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Top five Wi-Fi routers with built-in network storage

Generally, for network storage needs, I would recommend getting a dedicated NAS server, such as the Synology DiskStation DS1511+. However, if your needs are limited to casual usage, such as sharing documents and streaming music and photos, then a router with built-in network storage capability -- one that comes with internal storage or can host an external storage device and shares that with the rest of the network -- fits the bill better.

While much inferior to a NAS server in terms of features and especially performance, some routers actually have more to offer, in terms of storage, than one might expect and may just be what you need. In any case, getting a router of this type plus an external hard drive is a lot cheaper than a dedicated NAS server.

Following is a list of five top routers with built-in support for network storage that I've reviewed in recent years. … Read more

What to expect from Nokia's next Windows phone

On September 5, Microsoft and Nokia will introduce the world to the its first Windows Phone 8 devices. The form of that signature handset remains a mystery for now, but I'll venture a guess that from the outside, the next iteration of Nokia's flagship phone will look very similar to the Nokia Lumia 900 device we know now.

Why do I say such a thing? There are a few reasons. First, the form factor would be more easily produced than creating a new design in a relatively short period. After all, the Lumia 900's look already exists … Read more

Nokia Lumia 900 update includes flip-to-mute

If you wish your Nokia Lumia 900 did a little bit more, you may be in luck. Nokia began rolling out another update today to its premier, polycarbonate smartphone that includes a few little enhancements like the popular and ever-useful muting of calls when you flip the phone face-down.

In addition, Nokia has also improved camera performance when you press the hardware button that launches the camera app, even when the phone's locked. The Lumia-maker also said that it has made the boot sequence more reliable on startup after you've completely drained your battery.

Unfortunately, these aren't … Read more

Smartphones with unique designs (roundup)

Phone-makers use every trick in the book to differentiate their phones on store shelves, from bright colors to unusual proportions, textures, and materials.

Here are five smartphones that turn heads for striking shapes, aggressive style, and distinct physical features that you just don't see every day.

Nokia 808 PureView (unlocked), June 2012 You can't expect to slip a camera module as large as the 808 PureView's 41-megapixel shooter into a smartphone chassis without a little give. The trade-off is a thicker middle and a huge hump at one end of the phone that makes for some potentially … Read more

The new look of Microsoft Office

Monday's top tech headlines feature a new challenger to the LTE battle:

Microsoft is releasing a new flavor of Office to go along with the new look of Windows 8. This new Office is all about making your documents available wherever you are, on any device. The design is also streamlined. Since you might be using it on a touch-screen, Microsoft simplified some options. You can see highlights of the features in our review of the new Office suite.

Sprint's already been selling devices that use 4G LTE, but today customers can finally tap into that faster network. … Read more

Lumia 900 still a raw deal despite heavy discount

commentary Don't let the new price fool you -- even at half off, the Lumia 900 isn't a worthy purchase.

The Lumia 900, which now costs $49.99, down from its original $99.99 price tag, is the victim of bad timing. That's because it, alongside all other Windows Phone devices, are unable to upgrade to Windows Phone 8 when it comes out later this year. Unfortunately, if you're a Windows fan or want to try something new, Windows Phone 8 is the mobile operating system to wait for.

That's because there will finally bring … Read more

AT&T slashes Nokia Lumia 900 price by half

It was only a matter of time that AT&T drop the price of the Nokia Lumia 900 in a move that's great for consumers and perhaps not so good for Nokia.

Starting today, the Lumia 900 costs just $49.99 with a new two-year service agreement, down from its already-inexpensive $99.99 price tag when the smartphone first debuted in April.

The Lumia 900 has a terrific 4.3-inch screen, LTE speeds, and an 8-megapixel camera. It also runs Windows Phone 7.5, and like all other existing Windows phones, will not be upgradeable to Windows Phone 8 OS … Read more

Toshiba jacks up 2.5-inch hard-drive speed: Tops 10K rpm

Think 2.5-inch spinning hard disk drives are slow compared with the solid-state variety? Not always, Toshiba seems to be saying with today's announcement of drives that top 10,000rpm.

Toshiba launched four 2.5-inch HDDs, ranging up to 900GB in capacity, that boast speeds of 10,500rpm.

That's faster than the 5,400rpm and 7,200rpm 2.5-inch HDDs typically found in laptops.

The internal transfer rate for Toshiba's AL13SEB900 family of HDDs is 286 MB/s (megabytes per second), a boost of approximately 32 percent over the previous generation of drives "due to improved liner recording density," according to Toshiba.

Though slower than the fastest solid-state drives on the market, that kind of transfer rate approaches some less-expensive SSDs in speed. … Read more

Canon takes you to school with four new social printers

Convenience and versatility are the focus of the four new printers Canon announced today. Taking advantage of all the ways that consumers connect to a printer (cloud, Wi-Fi, smartphones), the Pixma MG4220 Wireless, Pixma MG3220 Wireless, Pixma MG2220, and the Selphy CP900 compact photo printer all entertain new features that encourage creative projects and photo sharing.… Read more