D-Link DIR-868L Cloud Router Review

What is the D-Link DIR-868L?

The DIR-868L is D-Link's second 802.11ac wireless router following the impressive DIR-865L. Like its predecessor, it integrates the company's mydlink cloud platform, but also reverts to the D-Link's popular cylindrical design and incorporates the acclaimed SmartBeam technology found in the DIR-645 when using 802.11n. Could this combination make it both the wireless n and ac router to beat?

D-Link DIR-868L - Design

As mentioned the DIR-868L is the first time D-Link has brought its likeable cylindrical design to an 802.11ac model. This should not be surprising as many of the first wireless ac routers broke from their respective companies' traditional designs due to the scramble to get models to market.



In addressing this, D-Link is doing more than gifting us a more pleasant aesthetic. Many routers tend to perform better from one side of another (try turning your router around at home to test this), but D-Link boasts the cylindrical shape of its Darth Vader Pringle tube means signal can be distributed equally in all directions.

Aside from this the cylindrical design gives the D-Link DIR-868L a pleasingly small footprint. And while its casing is plastic like all routers (so as not to block wireless signal) it is well made and doesn't pick up fingerprints easily. The only downside of the cylindrical design is it is not wall-mountable.

D-Link DIR-868L - Features

The D-Link DIR-868L Cloud Router's specification list is impressive. The highlight is obviously the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac connectivity, which is boosted by six amplified internal antennas, but the talking point is the aforementioned SmartBeam.

This is a standard part of the 802.11ac spec (where it is called 'Beamforming') but is not usually applied to wireless n. It works by detecting connected devices and focusing signal in their direction instead of casting out wireless signal randomly in all directions. It benefits range and performance significantly. This gives us high hopes that the 868L Cloud Router will bring new life to your existing wireless n equipment, not just shiny new ac kit.



Moving to the more perfunctory side of the D-Link DIR-868L, it also packs Gigabit WAN, 4x Gigabit Ethernet ports and a USB 3.0 port for sharing a wireless printer or USB storage across a network.

Being picky, we would like D-Link to supply a second USB port (increasingly common on routers these days) and more Ethernet ports, but no router-maker seems to be listening to this latter request. One larger complaint is the 868L's Ethernet ports have no flashing LED activity lights. Some may welcome this as the lights can be distracting, but they are a useful element in troubleshooting problems should you ever run into difficulties.

Switching to software the D-Link DIR-868L offers WPA/WPA2 security plus WPS for adding devices at the touch of a button (here it is positioned on the rear below the USB port). There is also compatibility with IPv6 and support for guest access, which grants devices a web connection but restricts access to your local network and router settings.

To top its features off, we have mydlink, the company's cloud platform, which allows users to check the status of their router from any web browser from any location by logging into the mydlink.com website or using the company's mydlink app for Android and iOS. Additional mobile apps SharePort' and ARS Mobile let you access media remotely from your network and offer a step-by-step setup guide respectively.






The mydlink interface

D-Link DIR-868L - Setup

Something D-Link has aced in recent years is the simplicity of its router setups. This is again the case with the D-Link DIR-868L Cloud Router.

Just connect your modem to the DIR-868L's WAN port (a modem restart may also be required), plug in the power cable, switch it on and connect to the wireless signal using WPS or the password written on router and supplied on a card. Once connected you are prompted to change the default router password and asked whether you want to change the SSID and wireless passwords for the two signals its projects (2.4GHz wireless for b/g/n and 5GHz for a/n and ac).

As mentioned the mydlink Cloud platform remains basic, but its ability to check the router status, connected devices, set email alerts for any network activity you specify and change passwords and SSIDs is all most people will need. For more advanced users the traditional text heavy router interface we have seen for the last decade remains at 192.168.0.1 which will no doubt please techies.

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PS4 controller pre-orders open, DualShock 4 peripheral to cost £55

Sony DualShock 4 PS4 Controller

PS4 controller pre-orders have kicked into action in both the UK and US, with the new DualShock 4 peripheral to set wannabe owners back £55.

Playing host to a raft of new tech and gaming options, the DualShock 4 PS4 controller is available to pre-order now from a selection of retailers, with the next-gen console add-on lining up some £15 more expensive than the current-generation DualShock 3 controller.

Building on the classic form of traditional PlayStation controllers, the new DualShock 4 peripheral sees a touch sensitive control pad replace the ‘Start’ and ‘Select’ buttons of old while a new ‘Share’ button allows gamers to upload in-game video clips with ease. A PlayStation Move esque light bar at the top of the device also features.

Not the only next-gen gaming peripheral to be made available for advanced order, those looking to prep the extras for the upcoming PS4 and Xbox One can already secure a selection of add-ons.

Partnering up with the PS4 bound DualShock 4 controller, the PlayStation 4 camera can be snapped up ahead of launch with a £44.99 price tag. What’s more, those in the US looking to buy an Xbox One can already secure their Xbox One controllers and Chat Headsets for $60 (£39) and $25 (£16) respectively.

With both consoles set to launch later this year, the Xbox One vs PS4 rivalry is already heating up. With Sony seen to have taken an advantage with a lower price point, it has been suggested that Microsoft will look to regain lost ground by heading to retailers before its high-profile rival.

With the PS4 price £80 cheaper than that of the Xbox One - £349 to £429 – latest reports emenating from a leading retailer have claimed that the Xbox One release date will be November 29, two weeks before a possible December 13 PS4 launch.

Read More: Xbox One pre-orders | PS4 pre-orders

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New Xbox One and PS4 features to be announced on August 20

The Xbox One vs PS4 battle looks set to take another twist with both Microsoft and Sony confirming they will hold their next-gen themed Gamescom 2013 press conferences on August 20.

With the German based Gamescom conference to be held in Cologne between August 21 and 25, Sony and Microsoft have confirmed they will share the pre-show limelight, giving their respective PS3 and Xbox 360 replacements their European debuts on the same day.

Microsoft’s first time attending the European gaming expo, the company has revealed it will discuss the Xbox One during a one hour press conference at Cologne’s Dock One venue. Although confirming it will hold its Xbox One announcement on August 20, Microsoft has yet to set a formal time for the show.

Hot on the heels of its bitter rival, Sony has announced its PS4 announcement will be held at the Saatenhaus am Rheinpark in Cologne, on the same date. Proceedings are scheduled to kick off at 7pm CET (6pm BST).

With Xbox executives Phil Spencer and Phil Harrison set to host the company’s press conference, it has been suggested that the Xbox One release date will be formally announced during the event. To date the console’s arrival has been narrowed down only as far as ‘November’.

Similarly the PS4 release date could be on the cards for confirmation with Sony’s console currently pegged as heading to retailers during the “2013 holiday season.”

Recently, retail giant Toys R Us has suggested that the Xbox One release date will precede the PS4 arrival by two weeks. Making both consoles available for pre-order, the retailer has claimed the new Xbox will launch on November 29 while the next-gen PlayStation will be held back until December 13.

Read More: Xbox One pre-orders | PS4 pre-orders



Via: CVG

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Nokia unhappy at Microsoft's slow Windows Phone progress

Nokia has voiced its frustration at Microsoft's sluggish rate of progress with its Windows Phone platform.

Bryan Biniak, Nokia's VP of app development, has given an interview to the International Business Times in which he addresses some of the issues affecting Microsoft's mobile OS.

Referring to the relative lack of take-up for Windows Phone 8 devices - and in particular the Nokia flagship devices that run it - Biniak said, "To give you a reason to switch, I need to make sure the apps that you care about on your device are not only on our phones, but are better. I also need to provide you unique experiences that you can't get on your other devices."

He went on to draw attention to Nokia's prodigious hardware output, with the company having launched 10 Lumia handsets (most recently the Nokia Lumia 1020) in just 12 months, and the lack of equivalent progress on the Windows Phone app front.

"We are releasing new devices frequently and for every new device," said Biniak, "if there is an app that somebody cares about that's not there that's a missed opportunity of a sale."

He later added that "It's not just about the hardware, it's about the tools that are on the hardware. You can't sell a phone without the apps, you just can't."

Windows Phone's 165,000 apps doesn't appear to stack up to the 900,000 on iOS and the 1 million on Android, although it did launch somethan two years later. Biniak doesn't see that there are any "major gaps" in Windows Phone's app offering, but admits that there are a couple of "select applications" missing.

He believes that by the end of 2013, however, "people will be hard-pressed to say '[Windows Phone] doesn't have this app' and it makes a material difference."

Part of Windows Phone's problem, hints Biniak, is that Microsoft retains a relatively glacial approach to software upgrades and improvements - a hangover from its Windows desktop OS roots. Mobile operating systems, of course, are far more iterative and fast-evolving.

To that end, Biniak claims that Nokia is trying to "evolve the cultural thinking" at Microsoft, adding that "Waiting until the end of your fiscal year when you need to close your targets, doesn't do us any good when I have phones to sell today."

Next, read our Nokia Lumia 1020 vs Lumia 925 vs Lumia 920 comparison.

Via: The Verge

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Will Apple's new budget iPhone be called the iPhone 5C?

Apple's forthcoming budget iPhone could be labelled the iPhone 5C, according to a piece of evidence that has recently come to light.

For months now we've been referring to Apple's forthcoming affordable smartphone as the 'budget iPhone,' but now we might have an idea of what its final name will be thanks to a photo posted on a WeiPhone forum.

As you can see, the above image appears to show a bunch of smartphone boxes. Each one contains the name iPhone 5C in a convincing Apple font.

With the next full price iPhone seemingly set to go by the name of the iPhone 5S, this name would certainly slot smoothly into Apple's naming scheme. But what could 'C' stand for?

The 'S' in the iPhone 4S stood for 'speed,' as it was a faster version of the iPhone 4. The iPhone 5S would be the same in relation to the iPhone 5. So how about that 'C'?

One possibility being bandied around is that the 'C' could stand for 'colour.' After all, numerous reports and leaks have suggested that the budget iPhone will come in a variety of colours beyond black and white, rather like Apple's iPod touch range.

Or could the 'C' relate to the phone's wallet-friendly credentials - so 'cost' or 'cheap.' Somehow, though, we doubt Apple would ever label any of its products cheap. It's more likely to be some vague expression such as 'cool,' or the aforementioned 'colour,' we reckon.

With the iPhone 5S rumoured for a September 6 launch date and an iPhone 5C surely set follow soon after - if not launch on the same day - we shouldn't have long to wait to see what that 'C' means, if it proves to be true.

Read More: iPhone 6 rumours

Via: CNET

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Ouya CEO claims games sales are ‘better than we expected’

With the Android based Ouya console having hit retailers in recent weeks, the company’s CEO has refuted reports of low sales figures stating the gamer is doing “better than we expected.”

With many criticising Ouya’s lack of exclusive content and big name games, reports earlier this week claimed that early adopters were ignoring Ouya’s paid for content, instead sticking to the collection of free titles which are currently on offer.

Refuting these claims, Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman stated “Monetization on Ouya is so far better than we expected.” Speaking with The Verge, she added: "It takes time to build what traditional consoles have had decades to build. But really, I think it's too early to draw such broad sweeping statements about how a platform is going to perform."

Developers are said to have criticised Ouya for its lack of potential profits, with Uhrman failing to deny reports that the most profitable Ouya game to date, TowerFall, has generated just $21,000 (£13,651) in sales. The second highest selling game – Hidden in Plain Sight – has sold just 1,900 digital copies.

"These numbers will grow." Uhrman said. "To say developers can't make money on Ouya — I take offense to that.”

She added: "I'm sure the creators of TowerFall and Hidden in Plain Sight would take offense to that. The console has only been out for a month, and developers have only had access to the hardware for about 6 months. We really like what we see so far, and so do developers and gamers.

"These numbers will grow as more gamers pick up consoles, and as we attract more developers, and I believe that by the end of the year, we'll see a few developers telling us they've made more than a million dollars on Ouya.

"If every company that got mixed results right out of the gate would have given up, we wouldn't have an iPhone, we wouldn't have an iPod."

Read More: Xbox One vs PS4

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Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch leaks ahead of potential IFA 2013 unveiling

Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch

The mooted Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch could be heading for an IFA 2013 unveiling as the Korean manufacturer’s techy timepiece leaks once again.

With a number of leading manufacturers reportedly working on devices that will see them enter the smartwatch market, the previously hinted at Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch has appeared on a shipping manifest, with further reports claiming the device could be formally unveiled during September’s Berlin based tech show, IFA.

With the Samsung SM-V700WATCH / Mobile accessory, also believed to be known as the Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch having appeared on Zauba, a tracker of India’s import and exports, the Pebble Watch rival could be heading to retailers before the year’s end.

Citing unnamed sources, repeated Samsung tipster SamMobile has also suggested that a Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch R&D unit has been set to the company’s German headquarters. With the tech world set to converge on IFA 2013 during the first week of September, this could be a sign of an earlier than expected Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch unveiling.

Although the exact features and abilities of such a device are still unclear, Samsung has long been known to be working on a watch device, confirming its plans earlier this year.

"We've been preparing the watch product for so long," Samsung's executive VP Lee Young Hee said in an interview earlier this year. He added: "We are preparing products for the future, and the watch is definitely one of them."

Earlier this month it was suggested that Samsung’s smartwatch could fall under a near ‘Gear’ branded product line. A listing from the company stated that the Gear brand would cover “watches, clocks, wristbands and bracelets.”

It added it would be made up of "watches that communicate data to personal digital assistants, smart phones, tablet PCs, PDA, and personal computers through internet websites and other computer and electronic communications networks; watchbands that communicate data to [the same aforementioned devices]."

With smartwatches widely expected to be one of the next major product lines for many manufacturers, it is believed that the Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch will face off against the heavily rumoured Apple iWatch and a new watch based product from LG.



Read More: Samsung Galaxy S4 review

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