Valet, Valet Plus aimed at buyers who find it daunting setting up their own network
Gillian Shaw
Sun
Scorpion Solar Powered Digital Weather Radio, Eton Corp
iPom, Speakal
Valet and Valet Plus, Cisco, $100 and $150
If you’ve set up a wireless network at home, you probably know it’s not too difficult a task. However, with only 39 per cent of Canadian households set up for wireless, Cisco has launched a product aimed at that other 60 per cent who may be daunted at the prospect of setting up their own wireless network. The Valet lives up to its name, doing all the work. The user just has to insert the Easy Setup Key into a USB port on a PC or Mac computer. Cisco walks you through three steps to setting up your network, with the key retaining the setup information so you can plug into a USB port on other computers to add them to the network. Security is a big concern, and despite the warnings, it’s still possible to see unsecured wireless networks when you check out nearby wireless connections. Cisco’s Valet helps, making it easy to give guests Internet access on a separate guest network and letting you customize personal security settings such as passwords. It also lets you set parental controls. Access for each device on the network can be individually controlled, including putting a block on inappropriate web content for kids. The Valet at $100 is for small-to medium-sized homes primarily with wireless devices; ValetPlus for medium-to-large homes with a mix of wireless and wired devices. Valet Connector at $70 upgrades an older computer to wireless so you can add it to your network. www.thevalet.com
Scorpion Solar Powered Digital Weather Radio, Eton Corp, $50
A digital AM/FM radio tuner with built-in LED flashlight and weather alerts. This back-country radio has solar panels for power plus the option of crank power. Its features include a USB cellphone charger, making it an allround useful edition for summer camping or for your emergency kit.
www.etoncorp.com
iPom, Speakal, $100 US
A docking station that adds some colourful character to your music. This stereo speaker system plays music from USB drives, secures digital memory cards, or any music device with a 3.5-mm output, such as an iPod. Adjustable base, three speakers, and a 12-watt subwoofer.
www.speak.com/ipom.html
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
