Microsoft has released new information about new extenders for the Windows Media Center. Taking its video recording capabilities to the next level, the Windows Media Center can now wirelessly connect with television sets all over the house.

The setup allows you to pause a live TV broadcast on one TV and play it from the same moment on a TV in another room.

The system is possible through a combination of technologies from Linksys, D-Link Corporation and Niveus Media Inc. which incorporates HD video, wireless networking and expanded support for a number of audio and video formats.

The result is that you can play virtually any video you have on your computer into any TV connected to it. Conversely, it can also record video from any TV it's connected to.

The new Windows Media Center is being demonstrated at the ongoing CEDIA EXPO 2007 in Denver until September 9.

 

Catering to the Xbox 360 and the PC, the HomePlug AV add-on by LinkSys provides broadband home networking through your power outlet, allowing both current and bandwidth to flow through your electrical wiring. This time around however, Intellon has officially announced in a press release a new integrated circuit that does exactly that same thing.

The INT6000 HomePlug AV IC are integrated directly to your Xbox 360's power supply, or that of your AMD LIVE! PC, allowing both platforms to stream HD video and high quality audio to each other, over you existing home wiring. Contributing to AMD LIVE's open-platform approach, HomePlug brings interconnectivity between Microsoft's next-gen console and an AMD LIVE! PC running Windows Vista.

Like their ordinary HomePlug devices, Intellon is certain that additional wiring will no longer be needed. The technology is claimed to provide full Quality of Service (QoS) support and guarantee, as well as the added stability and robust features to discourage doubt of the product's capabilities.

A full technical demonstration of the product will be revealed in an AMD presentation, "Whole Home Media Access over Mixed Topologies," to be held in May 17, 2007 at WinHEC.

Uh-oh. Could it be that Apple is getting a taste of its own medicine? After its history of suing various individuals and companies left and right for various forms of copyright or trademark infringement, it looks like Apple is now being sued for the exact same thing.

Now, we've seen this looming over the horizon for quite some time now, and apparently, not even filing for rights to the "iPhone" trademark has saved Apple from the eyes of Cisco Systems. Tsk, tsk. And to think that everyone was so excited to just see Apple unveil its new toy.

On January 10, iPhone trademark">Cisco representatives announced that they have filed a lawsuit against Apple, Inc. at the District Court of Northern California, "seeking to prevent Apple from infringing upon and deliberately copying and using Cisco's registered iPhone trademark".

As explained on the company website, here's what happened, and why they should be considered as the true owners of the trademark, "iPhone":

Cisco obtained the iPhone trademark in 2000 after completing the acquisition of Infogear, which previously owned the mark and sold iPhone products for several years. Infogear's original filing for the trademark dates to March 20, 1996. Linksys, a division of Cisco, has been shipping a new family of iPhone products since early last year. On Dec. 18, Linksys expanded the iPhone family with additional products.

Moreover, according to Cisco's senior VP Mark Chandler, they have "entered into negotiations with Apple in good faith after Apple repeatedly asked permission to use Cisco's iPhone name", but that Apple "should not be using our trademark without our permission".

Thanks to zerox for the tip!

This year's Maker Faire has introduced us to a lot of useful inventions. Adam Pash shares with us this great DIY project he picked up from the said event. The project enables you to convert a regular $60 router into a powerful and highly configurable $600 router. The secret is to embed Linux into the router. The project caught Pash's fancy as it was pretty easy and totally free.

The steps Pash posted in his site was tested on his old Linksys WRT54GL Wireless router, so if you have the same router to convert, you might want to try upgrading it. You would just need a generic DD-WRT v23 SP1 mini firmware version and generic DD-WRT v23 SP1 standard firmware version. After that, just click the 'Read' link below for the step-by-step procedure.

Since you'll be flashing your firmware, there is a possibility that you will brick your router. Pash, however, assures that "all is not lost". He also gave some tips on how to recover from a bad flash.

Go ahead and pick up that old router and do your own upgrade.