wifi

We're not sure quite what to make of this rumor, but Engadget is reporting that Barnes & Noble is phasing out the Nook 3G.

Engadget doesn't cite a specific person or anonymous source, but says it, "Received hard evidence from within B&N that the Nook is being discontinued, with sales to seemingly continue until stock is exhausted." The "outfit" (we assume that means Barnes & Noble) is apparently "encouraging retail partners to not send out any 'bulk requests' for the Nook 3G, as there simply 'will not be sufficient quantities to fulfill those orders.'"

The article then goes on to say that "the company never actually received a huge amount of Nook 3G bulk orders to begin with, so maybe Wi-Fi really is everywhere these days."

As we said, it's a little hard to decipher what this means, but we should point out that Engadget's story about the Nook Color getting an update to Android 2.2 and possibly blowing up if you rooted it (installed custom Android firmware) ended up being just a tad off base. However, this latest story was written by veteran Engadget reporter Darren Murph, so we're taking it more seriously.

One thing worth pointing out is that it would seem odd for Barnes & Noble to discontinue the 3G/Wi-Fi version of the Nook and tell customers they could only get the Wi-Fi-only version.… Read more

Apple has released to developers a beta of iOS 4.3, the newest operating system update for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. iOS 4.3 will include several feature upgrades including the addition of personal Wi-Fi hot spots, new multitouch gestures for iPad, and customizable messaging alerts.

Also included in the first beta of iOS 4.3 is the return of orientation locking by using the hardware switch on the side of your iPad. Users will be able to toggle the usage of that switch from its current function, muting, to the new orientation lock.

The App Store app has … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Samsung revealed this week that its Galaxy Tab recently passed a 1.5 million global shipment milestone and the company isn't content to rest on the laurels of the tablet's initial success.

Today the company announced that a Wi-Fi-only version of the Galaxy Tab will be available in the United States in early 2011.

Other than that detail, the new Galaxy Tab looks to be identical (spec-wise) to the one already released, but let's list its specs anyway, for good measure.

LAS VEGAS--If you have a large house or apartment, it's tricky to get the Wi-Fi signal to every corner. Even when you have the most powerful wireless router, the range never seems to be far enough.

This has been an ongoing issue with consumers, but Netgear offered a new and easy solution today by announcing its new universal Wi-Fi range extender, the WN3000RP.

The device increases the coverage of an existing home wireless network by automatically extending the signal of the network to which it is connected. According to Netgear, all consumers need to do is place the product … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Samsung seems to be the only camera manufacturer really pushing forward with Wi-Fi in its cameras. It's launched a handful of wireless-enabled models over the past couple years, but they've been mysteriously hard to come by, so I haven't been able to review one. Hopefully that will change with the SH100.

The camera has built-in 802.11n wireless that can be used for connecting to your Wi-Fi network for automatic backups or viewing on DLNA-equipped devices; connect to other Samsung Wi-Fi cameras for sharing; connect to hot spots including those provided by Boingo (an account comes … Read more

Links from Friday's episode of Loaded:

Amazon invests in Living Social while rumors persist that Google wants to purchase Groupon

eBay purchases local shopping site Milo.com

Google Earth Engine launches with 25 years of archived satellite imagery

Google Doodles are now available on mobile searches

A new version of Rock Band is out for iPad and iPhone

A Pennsylvania couple is awarded $1 in a trespassing case against Google

The Wi-Fi Baby 3G will help you monitor your little ones--and big ones--while you're away

As competition in the 4G wireless market heats up, Clearwire has finalized a deal to create more funding so it can continue building its nationwide 4G wireless network.

It also has released a new product.

The company said today it plans to sell more than $1.1 billion in a debt offering. The company has spent months negotiating and looking for ways to inject more money into the business. The company said last month that without new funding it might not be able to continue building its nationwide WiMax 4G wireless network.

Clearwire is majority owned by Sprint Nextel, the … Read more

AirRadar is a utility that can help you scan for, track information on, and join wireless networks. Like similar apps (some of which are free), AirRadar provides much more information than you'd otherwise get through the Mac OS AirPort status menu. Whether you're testing your signal strength at home or trying to find free Wi-Fi on the road, AirRadar will list all open and closed networks in range, along with information such as signal strength (current, average, and max), type of encryption, MAC address, and channel--and you can also sort networks into smart groups, such as all open … Read more

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

Google is providing free Wi-Fi on several airlines' domestic flights for the holidays

A new browser called RockMelt will make you even more attached to your social networks

Hasbro is bringing back the viewfinder, only this time it's for the iPhone and it's in 3D

The Motorola Droid Pro is available for preorder today

3D glasses are coming soon from Oakley, Machon, and Calvin Klein

Your cell phone may soon be able to diagnose an STD