Buying Guide: Home Wireless Networking

A secure wireless network makes sharing files between computers and devices (like a printer or phone) easy. WiFi lets you surf the internet using a modem and router, without messy cables. We look at how Wi-Fi works and the gear you'll need.

What Is A Wireless Network?

A wireless network connects multiple computers and devices (printers, phones, tablets etc) together, without using cables. The devices "talk" to each other through a central hub called a router. This enables the computers and devices to:

• Share files and documents.
• Connect multiple computers to the one printer.
• Enjoy multi-player gaming.
• Load files from portable wireless devices, such as an phones and tablets.

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What Are The Benefits Of Wi-Fi?

The 14 Most Exciting New Tech Products That Will Launch In 2015...

We may be finished with new gadget launches for 2014, but there's plenty to look forward to next year.
Here's a look at the biggest tech launches we're expecting to see in 2015.

The Apple Watch will launch in early 2015.

10 Astonishing Technologies On The Horizon

Anyone who grew up in the 20th century is probably amazed at the technological transformation that has occurred over the last few decades.
With that statement, I'm talking an era where video games were non-existent, color TV was still a pretty new invention and if you wanted to cook something fast, there was no such thing as a microwave. You had to use your stove and wait or throw together a cold sandwich. These innovations were pretty big deals when they did arrive.
Those born in the late 20th and in the 21st century probably are used to rapid development, so some of these future technologies may not seem as far-fetched, however, others are likely to still be surprising.
Here are 10 top astonishing technologies that are in the works:

Scientists Just Found The Oldest Engraving In Human History

 
 Wim LustenhouwerThis handout picture released by the journal Nature on December 3, 2014 shows the fossil Pseudodon shell with the engraving made by Homo erectus from Trinil, Indonesia
Paris (AFP) - Anthropologists on Wednesday said they had found the earliest engraving in human history on a fossilised mollusc shell some 500,000 years old, unearthed in colonial-era Indonesia.
The zigzag scratching, together with evidence that these shells were used as a tool, should prompt a rethink about the mysterious early human called Homo erectus, they said.

Apple releases iOS 8.1.2 update to fix bugs and address lost ringtones

Apple released its iOS 8.1.2 update on Wednesday for compatible iPhones and iPads. The latest version of the mobile operating system will fix a few bugs, and it makes sure users won't lose ringtones they've purchased from the iTunes Store.
Apple last released iOS 8.1.1 in mid-November, which mostly focused on improving older devices' performance.

Worst cell phone names of all time (pictures)

Seriously, what were they thinking?

Cell phone makers have come up with some wacky names for their wares over the years. For every stroke of genius (Motorola's original Razr flip phone rises to the top) there's been a fit of nomenclature flops. And so begins this roundup of worst phone names ever. (Note: This list is completely subjective. Feel free to chime in with your favorite dud muffins.)

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    Yezz Billy 4.7

    As if the name of this Miami-based phone-maker weren't pun-inducing enough, the Yezz Billy 4.7 closes the loop with the Billy series, a line of Windows phones named after -- yep, you guessed it -- Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Big sigh.

    
    
    

    

A nairalander creates an app......(photo below)

This is my first app. Thanks to nollyj and other nairalanders that helped in one way or another. Its a funny image sharing app for the naija community. Need your suggestion, criticism, comments, etc on its design. Thanks.

How to set up PlayStation 4 Remote Play on your Xperia phone or tablet

If you own one of Sony's high-end Xperia phones or tablets, you'll be delighted to know that you can stream PS4 games straight to your phone. Here's how.

Aloysius Low/CNET

Sony's latest flagship phone, the Sony Xperia Z3, comes with a new feature -- Remote Play. While it wasn't available when the phone was launched, Sony recently turned it on. If you own a PlayStation 4, you'll be able to stream games to your phone and play those games with either a PS4 DualShock controller or with onscreen controls.

Google Nexus 6 review:

Prepare to pay for the biggest Android Lollipop

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Review Date: November 12, 2014

The Good The Google Nexus 6 has a razor-sharp and expansive display, a top-of-the-line Snapdragon 805 processor, the latest Lollipop OS and an OIS-equipped camera that takes great outdoor photos.

The Bad The Nexus is heavier and wider than most big smartphones, and its call volume is low on audio speaker. And it's the most expensive Nexus yet.

The Bottom Line Although the Nexus 6 trails the slimmer Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in processor performance and native productivity features, it's still the most powerful pure Android handset available and the largest Nexus yet.

Uber boasts $1.2B new funding, with a slice of humble pie

The ride-sharing service, which looks to be valued at roughly $40 billion, says its missteps over the past few weeks are driving it to become "smarter and more humble."

Uber CEO Travis Kalanick says he's working to make a "smarter and more humble" company. Stephen Shankland/CNET

Uber, the world's highest-valued venture-backed company, just got a lot richer even as it tries to cope with what its founder calls "significant growing pains."
The ride-sharing service announced Thursday that it raised a new round of funding totaling $1.2 billion, which likely pegs the company's valuation at between $35 billion and $40 billion. The San Francisco startup doesn't expect that money to burn a hole in its pocket.

Apple defended iPod from hackers, iTunes chief says in antitrust trial

In a trial questioning Apple's use of software updates, iTunes chief Eddy Cue says they were necessary because hackers wanted to break apart the company's digital-music ecosystem.

"All these other guys that tried the approach of trying to be open failed because it broke," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, during the third day of Apple's iPod class action antitrust trial taking place in Oakland, Calif. Getty Images

OAKLAND, Calif. -- iTunes chief Eddy Cue rebutted claims that Apple tried to undermine iPod competitors nearly a decade ago, saying Apple was fighting a "never ending battle" against hackers to protect its digital media player and popularize its then nascent music business.

Ultrathin Samsung Galaxy A7 inches closer to launch

After spending a few weeks in stasis, the svelte Samsung smartphone resurfaces in a new set of leaks and photos.

Samsung going even thinner with rumored Galaxy A7. Screenshot by Scott Webster/CNET

The rumored Samsung Galaxy A7 could be the company's thinnest handset to date, if the latest rumors prove to be accurate.

According to Chinese regulatory approval details, the Galaxy A7 may boast an ultrathin 6.3mm chassis, which is a half millimeter thinner than the Galaxy Alpha.First spotted by Phone Arena, the report lays out what figures to be the general hardware configuration.
Said to be running Android 4.4.4 KitKat, the Galaxy A7 could

It's 2014. Why is my battery stuck in the '90s?

The devices we all rely on continue to evolve radically. So why has the battery industry failed? Here's how you can take charge.

When Apple redesigned the MacBook Pro in 2009, it unveiled a new type of battery that ran a whopping 40 percent longer than the previous model.
The laptop lasted as long as seven hours, almost enough time to watch the epic movie "Lawrence of Arabia" -- twice. Phil Schiller, Apple's marketing chief, called the battery "revolutionary." But was it really?
Technological leaps over the past two decades have been astounding. Computers have transformed from utilitarian boxes into svelte rectangles of shiny metal and glass that fit in our pockets. Today's devices are also far more powerful. A new smart watch has more computing power than the Apollo moon landing spacecraft. Batteries are a different story.

Exclusive comparison:lollipop vs andriod

Lollipop might be the best thing that’s ever happened to Samsung’s TouchWiz UI

Samsung is expected to update various current and former flagship handsets to Android 5.0 Lollipop and some recent videos from SamMobile have shown unofficial Android 5.0 builds in action on both the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy S4. The publication has posted a new video on its YouTube channel that shows a comparison between KitKat and Lollipop running on the 2013 Galaxy S4, suggesting that Android 5.0 will bring a massive improvement to the older Samsung handset.
The publication says that Lollipop will basically turn the device into a new phone when compared to KitKat, as Samsung will offer users a brand-new version of TouchWiz.

The most beautiful iPhone 6 cases you’ve never heard of

Big companies like Apple spend millions of dollars on smartphone designs. Research and development costs add up fast, and countless man-hours are devoted to perfecting every internal component, every material and every curve of a handset’s housing. People buy these modern marvels for hundreds of dollars and fawn over their sleek lines and smooth curves, openly adoring them online and in person with friends.
Then, they cover these amazing smartphones with $2 worth of atrocious, glossy hard plastic.

Regular BGR readers know that I am not a fan of smartphone cases. With Apple’s iPhones in particular, it’s practically a crime against good taste to slap a case on these gorgeous devices.
But with the iphone 6, that all changed.
Forgetting that the devices themselves featuresome curious design decisions that some owners might actually want to cover up, there has never been a more slippery iPhone than the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. These phones are accidents waiting to happen, and for the first time, I feel that I have no choice but to cover these sleek smartphones with protective cases.

Apple misled iPod owners, plaintiffs allege at class action trial

Court started Tuesday in the battle over whether Apple illegally used iTunes software updates to keep consumers locked in its digital music ecosystem.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Plaintiffs on Tuesday started outlining their case against Apple, saying in a courtroom here that the electronics giant kept iPod prices high by implementing unneeded software updates.
Because Apple wanted to hurt competitors and ban their music from iTunes, it ended up harming consumers in the process, attorneys for two plaintiffs in a class action antitrust lawsuit argued.
The trial, which is slated to last nine days, will decide an almost decade-old claim that Apple's MP3 players may have been overpriced while the company used its iTunes software to squash cheaper devices.
The crux of the case is a set of now-defunct policies that Apple instituted in the earliest days of the iPod to control how and where users of iTunes and owners of its music players could play back purchased songs. The plaintiffs argue that Apple, in restricting iPod owners to songs purchased only through iTunes and in banning songs from iTunes from playing on competing MP3 players, the company stifled competition. That kept iPod prices artificially high, the plaintiffs say.

How to get the most free online storage

With the market for cloud storage services starting to get crowded, we take a look at how to get as much storage from the different providers as possible.

If 2014 isn't known as the year of wearables, it could be known as the year of cloud storage. Between updates to Google Drive and Dropbox, and revamped offerings from Apple's iCloud Drive, Amazon's Cloud Drive and Microsoft's OneDrive, access to cloud storage is now easier and cheaper than ever before.
Even with the cost of storage continuing to decline, free storage is something that's hard to pass up. Let's take a look at how to get free space from your favorite storage providers.

iCloud Drive

First, let's get the service that doesn't offer any additional storage sans payment outside of the initial allotment: iCloud Drive. Apple gives iCloud users 5GB of free data, but anything beyond that you're going to have to pay for. You can view the monthly storage plans, which range for $0.99 to $19.99 per month

Is this what Rosetta's comet really looks like in color?

A color image of Rosetta's comet buddy has emerged online and may shine some brightness on a comet that has become famous in black and white.

This image depicts a more colorful view of 67P. ESA/Rosetta

Move over, Halley: 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko may now be the most famous comet in the cosmos. Comet 67P has been the photogenic subject of many images sent back by the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission. The mission's philae lander made space history by successfully settling onto the surface of the comet last month.
We've seen crags, its weird kidney shape and all sorts of dramatic shadows playing across the comet's surface. One thing all those images have in common is that they're in stark, artsy black and white.
This leaves us with a curious question: what does 67P look like in color? An image accompanying a presentation for an upcoming American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco offers up an intriguing option.

Nintendo

 

The good An included tablet-style GamePad can play games when the TV is in use; Nintendo has a core library of awesome exclusive titles; works with older Wii games and accessories; very kid-friendly. Access to a vault of your childhood classics. Off-TV play is great.

The bad Can't play DVDs or Blu-rays; lacks a lot of third-party games available on Xbox or PlayStation;