SlingLink Wireless adapter for SlingCatcher pops up then is pulled

Someone at Sling Media have been playing peek-a-boo with the company's much-anticipated SlingLink Wireless adapter, the WiFi dongle that would let users cut the cord between their SlingCatcher and their router.  The USB stick appeared overnight on Sling's UK website but, when contacted for details, the company themselves claimed ignorance and promptly pulled the page; you can check out the cached page here.

It's been over ten months since the SlingLink Wireless was announced at CES 2008, and while the company does have something of a habit of keeping users waiting (though, admittedly, they tend to deliver decent products when they finally arrive) it's hard to imagine exactly what's holding up a USB WiFi adapter.  According to the yanked product page, setup of the device is straightforward: plug it into your SlingCatcher's USB port, follow a few on-screen instructions (likely just scanning for the network and entering the encryption password) and you're done.

Details on the page unhelpfully avoid suggesting release date or pricing.  The former is a mystery – though you could presume that the existence of a new web page suggests release is sooner rather than later – while we only have initial estimates of $49.99.

[via Engadget]