connected

NEW ORLEANS--When Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg used his Consumer Electronics Show keynote to demonstrate the company's Connected Me concept, which turns the human body into a bridge between gadgets, he was met with lackluster applause.

Part of the problem was the audience didn't fully grasp what Vestberg was trying to show. He was on stage holding a smartphone in one hand and the sensor for an audio system in the other. The data signal shot through his body, playing an MP3 from the phone on the speaker system. In effect, he became a replacement for a USB cord … Read more

Google+ for iPhone is a clean and intuitive mobile app that has all of the powers of its desktop counterpart, save for the games and a few other minor features. The latest update to the app (as reported by Josh Lowensohn) adds a newly redesigned visual interface for Stream and other notable enhancements.

The Google+ app opens up to the redesigned Stream interface, but a button at the top left takes you to a dashboard of icons leading to the different sections of the service: Stream, Messenger, Photos, Profile, and Circles. Despite the new look, the interface works much like … Read more

Over the last year we've talked a lot about Apple's AirPlay wireless streaming feature, but haven't said much -- if anything at all -- about the Windows version of AirPlay, Play To.

That's because until now, no company has billed its wireless speaker as a Windows wireless speaker, which is what Aperion Audio is doing with its upcoming $500 Aris Connected Speaker for Windows. Aperion says its giving Microsoft employees a sneak preview of the speaker today and will ship the Aris sometime in mid-June.

Aperion says you simply place the speaker where you want it, … Read more

NEW ORLEANS--AT&T's version of the family data plan may be coming sooner than you think.

The company has a firm hold on what type of plan it will offer and intends to offer one soon, said Ralph de la Vega, CEO of AT&T's mobile business, in an interview with CNET here yesterday. A family data plan would allow consumers to buy one bucket of data, which can be used by multiple devices, a move industry observers believe could spur the sale of non-traditional cellular devices like connected tablets.

"I'm very comfortable with … Read more

We all want faster Web connections. But those connecting to the Web in South Korea are actually getting what they want, according to the latest State of the Internet report from Akamai.

According to the network solutions provider, South Korea is putting most other countries to shame with average Web connection speeds of about 16Mbps. The U.S., by contrast, offers average connection speeds of 5.8Mbps, putting it behind a host of countries, including Japan, Romania, and Switzerland.

Akamai also found that cities in the Asia Pacific region are far more likely to have fast Web connection speeds, with … Read more

LinkedIn for iPad doesn't have all the features you'd find on the business-oriented networking Web site, but a nice layout and new integration with your calendar make it a worthy download.

Formerly just on smaller devices like iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and Palm Pre, the new LinkedIn app for iPad has some interesting functionality built in that lets you map out your busy workday.

Upon launch, you can browse three categories: All Updates, You, and your Inbox. Touch You and you can see who has viewed your profile, people you may know (through your connections) and all your current … Read more

The Nike+ FuelBand has been officially available for a while now, that is, if you can get your hands on one. If you haven't been fortunate enough to find one yet but plan to or you are receiving one soon, and want to know what the setup process is like, look no further.

To begin the setup process for your Nike+ FuelBand, you will need to download and install the Nike+ Connect app on your computer. You can do so by visiting nikeplus.com/setup.

After you have installed and launched the app, you will be prompted to connect … Read more

A lot of hype and eager anticipation surrounded the release of Nokia's Lumia 900 smartphone yesterday. People debated whether to ditch their iPhones in lieu of this cheaper yet still high-end featured mobile device.

However, it seems this latest Windows Phone is off to a rocky start -- several owners of the 900s report that their new devices aren't connecting to AT&T's data networks.

"Got my new lumia 900 yesterday from at&t, everything's fine EXCEPT THE WEB," wrote one user on Nokia's Support Discussions. "Any 1 has the … Read more

While Netgear and D-Link introduced their approaches to app-supporting and cloud-enabled networking products at CES 2012, Cisco, which didn't have anything to announce at CES, turns out to be the first to materialize the new concepts.

Cisco today unveiled a line of Linksys Smart Wi-Fi routers that promises to change the face, and the body, of home networking.

The Linksys EA4500, EA3500, and EA2700 -- the "A" designation being short for "app-enabled" -- look like models in the earlier E Series but have more-powerful hardware and support Cisco Connect Cloud, the next generation of Cisco … Read more