This regular series features highlights from the week. The big news for me was Wednesday’s announcement of Tech Field Day 5 in February, though others might have been paying attention to Dell’s acquisition of Compellent. I also continued my series on Light Peak by musing about combining Light Peak and USB 3.0 and pondering, what if Light Peak was electrical rather than optical?
Personal
Get a Cradlepoint PHS300 Portable 3G WiFi Router For Just $99!
I love my Cradlepoint PHS300 router. It’s been a constant companion for me for two years, providing Internet access for me and my friends at just about every conference I attend (and organize!) It’s a battery-powered box with a USB port and WiFi radio. Attach almost any 3G or 4G modem or smartphone (other than the iPhone) and you’re online and sharing. And it’s better than a MiFi: You can customize the experience, it’s faster (in my testing), and it scales to support way more users.
What If Light Peak Was Electrical Rather Than Optical?
As I considered the possibilities of the new Apple/Intel interconnect technology known as Light Peak, an odd parallel with 10 Gb Ethernet popped into my head. Much of the confusion around Light Peak revolves around connectors, power conduction, and backward-compatibility. Then, like the Grinch, I thought of something I hadn’t before: Why use optical at all? 10 GBASE-T does just fine over twisted pair, and short interconnect distances would reduce power draw to reasonable levels. What if Light Peak was electrical rather than optical?
AirPrint-Compatible: HP’s Sexy Envy 100 and Photosmart eStation Printers
My first stop when looking at AirPrint printers was HP’s line of all-in-one Photosmart inkjet printers. There are some great offerings there, ranging from the inexpensive D110A to the office-capable C410A. But home users like cool gadgets, and HP has delivered two sexier printer options: The Envy 100 transforms from a glossy black monolith to a compact and functional printer when needed, while the Photosmart eStation does double-duty as a docking station for HP’s first “Zeen” Android tablet computer!
AirPrint-Compatible: HP Photosmart e-All-in-One Line
I’m trying to determine which AirPrint printer is best prior to selecting one for home. I first turned my attention to the basic Photosmart e all-in-one printers. These range from the cheap D110A (street price under $100) to the fax-capable Photosmart Premium offering.
