Apple Introduces New AirPort Express With 802.11n

All AirPort Base Stations Now Run Fastest Wireless Standard

CUPERTINO, Calif., March 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today updated its AirPort Express(R) mobile base station with 802.11n to deliver up to five times the performance and twice the range of the previous model*. Priced at just $99, AirPort Express is the world's smallest 802.11n-based mobile base station. It can be plugged directly into the wall for wireless Internet connectivity and USB printing at home or easily brought on the road for wireless freedom wherever there is an Internet connection. AirPort Express features AirTunes(TM), which works seamlessly with iTunes(R) to give users a simple and inexpensive way to wirelessly stream iTunes music from a PC or Mac(R) to any room in the house.

"Apple is leading the way with a broad range of innovative 802.11n base stations for almost any wireless networking need," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "From the small and portable AirPort Express, to AirPort Extreme for workgroups of up to 50 users and the new Time Capsule for automated backups, Apple customers now have more great ways to extend their wireless networks with 802.11n."

AirPort Express features a single-piece, compact design weighing just 6.7 ounces, providing maximum portability. AirPort Express offers both PC and Mac users the ability to share a single DSL or cable broadband connection with up to 10 simultaneous users. Users can also share a printer wirelessly that is connected to the USB port. Apple's AirPort Utility software provides easy step-by-step instructions for setting up and configuring AirPort Express; and with its advanced security features, AirPort Express safeguards data on networked computers with support for Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2),

128-bit WEP encryption and a built-in firewall. Apple now includes 802.11n as standard in its entire line of AirPort base stations and Mac notebooks as well as iMac(R), Apple TV(R) and Time Capsule(TM).

AirPort Express includes a built-in combination digital and analog audio connector allowing users to connect to a home stereo or powered speakers. iTunes automatically detects remote speakers and displays them in a simple pop-up list for the user to select. Once the remote speakers are selected, AirTunes wirelessly streams iTunes music from the computer to the AirPort Express base station. Multiple AirPort Express base stations can be set up around a home, each connected to a set of powered speakers for a whole-home music experience. AirPort Express can also extend the range of an existing AirPort Extreme(R) wireless network.

Pricing & Availability

AirPort Express is available immediately through the Apple Store(R) (http://www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $99 (US).

*AirPort Express is based on an IEEE 802.11n draft specification. Actual performance will vary based on range, connection rate, site conditions, size of network and other factors.

We've actually set up the Time Capsule several different ways already, as the only router in the network, and as an Ethernet-linked node on an existing wireless network. The start-up wizard in AirPort Utility asks you plainly what you want to do, in increasing steps like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book. I know some of you don't need that kind of child's play, but this kind of thing will even help you when you tell your mom to get one of these and realize you won't have to do tech support too.
Once you've got it set up, either as your router or a node on your network, you can just pop into Time Machine and see it listed as a drive. If that's all you want, select the drive and you're as good as done. That first dump can be a real doozy though, so keep some things in mind:
• Set aside an entire night to get it done.
• Consider connecting via Ethernet, especially if you have an 802.11b/g Mac. (Time Capsule has Gigabit 10/100/1000Base-T wired connectivity.)
• Try not to interrupt the first dump, as the subsequent file-integrity check will take a long time too.

But say you buy the 500GB Time Capsule, and want to use an external 1TB drive to do all your serious backing up. When you connect it via USB, it is automatically visible in both the AirPort Utility and the Time Machine on your Mac. What you can't do is merge the two to make one massive 1.5TB volume, though. You have to choose one or the other.In some cases, you may want to connect the USB drive you already use for Time Machine to the Time Capsule, to simply make the process wireless. Bear in mind that if you do that, you still have to make the massive initial dump: Time Capsule won't recognize that drive as your previous Time Machine drive, but just as new storage that you can use.

The internal drive and any external drives can be seen as standard network drives, too, across both Mac and PC platforms—checking the guest friendly option in AirPort Utility's disk settings is helpful there. Speaking of PC compatibility, Apple appears to be promoting Time Capsule, at least by word of mouth and in all the support literature, as a dual-platform product, even though its core Time Machine software is not available to Windows users. You can use third-party backup software and select Time Capsule as the target drive, though there are certainly many competing products that will let you do this for cheaper.

The only significant problem I've run into is the networked printer. I connected a printer to Time Capsule that I had set up for local use on my Mac. Time Capsule recognized it immediately, and the printer selection on the Mac itself showed it just fine, but when I went to actually send over a print job, I got an error that the printer was offline. (Eddie Izzard fans would've appreciated the ensuing angry outburst: "Not offline! No. Online. Control-P Print!!") I don't blame Time Capsule yet. I'm going to try it with some other printers soon, and will get to the root of it.

We will continue to test this and alert you to any issues, but in the meantime it's safe to say that this is a worthwhile product for people who have the money and want the convenience. How often do you refuse to connect the USB to your backup drive because it would hamper your style? How often are you afraid, after a long period of not backing up, of the time it may take you to perform a backup. Those issues go away with Time Capsule.

But there's a cost, particularly at the 1TB model, which is $200 more than the $300 500GB model. When we ask about this, all we get back is that these are "server grade" drives. Great, thanks, but we're gonna recommend the 500GB version. If you have 300GB of backup or less you're covered, and if you have 1TB of backup or more, you're better off scoring some massive drive or drive array at discount, and plugging it in via USB. Now go back the #&#;$% up!!! [Time Capsule on Giz]

And after putting the system through field testing, PCMag decides they like it.

Even through transfer rates vary a bit over distance, the Netgear HD/Video's sustained speeds are a lot better than its 2.4 GHz counterparts.

Those who intend to use the system for home theater should know that the system's optimal transmission rate was from only 15 feet away, at which it could hit one-way transfer speeds from 82 to 94 Mbps. But from 45 feet away and a floor between the two boxes, the system still managed to hit speeds ranging from 68 to 74 Mbps. That's still pretty good, and plenty fast to stream HD flicks without a problem. [pcmag via ehomeupgrade]

It runs HP's own MediaSmart interface and can download movies from CinemaNow (with help from a PC), but it also has a complete Windows Media Center Extender interface as well, connecting wirelessly to your home network with all flavors of 802.11 including N, plus it has HDMI and USB jacks. The Vista-friendly x280N handles MPEG-2, DivX, H.264 and WMV, plus MP3, WMA, WAV, and unprotected AAC. It's got a slot for HP's Pocket Media Drive for carrying video from your PC by hand, but the drive doesn't mean this thing can be a standalone DVR.

Here's what it looks like with open maw:

[HP]

Note: Due to a publishing error, this post was unavailable for several hours.

Linksys Optimizes Digital Media Streaming with Ultra RangePlus Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router and PC Card

WRT600N and WPC600N deliver on promise of Wireless-N by enabling the simultaneous use of multiple wireless spectrums

IRVINE, Calif., - Oct. 23, 2007 - Linksys, a Division of Cisco, the leading provider of VoIP, wireless and networking hardware for the consumer and small business environments, today announced Ultra RangePlus, its new premium line of home networking products. Ultra RangePlus is a family of products for consumers who are looking to maximize both the performance and range of their wireless networks1. The first available products from the family are the Ultra RangePlus Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WRT600N) and the Ultra RangePlus Dual-Band Wireless-N Notebook Adapter (WPC600N).

Greater Wireless Network Coverage
The WRT600N is designed to transmit simultaneously in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless spectrums to provide greater wireless network coverage and transmission speeds. Consumers can connect their traditional wireless networking devices, such as PCs, VoiceOverIP products, and printers, to the WRT600N in the 2.4 GHz spectrum, while utilizing the additional 5 GHz spectrum to optimize the performance of latency-sensitive devices like Media Center Extenders, Set Top Boxes, or gaming PCs

"Simultaneous Dual-band Wireless-N is an important technology as consumers continue to move more entertainment content throughout the Connected Home," said Mani Dhillon, director, product marketing, Linksys Consumer Business Organization. "The 5 GHz spectrum is less crowded, offers more channels, and is less prone to interference from neighboring networks, allowing advanced applications like streaming HDTV to rooms throughout a home to become a reality."

Linksys Easy Link Advisor
Linksys Easy Link Advisor (LELA) is included with the WRT600N to help consumers install and manage their home networks. LELA takes the consumer on an uncomplicated, illustrated journey toward secure home network setup without the need for knowledge of technical jargon such as SSID, MAC address, or WPA. The user simply launches the application on their PC and follows the instructions that include adding PCs, enabling security, and automatic mapping of the newly created network.

Devices, such as network printers, IP cameras, or network attached storage, that may have been present on previously installed wireless networks can be easily migrated to the newly created Ultra RangePlus-based network using LELA. To further empower the consumer, LELA also includes troubleshooting tools and a easy-to-read list of all network information, including IP addresses and connection status.

Storage Link
With Storage Link, USB 2.0 storage devices, including inexpensive external USB drives, can become networked attached storage by simply plugging into the WRT600N. The contents of a connected drive can be accessed by anyone allowed access to the network without the installation of any custom software, making StorageLink the ideal solution for sharing files, digital music, videos, or pictures. For digital entertainment, its always-on media server functionality enables users to stream digital media to any UPnP-enabled digital media adapter without the use of a PC.

Pricing and Availability
Both the WRT600N and WPC600N are available now through Linksys e-commerce resellers at estimated street prices of $279.99 and $99.99 respectively. Additional Ultra RangePlus products, including USB and ExpressCard adapters will be available in the first quarter of 2008 from retail, direct response, and VAR partners.

In addition to that 802.11n draft 2.0, it's backward-compatible with an alphabet soup of Wi-Fi protocols including 802.11g, 802.11b, although it won't do A because it lacks 5GHz band support. And if all that wireless folderol doesn't suit your fancy, there are four gigabit Ethernet ports, too.

But just look at this thing! Its display has readouts for time and date, downloads, up/downloads, and also shows the client names of each computer with each one's download speed listed alongside. There's also a mode for viewing each client's usage over the last 24 hours. There's also a toggle for Guest mode.

One slight lameness: It ships without any passwords enabled, not even a default password for the doofuses. Could trip up a noob here or there. Oh, and switching settings on the router often requires a one-minute reboot. Kind of annoying. While it can work in DHCP mode, it can also function as a mere access point.

That said, its out-of-box experience is exemplary, and the setup is easy. Best of all, it's the goddamn best-looking router we've ever seen, making that Apple Airport Extreme look downright dumpy. To be fair, the Airport Extreme has that nice 5GHz N mode, but its looks can't hold a candle to this one's beauty and helpful functionality. [Belkin]

IRVINE, Calif. (July 24, 2007) -Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced the availability of the Qosmio(R) G45-AV680, a cutting-edge audio-video notebook computer with Dolby(R) surround sound technology and the first U.S. model to feature an HD DVD-R optical drive and full 1080p playback resolution.

As the first U.S. notebook computer with an HD DVD-R optical drive, the Qosmio notebook provides users with a state-of-the-art multimedia machine that can burn up to 30 GB of data, including home-videos, entire photo albums and music libraries onto a single HD DVD recordable disc. In addition to storage capacity, the HD DVD-R optical drive also plays HD DVD movies at a resolution six times sharper than the DVD format.

"Already Toshiba's premiere audio-video solution, the new Qosmio is a remarkable step forward in the digital renaissance, in terms of putting high-definition capabilities and creative multimedia tools into people's hands," said Mark Simons, vice president and general manager, Digital Products Division, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. "Whether you want to immortalize a recent European vacation on HD DVD, simply enjoy the perfection of studio-produced high-definition films with stunning Dolby surround sound or listen to music, the Qosmio puts a world of opportunity at our fingertips."

The enhanced technology of HD DVD provides Qosmio users with a groundbreaking level of interactivity that will change how people watch movies. Features such as in-movie commentary and downloadable internet content will provide layers of valuable options that reach deeper into the moviemaking process, highlighting interesting details concerning real-life set locations, as well as high definition movie trailers and music videos.

A key benefit of using a notebook computer as a conduit for HD DVD playback is the standard 1 gigabit Ethernet and 802.11n(1) wireless(2) internet connections, which makes it possible to quickly and easily access internet content. New releases, such as Warner's blockbuster "Blood Diamond," provide enhanced High Definition content that's only available through the internet.

"HD DVD is the future of high definition entertainment, and the Qosmio G45 is an example of the incredible opportunities in store for consumers," said Ken Graffeo, executive vice president of HD strategic marketing for Universal Studios Home Entertainment, and co-president of the HD DVD Promotional Group. "By adding a writable HD DVD drive, Toshiba once again sets the bar for high definition experiences on the PC. Consumers get a portable home theater for watching their favorite films in stunning 1080p quality or unlocking interactive experiences."

The Qosmio G45-AV680 sports a striking piano-key white glossy finish, which is starkly contrasted by a silver volume control knob and Qosmio AV Controller. Adding to the effect, each control knob is backlit by a halo of blue light. An impressive machine right out-of-the-box, the Qosmio G45 comes with such high-end features as four Harman Kardon(R) Bass Reflex stereo speakers, a built-in subwoofer, a 1 Bit Digital Amplifier and Dolby Home Theater(TM) technology. This high-end speaker configuration dramatically enhances the visual experience by delivering a sophisticated suite of audio technologies, such as Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Live, Dolby Pro Logic(R) II, Dolby Headphone and Dolby Virtual Speaker. As a result users have the freedom and flexibility to enjoy rich surround sound in a variety of playback environments as well as more vivid and engaging experiences from a user's favorite music, HD movies and games.

Built around a stunning 17-inch diagonal widescreen Ultimate TruBrite(R) display, the Qosmio G45 delivers an image resolution of 1080p. While at home, users can connect the Qosmio's HDMI port to a High Definition TV to expand the functionality of their home entertainment center. Once connected to an HDTV, the Qosmio G45 can deliver a 1080p movie with all of the quality users expect from HD DVD. Additionally the Qosmio includes the TOSHIBA USB HDTV Tuner, an external device for viewing and recording live high definition TV from an antenna, satellite set-top box or cable line.

As the most complete entertainment notebook available, the Qosmio G45 also takes the gaming experience to the next level, through NVIDIA's GeForce 8600M GT GPU, which empowers gamers to take full advantage of Microsoft's cutting-edge DirectX 10 graphics technology to deliver modern visual effects. The DirectX 10 enabled NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT graphics card propels next-generation games to new heights of realism by producing realistic textures in hair, facial and body features, while providing a richly detailed environment for an immersive gaming experience.

To download large files, such as movies and television shows in a fraction of the time, while providing greater security, faster internet browsing, and a richer wireless internet experience, the Qosmio G45-AV680 incorporates the draft 802.11n wireless protocol. For users, this new wireless technology delivers transfer speeds up to five times(3) faster than the previous 802.11g standard.

To maximize the functionality of the Qosmio and its HD DVD-R drive, the digital lifestyle application Ulead(R) DVD MovieFactory(R) for TOSHIBA has been included. With this value-added software, Qosmio users can easily import and edit high-definition and standard digital home movie footage to create personal family masterpieces. In turn, the Qosmio G45-AV680 makes it possible to add the finishing professional touch to personal films and home movies that were originally captured using an HD or digital camcorder by burning them onto an HD DVD complete with graphical menus and chapter markers. With this feature, the Qosmio brings HD DVD production capabilities within reach of the video enthusiast.

The Qosmio G45 is available at www.toshibadirect.com, as well as a variety of major consumer electronics and computer stores nationwide in the following configuration:

Qosmio G45-AV680 Unique Specifications (ESUP $3,199.99(4))

· Genuine Windows Vista(TM) Ultimate (32-bit version)

· Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor T7300(5)

o 2.00 GHz, 4MB L2, 800MHz FSB with 64-bit(6)

· 2048MB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM memory(7)

o Maximum capacity 4096MB

· Intel(R) Turbo Memory

o 1024MB

· 320GB using two Serial-ATA hard disk drives(8)

o Primary 160GB + Secondary 160GB

· HD DVD-R/DVD SuperMulti (+/- double layer) drive (in one optical drive) supporting 13 formats

· Toshiba USB HDTV Tuner (External)

· 17-inch diagonal widescreen Ultimate TruBrite(R) display

o 1920x1200 native resolution (WUXGA)

o Supports 1080p content

· PCI-Express(TM) x16 graphics subsystem, featuring:

o NVIDIA(R) GeForce(TM) 8600 GT with 512MB DDR2 discrete graphics memory, plus up to 255MB dynamically allocated shared graphics(9) memory using NVIDIA(R) TurboCache(TM) technology

· 1-bit Digital Amplifier

· Four built-in Harman Kardon(R) Bass Reflex stereo speakers with subwoofer

· Dolby Home Theater(TM)

· Intel(R) Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n)(1)

· Toshiba Remote Control

· Embedded Webcam and microphone

· Fingerprint reader

The Qosmio G45 series is available with a one-year standard, limited warranty(10), which includes carry-in support at Authorized Service Providers throughout the country; or customers may utilize any of the 4,460 UPS Stores and Mail Boxes Etc. locations nationwide for packaging and delivery of the product to a centralized depot for prompt turnaround service. Customers can also choose to upgrade the notebook's service plans, including up to four years of extended warranty coverage.

All new Toshiba notebooks are RoHS-compatible(11), effectively reducing the environmental impact by restricting the use of lead, mercury and certain other hazardous substances. Toshiba also offers a computer trade-in and recycling program to reduce environmental impact and promote efficient utilization of resources. All Toshiba computers qualify for free recycling, while non-Toshiba computers and other consumer electronic products can be recycled for a small fee. For more information please visit: www.reuse.toshiba.com.

Don't expect the Alliance to get their act together with that final draft until sometime around 2008 or even 2009. Still, if you want your current 802.11n setup to be compatible with the future of Wi-Fi, these D-Link products are the best guarantees on the market until more certified 2.0 products are announced.

Press Release [PRnewswire]

Wi-Fi Alliance to begin certifying 802.11n gear [CNET]
Wi-Fi Alliance® Reveals New Logo and Announces First Wi-Fi CERTIFIED™ 802.11n Draft 2.0 Products and Test Suite [Wi-Fi Alliance]

We'll let you in on the details as they emerge. – Wilson Rothman

Product Page [Belkin]

In 802.11g news, the WHR-G125 also has that flip switch, but comes with only one antenna and 10/100 wired networking. These two are on the low end of the router spectrum, offering bare bones features at a bare bones price ($99 for the N, and $49 for the G). If all you need to do is get on the Internet, then Buffalo's got you covered.

– Jason Chen

Press Release [Buffalo]

Being able to hook up USB printers, hard drives and doohickeys and access them from all the PCs sounds pretty great, so we'll gladly cough up the $130 Belkin's asking for it when it goes on sale in June. Oh, and we'd also be remiss if we didn't mention that it looks like the exact opposite of the Apple TV. So there it is. – Jason Chen

Belkin 802.11n hub to link up USB add-ons remotely [Reg Hardware via Slashgear]

He reinstalls his OS, tries different laptops, works through easter, and even takes the gear to the middle of a state park to see if interference is the culprit. No dice. Most routers didn't pass the 50Mbps speed. Except Apple's which he gives top marks to. He speculates that the Apple Airport Extreme's N implementation in the 5GHz band (vs the 2.4GHz that the other routers use) gives it its advantage.

So, basically, these dedicated networking companies just had their asses handed to them by Apple's Airport Extreme router. (He also notice the same lack of gigabit ethernet that we did, but fails to mention the incompatibility with XBox 360s's Live network.) Useful info if you're going to buy an N setup anytime soon.

Interestingly, the Belkin got a recommendation, despite the failure to pass the 50Mbps mark. Maybe he's afraid of being called an Apple fanboy and wants to provide an alternative? I wouldn't have.

The video, as always, is worth watching. This week's is done like a bedtime story.

–Brian Lam

A Faster Wi-Fi World Is Coming [NYTimes]

However, as a stopgap measure between now until then, the Wi-Fi Alliance can now certify gear as Draft 2.0 compliant. This is important, since any gear certified as such will be guaranteed compliant with the final draft, and get the full 200 or so Mbps that the spec promises.

And for those of you keeping track, Draft 3.0 should be released in late '07 for an early '08 approval, and the final draft somewhere around April of '09. – Jason Chen

Draft 2 Passes 75% [Matthewgast via Ars Technica]

Well we've found you a step by step guide to mod your MacBook to be N compatible, so that you too can reap the benefits of the new Airport Extreme. The general method will work on a MacBook Pro also, but this guide is designed for the MacBook. Also we haven't gotten to try it out ourselves yet, so let us know how your results end up.– Ben Longo

How to Upgrade a Core Duo-based MacBook to Support WiFi 802.11n [HardMac]

This is the last thing we'll post about the AirPort today, we promise. – Jason Chen

On the performance side, 802.11n really does work a lot faster than our old 802.11g D-Link DGL-4300 Gaming Router. When transferring a 700MB Batman Begins file over 802.11n, 5GHz, WPA2 encryption, we got sustained speeds of 7.3 MB/s to a 100Mbps ethernet-connected machine and 6.0 MB/s to another MacBook connected on N. As a benchmark, we got 9.3 MB/s when we ran it ethernet to ethernet (both 100Mbps).

Compared to our 802.11g router, which got 2.77 MB/s from to an ethernet-connected machine and 1.34 MB/s going g to g (on the same MacBook), it's quite an improvement. So yes, our speed gains aren't quite as much as the 5x Apple's touting (we got between 2.6x and 4.4x), but it's well within the margin of error, also accounting for file transfer overhead.

And we got reception in our office whereas our old G signal died somewhere on the road to the bathroom, about 20 feet away, through two walls. (I am writing this review from the toilet.) Each apartment is different, but my 1000-square foot, 2-bedroom abode was easily blanketed, despite 10 other APs in the area causing interference. YMMV, but the Airport's range lives up to the hype. Through outer walls, pacing out onto my lawn, I hit 100 feet of range, but others have reported 350 feet, line of sight.

Then the issues.

Our old Lexmark printer didn't work with the AirPort Extreme because the USB drivers for it didn't work over the network, and we couldn't find any network-capable drivers for it. This is something you should research in advance if you're looking forward to networking your printer through this thing. Lots of people online had no problems with their printers, presumably ones that they didn't buy for $10. It's Lexmark's fault for not having the drivers, and our fault for having a lousy $10 printer.

And there's no Gigabit Ethernet, which we found a little disappointing since even the Macbook Pros and Mac Pro towers have 1000 base T connections. We talked to one of Apple's engineers on the project as well, and he explained to us the lack of Gigabit Ethernet was because most home users aren't going to be using more than 90Mbps on their N connections to reach the net, and that was good enough for surfing. True, but we're not concerned with surfing limitations as much as we are with files transfers between various machines on our home network. So we don't see ourselves giving up our current Gigabit Ethernet setup any time soon. You may be in this camp as well.

Performance degradation from using G and N machines simultaneously were negligible when just browsing the internet, and our Apple guy said it only affects N machines only for the duration that the G machines are sending data. Not a huge deal unless you're using both to stream files simultaneously, in which case we'd recommend you plug in to Ethernet anyway.

Another possible problem with the AE was the inability to change its MAC address, which means people with ISPs that lock on to a particular MAC address will have to call up their provider. But if they already have a wireless router, AirPort Extreme has the ability to be set on "bridge" mode by just clicking a dropdown, and it totally just got out of the way of all DHCP, DNS, and routing. Everything was passed up to the D-Link. Usually doing this on other manufacturer's routers takes tens of minutes of configuration and rebooting, something we're glad to have skipped this time.

Although seemingly pricey at first glance, the AirPort Extreme 802.11n base station falls within the range of similar draft-N routers on the market now. Routers from D-Link, Linksys and Netgear all fall within the $100 to $200 range, and with the exception of Netgear's offerings—which are actually quite stylish—all look like equipment Drew Barrymore's childhood buddy uses to phone home. Not a huge deal since routers are meant to be admired once, placed in a corner, and forgotten about like your college diploma or your surround sound system, but going the extra mile for design like Apple and Netgear counts for something.

So would we recommend this as an N-router? Yes, but with caveats. Its N performance was great—but the lack of Gigabit Ethernet, Xbox 360/VPN issues, and inability to change the MAC address of their router to get online rules this out for certain people. Yet another caveat when buying any draft-N networking equipment, not just Apple's Airport Extreme: When we asked whether this draft-N firmware was going to be upgradeable to the final N spec, Apple said they tried to make it as upgradeable as possible but it was impossible to say until the final draft is released.

Should you buy it? Look at our lousy Venn Diagram below (fixed to make it more clear). If you fall in the middle, then you should be satisfied with Apple's latest release. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Apple]

– Jason Chen

Airport Extreme [Gizmodo]

There is a workaround, however, to use in the meantime while Apple releases a patch. The workaround has you setting the default host and pointing that to your machine you need to VPN from, but it's less than idea if you need to get more than one computer to VPN. Take a look at the support forums for more info. – Jason Chen

VPN and Airport Extreme [Apple via Slashdot]

Apparently the 360's having trouble either with WPA/WPA2 security or routers with N-support, as a few Linksys and D-Link users are also reporting compatibility problems. Microsoft says they may update this in the Spring Dashboard update, but that won't be out for a couple months. For now either stay away from Apple's Extreme if you've got an Xbox 360 or hook it up via Ethernet. – Jason Chen

Apple Support [Apple via TUAW]

Their benchmarks, however, show that the claims of 5x performance and 2x range are actually low! iFixit found a 10x performance increase and a 3x usable range increase using the 802.11n over 802.11g. If you're looking for an unboxing, check that out here as well. – Jason Chen

Airport Extreme 802.11n Disassembly [iFixIt]

Definitely not shaped like a boob anymore. – Matt Buchanan

High-quality Apple AirPort Extreme 802.11n unboxing photos [AppleInsider]

Etri hops up that speed by using a combination of the 802.11n (so far, that's draft-N), and the MIMO spec that uses multiple signals to increase bandwidth. Plus, its security protocols have been beefed up to keep those curb-dwelling bandwidth suckers off your ass. It's only been demonstrated in Korea so far, but this monster will give you a preview of the Wi-Fi tech that will be commonplace in a year or two. – Charlie White

Long range WiFi router [ubergizmo]

Beyond that, there's actually a bit more going on with the Airport Extreme that I just learned today in terms of its USB drive capabilities.

It'll have that USB port for turning storage into networked drive, but did you know that drive can be set to automount upon connection to the network? It can also be locked down with specific user accounts. These features are part of the brave new world of Mac gadgets. One that supports PCs as well as Macs. Does this mean this works with Vista? The USB ports also work with Printers.

The rest of the Airport Extreme's features, like encryption, and security, are standard fare.

The Airport Extreme's unlocking software will work on Mac Pros from august 06. Here's the total list of machines that already have the DNA for going Extreme.

MacBook Pro with Intel Core 2 Duo
MacBook with Intel Core 2 Duo
Mac Pro with Intel Xeon and AirPort Extreme
iMac with Intel Core 2 Duo (except iMac 17-inch, 1.83GHz)

One wish: Since my cable modem is near my livingroom setup, wouldn't it be nice if there was a super AppleTV box that had both Airport Extreme and AppleTV in one? And if it came in the same colors as the Shuffle? No? Never mind.–Brian Lam

[Gizmodo]

UK Bandwidth Restrictions to Affect AirPort Extreme Use [TUAW]

802.11n in all but name: draft hardware in the clear [Ars Technica]

New Intel Wireless Product for Laptops Extends Networking Speed and Range [eHomeUpgrade]

She adds, "You charge whatever you want. GAAP doesn't even remotely address whether or not you charge for a significant functionality change. GAAP establishes what the proper accounting is, based on what you did or didn't charge for it."

Despite this, Apple still maintains that if they gave away the 802.11n patch for free, their auditors would have required a revenue restatement, which may in turn cause...*yawn* sorry, we just fell asleep writing this sentence. Suffice it to say, Apple still thinks charging you two bones to activate 802.11n is a good idea, even if top tier accountants say they're not obligated to. – Jason Chen

Apple Gets a Bruise by Blaming A $1.99 Fee on Accounting Rules [WSJ - Thanks Kelly]

If those nerdy, stodgy dudes decide they don't have a problem with the draft, draft 802.11n should become final 802.11n within a few months. Yippee? – Jason Chen

802.11 Task Group N goes back to letter ballot [MatthewGast via WifiNetNews via DSLReports]

Apple said it is required under generally accepted accounting principles to charge customers for the software upgrade. "The nominal distribution fee for the 802.11n software is required in order for Apple to comply with generally accepted accounting principles for revenue recognition, which generally require that we charge for significant feature enhancements, such as 802.11n, when added to previously purchased products," Fox said in a statement.

If it really were just a nominal fee, why not charge $0.99? Or $0.01? – Jason Chen

Apple wants two bucks for faster Wi-Fi [News.com]

Apple to impose 802.11n unlocking fee on Intel Mac owners [AppleInsider]

D-Link DWA-643 Xtreme N Notebook ExpressCard USA Bound [Mobile Whack]

Wi-Fi USB2 Lan Adaptor [via Akihabara News]