Tag Archives: Wireless

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Review: The COBY 7″ Mobile Internet Device (Tablet)

December 14, 2010 – 12:45 pm

Tablets are a wonderful invention. They are especially useful when paired with a wireless network – hence Mobile Internet Device. School and college students, professionals who want more computing than their smartphones can muster, kids on long car rides (especially with a mobile 3G or 4G hotspot), you name it – tablets are useful to everyone in some way.

Some mechanics use them for diagnostics and for storing repair information. Network engineers love tablets for testing and documenting. Personally, I like them for their size and battery life (better in both respects than a netbook).

Well, like everything else, they cost money. Luckily, for what they’re capable of, it’s not much money. $200 is less than a new netbook, and less than the “other” tablets available, and just as useful. You just won’t get a fruity logo on the back.

COBY 7in. Mobile Internet Device

COBY 7in. Mobile Internet Device


Many of you probably have some COBY products already – they make DVD players, stereos, and the like. Their new 7″ MID is pretty impressive for the $180 price tag.

The Coby tablet features a 7″ color LCD screen with intuitive touchscreen controls. It can connect to your HDTV (HDMI) so you can enjoy TV in full 1080p. With the tablet you can play music, videos, view photos, text, browse the Web, and check your eMail. It also features a document viewer, alarm clock, calculator, and more. It runs the Android 2.1 Operating System on an 800Mhz CPU, is expandable from the included 4GB up to 16GB, a sports a WVGA (800×480) touchscreen.

I would have liked to see a higher resolution on the 7″ touchscreen, but 800×480 isn’t really that bad for something so small. Most web sites (and all mobile web sites) display just fine.

The integrated wireless (802.11g) works fairly well, keeping at full strength about 100′ from a standard WRT54G router. After 100′ though, it starts dropping off quickly.

All in all, for under $200, the COBY 7″ Mobile Internet Device is a great deal, especially for those on the go all the time.

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Gift Guide: 5 Great Gifts For The Holidays, All Under $100

December 11, 2010 – 7:12 pm

With the holidays upon us, shopping for our loved ones is inevitable. These days, it’s hard to find the “right” gift – something that’s cool or useful, and doesn’t cost a fortune.

Luckily, there are some great choices for gifts that run less than $100, are good for everyone, and are things people actually want to have!

First up is a personal favorite of mine. I love digital cameras. I think they are one of the greatest inventions ever made. It can be hard to sort out the best options and models, but you can always count on Kodak to deliver. Their EasyShare C195 proves the point – it’s a lot of camera for not a lot of cash. Check it out:

Kodak EasyShare C195 14 Megapixel Compact Camera - Blue

Zoom in on life’s greatest moments and share them quickly and easily with the Kodak EasyShare C195 ($99.95) Digital Camera. With 5X optical zoom and Kodak’s Smart Capture feature, you’ll be shooting top – notch pictures with ease. And, when you press Kodak’s Share button, you can instantly tag and then share those pictures with the world. The C195 – giving you beautiful pictures to share at an attractive price. The real Kodak moment happens when you share.
Kodak Website – C195 Specifications


I love tablets. Not quite a computer, not quite a cell phone, not quite a MP4 player, not quite an eBook reader, not quite a netbook – but better than all of them combined. And when you add the Android operating system, you have one of the best all around, easy to use personal data devices ever made. This is one of my favorites:

Archos - 28 Internet Tablet - 4GB Running Google ANDROID + Wi-Fi (501562)

The Archos 28 ($95) is the first WiFi connected Android™ device to offer a compact form factor with a 2.8 inch touch-screen. The Archos 28 has a wide range of features such as video, Internet browsing and tons of applications downloadable from AppsLib, as well as a music application every player of this size deserves.

Who doesn’t have a few minutes to watch a little video? The Archos 28 answers this need with its video player application that supports all the popular video formats.
Archos Website – Archos 28 Specifications

eBook Readers are all the rage this holiday season. Their small size, light weight design is great for reading on the go, and the Ectaco jetBook mini is a great example for a low price.

The jetBook mini ($90) is the most affordable, lightest, and versatile eBook reader ever made. Tweaking energy consumption to its absolute minimum, the jetBook mini now runs on 4 AAA batteries (Energizer batteries included) and lasts up to 90 hours of continuous reading and 2 years in standby mode! It boasts the signature 5″ TFT screen but now weighs only 5.8 ounces – making it the lightest eReader to date. New features have now been added including all-way reading angles for righties and lefties, multi-language interface options, line spacing, built-in clock, adjustable font sizes and line breaks. As the most affordable e book reader in the world it makes as a perfect gift for you and your loved ones!

ECTACO jetBook mini Anthracite Black

Ectaco Website – jetMini Specifications

The ability to play music and video on a portable is cool. Having 16GB of portable media with a 4.3 ” screen is like having a theater in your pocket. This little guy packs a lot of storage and screen size into a small price.

The Mach Speed Player Trio TCH1643 ($88) comes with 16GB of storage, the ability to play all the most popular audio and video formats, and enough power for 5 hours of continuous video or 30 hours of audio playback.

Supported Formats Include: (Audio) MP3 / WMA / WAV / FLAC / APE, (Video) AVI / RM / RMVB / FLV / DAT, (Picture) BMP / JPEG / GIF. The TFT Touchscreen measures 4.3″ with a resolution of 272 x 480.

Mach Speed 4.3

MachSpeed Website – TCH1643 Specifications

Blu-Ray is the dominate media for HD Videos. For the last few years, Blu-Ray players were above the $100, but this season Toshiba has a treat for you.

The Toshiba BDX1100 Blu-ray Disc Player ($92) is a sub-$100 player that includes the most common features:

1080p – Full HD
SDHC Memory Support
Ethernet Support
HDMI Output
Dolby Digital Audio

Toshiba BDX1100 Blu-ray Disc Player - 1 Disc(s) - Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS HD

1080p output provides an amazing cinema experience in the comfort of your own home. BD-Live opens up a world of online features, with a convenient SD Card Slot for storing saved content. HDMI-CEC connects the BDX1100 and your HDTV for convenient two-way control with one remote.

And there you have it folks. Five gadgets you can actually justify spending $100 or less on. Whether it’s a treat for yourself, or a gift for your loved ones, these products provide useful features at affordable prices. And, let’s face it – they’re cool :)

Whether or not you plan on buying these products, do everyone a favor and share this page with some friends, and remember – great gifts that people really want don’t have to cost a fortune!

Happy Holidays from the staff at One Stop Technology Shop!

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Gift Guide: 5 Great Gifts For The Holidays, All Under $200

December 6, 2010 – 10:53 pm

Well folks, the holidays are upon us yet again. Time for joy, time for cheer, and time to go shopping for all those little gadgets your loved ones have been hounding you for all year.

Here at One Stop Technology Shop, we’ve been putting together a Gift Guide of sorts – cool gift ideas for those on your “nice” list. In these times, finding great gifts at affordable prices isn’t always easy – so we’ve decided to do a little research for you.

Listed below are 5 of the coolest gadgets you can get for under $200. Please share this page with your friends – maybe you can help same them some money this season as well. Hope you enjoy :)

First up is a personal favorite of mine. I love digital cameras. I think they are one of the greatest inventions ever made. It can be hard to sort out the best options and models, but you can always count on Kodak to deliver. Their EasyShare M580 proves the point – it’s a lot of camera for not a lot of cash. Check it out:

KODAK EASYSHARE M580 Digital Camera / Blue

Picture this—you’re letting loose at a trendy hot spot with friends, snapping pictures so amazing you’ll want to share them online as soon as you get home. Any other camera would slow you down with tags, sorts, and uploads. But not the new KODAK EASYSHARE M580 Digital Camera. Kodak’s Share button allows you to tag pictures directly from your camera for e-mailing, or uploading to YouTube, FACEBOOK, FLICKR and KODAK Gallery sites, plus e-mail too. The real Kodak Moment happens when you share.


I love tablets. Not quite a computer, not quite a cell phone, not quite a MP4 player, not quite an eBook reader, not quite a netbook – but better than all of them combined. And when you add the Android operating system, you have one of the best all around, easy to use personal data devices ever made. This is one of my favorites:

Coby Kyros MID7015 7-Inch Android Internet Touchscreen Tablet - Black

Connect to the world though the touch of a fingertip. The Kyros MID7015 Tablet is a powerful and flexible Internet and Entertainment solution, complete with 7″ screen with intuitive touchscreen controls powered by the Android 2.1 Operating System. Browse the web wirelessly or enjoy media on a sleek and stylish media device. Enjoy 1080P HD videos, photos, music, and more in the comfort of your living room when connected to your TV via HDMI. The Kyros(TM) has 4GB of built-in internal memory and features a microSD card slot for upgrading the capacity to up to 16GB. It also allows you to wirelessly access the Internet through a hi-speed networking support and includes more than a dozen built-in applications, each one identified by an icon. Among the included apps are an alarm clock, browser for surfing the web, calculator, email, gallery for viewing and playing videos, music and video player for launching the mobile YouTube(TM) browser page to watch Internet videos and more! In addition, the Kyros(TM) offers two unique apps, the Aldiko E-Book, for downloading and reading thousands of e-books (which supports the ePub standard) and AppsLib, to browse, download and install apps from the AppsLib marketplace for a complete mobile Internet solution.

Cell phones…like it or not, most of us can’t live without them. Many of, however, don’t like getting wrangled in year(s) long contracts (myself included). It used to be, prepaid phones were costly alternatives. Well, no longer. If you’re like me, and you use your phone mostly as (gasp!) a phone, and hate contracts, an unlimited pre-paid phone might be just what you’ve been looking for. They’re also an especially good idea when it comes to getting a phone for your kids. Prepaid phones help build a sense of responsibility and careful phone usage. My phone has served me well, and definetly fits in the under $200 range. I’ll warn you upfront, there is a monthly charge (like any other phone plan), but it’s a lower price than what a contract phone will cost, and you can opt out at any time. My favorite (as well as being my daily use phone) is this one:

Samsung R451C + Unlimited Plan

The Samsung R451C includes a 30 Day Service Plan card to get you started which provides: Unlimited Talk & Unlimited Text Nationwide, Unlimited data and up to 30 days of service, Mobile Web Services, 1.3 MegaPixel Camera, MP3 Player (cable and SD card not included), Slider QWERTY Keyboard, Bluetooth Wireless Technology, Caller/Picture/Ringtone ID, Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC) Rating: M3, Hands-free Speaker, Voicemail and Call Waiting, Key Pad Lock and Alarm Clock, Phonebook with up to 500 entries, Battery Talk Time up to 4 hours, Standby Time up to 14 days, Vivid Color Display, MMS picture messaging, Downloadable ringtones and graphics, Text Messaging, Voice Dialing, Voice Recorder, Voice Commands, Vibration Alert, Auto Redial, 11 Polyphonic Ringtones, Includes Charger and Services Guide.

Photos. Pictures. Music. Movies. With so much digital media available these days, finding a place to store it all can be a duanting task. Well, fear not – Seagate has you covered. With their external drives, you can add up to 2TB of storage space to your PC or Mac. But what makes these drives really cool is their portability – want to share your collection, simply disconnect the drive from one computer, and plug it into another. They also provide a great way to safely make a backup of your data, in case your primary computer ever goes kaput (hey, it happens). Check it out:

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk STAC2000103 2 TB External Hard Drive

The Seagate GoFlex Desk 2 TB External Hard Drive delivers high-capacity storage and automatic, continuous backup with encryption for all your files with its pre-loaded software. The included plug-and-play USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 adapter makes it easy to connect to your PC or Mac computer and it displays the drive’s available storage capacity. As the world’s most upgradable external desktop drive, you now have the ability to upgrade your connection interface to suit your needs. Plus, the option to place the drive vertically or horizontally complements any desktop.

And finally, one of my mom’s favorites – GPS. Let’s face it, we all get a little lost sometimes. Some more than others (sorry mom). Having an easy to use GPS will save you time, help you find those hard to locate places, and possibly save you from the inevitable phone calls from lost loved ones. Garmin is the leader in the GPS game, and this one clearly shows why:

Garmin nuvi 255W Automobile GPS

Go wide and get peace of mind with the Garmin nuvi 255W Automobile GPS. This affordable, widescreen navigator leads the way with voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions that speak street names and optional MSN Direct services to get you there on time and keep you informed. It’s packed with millions of destinations and maps for North America or Europe. Like the rest of the sleek nüvi 2×5-series, this portable navigator is priced right and ultra-easy to use.

And there you have it folks. Five gadgets you can actually justify spending $200 or less on. Whether it’s a treat for yourself, or a gift for your loved ones, these products provide useful features at affordable prices. And, let’s face it – they’re cool :)

Whether or not you plan on buying these products, do everyone a favor and share this page with some friends, and remember – great gifts that people really want don’t have to cost a fortune!

Happy Holidays from the staff at One Stop Technology Shop!

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Computers Console Gaming Internet Networking

XBox 360 connect to Live through laptop?

December 4, 2010 – 6:03 pm

Q.

I have a Virgin 20 speed connection wireless router.

I wish to connect through my laptop using an ethernet cable,
then go on Live via wireless through the PC. I am using Windows XP SP3.

I have tried a few guides but it just wont work..if the network works then the net doesn’t and vice versa etc. I always get an error about an IP conflict…which im not sure how to correct.


A.
If you’re trying to connect the XBox 360 to the Virgin router, the XBox 360 would need a wireless adapter, as it appears the Virgin equipment doesn’t provide a wired connection.

What I gather you are trying to accomplish is to route the internet through the laptop’s wireless connection to the XBox via the laptop’s ethernet port. If that is the case, it’s simply a matter of setting up Internet Connection Sharing on the laptop.

It’s very easy to do – ICS simply takes an incoming network connection (i.e. Virgin to the laptop’s wireless) and shares it out to another device (in this case, via the ethernet port on the laptop). The laptop essentially will work as a router.

Instructions for setting up ICS in Windows XP can be found here. Follow those directions, and everything should work fine.

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Computers Internet Networking

How to create an open wireless along with private wireless?

December 4, 2010 – 4:24 pm

Q.
I am working in a restaurant and we got our own 10mbps speed internet connection. The high speed purposely for our servers and credit card phone line. We recently decided to open wireless up to customers who visit us. However, other neighbor stores keep stealing our connection and it lag our servers connection. Even though we WEP our wireless connection, because we are restaurant, we have to give out the password to customers for them to use our free wifi connection. My concern is it is just about time until when our neighbor stores will know the password and steal our connection again. Additional information: our employees also use this connection and it is SLOOOOWW~ Plus, we only get 1-2 bars (our of 5) of signal when we are upfront while the router locate in the offic in the back. (Around 20~40 ft away with around 6-7 walls/2-3 rooms) The first day I created a WEP, speed is at 4-5mbs (tested with http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/) but after 2 months it drop down to 1-2mbps. Sometime even below 1mbps. So I want two network access on one service line.

Here is what I have done:
1. Set up the password WEP. No, I do not want to reset the password everyday~
2. I’ve create a password so outsiders cannot access our router information. But I feel this is not safe enough when more than 20 new strangers know our WEP daily.

This is what I want to know (or do):
1. Create 2 access on one service line. Might need 2 routers (?)
2. Increase the range to the connection. Router modifications are welcome but please with CLEARLY step-to-step or video demonstration.
3. Limit bandwidth for “guest” (around 20% of max speed) and Max “Private” bandwidth

What I want to accomplish from this?
1. I want to create one connection for guests so they can surf internet during their visit. I don’t care if our neighbor steal our connection as long as we still have our MAIN connection for personal and server usage.
2. Limited usage for guest
3. Increase range (and speed if possible) for our guest and personal usages (modifications are welcome)


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A.
The simplest solution would be to use a a primary wireless router (for your server and employee use, full speed), and a secondary wireless access point for customer use.

From your internet providers equipment, you would connect the primary router. This would be an encrypted wireless for use by employees, and provide the wired connection for the rest of your network.

You would then run an ethernet cable from the primary router to the wireless access point. The router can be set up with QOS, to limit the available bandwidth to the wireless access point. Only a few quality routers are available that can do this with stock firmware.

My suggestion would be a Linksys WRT610N for the primary router, and install the DD-WRT firmware (available at DD-WRT’s Website). The DD-WRT firmware will allow you to tailor the QOS and speeds available to connected devices. Then install a wireless access point (centrally located) close to where your customers will be. The D-Link – DWL-G730AP will work well, and has built in routing, which is important as you will need to make the “open” wireless access separate from your primary network (for security purposes).

If this all sounds a little complicated – it’s because it is. You’re best bet is to buy the hardware separately, then have a network technician set it up for you. It shouldn’t cost more than 2 hours labor to have it done, and you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that your internal network won’t be compromised by your customers.

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Computers Internet Networking

How to connect an internet modem to a Linksys router?

December 2, 2010 – 1:56 pm

Q.
I have two wireless routers. One is from my wireless internet provider and allows me to receive wireless internet perfectly. My other router is a Linksys WRT54G2 router. This router does not have any internet capabilities by itself. I am trying to wirelessly connect my internet provider’s modem to my Linksys router to create an internet connection on my Linksys. I would like to do this wirelessly. Does anyone have any suggestions. Thanks in advance!

A.
If your internet provider is in fact a “wireless provider”, what they would normally provide you with is a receiver of sorts, and possible a router or switch to connect devices to (wired or wireless, or both).

If they have provided a wireless router, the router will have ethernet ports. You can connect the two routers via a cable from on to the other (following manufacturers instructions).

If you’re looking to expand the wireless coverage by using the Linksys WRT54G2 as an “extension” of the existing wireless, it won’t work. The stock Linksys “firmware” doesn’t allow for acting as a wireless repeater.

Wireless repeaters (range extender) are devices that you can buy however. Linksys makes a decent model – the WRE54G. It will add another 150′ or so of expanded coverage.

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Computers Console Gaming Internet Networking

How to connect my PS3 to the internet?

December 1, 2010 – 9:35 pm

Q.
I have a wifi router and a PS3. Can I just connect them or do i need something else?


A.
If you have a long enough LAN cable to reach, you can just plug the cable into the ethernet port on the PS3 and a free (open) port on the router. If it is wireless you seek:

Most PlayStation 3 models came equipped with wireless capability, except the originally equipped 20GB units. If thats the case, or if you’re looking for a better-that-original wireless connection, get yourself a wireless bridge. Basically, it receives a wireless signal and turns it into a hardwired connection via the PS3′s ethernet port. The ASUS WL-330gE works well for this purpose, just need to set it up in “adapter” mode, and viola – wireless-to-wired connection. FYI – the ASUS comes with a 6″ cable, you might want to get a longer one. Any Cat 5 or better should do fine.

If you’re sure your PS3 is WiFi equipped, other possibilities are having a wireless network that isn’t broadcasting SSID, or the network is WEP/WPA encrypted, or possibly a bad wireless connection. Assuming you have that information, at that your PS3 is in fact wifi-equipped, setting up the wireless connection should be as easy as:

1.) Go to the “Settings” menu and select “Network Settings”.
2.) Select “Internet Connection” and select “Enable”.
3.) Select “Internet Connection Settings” and select “Yes” when asked if you wish to continue.
4.) Select “Easy” for your setting method and select “Wireless” for your connection method.
5.) Select “Scan” under WLAN settings. The system will display a list of available wireless networks.
6.) Select your network from the list.

Done :)

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Computers Networking

Wireless LAN Disabled?

December 1, 2010 – 10:39 am

Q.
I just recently wiped my compaq presario. I downloaded all of the drivers I needed. The audio, wireless, etc….

Well, my wireless button doesn’t turn the wireless on. So when it tells me to go to the Windows Device Manager, the points have yellow exclamation points on them, and say that they aren’t installed. So, I don’t get it at all. And I can’t re-install the driver because it doesn’t help it.

I’m using Windows XP SP3. Any help?

A.
Compaq is notorious for using several different wireless chipsets in the same model of laptop – could be broadcom, intel, or some other. Their website will probably list a few different ones. Two options here – try each one (install, test, if no workie – UNINSTALL – very important) or open the cover on the bottom of the laptop and look at the chip on the wireless card (small trap door, single screw, card with 2 wires coming off, usually black and white).

Generally, they use the (cheaper) broadcom chips, unless it was a really expensive Compaq.

If all else fails, get into a chat session with compaq tech support and give them the serial number from the laptop, and they’ll tell you exactly which file you need.

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