Wifi

It feels like Wi-Fi 6 only just got here, but of course technology marches ever forward. Wi-Fi 7 is on the horizon already, and MediaTek has now announced the first live demos of the next-gen tech, which should be much faster than what we’re used to.

Wi-Fi 6 is finally here. The FCC has officially adopted new rules that open up the 6 GHz band for use by regular routers and wireless devices. Basically, that means much faster Wi-Fi speeds for devices that make use of this new legroom.

You know the scenario: a group of friends and family come to visit, and they all want to get on your Wi-Fi network, which means several tedious minutes of reading out the lengthy passcode for your network. That's a problem that the new Wi-Fi Porter could solve.

​"Smart" internet-connected devices could indeed make life easier for us, but the things DO typically have to be equipped with battery-powered electronics. That may not necessarily be the case for much longer, however, if the Wi-Fi-based LiveTag system reaches fruition.

Just a few short years ago, the first 4K home theater projector from Sony carried a retail price of US$26,000. Now, flash-forward to 2018 and we have the release of the N-Tech wireless, portable 4K projector that boasts built-in surround sound speakers and is going for a remarkable $475.

Swidget is a modular electrical outlet designed to turn any home into a smarthome using existing wiring, replacing a traditional outlet with one capable of using "snap in" inserts. These inserts offer smart home functionality, including Wi-Fi, motion and temperature sensors, and so on.

For this year's Glastonbury Festival, EE is pitching a high-tech tent to keep festival-goers connected. Acting as a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot, the camper packs VR headsets, voice-activated mood-setting, livestreams of performances, a solar-powered boot warmer and a fridge that reminds you to restock it.

​We think of Wi-Fi as bathing us in a comfy, invisible blanket of data and internet access, but just as a blanket can take on the shapes of the bodies it covers, the microwave radiation sent out from a hotspot can be used to generate a three-dimensional image of the surrounding environment.

University of Washington engineers have produced a unique method to communicate with low-power, electronic devices such as brain implants and smart contact lenses by converting Bluetooth signals into Wi-Fi.

When your Wi-Fi stops working, you can usually plan on spending the next five minutes restaring your broadband modem, router and/or access point and hoping that does the trick. ResetPlug is designed to prevent this irritating procedure by automatically hitting the power reset button for you.

New broadcast antennas don't tend to command a lot of attention these days, but LG has unveiled a new smart antenna that could help bring those over-the-air signals into a new era.

In 2013, Toymail introduced a cute line of mailbox-shaped devices that were designed to let small children trade voice messages with friends and family. Now the company has taken the concept a step further with Talkies.