If you're hesitating to upgrade to the 500Mbps Powerline AV networking standard due to the size of its adapters (like the colossal Netgear XAV5501), well I have some good news.

Trendnet announced today what it's claiming is the world's smallest Powerline AV 500 adapter: the 500 Mbps Compact Powerline AV Adapter TPL-406E. The company says that it will be demoing this unit at CES 2012.

Judging from the photo that shows how the new adapter fits right in your palm, it's indeed the smallest Powerline AV 500 adapter I've ever seen. Trendnet says the TPL-406E … Read more

Though not a storage vendor, Apple had arguably the biggest influence on consumer-grade storage products during 2011.

And just like the way the company has always been trying to control its products, this influence didn't always turn out to be a good thing for consumers, including Apple fans. Let's take a look at a few major examples of how Apple changed the face of computer storage in 2011.

1. The lack of support for USB 3.0

USB 3.0 was first introduced in late 2008, and by late 2010, most new and high-end Windows computers were equipped … Read more

The Porsche Cayman R was the best handling car I drove since the Lotus Evora S.

If you were only to look at the Cayman R's specs, you would miss that essential Porsche magic that has made devotees of many drivers. The car feels light, making it easily responsive to steering and accelerator inputs. A very rigid body keeps the tires in contact with the pavement. Its handling proves a combination of engineering and art.

Further engineering finesse comes in the engine, producing 330 horsepower but still able to boast a 27 mpg highway number. It makes you wonder … Read more

CES has always been the biggest show for consumer electronics. It's unlikely that anyone can actually visit all of the exhibition booths and demos, and see every single new product. I know I can't.

So it's helpful to have some ideas of what you can expect at the show. If networking and storage are among your interests, here are a few of my educated guesses on what will be showcased at the show.… Read more

The wireless router is arguably the most important piece of the networking setup at your home or your office.

It's the central gateway that connects to the Internet, then shares that connection with all of the devices connected to it, via a network cable or Wi-Fi signal. Other services depend on the router, as well, such as file sharing, voice over IP, remote access, and VPN.

A router generally has to be on and functioning 24-7. There are thousands, if not millions, of data packages going through it every day, and you expect it to work without any hiccups. Ironically, it's also the device that most people pay the least attention to. In fact, the only time it's noticed at all is when it's not working right.

That said, it's very important to pick a router that's not just fast and feature-rich, but also reliable. Following is the list of the top five wireless routers I've reviewed this year that fit that description.… Read more

Cisco Systems released the original Linksys E4200 in January, which turned out to be a formidable wireless router.

Now as the year is ending, the company announced today the second version of the same router. And the Linksys E4200 v2 Maximum Performance Dual-Band N900 turns out to be one of the best, if not the best, router of the year.

The new E4200 v2 looks exactly the same as the original on the outside, with a sleek-looking design that looks more like an expensive jewelry box than a router. On the inside, however, it packs much more power than the … Read more

OCZ's latest solid-state drive, the Octane, is a new breed among its peers.

The drive is the first to be powered by OCZ's new Indilinx Everest controller, designed to optimize boot time and application performance. And the Octane offered just that in my testing, helping the test machine take just 12 seconds to boot up.… Read more

The 2012 Mazda Miata is one of the great bantamweights of the automotive industry, but even it has gained more than a few extra pounds over the years.

If reports from British car publication What Car? are to be believed, it would seem that the right folks at Mazda's R&D department have taken notice.

When asked about the next Mazda MX-5 Miata, Hirotaka Kanazawa, Mazda's senior managing executive officer in charge of R&D, told What Car?, "'We will return to the original. It will be lightweight and the cost will be lightweight too. … Read more

The car pictured above does 0-60 mph in a scant 2.3 seconds, goes on to hit 100 mph in just under five ticks, and only costs $1,100.

No, that last bit is not a typo, because the Traxxas XO-1 only measures 27 inches from nose to tail. This is not a passenger car, but it's also not a toy. It's a remote-controlled scale race car and Traxxas says that it's the fastest in the world.… Read more