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Crave giveaway of the week: Belkin N+ wireless router

For this week's installment of the weekly Crave giveaway, we've got something for all you folks who would like to upgrade your wireless routers but haven't yet: the Belkin N+ wireless router, which features 802.11n 2.0 technology and earned a CNET Editors' Choice award last year.

In his review, Dong Ngo said the Belkin N+ is "a great performer with excellent range and throughput speed" and that it's "worth every penny of its $100-or-so price tag." As a bonus, it also has a USB port on back that delivers limited … Read more

Another wireless HDMI casualty: Belkin cancels FlyWire

Belkin will not be releasing its FlyWire wireless HDMI accessory.

CNET has learned that the company has decided not to offer the FlyWire for sale. A Belkin spokesperson confirmed the product's cancellation, saying that "its retail price of $1,499 would be out of line given the current state of the economy."

The FlyWire was introduced at CES 2008. The unit was a transmitter/receiver combo: the transmitter toggled between multiple audio and video sources (HDMI and analog), which were then wirelessly beamed to a receiver. Since the tiny receiver required only AC power and utilized a single HDMI output, it could be stealthily mounted behind wall-mounted flat screens or ceiling mounted projectors, eliminating the need for long unsightly cable runs. At one point, Belkin was mulling two versions: an initial high-end, multiroom-capable $1,499 version for multiple AV sources, followed by a less pricey single-source transmitter.

Early demos of the FlyWire impressed us--enough that we nominated it as a finalist in the Home Video category for Best of CES 2008. (It was edged out by the Dish Network DTVPal DVR.) But the FlyWire's premature death is just another indication that wireless HDMI technology is all but stillborn at the consumer level. Other notable no-shows, at least so far: the Philips wireless HDMI kit (introduced January 2007) and the Monster Express HD System (announced summer 2008). … Read more

Eighteen bucks for an iPhone decal?

My wife has been trying to convince me to get a protector for my iPhone ever since she bought hers, a silicone sleeve made by Belkin, at the Apple Store a few months ago. But I didn't like any of the designs they had at the Apple Store. I was looking for something more original, edgier.

I can't remember exactly what terms I entered into Google, but the Gelaskins Web site came up prominently in the search results. The designs were cool. The price seemed right at less than $15. The copy on the site emphasized both protection … Read more

FM transmitter borrows iPhone GPS

FM transmitters, which let you play just about any MP3 device through a car stereo, tend to offer dubious performance, especially in areas with a lot of radio stations. But Belkin is leveraging the capabilities of the iPhone to improve its TuneCast Auto Live FM transmitter. Belkin's ClearScan Live app for the iPhone and iPod Touch offers a better interface to choose an FM frequency than what's available on the small FM transmitter.

Beyond the improved interface, the ClearScan Live app also uses the iPhone or iPod Touch's GPS capabilities to determine your location, then communicate with … Read more

Belkin's CushDesk: Because you can't be too careful with your lap

Belkin's looking out for your lap's well-being. While laptop heat hasn't been proven to cause permanent damage in the nether regions, it can't hurt to be safe, we suppose.

Still, does anyone really need a product like the CushDesk? At $30 (available now), it's like a lap pillow with a hard surface for laptopping on. We've often worked with laptops on our laps, and while we haven't had any brushfires, the temperature can often become uncomfortable. So if nothing else, consider it a heat sink, with an added bonus of an upward-angled hard … Read more

Can this Belkin surge protector pay for itself?

The idea behind Belkin's Conserve surge protector is pretty simple. Instead of having your electronics sit there in standby mode and each sip a little bit of power, the Conserve lets you completely shut down components so power drain is cut to zero. At the same time, it leaves two outlets active for those products that you indeed want to keep on (or leave in standby mode)--items such as DVRs, wireless routers, fax machines, and cordless phones.

Two models are available: a shorter strip with a total of eight outlets and a longer one with a total of … Read more