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Tag: wifi

  • TP-LINK and Google Launch OnHub, a Router for a New Way to Wi-Fi

    TP-LINK and Google Launch OnHub, a Router for a New Way to Wi-Fi

    onhub-router-google-tp-link

    TP-LINK has collaborated with Google to introduce OnHub, a new kind of router designed to keep up with the latest technology in the home, and help make Wi-Fi faster, more secure, and easy to use.

    OnHub addresses some of the most significant challenges associated with Wi-Fi today. It’s designed to be out in the open, where it works its best. It has fewer wires, a shell to keep cords tidy and lighting that is subtle and useful.

    OnHub’s innovative antenna design combined with smart software continually work to enhance users’ Wi-Fi connection. With its extensive router heritage, TP-LINK’s expertise was an integral contribution to OnHub’s design, in particular its unique circular antenna with 13 built-in, hidden antennas that reduce network interference and optimize network connectivity.

    “We count on Wi-Fi more than ever, and we need it to work well to do all the things we love to do online,” said Trond Wuellner, group product manager at Google. “By working with TP-LINK, we’ve brought together expertise across hardware and software to design OnHub, a new router that gives you a fast connection, makes Wi-Fi management simple, and gets better over time.”

    OnHub is managed by the Google On mobile app, making it easy to set up and manage Wi-Fi. During setup, OnHub selects the settings that will work best for the home, then automatically adjusts if things change so the network is always performing at its best.

    OnHub is designed to get better with time. The router automatically installs new features and the latest security updates. OnHub is also Bluetooth Smart, Weave, and 802.15.4 ready, so it can support a growing number of smart devices in the home.

    For a full list of OnHub features, visit on.google.com/hub/#specs.

    Price and Availability

    OnHub is available for online preorder today on Amazon and will be widely available at retailers in the U.S. and Canada in the coming weeks. MSRP for OnHub is $199.99.

  • Broadcom’s Internet of Things WICED Platform Now Offers Full HomeKit Support

    Broadcom’s Internet of Things WICED Platform Now Offers Full HomeKit Support

    homekit-breadcom

    Broadcom has announced that its Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices (WICED) SDK now offers full HomeKit support. As the first company to meet HomeKit technical specifications for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Smart, Broadcom expands its Internet of Things (IoT) portfolio offerings.

    Broadcom’s WICED platform enables developers and OEMs to take advantage of the growing Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem. By helping companies create IoT products that are HomeKit compliant, Broadcom is said to reduce time-to-market and improve the consumer experience.

    Broadcom’s WICED platform can also connect endpoints through a process known as bridging that delivers the benefits of HomeKit through a hardware module. This allows a product like a Bluetooth Smart light bulb to connect to a smart plug containing Broadcom’s WICED module, creating a bridge from the light bulb to the user’s HomeKit-supported app on their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

    HomeKit offers a set of common protocols making it easier for customers to control HomeKit-enabled accessories using Siri or iOS applications. HomeKit is built on a secure foundation with end-to-end encryption which provides customers a secure connection between their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and HomeKit-enabled accessory.

    Key Features:

    • Support for 802.11ab/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Smart
    • Compact design to support multiple microcontrollers (MCUs) and systems-on-a-chip (SOCs)
    • Low memory footprint
    • Integrated development tools
    • Reliable interoperability and integrated security
    • Upgradeable over wireless connections

    Availability
    Broadcom’s WICED SDK and hardware module with HomeKit support are available now.

  • 6 Essential Public WiFi Security Tips

    6 Essential Public WiFi Security Tips

    safe-on-public-wifi

    There are many risks associated with using a free WiFi network to browse sites that house private information. It’s quite easy to scan a public WiFI network to get a list of all the IPs currently connected. Once a snooper has that list, there’s a large amount of things they can do with that information. They can, for example, install software on your computer which can then be used to capture confidential information such as usernames and passwords, credit card numbers, even emails or search history.

    SaferVPN assembled their 6 fundamental tips for staying safe on public WiFi:

    1. Turn off sharing

    Uncheck all the boxes (music, photos, printers, etc.) from the Homegroup section of Network and Internet Settings on a PC and from Sharing under System Preferences on a Mac.

    2. Use anti-malware / antivirus

    This applies to much more than public WiFi alone – you should always protect your computers and mobile devices from malicious attacks. It’s not much different than getting your annual flu shot. There are some great free and paid solutions out there. PC Magazine has a nice unbiased list of their favorites here.

    3. Use HTTPS

    General rule of thumb: don’t enter sensitive information (credit card numbers, social security number, even a password) on pages that don’t have https at the very beginning of the URL (the full address you see towards the top of your screen). If you are just browsing around, playing a game or catching up on the news, having https won’t matter as much.

    4. Protect your passwords

    If you use the same password for every site, or if you password is featured in the dictionary, you’ve got a problem. In fact, a password’s lifespan really shouldn’t exceed more than 6 to 12 months. But how do you manage all of these unique passwords? Apps like 1password or LastPass will do it for you.

    5. Enable a firewall

    This is a quick an easy task that can be accomplished on both Windows and Mac that prevents undesired web traffic from entering (or exiting) your computer. This adds an extra layer of security and can be used to prevent computers from accessing certain sites and content. You can learn how to configure your firewall here.

    6. Confirm the network name

    Before you try to connect to the WiFi at your local Starbucks, make sure the network is actually called Starbucks and not something suspicious like Stars and Bucks. On top of that, it’s very easy to assign any name to a network so think before you click as there may be more than one “Hotel_WiFi-Guest”. Always gotta be on the look-out for the little things.

    Source: SaferVPN

  • Viber 3G VoIP Mobile App Coming to Android

    Viber, a mobile application that offers users free phone calls and text messaging to other Viber users over 3G and Wi-Fi, announced the official launch of the Android version of the app, bringing Viber to millions of additional users.

    Viber also announced that it has acquired over 12 million active users (last 30 days) and has an impressive call traffic volume of over one billion minutes of calls per quarter.

    Viber was released for iPhone just seven months ago and it now has over 20 million registered users and 12 million active users who currently talk on Viber for 11 million minutes every day, with an average of 6 minutes per call.

    The Android version of Viber features the same easy setup process and high-quality calls that drove its success on the iPhone. The Android version of Viber includes several exclusive features:

    • Full call screen whenever a Viber call is received;
    • Popup text message notification, which lets users respond to text messages without having to open Viber;
    • Tighter integration with the phone, which allows users to see their regular call logs and messages within Viber;
    • A default dialer setting that enables users to use the Viber dialer for all their phone calls, not just for Viber calls.

    "We have been looking forward to launching our Android app, especially after having received a staggering number of requests from Android users asking us to bring Viber to the Android market. Our latest user numbers are the best indicator of how much our users love to talk and send messages for free with Viber," said Talmon Marco, Viber CEO.

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    [Originally appeared on VoIP.Biz-news.com]

  • Viber 3G VoIP Mobile App Coming to Android

    Viber, a mobile application that offers users free phone calls and text messaging to other Viber users over 3G and Wi-Fi, announced the official launch of the Android version of the app, bringing Viber to millions of additional users.

    Viber also announced that it has acquired over 12 million active users (last 30 days) and has an impressive call traffic volume of over one billion minutes of calls per quarter.

    Viber was released for iPhone just seven months ago and it now has over 20 million registered users and 12 million active users who currently talk on Viber for 11 million minutes every day, with an average of 6 minutes per call.

    The Android version of Viber features the same easy setup process and high-quality calls that drove its success on the iPhone. The Android version of Viber includes several exclusive features:

    • Full call screen whenever a Viber call is received;
    • Popup text message notification, which lets users respond to text messages without having to open Viber;
    • Tighter integration with the phone, which allows users to see their regular call logs and messages within Viber;
    • A default dialer setting that enables users to use the Viber dialer for all their phone calls, not just for Viber calls.

    "We have been looking forward to launching our Android app, especially after having received a staggering number of requests from Android users asking us to bring Viber to the Android market. Our latest user numbers are the best indicator of how much our users love to talk and send messages for free with Viber," said Talmon Marco, Viber CEO.

    You may also want to read:
    Ciscos Cius Tablet Coming to Verizon LTE
    Level 3 Delivers SIP Trunking with Nomadic E-911 Solution for Microsoft Lync
    Cisco Unveils AppHQ Application for Cisco Cius

  • Fring Launches Dynamic Video Quality Mobile Calling

    fring announced the rollout of its network-optimized DVQ mobile video calling technology. The company’s proprietary DVQ (dynamic video quality) technology adjusts video bit rate and frame rate according to the specific device to match current network bandwidth during a call, delivering the best possible video picture quality for available bandwidth between call peers.

    Where network capacity is constrained, fring’s DVQ technology dynamically adapts the video picture quality, rather than losing the video call while providing the best possible audio quality. In addition, with an integrated DVQ indicator, fring intelligently notifies users of changes in their network strength in real time.

    According to fring, mobile eco-system resources are "core" to the company’s product’s design and its use: DVQ technology adjusts to match bandwidth at every point of every call. This adaptive nature allows for changing call conditions and network availability which translates into more connected calls and fewer dropped calls. Importantly, users enjoy rich video calling according to network congestion and in step with operator’s bandwidth availability – at all traffic hours.

    “In the year since pioneering mobile video calls, we’ve seen that users network conditions change dramatically during and between video calls. That’s the nature of mobile experiences in heterogeneous networks,” said Alex Nerst, Co-Founder & CTO of fring.

    "DVQ lets users make the best use of the peer- to- peer network capacity available at any moment during a video call, regardless of if they’re stepping into an elevator, commuting on a train or simply walking away from their WiFi hub," he added.

    DVQ technology is compatible with all mobile data bearers: 3G, 4G, WIMax and WiFi and is currently available from the iPhone App Store and the Android market.

    Related news
    Pinger Aims to Bring Free Voip to iPod Touch and iPhone
    fringOut’s “Almost-Free Calls” Coming to Android
    Skype Now Available for Android Phones
    fring Brings World’s First Video Calls to the iPhone

  • Skype Now Available for Android Phones

    Skype has just announced the release of Skype for Android, a client for mobile handsets, built for smartphones running Android OS version 2.1 or above.

    Skype said that the application has been tested successfully by the company on HTC Desire, HTC Legend, Google Nexus One, Motorola Milestone XT720, and Motorola Milestone. It may work on other Android phones, but the company can’t guarantee full functionality or compatibility.

    In the US, Skype for Android calling works over WiFi only. Outside the US the app works over WiFi or mobile data connection (GPRS, EDGE, 3G). It is not available in China and Japan at this moment.

    The application is downloadable for free from the Android Market and supports the following languages: Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Swedish, Polish, Russian, Simplified Chinese & Traditional Chinese.

    Mark Douglas, Product Manager of Android said: "The Skype experience is ubiquitous today. More and more people are using Skype to do things together when apart. With the addition of Android, we are pleased that Skype is now available on three of the most popular mobile platforms today: Android, iOS and Symbian"

    Related news
    Avaya and Skype Team Up to to Collaborate on Unified Communications
    Skype Connect 1.0 Officially Launched
    fring Gives Android Users the 1st Mobile 2-Way Video Calls

  • CounterPath Brings Enterprise-Class VoIP Softphone to the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

    CounterPath has released the Bria iPhone Edition for Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Bria iPhone Edition is a VoIP softphone that works over both 3G and Wi-Fi networks.

    Bria iPhone Edition integrates with other CounterPath desktop and convergence solutions, as well as with enterprise and carrier infrastructure equipment from vendors such as Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, BroadSoft, Metaswitch, Avaya, Cisco and NEC. Bria iPhone Edition also supports Asterisk-based telephony systems.

    It is the latest CounterPath solution for mobile platforms and its first standalone mobile SIP application. Earlier this year, the company launched Linux, Mac and Windows versions of Bria. In addition to the Bria-branded version, CounterPath will also be developing customized white-label versions of Bria iPhone Edition for carriers, OEMs and enterprise customers worldwide.

    “Bria iPhone Edition leverages the iPhone’s native address book and its embedded Bluetooth technology to provide “a seamless calling experience while on the move,” as the company claims.

    Apple currently ranks third in smartphone shipments, with 16 percent of all units in the category in Q1 2010, according to several analyst firms. For all handset types – smartphones and feature phones – Apple is No. 6, with more than 8.7 million shipped worldwide in Q1.

    According to CounterPath, Bria iPhone Edition’s key features include:

    • Full SIP compliance, enabling use with any SIP-compliant server and hundreds of ITSPs that currently offer CounterPath-based services.
    o Bria iPhone Edition appears as another endpoint to service providers or PBX equipment, enabling fast, cost-effective deployments.
    • Call quality that’s superior to circuit-switched wireline and wireless voice, and based on the G.711, G.729 and GSM codecs.
    • An intuitive user interface that provides one-touch access to voicemail, call history, speakerphone and other frequently used telephony features such as 4-digit dialing.
    • Support for DTMF, which lets users enter numbers to access an auto attendant.
    • Bluetooth support, enabling hands-free calling for convenience, as well as safety while driving.
    • Multi-call management options, including the ability to switch between, merge and split calls, all in ways that are already familiar to iPhone users so they can start using these features immediately.
    • Signaling and call encryption via TLS and SRTP, enabling enterprise-class security.
    • Optional customized branding available for enterprises and telephony providers.

    Related articles
    Juniper Research: Mobile VoIP Users to Exceed 100 Million by 2012
    Skype 2.0 Brings 3G Calling to the iPhone
    Mobile VoIP Becomes a Threat to Tradicional Voice Revenues
    CounterPath Releases Network-Based Mobile Mashup Application

  • Sipera SLiC Makes Smartphone VoIP and UC Secure and “Business Ready”

    After demonstrating how easy it was to eavesdrop and record VoIP calls made over an unsecured WiFi network on the iPhone using open source software called UCSniff, Sipera Systems, which offers real-time Unified Communications (UC) security, released the Sipera Secure Live Communications (SLiC) mobility solution.

    As the smartphone market has exploded, hundreds of communication applications have been introduced that take advantage of WiFi and data services such as 3G, GPRS and other technologies.

    But these applications do not natively integrate into the enterprise security infrastructure, making it difficult for communications security managers to ensure communications privacy, data integrity, and other critical security requirements.

    As a result, employees are using unauthorized VoIP or other UC applications on their smartphones and violating privacy mandates and confidentiality rules, exposing themselves to eavesdropping, and increasing information security risks.

    Sipera claims SLiC solves the smartphone security challenge by “integrating the smartphone into the enterprise communications security infrastructure”.

    “The solution automatically authenticates the smartphone back into the enterprise PBX or call manager, ensures encryption of IP-based communications, enforces security policies in real-time and blocks threats or blacklisted callers,” the company says.

    According to Sipera, “delivering breakthrough enterprise-class communications privacy and security for Voice-over-IP and UC on smartphones, Sipera SLiC makes smartphone VoIP and UC >business ready<.”

    The company states SLiC is the industry’s first security solution enabling enterprises to “tame” the smartphone, permitting employees to use VoIP, UC, cloud telephony, and other low-cost and feature-rich communications applications on mobile devices with complete security and privacy.

    Sipera SLiC enables smartphone VoIP to include smart-card card authentication for accessing enterprise resources, providing unparalleled access control and communications privacy. It uses two-factor authentication with smartphone VoIP for enhanced access control.

    “Secure unified communications on the smartphone will revolutionize enterprise communications, dramatically improving company agility and employee responsiveness,” said John Lochow, President and CEO of Sipera Systems.

  • Clearwire to Launch 4G Service in 10 New Markets in the U.S.

    Clearwire Communications announced the official launch day of CLEAR 4G service in 10 new markets across the U.S. on September 1, 2009.

    The company’s CLEAR WiMax wireless broadband services will occur in Boise, Idaho; Bellingham, Wash; and eight markets throughout Texas, including: Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Killeen/Temple, Waco and Wichita Falls.

    Clearwire’s 4G network is now available in four markets, with the expected September 1st launches adding an additional 10 markets, and the company plans to bring CLEAR to 80 markets covering up to 120 million people by the end of 2010. In addition to the markets recently announced, consumers and businesses can purchase the company’s 4G services online and at various retail locations in Atlanta; Baltimore; Las Vegas and Portland, Oregon.

    Some of the additional markets planned to launch in 2009 include Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Honolulu, Philadelphia and Seattle. In 2010, Clearwire plans to launch 4G service in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Houston and the San Francisco Bay Area among others.

    Clearwire’s 4G service, called CLEAR offers fast mobile Internet, similar, butt different, to that provided by Wi-Fi. CLEAR uses a 4G technology called WiMAX, that provides up to 3 Mbit/s broadband speed (although Clearwire claims that it can provide up to 4 MB/sec for downloads and 500 kilobits/sec for uploading).

    Clearwire currently provides 4G service, utilizing WiMAX technology, in four markets and provides pre-WiMAX communications services in 50 markets across the U.S. and Europe.