Gizmodo: Kvh

KVH Global Satellite Broadband Makes Wallets Cry

Adam Frucci — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 11:15:16 EDT

How important is your broadband access? If you were, say, heading out to the high seas for a few months, how much would you pay for a 2Mbps connection in the middle of the ocean? A few hundred bucks, perhaps, just so you had access to BitTorrent and could download movies for your lonely nights at sea? You wish.

KVH Industries offers a pretty slick global broadband setup, but it's a little pricey. $5,000 a month, to be exact. Oh, and the equipment costs $34,000. And hey, if that $5,000 per month pricetag is too much for you, you can always buy your bandwidth a la carte at the low, low price of $5 per megabyte downloaded. That would make your DVD rip of You, Me, and Dupree cost you about $3,750. See kids? Piracy just isn't worth it. [Product Page via Broadband Reports]

TracNet 100 Mobile Stuffs WiFi and TV in your Car

Brian Lam — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 14:47:28 EDT

Here it is, the thing to make your computer a little bit more like KITT. The TracNet 100 Mobile puts a WiFi hotspot, web browsing, and IPTV in your hoopty ride. The data love comes courtesy of a Verizon EVDO card, built into the controller box. That box itself has 802.11G wireless, 3 ethernet ports, and an MSN IPTV tuner. Topping off the package is a remote and keyboard. But know that the TracNet system doesn't come with a monitor. You'll have to hook your own up through the VGA, or standard video outputs. Internet AND cable in the car? Looks like I'm going to need to fit a Lazyboy recliner in the backseat.

Of course, if you're looking for data strictly, and can do without the IPTV, we're going to go ahead and recommend you buy the Kyocera mobile EVDO router instead. It's only a few hundred bucks, vs the $2000 dollar sticker price for the TracNet.– Brian Lam

TracNet 100 Mobile Internet Receiver [KVH]

KVH Industry's Internet at Sea

Charlie White — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 16:00:45 EST

Microsoft has teamed up with KVH Industries to provide high-speed Internet service to ships at sea. If you have a jones for surfing the Web while out on your boat, here's blessed relief at last.

Using broadband EVDO data services, the new RF Internet access will reportedly have data rates similar to home DSL services, ranging from 400kbps to 2.4 Mbps (or presumably, similar speeds to what other EVDO providers offer now). KVH is combining its Mobile Internet Receiver with Microsoft's MSN TV 2 Internet and Media Player, where you'll be able to browse the Web and use Windows Media Player, MSN Mail, MSN Messenger, and MSN video and radio. There's also a wireless keyboard to control it all.

Your diving buddies will be happy to know that the Mobile Internet Receiver also has WiFi output, turning that vessel into a floating hotspot for laptops all over the yacht. Considering that EVDO only works a few miles from the tower, we don't imagine this will be much good for ocean-crossing internet junkies.

Pricing was not announced, but it will be available mid-year.

KVH and Microsoft Introduce Affordable High-speed Internet and MSN TV Service for Boats [Yahoo]

DirecTV For the Sea

tgrumet — Thu, 27 Oct 2005 08:54:50 EDT

Have boat, will travel. Now add the new TracVision M3 satellite TV system and you can travel in style. KVH Industries, Inc. has announced the M3 as the world's smallest marine satellite TV system, perfect for boats as small as 25 feet. Maybe you thought your vessel was just too tiny to be kicking up your feet and watching the tube? KVH says no to you naysayers. The product includes the TracVision M3 antenna, an integrated 12-volt marine receiver for DIRECTV service and easy installation, and an RF remote control for convenient operation. And the 14.5-inch antenna is just as good as the other 18-inch jobbies on the larger systems. Install this baby and you'll get 300 channels of DirecTV programming and 50 channels of XM radio if you're within 200 miles of the shore. As mentioned, it uses an RF signal (rather than the IR on home systems) so you can change channels even when the receiver is under lock and key.

Marine Satellite TV [KVH]