast is a radio frequency that is transmitted over a small area, and its energy is "harvested"--wirelessly--to give power to small devices like cell phones.

While it's presented as wireless power, Powercast isn't just a replacement for a universal charger. Instead, it's meant to either continuously charge a battery or replace the need … Read more

Just as everyone suspected, Verizon Wireless is bringing programming from the small screen to an even smaller screen with today's announcement of V Cast Mobile TV. At a multimedia-filled event at the hip Palms Hotel, Verizon execs unveiled the service and the two phones that will support it.

As we told you earlier today, V Cast Mobile TV will bring live full-length television programming to selected handsets via Qualcomm's MediaFlo technology. The service is set to launch by the end of March and will offer eight channels of programming available including CBS, NBC, MTV, Fox, and ESPN. Verizon … Read more

CES 2007 has barely begun but Verizon Wireless should strike an early blow today by announcing it will soon bring full-length TV shows to its phones. Though the company is waiting for a 12:30 p.m. press conference to break the official news, the New York Times reported the plan yesterday. And indeed, Verizon employees wearing "Verizon TV" badges have been scurrying around the Palms Hotel, where the announcement will take place.

According to the Times, the service will be available by the end of March and will feature shows from NBC, CBS, Fox, MTV, and possibly … Read more

This latest installment of our campaign for wireless speakers seemed almost too good to be true--until we saw the price.

The "Planets" from France's Elipson not only claim to provide top-quality sound, but they're also built with Bluetooth modules that allow the speakers to detect and couple with each other wirelessly and automatically, Ministry of Tech says. The versatile orbs, which can receive and transmit digital and analog signals, will work with all manner of devices, including computers, MP3 players and cell phones, as well as amps and tuners.

But we almost forgot--the cost. They're … Read more

We admit to having a weakness for Italian design houses, and when they combine their talents with one of our many OCD tendencies we simply can't resist.

Con & Con's "E-Base Charging Station" provides a place to store your ever-growing collection of devices and--most important to us--conceals the unsightly wires connected to them. Gizmowatch says the $180 station comes in a more neutral black-and-gray combination if orange isn't your color.

It seems not too long ago that AT&T Wireless users everywhere were complaining about the switchover to Cingular. Well, with the FCC approval last Friday of AT&T's acquisition of Bellsouth, prepare for some serious deja vu coming your way early this year. Yep, we're finally about to go through the whole rebranding rigmarole, but the other way 'round. See ya, orange Cingular man; it was nice knowing you.

Soon you'll never have to leave your car while on business out of town. Starting in March, Avis will make any one of its rentals a potential Wi-Fi hot spot using a service from a San Francisco-based start-up called Autonet Mobile.

For $10.95 a day, according to The Raw Feed, customers can rent a portable "In-Car-Router" that provides wireless high-speed Net access. The main challenge will be dropped signals, which have bedeviled other mobile access products, but Autonet told the International Herald Tribune that it has overcome that problem with a new "wireless router" … Read more