networking

Home networking Part 7: Power line connections explained

Editors' note: This post is part of an ongoing series. For the other parts, check out the related stories section below.

Power line networking basically turns a building's existing electrical wiring -- the wires that carry electricity to different outlets in the house -- into network cables, meaning they also carry data signals for a computer network. And this means virtually all households, in the U.S at least, are "wired for" power line networking. It doesn't replace a regular network, so you'll still need a router, but it's a good way to extend … Read more

Samsung: We'll get you 5G wireless by 2020

Samsung says it has developed new core technology that provides data transmission several hundred times faster than current 4G networks.

In an announcement Monday, Samsung said that plans to accelerate the research and development of 5G mobile communications technologies suitable for consumers across millimeter-wave bands are going ahead, with a view to commercialize the technology by 2020.

The Korean company says that it has developed the "world's first" adaptive array transceiver -- which is able to operate in millimeter-wave bands -- and has overcome issues caused by transmitting data over long distances. The core system is able … Read more

Facebook reportedly in talks to buy Waze for $1 billion

Facebook may be aiming to spend anywhere from $800 million to $1 billion to acquire Waze, an Israel-based company that offers a socially informed GPS app for drivers.

Talks reportedly kicked off six months ago, according to Israeli business-news site Calcalist, which says that due diligence is currently under way. This would mean that the two companies are checking each other out before signing on the dotted line. The two also have signed a term sheet, or an agreement in principle on the sale, according to Calcalist.

An agreement sounds like it could be close. However, sources close to Waze … Read more

Hipstamatic treads into social networking terrain with Oggl

Even though Hipstamatic and Instagram are photo-sharing partners, it seems like Hipstamatic is looking to add a little more social networking to its world.

The company announced Wednesday that it's launching a Hipstamatic spin-off app called Oggl for iOS. The idea is for people to take Hipstamatic-like photos and then share them with friends and family.

According to a Hipstamatic blog post by co-founders Lucas Buick and Ryan Dorshorst, Oggl is "a community for creative people to capture and curate their lives through photography." The company is clear that it doesn't want Oggl to be full … Read more

Prioritize wireless networks to maintain your connection

When connected to a Wi-Fi hot spot, especially if the hot spot uses multiple access points and there are multiple networks in the vicinity, you may encounter a problem where your Mac keeps losing its network connection and then attempts to establish a connection with a network for which you do not have access.

Additionally, even after you have selected a working connection, if you put the system in sleep mode, restart it, or if you just temporarily lose your connection for some reason, the system will again attempt to connect to that network. Having to continually select your Wi-Fi … Read more

Zynga's gameplan relies on FarmVille, says CEO

Social-gaming company Zynga staked its claim with FarmVille. And now -- when Zynga has been reaping more than sowing -- the company will rely on that same title to restore its ailing operation.

In a Reuters interview published Monday, Pincus said his company is relying on FarmVille 2 to rebuild. The company's revenue jumped to $1.2 billion in 2012, but losses continue to pile up.

A key component to the turnaround plan is to give FarmVille players the same experience on mobile as on desktop.

"The ideal is to make that one seamless experience between Web and … Read more

Dish chairman slams SoftBank over Sprint takeover comments

Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen is ratcheting up the war of words with SoftBank over who is the better suitor for Sprint Nextel.

After SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son referred to Dish's unsolicited $25.5 billion bid to buy Sprint from under the Japanese carrier as "incomplete and illusory," Ergen reiterated earlier arguments that a U.S. buyer would be best for the troubled wireless carrier.

"We're offering a higher price. That's just math," he told USA Today on Wednesday. "We are an American company, and the modernization of Sprint's network will … Read more

Netgear entices developers with million-dollar app contest

To attract software developers, Netgear today launched its Million Dollar App Contest with the aim of diversifying the company's Netgear Genie+ marketplace. The networking vendor hopes the contest will encourage creation of innovative apps for its routers and NAS servers.

The company says the top three app developers will win a trip to Las Vegas and the winner of the contest will also receive $10,000 with a chance to win a grand prize of a $1 million 40-year annuity, which is to be announced at CES 2014. Participants will also earn revenue by selling their apps through the … Read more

Sprint on track to shut down Nextel iDEN network on June 30

Sprint said on Wednesday that is on track to turn off the Nextel iDEN network for good at the end of June. The company previously said it expected to decommission the network by the end of the second quarter.

The shutdown, which will begin on June 30, is part of Sprint's broader Network Vision plan, which includes an upgrade of its existing infrastructure and a move to 4G LTE. The company plans to use the spectrum from the Nextel network to power its 3G and 4G services.

Nextel, however, boasts a loyal base of users that continue to cling … Read more