The Powerline 500 Nano (XAVB51010) provides consumers a simple plug-and-play networking solution when connecting a single device that converts a standard electrical wall outlet into a high-speed network connection. To connect multiple devices in a room, NETGEAR offers a new N900 Video and Gaming 4-Port WiFi Adapter (WNCE4004) that can simultaneously connect to up to four wired devices to your WiFi router.

The Universal Dual Band WiFi Range Extender (WN2500RP) boosts dual band WiFi coverage in home networks to allow users to enjoy fast WiFi speeds at longer distances. It extends both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, reducing WiFi interference. It’s easy to setup, no need for a CD or Ethernet cable, and it’s ideal for homes with a mix of high bandwidth video streaming devices sch as Smart Tvs and network DVRs.

The Media Storage Router (WNDR4700) is a high-speed wireless router that offers 2TB of hard drive storage that makes it simple and secure to store and stream HD content and other media over a high-speed WiFi network.

Additionally, NETGEAR is debuting the N900 Wireless Dual Band USB Adapter (WNDA4100) that provides a high speed connection between a notebook or desktop computer and a wireless network. It delivers up to 450 Mbps WiFi speeds and complements the N900 Dual Band Wireless Router (WNDR4500) and the previously mentioned Media Storage Router.

Hardware

Netgear’s chassis is sober but sturdy, with a blocky metal casing that’s larger than some rivals thanks to its use of regular 3.5-inch desktop hard-drives rather than smaller – generally more expensive and lower capacity – 2.5-inch mobile drives. Up front there’s a USB 2.0 port with a dedicated “backup” button that pulls the content of any removable storage plugged in off and to a preset folder, along with a power button, activity and drive lights.

As the Duo name suggests, this particular ReadyNAS supports a pair of HDDs which are hot-swappable. Storage can be set up as either RAID 0 “striped” for speed without redundancy, or RAID 1 “mirrored” for data redundancy but half the capacity. However, extra capacity can be added using the two USB 3.0 ports on the back of the ReadyNAS, a welcome update over the more typical USB 2.0 connections.

Inside, Netgear has updated the processor to a 1.6GHz Marvell chip paired with 256MB of RAM. The company reckons that makes the Duo v2 twice as fast as its predecessor, with file transfers and higher-bitrate media streaming each said to benefit from the extra performance.

Netgear will offer three versions of the ReadyNAS Duo v2. Cheapest is the empty, barebones shell, intended for those wanting to use their own hard-drives, and priced at $199. Then there are 1TB and 2TB versions – each with a single drive – at $269 and $299 respectively. Our review unit was supplied with two 1TB Hitachi HDS721010CLA332 7K1000.C SATA 3.0Gb/s drives, spinning at 7,200 rpm with 32MB of cache.

Software

Backup isn’t really sexy, and so a home NAS needs to be easy to use if owners are going to stick with it through not only setup but taking advantage of the various value-adds Netgear and others throw in. The ReadyNAS Duo v2 gets a double-whammy: Netgear has updated its RAIDiator 5 setup software to reduce complexity, and throws in a three year warranty too. For the first 90 days users get access to 24/7 customer service to help them set the NAS up; after that, three years of 24/7 support and hardware replacement is $99. If that seems too rich, three years of hardware replacement alone – within seven business days of a fault being diagnosed – is $29.

We didn’t need to call for help, however, and we doubt most reasonably confident home users would need to either. Once the ReadyNAS boots for the first time, a simple browser-based setup wizard walks you through formatting your drives in either RAID 0 or 1, and then drops you in a straightforward GUI.

As well as access to documentation and Netgear’s online support, RAIDiator 5 consists of various panes for setting up user accounts and shared folders, monitoring the “health” of the NAS including temperature and fan-speed, and checking which “Add-ons” have been installed. For most, the latter will consist of ReadyNAS Remote, which allows you to use Netgear’s iOS and Android apps to log in from your smartphone, browse through folders and download content, and ReadyNAS Photos II, for hosting your own Flickr alternative directly from the NAS.

The Remote app works well, though since you’re accessing your files from your own “personal” cloud – i.e. through your home broadband connection – the speed at which they filter through to your smartphone (or indeed the standalone OS X and Windows software) depends on your home upload speed. That’s less of an issue for photos and most documents, but may make accessing video and higher-bitrate music files a struggle. Still, being able to remotely grab a missing file while you’re at the office or in a meeting can be a very useful thing.

ReadyNAS Photos II bills itself as a free, more controllable alternative to Flickr: since the storage is all on your end there are no hosting fees, and it’s entirely private. Only those you share the link with can access them, and there are various options for limiting visibility to those with accounts or opening them to unregistered guests.

Finally there’s native UPnP/DLNA streaming support, meaning the ReadyNAS Duo v2 can send multimedia across your network to an Xbox 360 or PS3, your digital TV set-top box streamer, iTunes, SONOS kit or Logitech’s Squeezbox platform. Netgear has over 100 different Add-ons – some of its own creation, others from third-party developers – to download, allowing owners to enhance the capabilities of their NAS. Power users may prefer the more advanced “desktop” layout of Synology’s DSM software, which allows multiple add-ons and other windows to be seen simultaneously, but home users will likely find the simple panes of the Netgear interface easily navigable.

Performance

We started off testing the ReadyNAS Duo v2 with a single drive installed. Transferring a single 5GB file to and from the system saw 36.5 MB/s write rates and 100 MB/s read rates. Transferring 5GB worth of 20MB files saw write speeds stay the same, at 36.5 MB/s, but read rates dropped to 85.6 MB/s.

We then installed the second drive in a RAID 1 “mirroring” array, which basically provides drive redundancy. With the 5GB single file, write speed rose slightly to 39 MB/s, though read speed dipped to 94.4 MB/s. For the 5GB of 20MB files, writes took place at 36.2 MB/s and reads at 84.8 MB/s.

Finally, we used the two drives as a RAID 0 “striped” array, which bypasses data redundancy in the name of speed. In this setup, the 5GB single file wrote at 41.3 MB/s and read at 90 MB/s, while the 5GB of 20MB files wrote at 40 MB/s and read at 79.4 MB/s.

Given the relative price and capacity of 3.5-inch drives (compared to 2.5-inch drives) we’d recommend most home users opt for RAID 1 with as big a pair of drives as they can afford. That will provide the best balance of data security and speed.

Wrap-Up

Persuading home users to invest in backup can be difficult, and so the Netgear ReadyNAS Duo v2′s sub-$200 – albeit drive-free – sets the NAS off to a good start. The company’s home user focus extends to the straightforward setup and the reassurance of the helpdesk support, and those looking for more sophisticated functionality, such as remote access, can have that too thanks to the iOS and Android apps.

The only real potential pain-point is the speed, with the ReadyNAS Duo v2 falling behind what we saw from the Synology DiskStation DS211 (With Diskstation V3.x). Still, Synology’s barebones DS211 is around $100 more expensive than the Netgear, and for general backup and media access many home users won’t particularly notice the difference.

Compromises, then, but acceptable ones when you consider the overall package. Small business and more advanced home users may want to look elsewhere where more expensive NAS offer stronger performance, but for its balance of usability and accessibility the Netgear ReadyNAS Duo v2 hits the consumer spot.

Each accepts 3.5-inch desktop hard-drives, and comes with a front USB 2.0 port (with a dedicated copy button) along with two USB 3.0 ports on the rear for adding extra external storage. Although most home users are unlikely to have the network bandwidth to take advantage of USB 3.0 versus USB 2.0 data rates, Netgear tells us the new NAS should be its entry-level options for at least 12-18 months, and expects home networking speeds to catch up somewhat in that period. A single gigabit ethernet port hooks the ReadyNAS to your router.

Netgear has refreshed its setup wizard and browser-based UI, RAIDiator 5, and now claims it’s less than eight steps from plugging in to being up and running. Up to 96 MBps read rates and 60 MBps write rates are claimed – for real-world performance testing, check out our ReadyNAS Duo v2 review – with hot-swappable drive bays allowing you to replace a faulty drive or add a new one without powering down the NAS. The X-RAID2 software can automatically expand your RAID volume if a new drive is added, with no downtime.

Netgear is particularly keen on its ReadyNAS Photos II app, which basically allows you to turn your “personal cloud” into a private Flickr or Picasa. Custom URLs can be created, to invite friends and family to view certain galleries, or you can throw open the door to public access. Because you’re hosting it, not somebody else’s servers, you can offer full resolution pictures – something many sites demand subscription fees for – though, as ReadyNAS senior product marketing manager Matt Pahnke explained to us, what viewers actually see will depend on their device and connection.

“Photos II automatically optimizes resolution based on the network speed of the consuming device” Pahnke told us. “The goal here is to provide all users with an efficient way to enjoy the photos stored on the ReadyNAS without having to endure lengthy download times. If a user with a sub-optimal connection would like to view the photos at a higher resolution, they do have the option of overriding the optimization.”

There’s also a Remote Access app, available for Windows, OS X, Android and iOS, allowing for browsing and downloading over a secure VPN connection to your ReadyNAS at home. In the future, Pahnke confirmed, Netgear intends to add support for its Netgear Vault cloud storage service (already available for the company’s more advanced NAS) so that ReadyNAS owners will be able to mirror some or all of their content in true cloud backup.

The ReadyNAS Duo v2 will be priced at $199 as a diskless drive, or at $269 pre-fitted with a single 1TB drive. A version with a single 2TB drive will be $299. As for the ReadyNAS NV+ v2, that will be $399 diskless, $499 for a 2TB version and $599 for a 4TB version. Netgear says that, while the cost of hard-drives may rise as supplies grow temporarily scarce, it has secured storage to cater for estimated demand this quarter and will only be passing on its own increased costs, nothing more (the diskless models will remain the same price). They’re all available from today.

“We are evaluating Android as well” Netgear told us, pointing to the imminent release of Ice Cream Sandwich upon which Google TV will be based. That should bring the possibility of Android phone and tablet developers pushing their apps across to Google TV STBs, broadening the appeal of such devices beyond what native functionality Google instills in them.

When pushed, Netgear pointed to Logitech’s struggles with the Revue, which recently saw a huge price slash after failing to capture the smart TV market in the way Google had predicted. The company would not put a timescale on its plans, however, though given Ice Cream Sandwich is expected sooner rather than later, we may not have too long to wait.

Connectivity includes HDMI, a wired ethernet port, 300Mbps WiFi (with a 2×2 antenna) and an S/PDIF digital optical audio, and while Netgear will bundle a simple remote with the NeoTV NTV200, the company will also offer smartphone remotes. iPhone or Android handset owners will be able to download a free remote control app from their respective software stores, with gesture control for channel navigation as well as an on-screen QWERTY keyboard for easier text entry and search.

Netgear promises to add more channels all the time, but with Vudu HD there’s already support for Blu-ray quality streaming movies accessible at the same time as their physical release. For free content, there’s YouTube Leanback, while a clever “Fling” feature allows you to instantly send videos you’re watching on your laptop straight to the NeoTV, and pick up watching them on your big-screen TV instead.

Hardware

Slim and tall is Netgear’s design language right now, with the WNDR4500 a sleekly designed monolith with an integrated transparent plastic stand. Despite the small footprint, it proved stable even with six chunky Cat6 cables hanging off the four gigabit ethernet ports at the back. They share space with a pair of USB 2.0 ports – Netgear tells us this was a performance consideration, rather than USB 3.0 – a gigabit WAN port, power, recessed reset hole and physical power switch.

There’s no shortage of indicator lights, either. Running down the front panel are LEDs for power, internet, 2.4GHz and 5GHz status, along with individual lights for each of the ethernet ports and each USB port. Up top are buttons for WPS and wireless.

The WNDR4500 has a small fan to keep things cool, but it’s a very quiet example. Nonetheless, it does the job well: operating temperature is cool to the touch, and you can barely feel a small amount of warm air coming out of the vents on the top and bottom of the router. The chunky power brick has the same footprint as a smartphone, though is obviously thicker.

Software

Initial setup is straightforward. Netgear prints a default SSID and wireless encryption key on the WNDR4500′s box, and there’s a simple wizard that guides you through the whole process. Netgear offers two different ways of accessing the router: those familiar with networking tech can go the regular way, and log into the WNDR4500′s browser-based interface, while those who’d prefer a little hand-holding can run Netgear Genie.

Genie is a locally-running app that shows the current status of the network in an easily-understood map layout, as well as offering user-friendly controls to restore a lost connection and do other basic tasks. In Q4, Netgear tells us, there’ll be iOS and Android versions of the app, while in the pipeline is more advanced functionality such as indicators of actual performance between the router and each device connected to it. At that point we can see more proficient users actually choosing to install Genie, though at present it’s definitely targeted at the novice home audience.

The two USB 2.0 ports can be used for either printer sharing or hard-drive sharing. Netgear has implemented USBoIP (USB over IP) rather than install a default bundle of printer drivers on the WNDR4500 itself: that means any printer plugged into the router should show up on your computer as if it was locally connected. The upside is that you’re not reliant on generic drivers, and can instead use those that actually came with your printer.

NAS functionality is a little more complex. Each port has enough bus power to drive a 2.5-inch external HDD, and once connected the Network/Device Name shows up as a shared network drive on computers using the router. Alternatively, there’s DLNA support, so compatible consoles like the PS3 see the drives as a source of streaming media.

While the WNDR4500 handled FAT32 and NTFS drives with no problems, HFS and exFAT proved beyond its abilities: the HDDs simply would not mount. You also don’t get the same sort of granular access control as you would on a dedicated NAS. For instance, if you want to share content via DLNA, the read/write access control must be left turned off; that means DLNA content is then not secured for FTP/HTTP remote access.

Similarly, while you can create folders and assign read/write access to them, we were unable to find a way to selectively assign login privileges to individual shares. Instead, we were left using the same admin login, rather than being able to create a set of new users with partial privileges.

Finally, there are parental controls. These use a continuously updated list of banned sites, with various levels of filtering depending on what sort of content you want to block. There’s no per-device filtration – you can’t, say, block adult content on your kid’s iPad, but allow all content through to your own – with a user ID-based login system instead to bypass the restrictions.

Performance

Netgear is boasting greater ranges and faster speeds from the WNDR4500, with up to 450 Mbps rates supported. The company also says its done some clever work with its 3×3 antenna array so as to provide more coverage in the 5GHz band.

In our tests with 2.4GHz connections, from 5 feet away from the router and no blocks in-between we were able to get 59.59 Mbps average TCP throughput. Moving to 20 feet away, with one wall in-between, that dipped to 55.23 Mbps. At 35 feet away, with two walls in-between, it fell to 45.74 Mbps.

So far so good, though wired performance proved more troublesome than wireless. During our testing, wired devices continuously lost their connection; sometimes they would automatically reconnect, while other times they demanded that we unplug the device or, worse still, reset the router itself. This is presumably something Netgear can address with firmware updates, but as it stands it can be a frustrating experience.

Wrap-Up

There’s plenty to like about the Netgear WNDR4500. It’s compact and neatly designed, and the setup process is tremendously straightforward. Right now, Netgear’s Genie app is of more interest to novice users, but if the company can deliver on the upgrades it has told us about, it may prove its worth to the more technically-minded.

Wireless performance proved stable and connection speeds good, and – for basic file sharing and streaming, at least – the USB ports are useful. Those with more ambitious storage requirements should still look to a dedicated NAS, however, which will deliver more control over who can access what, and from where. Wired performance, unfortunately, was less successful; it could have been our test setup – a mixture of Windows and OS X machines – but the frequent dropped connections left us less than impressed with the WNDR4500.

That’s a shame, since as an all-round package there’s a lot of appeal. $179.99 puts it at the premium end for home networking, but you’re getting a broad range of functionality for your money. In the end, though, it’s the great wireless performance that most home users will appreciate, and we can’t fault the Netgear WNDR4500 there.

The latest addition to the Netgear NeoTV line has hit FCC to get the approvals to come to living rooms all around the country. The device appears to be a smaller version of the existing NeoTV gear and it is called the NeoTV 200. The box is thought to be something to compete head on with the new smaller Apple TV and Roku boxes. It’s no surprise that the device is focused on media streaming.

The user manual at the FCC even notes that Netflix and Pandora are supported. It would be no stretch to expect that the device would offer streaming services like Hulu Plus and others as well. That isn’t confirmed though. The little box lacks the connectivity of the larger offerings with no USB, SD, or eSATA connections. Zatznotfunny thinks that the NeoTV 200 might be a DLNA streaming device. I am sure we will get the full specs and details before long, for now there is no indication of pricing or availability.

[via Zatznotfunny]

The D600 packs in a dual band Gigabit ADSL2+ modem router with a pair of USB ports and installation that tends no CDs. The device also has an Ethernet WAN option for fiber or cable broadband access too. The big feature of the device is that it is the first router with a dual-core processor. Netgear claims that the dual-core processor allows for fast response time when running intense applications at the same time.

The WiFi router portion of the N600 is an 802.11n dual-band offering with 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies. The router also has Netgear ReadyShare tech inside with a pair of USB ports to turn external HDDs into shared storage for the network. It can stream video or music form the HDDs too. The router is available right now globally at a MSRP of $199.99.

[via Netgear]

The parental controls enable for control of all devices on a network including Windows PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets. Parents can be secure in the knowledge that their kids are safely surfing the internet and prevented from visiting suspect sites. The Broadband usage meter can be set to automatically notify when data consumption is about to surpass any monthly limits set by the service provider, thereby saving on expensive data overage fees. And guests can access the Internet and the home network without access to other computers, storage drives or other devices on the home network.

But the hallmark feature is the N750 ‘s transmission of wireless signals over a lesser used 5Ghz band, which means less congestion and faster data transfer rates. Users can watch HD movies, play live networked gaming, and have video chats with multiple users while the router handles traffic seamlessly at 450 mbps, while running more traffic on the lower 2.4 Ghz traffic at 300 mbps. The N750 is available now for around $179.99 msrp.

Press Release

NETGEAR Tops Off Product Portfolio with New Flagship Router

The NETGEAR N750 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router speeds through intense tasks such as HD video streaming, multiplayer gaming and large file transfers

SAN JOSE, Calif. – April XX, 2011 — NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR),a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers, today announced worldwide availability of the N750 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router (WNDR4000), the newest top of the line router from the industry’s market leader. The N750 powers through intense wireless tasks such as streaming HD video, multiplayer gaming and large file transfers thanks to a an aggregate combined data rate of up to 750 megabits per second (Mbps) while operating simultaneously in both wireless N bands: up to 450 Mbps in the 5 GHz band and up to 300 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band.

But the N750 isn’t just about speed – the router offers a full range of premium features including flexible parental controls and a broadband usage meter, as well as DLNA Media Server support for streaming video, music and photos from any storage device plugged into its USB port to DLNA-enabled devices throughout the home such as some newer televisions and game consoles.

The N750 takes the wireless N standard to new levels with performance of up to 450 Mbps in the 5 GHz band, where there is less interference than the 2.4 GHz band. This higher frequency band can provide smoother, more consistent streaming to newer laptops, video game consoles and other dual-band wireless N devices for a superior user experience. The N750 also operates at up to 300 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band, supporting both the older 802.11g standard and the newer 802.11n standard. This provides maximum range and more capacity when multiple devices are using a mix of the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands on a single home wireless network. Overcrowding and delays are minimized during data-intensive activities such as HD video streaming and multiplayer online gaming.

The N750 is also an intelligent home gateway that helps consumers get the most from their network and connected devices.

NETGEAR Live Parental Controls, for example, provide a centralized, flexible and reliable parental control solution for all devices on the network, including Windows PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets, giving children and teenagers a safer environment for online activities – with no subscription required!

The broadband usage meter can be set to automatically notify consumers when data consumption is reaching monthly limits set by their service provider, avoiding costly overage fees for those with metered service plans.

Among the additional premium features of the N750 are:

* Guest network access, allowing visitors to go online without having to be given the home network password and without gaining access to computers, printers, storage drives and other devices on the home network.
* NETGEAR ReadyShare™ technology, for connecting a standard USB hard drive to the router to share storage and a media library across the home network.
* DLNA Media Server, for streaming media to DLNA HDTVs, Blu-ray™ players and game consoles.
* Four high-speed gigabit Ethernet ports for ultra-fast wired connections.
* IPv6 ready, for future-proof compatibility with the emerging IPv6 standard for Internet addresses.

“Home networks are no longer limited to low-bandwidth tasks such as reading email or looking at static web pages. Instead, today’s home networks are gateways to movies, television, music, games, video chat and much more,” said Som Pal Choudhury, NETGEAR director of product marketing. “No wireless router on the market today is faster or better prepared to deliver these next-generation online experiences to everyone in the family than the N750.”

Pricing and Availability
The NETGEAR N750 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router (WNDR4000) is now available worldwide from major retailers – in stores and online – at $179.99 in the United States.

More information
To learn more about the NETGEAR N750 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router, please visit http://www.netgear.com/MaxWiFi

About NETGEAR, Inc.
NETGEAR (NASDAQGM: NTGR) is a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers. For consumers, the company makes high performance, dependable and easy to use home networking, storage and digital media products to connect people with the Internet and their content and devices. For businesses, NETGEAR provides networking, storage and security solutions without the cost and complexity of Big IT. The company also supplies top service providers with retail proven, whole home solutions for their customers. NETGEAR products are built on a variety of proven technologies such as wireless, Ethernet and powerline, with a focus on reliability and ease-of-use. NETGEAR products are sold in over 28,000 retail locations around the globe, and through more than 37,000 value-added resellers. The company’s headquarters are in San Jose, Calif., with additional offices in 25 countries. NETGEAR is an ENERGY STAR® partner. More information is available at http://www.NETGEAR.com or by calling (408) 907-8000. Connect with NETGEAR at http://twitter.com/NETGEAR and http://www.facebook.com/NETGEAR.

©2011 NETGEAR, Inc. NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo, and ReadyShare are trademarks or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved.

Note: Maximum wireless signal rate derived from IEEE Standard 802.11 specifications. Actual data throughput will vary from maximum signal rates stipulated. Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and network overhead, lower actual data throughput rate.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for NETGEAR, Inc.:
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Specifically, statements concerning NETGEAR’s business and the expected performance characteristics, specifications, reliability, market acceptance, market growth, specific uses, user feedback and market position of NETGEAR’s products and technology are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the following: the actual price, performance and ease of use of NETGEAR’s products may not meet the price, performance and ease of use requirements of customers; product performance may be adversely affected by real world operating conditions; failure of products may under certain circumstances cause permanent loss of end user data; new viruses or Internet threats may develop that challenge the effectiveness of security features in NETGEAR’s products; the ability of NETGEAR to market and sell its products and technology; the impact and pricing of competing products; and the introduction of alternative technological solutions. Further information on potential risk factors that could affect NETGEAR and its business are detailed in the Company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties listed in the section entitled “Part II – Item 1A. Risk Factors,” pages 11 through 29, in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2011. NETGEAR undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
# # #

The N300 is an ADSL2+ modem and router in one and has 802.11n WiFi networking that uses DSL wired connection and has a 3G modem backup with a plug in USB modem for when your DSL goes down. If your DSL is anything like mine it goes down way more than you want it to. The failover to 3G is done automatically and as soon as DSL is restored, the 3G is switched back off.

The N300 has SPI, VPN pass through, DoS protection and more. It monitors the broadband usage of the network and allows for separate guest accounts. It also supports OpenDNS filtering and security. The router is available in stores and online right now for $179.99.

The MF100H femtocell is interoperable with the Nokia Siemens networks mobile infrastructure that is being planned for completion soon. The Femtocell is delivering a traffic carrying capacity of 1000x greater than the 3G network of most small carriers.

Netgear doesn’t say when the new MF100H femtocell will hit the market or what it will cost for end users when it finally lands. “Femtocells are just now getting to the other side of the technology chasm,” said Michael Clegg, vice president and general manager, Service Provider Business Unit, NETGEAR. “Today, these nascent devices appear in tiny deployments when measured against the billions of residences and businesses worldwide where they will ultimately be deployed. After three years in the market, femotcells are now poised for widespread adoption thanks to industry advances in interoperability and reduced deployment costs.”

R3 Media Network

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To see more Daily Slash posts, click here: [The Daily Slash] or here: [SlashGear Morning Wrap-Up]

Full statement after the cut

In fact, alluding to Jobs’ health was “never my intention” Lo insists, going on to say that “I wish Steve only the very best.” In the original quote, Lo had told reporters that “once Steve Jobs goes away, which is probably not far away, then Apple will have to make a strategic decision on whether to open up the platform”; we’re guessing he meant to refer to Jobs as CEO, rather than imply some sort of health-related absence.

Hi. As many of you know I spoke in Sydney on Monday, at a lunch with more than a half dozen of Australia’s leading technology and business journalists. We covered a wide range of topics including the emergence of new IP protocols, cloud computing, wireless routers/repeaters in the home, the National Broadband Network (a current major Government project in Australia) and much more. During the course of the discussion, I shared my views about the future of Apple and Microsoft, as well as the surge of Android. Some of my comments were covered by the media who attended, and were reported more broadly outside Australia by media and bloggers who picked up on the story.

I stand by the opinions I stated on the business issues. Supporting open standards and environments in order to ease seamless networking integration of multimedia content is good for the consumer and good for content providers.

However, I deeply regret the choice of words I used in relation to business decisions Apple must grapple with in the future in relation to open vs. closed systems, which have been construed by some to be references to Steve Jobs’ health and which was never my intention. I sincerely apologize that what I said was interpreted this way, and I wish Steve only the very best.

Patrick Lo,
NETGEAR
Chairman and CEO

R3 Media Network

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“Once Steve Jobs goes away, which is probably not far away, then Apple will have to make a strategic decision on whether to open up the platform. Ultimately a closed system just can’t go that far … If they continue to close it and let Android continue to creep up then it’s pretty difficult as I see it.” Patrick Lo, CEO, Netgear

As for Jobs’ ego, Lo criticized the Apple exec for what he believes to be a personally-motivated attack on Adobe’s Flash technology. “What’s the reason for him to trash Flash?” Lo questions, referring to Jobs’ well-publicized open letter to Adobe. ”There’s no reason other than ego.”

While Lo’s comments are extreme, it doesn’t look like they’ll have much impact on Apple’s attitude towards Netgear; according to the exec himself, “Steve Jobs doesn’t give me a minute!” Still, Cupertino can take some enjoyment from the fact that Lo is similarly dismissive about Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 platform, suggesting that “Microsoft is over – game over – from my point of view.”

[Image via Venturebeat]

The new home theater networking kit is called the Netgear 3DHD and has part number WNHDB3004. To support high-speed streaming for homes with multiple walls between the router and the home theater the networking kit uses four transmitters and four receivers inside the wireless router for 4×4 MIMO. The result is longer range and more reliability when it comes to streaming content.

The device also has dynamic beam forming to steer and target WiFi signals to the receiver to boost range. The router also has Space Time block Coding tech that allows the device to send multiple redundant copies of the same data across different paths to minimize packet loss and improve video reliability. The kit with two adapters will sell for $259 and individual adapters will cost $129 with both shipping in the middle of November.

If you’re familiar with the NETGEAR ReadyNAS Ultra series, and you were impressed with the performance therein, then the Ultra Plus series will blow your mind. NETGEAR has revealed that the new series will offer up 30% more performance versus the Ultra series before it. Not only that, but the 2-bay model for the ReadyNAS Ultra family will also be made available later this year, worldwide.

NETGEAR is positioning the new Ultra Plus line-up of devices as not only a stand-alone media streaming device, which includes local or remote handhelds, video game consoles, and desktops, but also a supplemental device to the likes of TiVo users. Features like Orb transcoding means that you’ll have support for multiple media formats, based on the type of screen you’re playing it on. While Skifta will shift your movies and music onto any DLNA-certified device. Not only that, but there’s also a remote file access application available in the Apple App Store for $2.99.

What’s more, NETGEAR has officially achieved DLNA certification for several of its devices, including the Ultra Pro line-up. The other device is the N600 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router, model number WNDR3700. With the DLNA certification, it means that these new NETGEAR devices will effortlessly connect, and stream media with other DLNA-certified devices, making your streaming needs all that much easier.

The ReadyNAS Ultra Plus and Ultra 2 series devices will be made available in late November. You’ll be able to pick up the Ultra 2 Plus for $449.99; the Ultra 4 Plus for $699.99; and the Ultra 6 Plus for $999.99. The Ultra 2 will cost you $399.99; the Ultra 2 with 2TB of storage for $549.99; and the Ultra 2 with 4TB of storage for $699.99. Check out the full press release below for more information.

Press Release

NETGEAR Releases World’s Fastest Home Media Servers

New additions to the ReadyNAS Ultra family deliver stunning home media streaming experiences

SAN JOSE, Calif. – November 5, 2010 – NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and Internet service providers, today released four new additions to its ReadyNAS® Ultra family of home media servers. The new ReadyNAS Ultra Plus series delivers approximately 30% more performance over the ReadyNAS Ultra series, offering the world’s best streaming media experience for music, movies, photos and files. In addition, the 2-bay model of the ReadyNAS Ultra family will soon be available worldwide.

The ReadyNAS Ultra Plus series transforms home media networks, delivering media content to local or remote handhelds, desktops and game consoles. NETGEAR’s industry-leading partnerships deliver expanded media experiences at home and away from home. TiVo™ users may use the ReadyNAS Ultra Plus to tremendously expand their DVR capacity. Orb™ transcoding support puts the right media formats on the right screens, streaming movies on handhelds in any connected location. Skifta™ shifts movies and music onto any DLNA networked screen. Remote file access is now available for iPhone users with the new ReadyNAS Remote iPhone App.

“The explosion of digital content has resulted in large personal media collections that are often unmanaged and scattered. As media collections grow, so has the demand for home media servers. Consumers want simplicity and flexibility,” said Norm Bogen, industry analyst at In-Stat. “And the NETGEAR
ReadyNAS Ultra family delivers. With a ReadyNAS Ultra or Ultra Plus at the center of the home network, consumers can consolidate and organize their content in a secure, expandable place that’s accessible anywhere.”

“The ReadyNAS Ultra family brings cutting-edge partnerships and applications to the home media server market. The new Ultra Plus series is now the most powerful home storage available,” said Tiffany Pham, Product Line Manager for Prosumer Storage at NETGEAR. “Now users can do more with their digital media collections than ever before.”

Pricing and Availability

The ReadyNAS Ultra Plus series will be available online in late November 2010 from leading direct marketers and ecommerce sites at the following estimated street prices:
• RNDP200U – Ultra 2 Plus (Diskless 2-bay), $449.99 USD
• RNDP400U – Ultra 4 Plus (Diskless 4-bay), $699.99 USD
• RNDP600U – Ultra 6 Plus (Diskless 6-bay), $999.99 USD

The ReadyNAS Ultra 2 will be available online in late November 2010 from leading direct marketers and ecommerce sites at the following estimated street prices:
• RNDU2000 – Ultra 2 (Diskless 2-bay), $399.99 USD
• RNDU2120 – Ultra 2 (2TB: 1 x 2TB), $549.99 USD
• RNDU2220 – Ultra 2 (4TB: 2 x 2TB), $699.99 USD

The ReadyNAS Remote iPhone app is available on Apple’s App Store for $2.99 USD

For more information, please visit: www.netgear.com/ultra

About NETGEAR, Inc.
NETGEAR (NASDAQGM: NTGR) is a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and Internet service providers. For consumers, the company makes high performance, dependable and easy home networking, storage and digital media products to connect people with the Internet and their content and devices. For businesses, NETGEAR provides networking, storage and security solutions without the cost and complexity of Big IT. The company also supplies all of the top Internet service providers with retail proven, whole home solutions for their customers. NETGEAR products are built on a variety of proven technologies such as wireless, Ethernet and powerline, with a focus on reliability and ease-of-use. NETGEAR products are sold in over 27,000 retail locations around the globe, and through more than 36,000 value-added resellers. The company’s headquarters are in San Jose, Calif., with additional offices in 25 countries. NETGEAR is an ENERGY STAR® partner. More information is available at http://www.NETGEAR.com or by calling (408) 907-8000. Connect with NETGEAR at http://twitter.com/NETGEAR and http://www.facebook.com/NETGEAR.

NETGEAR took some time out of their busy Friday mid-morning, and announced quite a few things. The first of which is the brand new NETGEAR ReadyNAS Replicate application software, which is designed specifically to help those in business and enterprise situations. As more and more data is transmitted every day, NETGEAR knew that there had to be a better solution for protecting it, backing it up, and having a way to recover important information when its needed. That’s where the ReadyNAS Replicate comes in.

The ReadyNAS Replicate software application is designed to simplify multi-site backup, restore and disaster recovery in businesses and enterprise branch offices. The ReadyNAS Replicate provides a single, simple interface that allows customers to enable multi-site backup jobs, which allows for the restoration of files across locations. In turn, NETGEAR believes this will slash management time, as well as improving the overall investment return.

For IT Managers, if they can find a way to simplify the managing of backup and recovery plans for the entire system, it’s a dream come true. The good news is that the NETGEAR ReadyNAS Replicate is available right now. For the ReadyNAS 2-, 4- and 6-bay Pro and Ultra families, it will cost you an MSRP of $199. For current rack-mount ReadyNAS products, you’ll have to shell out a high $399.

Press Release

NETGEAR Simplifies Multi-Site Data Protection for Businesses

Powerful New Application Reduces the Complexity of Traditional Multi-Site Backup Solutions

SAN JOSE, Calif. – November 5, 2010 – NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and Internet service providers, today announced ReadyNAS® Replicate™, a software application that simplifies multi-site backup, restore and disaster recovery in businesses and enterprise branch offices. ReadyNAS Replicate provides a single interface that enables customers to schedule multi-site backup jobs and to restore files across locations, slashing management time and improving investment return.

Smart IT departments searching for reliable data management methods among multiple sites may use ReadyNAS Replicate to reduce operational costs and standardize disaster recovery. Users can eliminate the complex scripting and hours of effort required by homemade solutions. Automatic best practices, such as integrated snapshot management and embedded VPN connections, improve reliability over typical do-it-yourself arrangements. A single management console simplifies backup and restore between company headquarters and even the smallest remote office. Resellers may use ReadyNAS Replicate to deliver managed backup and recovery services to individual end user locations.

In a Market Insight report from October 2010, Gartner analyst Jim Browning states, “One of the primary actions planned through the first half of 2011 by a number of midsize businesses is to implement new or expanded geographically dispersed backup sites for disaster recovery purposes.”

“This is just what we’ve been looking for, a way to simplify managing the backup and disaster recovery plan for our systems and sites,” says IT manager Dave Bott of the St. Catharine’s Public Library system. “Replicate gives me a single management console and saves me time configuring jobs, scripts, snapshots, firewall connections and reporting functions at each of my branch locations.”

Drew Meyer, director of storage marketing for NETGEAR, says “NETGEAR continues to address the backup needs of smart IT groups in small businesses or large firms with multiple branch offices. The combination of affordable desktop storage platforms with a reliable and simple data management application simply gives VARs and end users a smarter solution.”

Pricing and Availability
ReadyNAS Replicate is available immediately from any NETGEAR PowerShift™ Partner and requires a standalone transferable license per desktop or rack-mount system. For the desktop ReadyNAS 2-, 4- and 6-bay Pro and Ultra families, the MSRP is $199. For current rack-mount ReadyNAS products the MSRP is $399.

For more information, please visit: www.netgear.com/replicate

About NETGEAR, Inc.
NETGEAR (NASDAQGM: NTGR) is a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and Internet service providers. For consumers, the company makes high performance, dependable and easy home networking, storage and digital media products to connect people with the Internet and their content and devices. For businesses, NETGEAR provides networking, storage and security solutions without the cost and complexity of Big IT. The company also supplies all of the top Internet service providers with retail proven, whole home solutions for their customers. NETGEAR products are built on a variety of proven technologies such as wireless, Ethernet and powerline, with a focus on reliability and ease-of-use. NETGEAR products are sold in over 28,000 retail locations around the globe, and through more than 37,000 value-added resellers. The company’s headquarters are in San Jose, Calif., with additional offices in 25 countries. NETGEAR is an ENERGY STAR® partner. More information is available at http://www.NETGEAR.com or by calling (408) 907-8000. Connect with NETGEAR at http://twitter.com/NETGEAR and http://www.facebook.com/NETGEAR.

There’s also Pandora, Flickr, Vimeo and other sites offering free content as well.  It’s worth remembering that you can have up to six Roku players activated on any one Netflix subscription, too.

You’ll have to stomach a higher price for the Netgear name, however; whereas the Roku XD is $79.99, the Netgear Roku XD Player NVT250 is $89.99.  Annoyingly Netgear don’t even bundle an HDMI cable, despite that extra cost.

There’s a pretty considerable list of supported codecs and containers, too – the full spec sheet is in the gallery below, but highlights include Xvid, ISO, AVCHD, DivX, MP4 and MKV for video and various audio and video options too.  You can also plug in an external Blu-ray drive via the USB 2.0 or eSATA ports for playback from optical media.

Meanwhile the new Powerline adapters save stringing ethernet cable across your lounge.  Entry-level is the XAVNB2001 Powerline AV 200 Wireless-N Extender Kit, supporting up to 200Mbps data rates, while the XAV5001 Powerline AV 500 Adapter (and the XAVB5001 Kit) and XAV5501 Powerline AV+ 500 Adapter (and XAVB5501 Kit) boost speed to a theoretical 500Mbps.  The “+” versions also provide a pass-through filtered AC socket so you can still plug in an appliance.

The Netgear NeoTV 550 will be priced at $219.99 (or €199.99 in Europe, though it’s already showing up for preorder at around £139); no MRSP for the NeoTV 350, but that’s up for UK preorder at around £88 ($136).  As for the Powerline adapters, the AV 200 will drop in early October for $169, followed by the AV 500 Adapter Kit later that month for $159.  The standalone AV 500 Adapter ($89) and AV+ 500 Adapter Kit ($179) will arrive in early November, with the standalone AV+ Adapter ($99) bringing up the rear later that month.

The Netgear WiFi adapter is paired with a compatible Panasonic TV the viewer can stream all manner of internet content directly to the TV from the web. The Netgear N600 uses Push ‘N’ Connect technology to make setting up a connection easy.

Once connected the Viera user can stream content from Amazon VOD, YouTube, Picasa, and other programs from Viera Cast like weather and stock information. The N600 adapter from Netgear is available right now for $79.99.

Under the hood lurks Intel’s Atom 1.66GHz processor – a single-core chip in the Ultra 4 and a dual-core chip in the Ultra 6 – together with 1GB of RAM and a choice of four or six 3.5-inch drive bays.  They can be configured in RAID 0, 1, 5 or 6 striping for data redundancy, and of course there are various USB ports including a front port with a dedicated backup button that will automatically suck the content from whatever drive or memory card reader you plug in.

Unfortunately, all this functionality doesn’t come cheap.  The Netgear ReadyNAS Ultra 4 will be $899 for twin 2TB drives while the Netgear ReadyNAS Ultra 6 will be $1,349 for six 1TB drives when they both drop later this month.  The company will also sell the enclosures drive-free, and are planning a smaller model for release later in 2010.

As for the frequencies it uses, there’s a WiFi a/n chipset on the 5GHz band, paired with a 4×4 MIMO antenna.  Netgear reckon it’s stable enough to guarantee 40Mbps HD streams 99.9-percent of the time, and it’ll work with your Xbox 360, PS3, Apple TV, Wii, Blu-ray deck or PC, among other devices.  The Netgear High-Performance Wireless-N HD Home Theater Kit (WNHDB3004) will go on sale in Q3 2010; pricing to be announced closer to the time, but both the pair of towers and individual units will be available.

The Netgear Ethernet to Wireless Adapter (WNCE2001), meanwhile, connects via ethernet but gets its power via a USB port; that means you can – assuming the device you’re plugging into has a power USB free – avoid having to find an AC outlet for a separate PSU brick.  It also uses WiFi-N technology, and will go on sale in May 2010 priced at $79.

Press Release:

NETGEAR Supercharges Home Theater Experience with New Class of WiFi Products to Support Internet-Enabled Set-top Boxes, TVs, Blu-ray Players and Gaming Consoles

High-Performance HD Home Theater Kit (WNHDB3004) Wirelessly Streams Multiple HD Videos Flawlessly Throughout the Home; Industry-First Compact USB-powered Universal WiFi Internet Adapter (WNCE2001) Wirelessly Connects Ethernet-enabled Consumer Electronics to the Internet

HANNOVER, Germany — March 1, 2010 — NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically innovative, branded networking solutions, today announced two new networking accessories for home theaters. The High-Performance Wireless-N HD Home Theater Kit (WNHDB3004) is a carrier-grade, tested and proven solution for wirelessly playing multiple jitter-free 1080p HD video and audio streams to every room in the house flawlessly, and at double the performance and range of solutions in the market today. The Universal WiFi Internet Adapter for Home Theater Devices and Gaming Consoles (WNCE2001) delivers Wireless-N performance of up to 300 Mbps through the Ethernet port of consumer electronic (CE) devices such as Internet TVs, game consoles, Blu-ray players and more.

NETGEAR will display these new products at the CeBIT trade show in Hannover, Germany, March 2-6, 2010, in the Wick Hill booth (Hall 11, Stand D03) of the Hannover Exhibition Hall. Related CeBIT announcements can be found here (http://www.netgear.com/About/PressReleases.aspx).

A growing number of multimedia devices in the home theater are enabled with network connectivity, but oftentimes there is not a wired network connection available in the living room. While many of the available wireless solutions, either embedded or external, offer basic connectivity to the home network to play rich media to the HDTV, no other wireless solutions provide the reliability required for playing multiple, simultaneous, Blu-ray quality HD streams across multiple walls in a large home.

“High-Performance HD Home Theater Kit provides wired-equivalent connectivity and whole-home coverage using wireless,” said Som Pal Choudhury, NETGEAR director of product marketing for Core Networking Products. “The technology is way ahead of the competition. With its groundbreaking speed, range and reliability, it is like WiFi on steroids.”

High-Performance Wireless-N HD Home Theater Kit (WNHDB3004)
With performance doubling that of competing products, the NETGEAR carrier-grade High-Performance Wireless-N HD Home Theater Kit (WNHDB3004) delivers multiple, simultaneous, jitter-free 1080p HD video streams wirelessly throughout the home. It is the only solution that has been tested to provide sustained throughput of HD streams in excess of 40 Mbps 99.9 percent of the time, through multiple walls, throughout an above-average single family home.

The kit consists of a pair of two High-Performance Wireless-N HD Home Theater Adapters (WNHD3004). The set-up is truly plug and play; consumers simply plug the first adapter into the existing router or gateway, and the second adapter into any home theater device with an Ethernet port. The kit is pre-configured with security, so a single touch of a push-button securely connects additional adapters. IPTV customers and video enthusiasts can now wirelessly stream multiple 1080p HD streams with wired-equivalent reliability from the network, Internet or IPTV service provider to their home theater devices, including IPTV set-top boxes, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Blu-ray players, Internet-enabled TVs, Apple TV, NETGEAR Digital Entertainer products and more. The NETGEAR High-Performance Wireless-N HD Home Theater Kit supports point-to-multipoint HD video streaming and the multicast streaming protocol that IPTV service providers demand.

The High-Performance Wireless-N HD Home Theater Kit eliminates the need for expensive structured wiring or messy Ethernet cables. It is also designed to overcome the common problems — wireless signal strength, quality and reliability — associated with interference, frequently changing WiFi environments, and areas of the home that are notoriously difficult to reach. The kit combines 4×4 multiple-input, multiple-out (MIMO) antenna signal processing, real-time spectrum analysis and dynamic digital beamforming with the industry’s highest performance IEEE 802.11a/n 5GHz wireless LAN chipset, providing an unprecedented level of reliability and wireless performance in terms of data rates and range.

“With the rising demand among consumers for HD-quality video, IPTV service providers are increasingly looking for carrier-grade solutions to wirelessly connect IPTV set-top boxes to the home network,” said Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis at The NPD Group, a leading market research company. “Likewise, VARs, resellers and system integrators specializing in home audio and video automation are looking for ways to cut costs in expensive cabling to connect their customers’ whole home entertainment systems. Wireless devices that are capable of reliably playing multiple HD audio and video streams, like those of NETGEAR, are an ideal solution for the customers, as well as the service providers.”

The Universal WiFi Internet Adapter (WNCE2001) for Home Theater Devices and Gaming Consoles
NETGEAR is also introducing the industry’s first compact USB-powered Universal WiFi Internet Adapter (WNCE2001) that works with Internet TVs, game consoles and Blu-ray players. The first of its kind, the adapter is the only affordable solution in a small form factor that delivers optimal Wireless-N performance and works universally with any Ethernet-enabled CE device. This saves consumers from the confusion and expense of purchasing separate WiFi USB adapters for each CE device in their home theater.

The Universal WiFi Internet Adapter is powered by the USB port, avoiding the need for a long wire to the power outlet and making it more visually pleasing in the already congested home theater environment. With NETGEAR Push Connect technology and CD-less set-up, it is truly a plug and play experience.

Pricing and Availability
Backed by a one-year warranty and 24/7 technical support, the new NETGEAR products are available worldwide through leading retailers, direct marketers, e-commerce sites and value-added resellers. The Universal WiFi Internet Adapter for Home Theater Devices and Gaming Consoles (WNCE2001) will be available in May at an MSRP in the U.S. of $79. The High-Performance Wireless-N HD Home Theater Kit (WNHDB3004) will be available in Q3 of 2010, with pricing for the kit and for single adapters to be announced at the time of market availability.

Photos and Other Product Information:
High-Performance Wireless-N HD Home Theater Kit (WNHDB3004):
http://www.netgear.com/HDWiFi

Universal WiFi Internet Adapter for Home Theater Devices and Gaming Consoles (WNCE2001):
http://www.netgear.com/ConnectWiFi

Note: Maximum wireless signal rate derived from IEEE Standard 802.11 specifications. Actual data throughput will vary from maximum signal rates stipulated. Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and network overhead, lower actual data throughput rate.

The device is a security appliance that offers enterprise-class unified threat management system and offers the technology at a price that the small business and home user can afford selling for under $300. The appliance offers firewall, SSL and IPSec VPN, URL filtering, network antivirus, and antispam protection in one device.

The VPN server will support both Mac and Windows computers. The ProSecure UTM 5 is available now through ProSecure resellers for $275. Some of the functions of the device require subscriptions including the web security and email protection. Those subscriptions for a year along with support and maintenance agreements bring the price to $399.

Netgear has announced a new device called the Prosafe 16-AP wireless management system. The device has centralized management of the network and is designed for growing businesses. The device allows one point of management of up to 16 access points and provides load balancing, RF management and guest access.

The WMS5316 has robust security features and uses WPA2 encryption keys and MAC authentication lists. The management device will work with SOHO access points as well as professional grade wireless access points allowing the continued use of lower cost wireless networking hardware already installed. The WMS5316 will ship in March for $910.

Setup is apparently as simple as choosing one of those connections to hook up to your HDTV and then hitting the link button on your Windows 7 PC.  Intel’s My WiFi point-to-point connection technology is used to directly link the laptop to the PVT1000, and after that you’ll be watching HD video or surfing the net.

Of course, you’ll need a Core i3, i5 or i7 processor in your computer in order to take advantage of WiDi, so factor in the cost of that as well as the $99.99 sticker price for the Netgear Push2TV PVT1000.  Best Buy will begin selling the adapter – together with WiDi compatible notebooks starting at $899.99 – from January 17th.

Press Release:

NETGEAR Collaborates with Intel to Launch TV Adapter for Intel Wireless Display, an Intuitive and Easy Way to View Entire Laptop Screen on HDTV Wirelessly

Networking Leader Introduces Push2TV, Device that Transforms How Consumers View, Share and Enjoy Digital Content on the Big Screen TV

LAS VEGAS – January 7, 2010 – NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically innovative, branded networking solutions, today announced the launch of NETGEAR Push2TV (PTV1000), a small device that enables consumers to display their entire laptop computer screens on their big screen HDTVs — wirelessly, effortlessly and intuitively. Compatible with select laptops featuring Intel Wireless Display and powered by the all new 2010 Intel Core Processor Family, Push2TV (http://www.netgear.com/ptv) transforms the living room HDTV into a huge, remote monitor without the need for any unsightly cables stretching across the room. Slightly larger than a deck of cards, Push2TV enables consumers to wirelessly beam practically everything from their notebook computer to the big screen TV, including media stored on the laptop, content from the home network, and videos streamed from the most popular websites.

The capabilities of the new NETGEAR Push2TV and laptops with Intel Wireless Display powered by select 2010 Intel Core processors were demonstrated today as part of Intel president and CEO Paul Otellini’s keynote presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Show attendees can view Push2TV in Intel’s booth #7153 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, or in the NETGEAR suite #305 at the Las Vegas Marriott across from the Convention Center.

Later this month, Best Buy will be the first retailer to make this new networking solution available to consumers with the launch of an exclusive Blue Label 2.0 series consisting of three laptop computers developed in partnership with top PC OEM brands.

“Our customers are increasingly dependent on their laptops, and they tell us they’re looking for easy ways to migrate the content of their computers to their TVs more freely,” said Jason Bonfig, vice president of computing at Best Buy. “NETGEAR Push2TV is unique in how it seamlessly scales the viewing and browsing experience of the notebook PC to the TV along with an easy, intuitive way to connect and operate.”

The industry has taken several approaches to connect the TV to the Internet: network-enabled TVs and Blu-ray players; Digital Media Adapters (DMAs) and set-top boxes that connect to the Internet via the home network; dedicated home theater PCs or notebooks connected to the TV via HDMI or other cables; and other PC-to-TV applications. However, these solutions have multiple limitations, such as the websites they can access and the video codecs and file formats that they can play.

“Consumers have been frustrated by the existing solutions so we focused on ease of use during the design and collaboration process with NETGEAR,” said Erik Reid, director mobile marketing, Intel. “The result is that Intel Wireless Display, available on select laptops featuring Intel’s all new 2010 Core family processors, and the NETGEAR Push2TV adapter have taken the hassle out of sharing content, so consumers can sit back, relax and enjoy the content on their large screen TVs.”

The NETGEAR Push2TV adapter combined with Intel Wireless Display is a very simple extension of the browsing and viewing experience on the PC, significantly reducing the website restrictions that consumers currently experience with competing solutions. Consumers will be able to access the vast majority of the content on their computer or from the Internet and view it on their TV. Connecting a laptop to Push2TV is as simple as point and click. The easy and intuitive interface enables a protected connection and hides all the networking complexity found in currently available solutions. Thus, the consumer benefits from a fully integrated PC-to-TV solution without having to plug any external components or dongles into their new notebook computer, becoming a networking expert, or learning any new user interface.

The total solution consists of NETGEAR Push2TV connected to the TV and Intel Wireless Display preloaded on new-generation notebooks powered by the 2010 Intel Core Processor Family. Intel Wireless Display captures fully rendered display frames in real-time and sends the compressed video and audio directly to Push2TV via Intel My WiFi technology, the industry’s first commercially available Wi-Fi Personal Area Network (PAN) or Wi-Fi Direct solution, creating a protected short-hop high-bandwidth wireless connection between the laptop and Push2TV. When compared to other solutions where the TV adapter connects to the home network or gateway, Push2TV reduces the wireless bandwidth overhead by up to 50 percent.

“We are delighted to partner with Intel to be the first to bring Intel Wireless Display to the living room, providing customers with what is truly the easiest way to extend the PC viewing experience to the TV — wirelessly, seamlessly and over a protected link,” said Vivek Pathela, vice president and general manager of NETGEAR home and consumer products. “The combination of our Push2TV with a new-generation PC with Intel Wireless Display means consumers no longer have to crowd around their PCs to experience the infinite stream of Internet content with their friends and family.”

With a sleek black minimalist design, a very intuitive setup and Wi-Fi technology, Push2TV quickly beams the laptop screen to the HDTV over a protected link. Therefore, customers are able to easily access almost any content they would normally be able to access on their PCs.* More specifically, with Push2TV and a new generation notebook powered by the 2010 Intel Core Processor Family connected to the Internet and/or home network, consumers can:

— Sit back, relax and enjoy music, pictures and videos from their laptop, home network or the Internet in HD on their big screen TVs and home entertainment systems;
— Surf the web from the comfort of their couches, accessing many of today’s online movies and TV shows and going anywhere a web browser will take them;
— Easily move from room to room or take Push2TV on vacation or business trips due to its small, lightweight form factor.

Pricing and Availability
Backed by a one-year warranty and 24/7 technical support, the new NETGEAR Push2TV (PTV1000) will be available in the U.S. via Best Buy later this month. Push2TV will be bundled together with select laptop computers at promotional prices, or sold separately to end consumers at prices starting at $99.99 in the U.S. Best Buy Blue Label 2.0 laptops will retail starting at $899.99. In addition to wireless display, the Blue Label 2.0 laptops include features such as lighter weight and longer battery life.

Intel and NETGEAR are also working together to deliver this exciting new technology to additional geographies and distribution channels later in 2010. Product details on NETGEAR Push2TV can be found at http://www.netgear.com/ptv. Photos and other information are at http://www.netgear.com/Products/Entertainment/DigitalMediaPlayers/ptv1000.aspx.

About NETGEAR, Inc.
NETGEAR (NASDAQGM: NTGR) designs innovative, branded technology solutions that address the specific networking, storage, and security needs of Small- to Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs) and home users. The company offers an end-to-end networking product portfolio to enable users to share Internet access, peripherals, files, multimedia content, and applications among multiple computers and other Internet-enabled devices. Products are built on a variety of proven technologies such as wireless, Ethernet and powerline, with a focus on reliability and ease-of-use. NETGEAR products are sold in over 27,000 retail locations around the globe, and via more than 37,000 value-added resellers. The company’s headquarters are in San Jose, Calif., with additional offices in 25 countries. NETGEAR is an ENERGY STAR partner. More information is available at http://www.netgear.com or by calling (408) 907-8000. Connect with NETGEAR at http://twitter.com/NETGEARand http://www.facebook.com/netgear.

Copyright 2010 NETGEAR, Inc. NETGEAR, the NETGEAR logo and Push2TV are trademarks or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Intel and Intel Core are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries. Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved.

* Note: Intel Wireless Display requires a compatible Intel-based laptop PC, a third party TV adapter featuring Intel Wireless Display, and a TV with an available HDMI or Composite AV input. Compatible laptop PCs require a select 2010 Intel Core Processor Family CPU. For a complete list of requirements, visit www.intel.com/go/wirelessdisplay. Content requiring output protection such as Blu-ray and DVD movie playback is not supported. Check with your PC manufacturer for specific details. Wireless experience and transmission rates may be affected by external factors. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for NETGEAR, Inc.:
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Specifically, statements concerning NETGEAR’s business and the expected performance characteristics, specifications, reliability, market acceptance, market growth, specific uses, user feedback and market position of NETGEAR’s products and technology are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the following: the actual price, performance and ease of use of NETGEAR’s products may not meet the price, performance and ease of use requirements of customers; product performance may be adversely affected by real world operating conditions; failure of products may under certain circumstances cause permanent loss of end user data; new viruses or Internet threats may develop that challenge the effectiveness of security features in NETGEAR’s products; the ability of NETGEAR to market and sell its products and technology; the impact and pricing of competing products; and the introduction of alternative technological solutions. Further information on potential risk factors that could affect NETGEAR and its business are detailed in the Company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties listed in the section entitled “Part II – Item 1A. Risk Factors,” pages 36 through 50, in the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal third quarter ended September 27, 2009, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 6, 2009. NETGEAR undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Assuming your PC also has Intel GMA integrated graphics and is running Windows 7, it’s then then basically set up as a My WiFi personal hotspot to which the WiDi adapter connects.  Apparently some compatible systems will have a dedicated WiDi button which will streamline the process, with My WiFi automatically pulling up a list of nearby TV adapters.

One such adapter will be Netgear’s Push2TV PTV1000, while the first laptop to be announced with native WiDi support is the Toshiba Satellite E205.  The E205 has a 14-inch display and will be exclusive to Best Buy; it has an Intel Core i5-430M processor and 320GB hard drive.  Both products – together with other laptops from Dell and Sony – will go on sale from January 17th.

If you’re trying to squeeze a Powerline connection into the already-overloaded outlets behind your A/V rack, then the AV+’s pass-through sockets will come in very handy.  The payoff is bulk: the XAVB2001 adapters are small, more compact than a deck of cards, while the XAVB2501 adapters are understandably larger given that they have to fit in an outlet.

The XAVB2001 AV adapters will be available in January 2010, priced at $149 for a pair and $79 individually.  The XAVB2501 AV+ adapters will follow on in February 2010, priced at $169 for the pair and $89 individually.  Since they’re compatible with each other, you could just add a socket-bearing AV+ unit to the basic system if you only need one extra outlet.

Press Release:

NETGEAR Plugs Two Powerful New HomePlug AV Powerline Networking Kits into Product Line-up at the Consumer Electronics Show

Advanced Design and Technology Improves Performance Up to 20 Percent Over Competing Powerline Home Theater Solutions

LAS VEGAS – January 6, 2010 – NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically innovative, branded networking solutions, today expanded its award-winning family of powerline networking solutions withtwo new devices incorporating HomePlug® AV-certified powerline technology: the diminutive Powerline 200 AV Adapter Kit (XAVB2001) and the Powerline 200 AV+ Adapter Kit (XAVB2501) with a filtered “pass-through” power socket. These networking kits incorporate the latest in design and technology innovations to support performance surpassing that of existing solutions by as much as 20 percent. These solutions enable high-performance applications such as HD video streaming, Voice over IP (VoIP), Internet gaming, and large file transfers to networked devicesover existing electrical wiring in environments where wireless network performance may be challenged.NETGEAR will introduce its new products at two press events today in conjunction with the opening of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. See today’s press release, “NETGEAR Introduces New Solutions at Consumer Electronics Show To Enable Any Media on Any Screen, Anywhere at Anytime” at http://www.netgear.com/About/PressReleases/en-US/2010/20100105a.aspx.

Powerline technology enables consumers to create a 10/100 Ethernet connection from any ordinary electrical outlet, thus eliminating the need to run new cables and lowering the overall cost to deploy a high-speed data network. Consumers can extend the range of their home network with these affordable, simple-to-install adapters, especially those consumerswho use Internet-connected devices that demand high bandwidth, such as the new NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Express (EVA9100), Elite (EVA9150)and Live (EVA2000) digital media players, Blu-ray™ players, TiVo®, AppleTV®, Xbox 360™, PlayStation® 3, DVRs, and network-enabled TVs. Moreover, because these new NETGEAR powerline kits are HomePlug AV-certified, they can easily and affordably extendany existing HomePlug AV network.

“Powerline has become an increasingly popular option for an always-on infrastructure because of the explosive growth in connected AV devices, and the high speeds and reliability required to support these demandingapplications,” said Chris Geiser, NETGEAR’s product line manager for in-home distribution consumer products. “Home theater products need constant, shared and faster access to the Internet and the home network. You might have wireless dead spots in your house. You probably don’t have Ethernet in your walls. But chances are, you’ve got at least one electrical outlet in every room in your house. Powerline can boldly go where no Internet connection has gone before. Besides, you can’t beat powerline adapters for simple set-up and ease-of-use.”

NETGEAR has a well-documented track record of bringing the latest in powerline technologies to the market, offering a broad portfolio of powerline connectivity options optimized to deliver the highest performance, including single-port, pass-through, 4-port, and wireless extensions. (http://www.netgear.com/Products/PowerlineNetworking/PowerlineEthernetAdapters.aspx) NETGEAR is the only networking company that offers the full range of in-home distribution technologies to the retail and service provider markets, including powerline, MoCA® coax and wireless.

“While wireless is becoming increasingly popular as the core technology for home networks and is often embedded into new products, its performance can be affected by many factors, including the construction materials of the building itself,” said Norm Bogen, vice president of digital entertainment research for In-Stat. “Powerline can be a great complementary solution for TVs, Blu-ray players, set-top boxes and other home theater devices that still require a wired connection.”

Powerline 200 AV Adapter Kit (XAVB2001)
The NETGEAR Powerline 200 AV Adapter Kit (XAVB2001) is HomePlug AV-certified, featuring up to 200 Mbps performance through powerline. Its performance surpasses that of competing solutions and even that of NETGEAR’s own award-winning Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit (XAVB101) by up 20 percent. It’s distinguished by its compact size, smaller than a deck of cardsand up to 50 percent smaller than competing products. It is thus an excellent choice for consumers who are concerned that a powerline device might block an open power outlet.The NETGEAR Powerline 200 AV Adapter Kit (XAVB2001) containing two adapters will be available worldwide in January 2010 at an MSRP in the U.S. of $149.Single adapters (XAV2001) will have an MSRP in the U.S. of $79.Photos and other information are at http://www.netgear.com/Products/PowerlineNetworking/PowerlineEthernetAdapters/xavb2001.aspx.

Powerline 200 AV+ Adapter Kit (XAVB2501)
The HomePlug-certified NETGEAR Powerline 200 AV+ Adapter Kit (XAVB2501) shares the same performance and design benefits asthe Powerline 200 AV Adapter Kit (XAVB2001), but differs from its sister product in offering a unique integrated filtered power socket for “pass-through” capability. This ensures that customers don’t cannibalize an existing wall power socket with the adapter, which means they can connect a wider range of power-hungry devices than competing solutions while still maintaining the highest performance.The NETGEAR Powerline 200 AV+ Adapter Kit (XAVB2501) containing two adapters will be available worldwide in February 2010 at an MSRP in the U.S. of $169.Single adapters (XAV2501) will have an MSRP in the U.S. of $89.Photos and other information are at http://www.netgear.com/Products/PowerlineNetworking/PowerlineEthernetAdapters/xavb2501.aspx.

Improved Performance, Improved Design
Both new NETGEAR products are designed to provide customers with industry-leading features at an affordable price. For example:

Effective throughput and speeds up to 20 percent better than competing solutions over extended locations; a typical coverage area is up to a 5,000-square-foot home.
Multi-colored “pick-a-plug” LEDs indicate current network performance, so the customer can determine the strength of the powerline connection without having to look at a computer.
Advanced energy management and standby capabilities provide wake-on-activity functionality to reduce overall energy usage.
Prioritized Quality of Service (QoS).
Simple “push-and-secure” functionality enables average users to easily install and secure the devices with 128-Bit AES encryption- no software configuration, no knowledge of networking, and no PC required, all with the push of a button.
Compatibility with other HomePlug AV products from NETGEAR, as well as HomePlug AV-certified products from other vendors.
Backed by a one-year warranty and 24/7 technical support from NETGEAR, the Powerline 200 AV Adapter Kit (XAVB2001) and the Powerline 200 AV+ Adapter Kit (XAVB2501)will be available worldwide via leading retailers, direct marketers, e-commerce sites, and value-added resellers. For a fun look at the evolution of gaming enabled by NETGEAR powerline products, visit http://www.agamer4life.com.

The main difference between the MBRN3000 and the DGN2200M is that the latter adds in an ADSL2+ modem whereas the former is intended to plug into a cable modem or other external connection.  Each will automatically manage the WWAN connection – a list of compatible modems is here – in case of network failure, sharing out the 3G/4G connection via WiFi and wired ethernet.

Meanwhile the Netgear Wireless-N 300 Router with DSL Modem (DGN2200) is pretty much identical to the DGN2200M only it lacks the USB modem support.  The MBRN3000 will go on sale in March 2010, priced at $149, while the DGN2200M will arrive in April priced at $179; as for the DGN2200, that will drop in March 2010 for $129.

Press Release:

NETGEAR Introduces New Wireless Routers to Connect to High-Speed 3G/4G/WiMAX Cellular Networks, with Unparalleled Features and Proven Worldwide Performance

CES Innovations Award-Winning Router is First to Integrate802.11n Wireless, ADSL2+ and 3G/4G/WiMAX for Dual WAN Capability with Failover Protection

LAS VEGAS – January 6, 2010 – NETGEAR™, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically innovative, branded networking solutions,today announced two full-featured new routers for connecting to 3G/4G/WiMAX cellular networks. The 3G/4G Mobile Broadband Wireless-N Router (MBRN3000) combines 802.11n wireless with connectivity to a high-speed cellular network via an external 3G/4G/WiMAX™ modem. The second router is the Wireless-N 300 Router with DSL Modem – Mobile Broadband Edition (DGN2200M), which not only combines 802.11n wireless andsupport for 3G/4G/WiMAX cellularconnectivity, but includes a built-in ADSL2+ modem as well, making it the industry’s first Wireless-N router to enablea DSL connection along with a 3G/4G/WiMAXfailover option. As evidence of its industry-leading features, the NETGEAR Wireless-N 300 Router with DSL Modem – Mobile Broadband Edition (DGN2200M) is an honoree in the Home Networking category of the Consumer Electronics Show Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering Awards, the industry’s highest accolade. NETGEAR will introduce its new products at two press events today in conjunction with the opening of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. See today’s press release, “NETGEAR Introduces New Solutions at Consumer Electronics Show To Enable Any Media on Any Screen, Anywhere at Anytime” at http://www.netgear.com/About/PressReleases/en-US/2010/20100105a.aspx.

The award-winning Wireless-N 300 Router with DSL Modem – Mobile Broadband Edition (DGN2200M) is the first wireless-N router in the retail market tooffera dual Wide Area Network (WAN) option for a failover 3G/4G/WiMAX Internet connection in case of DSL outage – ideal for small businesses that need a reliable backup Internet connection with zero downtime. Competing routers do not offer failover; are regionally focused with limited mobile operators; have shorter wireless range; are limited by how many wireless devices can connect simultaneously; or are without the capabilities of a full-featured router. The Wireless-N 300 Router with DSL Modem – Mobile Broadband Edition addresses all of these issues, and sets a new bar for features and performance combined in a single router.

Both new NETGEAR mobile broadband routers can be used as a primary Internet connection in situations where no connection to a DSL, cable, fiber, or satellite network exists. By plugging an external 3G/4G/WiMAX modem into the new NETGEAR routers, customerscan quickly set up a fixed or mobile Wi-Fi™ hotspot virtually anytime, anywhere, with the ability to share a single high-speed cellular subscription with multiple Wi-Fi enabled devices such as a PC, iPhone, iPod Touch™, PSP™, etc. The routers are ideal for mobile professionals, emergency response teams, construction crews, satellite offices and rural locations – wherever the group needs to quickly set up an Internet connection with both wireless and cellular connectivity options, and avoid expensive access charges or searching for Wi-Fi hotpots.

“At NETGEAR, we listen to our customers to determine what new features and technologies we should integrate into our products to address their individual lifestyles and business needs. And while connecting via DSL, cable, fiber and satellite broadband are always viable options, high-speed cellular networks are growing at a phenomenal rate,” said Som Pal Choudhury, NETGEAR’s senior product line manager for advanced wireless products. “Our new routers offer customers the performance of Wireless-N with the flexibility of connections via DSL or cellular networks, along with a lengthy set of features unique to NETGEAR products catering to the home and small businesses. At NETGEAR, we strive to offer our customers more networking choices, with more differentiated features, to support their increasingly connected lifestyles and business needs.”

Proven Compatibility
Cellular network connections for routers are becoming increasing popular in many countries as backup for DSL, as the cellular networks already offer speeds close to, or even exceeding, wired options. Cellular networks also offer an alternative option in locations where there are no high-speed wired Internet connections available, or satellite connections and wired options are too expensive.

The new NETGEAR mobile broadband routers are compatible, scalable and rigorously tested with top cellular carrier networks worldwide. Because mobile networks are unique to every country, both new NETGEAR routers have been proven with over 50 3G/4G/WiMAX USB modems from different manufacturers, across a number of top tier cellular networks worldwide. This gives flexibility to end customers to switch from one cellular provider to another at anytime.

A Unique Combination of Features
The new NETGEAR mobile broadband routers share many unique features not previously bundled into a single device, including:

Auto-detection capabilities for customers to select their country and the cellular service provider name for a hassle-free, plug-and-play setup.
Live Parental Controls and content filtering for homes and small businesses, to make the network safer, more reliable and productive. Powered by OpenDNS™, this centralized rich web filtering solutionprotects any device on the network, including smartphones, PCs, gaming consoles or any Internet-enabled device from a single web-based interface – and absolutely free to NETGEAR customers.
Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI), VPN (Virtual Private Network) pass-through and Denial of Service protection.
Guest networks (multiple SSID) capability to enable customers to set up multiple wireless networks within a home or small business. This is especially useful for setting up a dedicated network for guests to give them access to the Internet, but not other resources and files on the network.
Automatic Quality of Service (QoS) for reliable video, voice and gaming.
A broadband usage meter to ensure accurate measurement of download Internet traffic (via DSL and/or cellular networks) with customized alerts when close to the monthly bandwidth threshold, to help avoid excess usage charges.
Push ‘N’ Connect with industry standard Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) for securely connecting devices at the touch of a button.
On/off switches for both power and Wi-Fi to help customers conserve energy.
A compact sleek casing with LED indicators that can be viewed at any 180-degree angle, which can be positioned horizontally, vertically or even wall-mounted.
Optional car power charger and a battery pack for complete mobile usage.
Wireless-N 300 Router with DSL Modem – Mobile Broadband Edition (DGN2200M)
The CES Innovations Award-winning Wireless-N 300 Router with DSL Modem (DGN2200M) is an 802.11n wireless router with dual Internet access options: to a DSL network via a built-in ADSL2+ modem and to a high-speed cellular network via an external 3G/4G/WiMAX USB modem. It is the first wireless-N router in the retail market to offer customers an automatic DSL-to-3G/4G/WiMAX cellular failover feature in case of a DSL outage, critical for businesses. During an outage, its integrated DSL modem temporarily routes Internet traffic to the secondary cellular broadband network via the external 3G/4G/WiMAX modem. When the backup cellular option is not in use, the router can be used to share a USB storage device thanks to the integration of NETGEAR ReadyShare™, which provides fast and easy access for any computer in the network to access a single external USB storage device. The Wireless-N 300 Router with DSL Modem – Mobile Broadband Edition has been rigorously tested and proven for compatibility with top DSL and cellular carrier networks worldwide.

The Wireless-N 300 Router with DSL Modem – Mobile Broadband Edition (DGN2200M) will be available worldwide in April2010 at an MSRP in the U.S. of $179. Photos and other information are at http://www.netgear.com/Products/RoutersandGateways/WirelessNRoutersandGateways/DGN2200M.aspx.

3G/4G Mobile Broadband Wireless-N Router (MBRN3000)
The 3G/4G Mobile Broadband Wireless-N Router (MBRN3000) for consumers and small businesses unites 802.11n wireless and access to cellular networks via an external 3G/4G/WiMAX USB modem. It offers features that are nearly identical to those of the award-winning Wireless-N Router with DSL Modem (DGN2200M), but does not have an integrated DSL modem. It is designed for those customers who need only a WAN connection to a high-speed cellular network. It has been proven for compatibility with a broad range of cellular carrier networks worldwide. The 3G/4G Mobile Broadband Wireless-N Router (MBRN3000) will be available worldwide in March 2010 at an MSRP in the U.S. of $149. Photos and other information are at http://www.netgear.com/Products/RoutersandGateways/3GMobileBroadband/MBRN3000.aspx

Backed by a one-year warranty and 24/7 technical support, the new NETGEAR routers will be available worldwide via leading retailers, direct marketers, e-commerce sites, and value-added resellers. A universal car power adapter is available separately. A list of compatible 3G/4G/WiMAX USB modems and mobile service providers is found at http://www.NETGEAR.com/3G.

Other connectivity includes composite and component video, an S/PDIF digital audio output, stereo RCA audio, USB 2.0 mass storage port, S-Video, SCART and RGB.  As well as streaming content you can plug in an external hard-drive or PMP via USB.

Full details on compatible file formats and codecs here; in the box Netgear include an IR remote, ethernet cable, composite connectors but no HDMI cable, which seems a little cheap of them.  The Netgear Digital Entertainer Express EVA9100 is shipping now, priced at $249.

Press Release:

NETGEAR Expands Family of Award-Winning Digital Media Players with Introduction of Digital Entertainer Express

Advanced Digital Media Player Optimized for full 1080p Playback of Personal Media Collections and Internet Content; Powerful Media Scanning and Search Feature Enables Easy Access to Digital, Internet and RSS Videos, Photos and MP3s on HDTVs

LAS VEGAS – January 6, 2010 – NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically innovative, branded networking solutions, today announced the worldwide launch of the Digital Entertainer Express (EVA9100), a powerful and flexible digital media player that enables consumers to easily enjoy and seamlessly stream personal digital media collections and Internet content over home networks to high-definition televisions. Providing all of the playback performance and video reliability of the Digital Entertainer Elite (EVA9150), the Digital Entertainer Express is an ideal solution for the serious media enthusiast. It incorporates the latest video and audio technologies to deliver an unparalleled home theater entertainment experience.

The Digital Entertainer Express adds to the NETGEAR family of Internet-connected set-top boxes, which also includes the Digital Entertainer Elite (EVA9150) and Digital Entertainer Live (EVA2000). NETGEAR will highlight its family of Digital Entertainers along with its home media storage server, Stora, at two press events today in conjunction with the opening of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.”See today’s press release, “NETGEAR Introduces New Solutions at Consumer Electronics Show To Enable Any Media on Any Screen, Anywhere at Anytime” at http://www.netgear.com/About/PressReleases/en-US/2010/20100105a.aspx.

“Consumers’ digital media collections are growing every year. And, more and more, they have digital content stored on their computers, USB hard drives, network storage devices, iPods®, digital cameras, etc.,” said Lionel Paris, product line manager for NETGEAR entertainment products. “The Digital Entertainer Express scans all the content connected to the player either directly via USB port or over the home network so that it is easily accessible for immediate playback – all with the latest video and audio decoding. When combined with NETGEAR Storaand one of our routers, the Digital Entertainer Express completes the ultimate connected home entertainment solution for our customers.”

The Digital Entertainer Express’ unique technology enables consumers to seamlessly stream M2TS via pre-buffering and play Blu-ray™ quality digital video up to 1080p.They can also play MP3, multichannel WAV and FLAC files and high-resolution digital photos from PCs, Macs® or Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, such as NETGEAR Stora. Consumers can also enjoy Internet content, such as Internet radio (over 250 stations), Flickr™, RSS feeds and videos from popular websites. Furthermore, with an included free trial and subsequent special discount of PlayOn™ software, consumers can view hit TV shows and movies on their TVs from a wide variety of Internet sources, such as Hulu™, Netflix®, Amazon Video On Demand, BBC iPlayer and CBS™. Additionally, the Digital Entertainer Express supports an extensive selection of digital media file formats and codecs. For a full list, visit http://www.netgear.com/Products/Entertainment/DigitalMediaPlayers/EVA9100.aspx.

The Digital Entertainer Express incorporates two USB ports for instant access to content on USB flash drives, digital cameras, iPods or other USB storage devices. It can also search and index files directly on the device, enabling users to navigate content across multiple networked PCs and devices at the same time. In fact, the Digital Entertainer Express automatically finds all digital media files on the home network and organizes them into an easily accessible library.

As one of the most flexible digital media players on the market, the Digital Entertainer Express can easily be connected to the Internet and home network in a variety of ways. Its integrated network port makes an Ethernet wired connection extremely simple. However, if consumers do not have an Ethernet connection available near their TV, they can use the optional Wireless USB Adapter (EVAW111) that connects the Digital Entertainer Express to the Internet and the home network via Wi-Fi®. Alternatively, they can also use existing electrical power outlets and a powerline deviceto connect the Digital Entertainer Express to the Internet and the home network, such as the NETGEAR Home Theater Internet Connection Kit (XAVB1004),or either of the new powerline devices announced by NETGEARat CES today, including the new Powerline 200 AV Adapter Kit (XAVB2001) and Powerline 200 AV+ Adapter Kit (XAVB2501) with a filtered “pass-through” power socket (http://www.netgear.com/Products/PowerlineNetworking/PowerlineEthernetAdapters.aspx).

Like many NETGEAR consumer devices, the Digital Entertainer Express features a simple “push button” way to connect to wireless routers called Push ‘N’ Connect. When it is used with the Wireless USB Adapter, consumers can easily and securely connect the Digital Entertainer Express to wireless networks without having to remember or input a password. The NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Express also includes environmentally friendly features, such as an energy-efficient power supply and automatic power-saving mode, which consume as little as .01 watts.

With two or more NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Express units, the “Follow Me” feature lets consumers pause a video in one room and resume it in another.

“Exceptional growth in the availability of high quality, long tail content online isdriving the growth for newmedia players and connected set-top boxes,” said Jayant Dasari, broadband and television infrastructure and services research analyst at Parks Associates. “However, since the way consumers like to acquire and enjoy their media collections varies from consumer to consumer, it’s important for vendors to offer new options that bring online content directlyto HDTVs. By increasing its family of Internet-connected set-top boxes to include a feature-rich yet affordable solution, NETGEAR is poised to increase its market share in the segment and become a primary player in the Internet-connected set-top box market.”

Backed by full 24/7 technical support, the NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Express (EVA9100) is now available worldwide through leading retailers, e-commerce sites and value-added resellers. The Digital Entertainer Express (EVA9100) has an MSRP in the U.S. of $229, a lower entry price than its sister product, the Digital Entertainer Elite (EVA9150), to reflect its streamlined capabilities and features.Photos and other product information can be found at http://www.netgear.com/Products/Entertainment/DigitalMediaPlayers/EVA9100.aspx.

The router provides full 802.11n speeds and has four gigabit Ethernet ports to provide fast wired connection. The router also uses push ‘n’ connect secure wireless setup and more features to provide a robust and stable wireless network.

Netgear uses the Broadcom 480MHz MIPS 74K CPU with 8MB of flash and 64MB of RAM to allow the router to run open source applications with Linux as the OS. The integrated USB port allows the sharing of storage or other USB devices across the wireless and wired networks.

Netgear has certified the ReadyNAS to work with VMware virtualization via NFS. The ReadyNAS is fully compliant with VMware ESX 4.0 virtualization solution. That means businesses can get a fully integrated virtualization solution for as low as $1000.

The entire line of Netgear ReadyNAS solutions from the desktop ReadyNAS Pro and ReadyNAS NVX to the rack-mount ReadyNAS 2100 and 3200 devices are now certified of the network file system protocol. Virtualization is an important feature in many businesses and the certification should be a good thing.

The Stora can be set to automatically upload images and video to Facebook and Flickr, as well as beaming them around the house courtesy of DLNA streaming.  That means content shows up on PCs and Macs, together with consoles and PMPs.  Netgear have also apparently made remote streaming more straightforward, so you can access media while outside of the home network.

It’s basically an entry-level NAS with some nifty software, and Netgear are hoping to bypass the geeks and get straight to data-loaded home customers.  No talk of RAID, therefore, only “drive mirroring” if you slot in an (optional) second disc, and there’s easy backup setup.  The Netgear Stora is available now in the US for $229, complete with one 1TB hard-drive (the second bay is empty); that also gets you thirty days trial of social networking integration and remote access, after which it’s a $19.99 yearly subscription.

Press Release:

NETGEAR’s Stora Brings Easy-to-Use, Internet-connected Storage to Consumers Everywhere

New Storage Device with Remote Access Enables Home Users to Share Photos with Friends without Uploading to Internet Sites

SAN JOSE, Calif. – September 21, 2009 – NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically innovative, branded networking solutions, and network storage leader in the business and prosumer market with its ReadyNAS line, today announced NETGEAR Stora, a new, easy-to-use network attached storage (NAS) device for home media. Stora enables consumers to easily centralize photos, music, movies and files and use them on nearly any network device. With a smooth user interface designed for non-technical users, Stora lets consumers easily share their photos and videos with friends without the time-consuming process of uploading them to Internet sites or transferring them over email. Through an intuitive and graphical user interface on www.MyStora.com, users and their designated friends and relatives can remotely access their media files from any Internet-connected device, such as laptops, PCs and smartphones.

“We strongly feel that Stora exemplifies the next-generation of consumer storage devices,” said Drew Meyer, director of marketing for NETGEAR’s Network Storage Business Unit. “NETGEAR has already made its mark in the business and prosumer market with our ReadyNAS line, but Stora is most definitely a platform for everyone. Stora gives users the features they need today with a consumer-friendly user interface and price point, making their media available to them and their designated friends and families anytime, anywhere — even on mobile smartphones. It truly sets a new bar for the consumer network storage market.”

Store: Compatible with Mac, PC and Linux systems, NETGEAR’s Stora puts music, movies, photos, and files at the heart of the home network, centralized in a single, safe location.

Share: With remote access via www.MyStora.com, Stora enables cross-platform file sharing, music listening, movie watching and photo sharing from any Internet-connected device. In addition to sharing files over the web, users can also share photos, videos and files between home computers and home media players. Stora can centralize music collections and play music through iTunes. It can also automatically integrate content with remote photo frames and social networking sites such as Facebook. Stora can also serve content to other networked devices such as Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)-enabled photo frames, XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 game consoles, and iPhone and Blackberry mobile phones.

Protect: With two standard drive bays that automatically mirror data, Stora offers plug-and-play protection that safeguards valuable data. Users can simply add a second drive, on the fly, without any tools. Stora also comes with automatic backup utilities for PCs and Macs, so individual system content is backed up regularly.

“Today’s consumers face a conundrum when trying to manage newly acquired or created digital content among various computing devices inside and outside the home,” said David Reinsel, group vice president of IDC’s storage and semiconductor research groups. “Historically, personal storage devices have proven competent at providing reliable storage capacity and data protection within the home, but not always accessible from outside the home or across multiple devices. With this new product, NETGEAR looks to solve these common problems for consumers.”

NETGEAR Stora (MS2110) comes with a 1 TB disk and one extra drive bay that can be used to insert an optional disk for mirroring. The product is immediately available through selected North American retail and e-commerce stores. Stora will be available from leading European and Asia Pacific retail locations in approximately two weeks. Stora is backed by a three-year warranty and 24/7 technical support and the Stora (MS2110) model has an MSRP in the U.S. of $229. An optional yearly premium service, to support additional remote access and third-party service integration such as Flickr and mobile phones, is available for $19.99 after an initial 30-day trial period.

Connectivity includes 10/100 ethernet, AV composite output, HDMI, two USB 2.0 ports and a power connector, and Netgear will happily sell you a WiFi dongle or PowerLine adapter should your router be too far away from your HDTV.  There’s also a remote control from which you can do content searches.

The Netgear EVA2000 Digital Entertainer Live is available in the US now, priced at $149.99.  Meanwhile the USB WiFi adapter is $39.99.  Broader availability is planned over the coming months.

Press Release:

NETGEAR Introduces Digital Entertainer Live, Compact All-in-One Set-top Box for Playing Home Media and Streaming Internet Video on HDTVs

Plays Movies, Videos, Music and Photos from USB Drives, Computers and Network Attached Storage; Accesses YouTube, Roxio CinemaNow On-demand Movies, Internet Videos, Hulu, Netflix and More

SAN JOSE, Calif. – September 8, 2009 – NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically innovative, branded networking solutions, today launched the newest Internet-connected set-top box in its popular “Digital Entertainer” product family. The new Digital Entertainer Live (EVA2000) is an easy-to-use and affordable Internet set-top box that enables viewers to play their digital media collections, YouTube videos and a wide range of other Internet content on big-screen TVs. Rather than having to watch downloaded movies and online videos on small computer screens, families can now enjoy media collections stored on USB storage devices, computers and network storage directly on their HDTVs, from the comfort of their couch.

In addition to personal media collections and YouTube, consumers can now easily browse, download and play newly released pay-per-view movies from Roxio CinemaNow. They can also view videos on their TV from a wide variety of Internet sources, such as Hulu, Netflix and CBS, through free software trials and optional subscriptions. The Digital Entertainer Live incorporates all of these functions into a single compact player, an advantage for cluttered home entertainment cabinets.

“People are amassing a huge amount of their own downloaded and personal digital music, photos, and videos, as well as consuming more and more Internet video,” said Phillip Pyo, NETGEAR’s director of product marketing for connected home entertainment products. “According to comScore’s Video Metrix service, between January 2007 and July 2009, there was a 331 percent jump in the number of minutes of video watched per average viewer per month. It went from 2 hours, 31 minutes to 8 hours, 20 minutes.”

He added, “The vast majority of people are still watching these videos on small computer screens, so it’s logical to assume that the amount of time spent will continue to increase as devices such as the Digital Entertainer Live make it even easier to watch online video on HDTVs. NETGEAR is thrilled to offer an affordable, content-rich, and easy-to-set-up and -use solution that bridges this gap and enables people to fully enjoy their home media collections and online video from popular Internet sites on the best screen in their home – their big-screen TVs.”

The Digital Entertainer Live – Product Features
The Digital Entertainer Live is a compact, “plug in and go” home media player with a simple remote control that enables consumers to easily access their digital movies, videos, music and photos directly from their USB storage devices and watch them on their TV. Users need only plug a USB hard drive containing digital media content into one of two USB 2.0 ports on the Digital Entertainer Live and connect the Digital Entertainer Live to their HDTV using an HDMI or composite cable. The Digital Entertainer Live also features regular RCA jacks for connecting to older analog TVs.

Furthermore, with its integrated network port, the Digital Entertainer Live easily makes an Ethernet wired connection to the Internet and the home network, enabling access to digital media content stored on computers and network storage devices in the home network, as well as Internet content over the web. If consumers do not have an Ethernet connection available near their TV, they can use the optional Digital Entertainer Live Wireless USB Adapter (EVAW111) that connects the Digital Entertainer Live to the Internet and the home network via Wi-Fi. Alternatively, they can use existing electrical power outlets and a powerline device, such as NETGEAR’s Home Theater Internet Connection Kit (XAVB1004), to connect the Digital Entertainer Live to the Internet and the home network.

By connecting the Digital Entertainer Live to a broadband Internet connection, consumers enjoy the full YouTube experience – searching, browsing and watching millions of videos with access to subscriptions, playlists, country selections, categories and channels – all without the need for a computer. Instead of huddling around a small computer screen to watch the latest funny video, consumers can now show it on their TV for everyone to enjoy.

To widen the search for Internet video content, the Digital Entertainer Live is shipped with a built-in Internet video search engine that can locate videos on the entire worldwide web. The Digital Entertainer Live performs dynamic keyword searches of more than a hundred thousand websites for Internet videos without needing a computer. The search feature yields dynamic results with each letter inputted and automatically categorizes popular subjects into easy-to-find folders.

The Digital Entertainer Live also supports pay-per-view movies on-demand from Roxio CinemaNow, where users can buy or rent a range of newly released movies as soon as they are available on DVD and watch them in minutes. Consumers no longer have to wait for the mail or drive to the nearest rental store. They simply browse all the movies on their TV and download them to a USB storage device using their Digital Entertainer Live and Roxio CinemaNow account.

Additionally, the Digital Entertainer Live includes a free trial of VuNow, which provides access to hundreds of other Internet videos, live Internet TV and live Internet radio streamed from popular sites from around the world, such as Bloomberg, CNN Video, C-SPAN, ESPN, Germany’s 2DF, Al Jazeera, BBC Worldwide, China’s CCTV, Germany’s DWTV, Euronews, EuroSport, France 24, France’s Orange Sport, Germany’s RTL, and Sky News. The Digital Entertainer Live also comes with a free trial of PlayOn software. By running this optional software on a computer also connected to the Internet and home network, users enjoy hit TV shows and movies from popular Internet video services such as Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, BBC iPlayer, CBS, NFL, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. and more, wherever the service is normally available via the Internet.

“There is an ever-increasing amount of digital media – TV episodes, movies, photos and music – being stored on computers and other devices throughout the home, as well as on the Internet,” said Jayant Dasari, broadband and television infrastructure and services research analyst at Parks Associates. “In fact, some people have even maxed out their personal computers with media, requiring external storage, such as one that connects via USB. Due to this increase in distributed digital media content, consumers are looking for ways to enjoy their digital media and online videos in one place. Internet-connected set-top boxes are one solution that enable the entire family to benefit from viewing the broadest spectrum of digital content on their HDTVs from the comfort of their living rooms.”

Pricing and Availability
Backed by a one-year warranty and 24/7 technical support, the NETGEAR Digital Entertainer Live (EVA2000) is available in the U.S. through leading retailers, e-commerce sites and value-added resellers at an MSRP of $149.99. The Digital Entertainer Live Wireless USB Adapter (EVAW111) has an MSRP of $39.99. Worldwide availability of the Digital Entertainer Live is planned for the coming months.

The router features ReadyShare USB drive access from any device on the network and offers broadband usage metering, DLNA support, and video QoS. Inside the router is a 680Mhz processor and support for 500Mbps WAN to LAN speeds and 350 Mbps wireless throughput.

The router allows the operation of dual wireless networks at the same time on 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies. Gigabit Ethernet ports are features for optimum data speeds. Security features of the router include WPA-Enterprise and WPA2-Enterpise and set up is simplified with Push ‘N’ Connect technology. The router is available now for pre-order at $189.99.

The Powerline system offers bandwidth up to 200Mbps (theoretically at least), which should be enough for VoIP use, HD video streaming and internet gaming.  As for the Powerline adapters, two are included – one to send, one to receive – in the starter kit, and they’re also compatible with any other HomePlug AV product.

Apparently available to order now (though not yet on Netgear’s own site), the XAVB1004 kit is priced at $179.99.  The individual components are also available separately for those who already have a Powerline system set up.

Press Release:

NETGEAR’s Award-Winning Home Theater Internet Connection Kit Now Available

NETGEAR today announced the availability of its latest 4-port powerline networking kit for turning electrical power outlets into high-speed Internet and home network connections.

Innovative Powerline Kit with Integrated 4-Port Switch Combines Performance, Ease-of-Use and Energy-Saving Features

NETGEAR(R), Inc. (Nasdaq: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically innovative, branded networking solutions, today announced the availability of its latest powerline networking kit for turning electrical power outlets into high-speed Internet and home network connections. As a 2009 CES Innovations Award winner, NETGEAR’s Home Theater Internet Connection Kit (XAVB1004) makes it possible to connect multiple Ethernet-enabled entertainment devices — such as gaming consoles, Blu-ray(TM) players, HDTVs and media streaming set-top boxes — to the Internet and the home network simultaneously. Through a high-speed powerline connection of up to 200 Mbps, this powerline kit enables high-performance applications such as HD video streaming, Voice over IP (VoIP), Internet gaming and large file transfers to networked devices in the home theater.

The kit contains one Powerline AV Adapter with 4-port Ethernet Switch (XAV1004) and one Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter (XAV101). This “no new wires” powerline technology enables customers to carry high-speed data network traffic on their existing electrical wiring – using affordable, simple to install adapters. Additionally, advanced energy management capabilities provide automatic port- and device-level sleep modes and wake-on-activity functionality to reduce overall energy usage. The kit also incorporates several ease-of-use features: port-based Quality of Service (QoS) to ensure that the highest priority applications are allocated more bandwidth; Push-N-Secure to secure the Powerline AV network with the push of a button; and Pick-a-Plug, a multi-color LED to determine the strength of the powerline connection without having to look at a computer.

“Powerline has become more and more popular because of the growth of networked devices in the living room, and the high speeds and reliability that they require,” said Chris Geiser, NETGEAR’s product line manager for in-home distribution, consumer products. “We are now finding that customers have multiple networked devices in their living rooms that all need to be connected at the same time, making a 4-port switch at one end of the connection key. That is why NETGEAR has developed this powerline AV adapter kit with 4-port switch, Quality of Service features, and color-coded LEDs that easily display the strength of the powerline connection.”

NETGEAR’s Home Theater Internet Connection Kit is perfect for anyone who wants to extend their home network range, especially those who use Internet-connected devices that demand high bandwidth, such as NETGEAR’s Digital Entertainer Elite (EVA9150; http://netgear.com/Products/Entertainment/DigitalMediaPlayers/EVA9150.aspx), Blu-ray Disc Players, TiVo(R), AppleTV(R), Xbox 360(TM), Sony Playstation 3(TM), DVR, Home Theater PC and Ethernet-enabled TVs. Easy to install, consumers simply plug the Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter (XAV101) into the router and connect up to four Ethernet-ready devices to the Powerline AV Adapter with 4-port Ethernet Switch (XAV1004).

The Home Theater Internet Connection Kit eliminates the need to add an external switch for connecting additional devices to the network by integrating a 4-Port Fast Ethernet (10/100) switch. The product is also the first 4-port powerline switch to use the Intellon(R) 6400 chipset, which provides higher performance than any existing 4-port powerline switch on the market. Because it is based on the HomePlug(R) AV standard, the Powerline AV Adapter with 4-Port Ethernet Switch (XAV1004) and Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter (XAV101) are compatible with — and can easily and affordably extend — any existing HomePlug AV network.

“Networked entertainment center devices and systems have been experiencing high growth in recent years,” said Joyce Putscher, principal analyst for In-Stat. “No longer just for the wealthy, these solutions are in demand by average consumers, who want high definition content. Therefore, home theater products need constant, shared and faster access to the Internet and the home network. High-speed powerline offers an ideal solution for consumers who have challenges with wireless connectivity in certain parts of their homes, and the addition of a 4-port switch enables simultaneous connectivity to multiple devices in the same location.”

NETGEAR’s Home Theater Internet Connection Kit (XAVB1004) is now available worldwide through leading retailers, e-commerce sites and value-added resellers. The kit is backed by a one-year warranty and 24/7 technical support. The Home Theater Internet Connection Kit (XAVB1004), containing one Powerline AV Adapter with Ethernet Switch (XAV1004), one Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter (XAV101), two Ethernet cables, one AC power cord, an installation guide and a set-up CD, has an MSRP in the U.S. of $179.99. Additional NETGEAR Powerline AV devices, including the Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter (XAV101), Powerline AV Adapter with Ethernet Switch (XAV1004), and Powerline AV Ethernet Adapter Kit (XAVB101)– winner of PC Magazine’s Editor’s Choice Award — can extend an existing Powerline AV network and have an MSRP in the U.S. of $69.99, $99.99, and $149.99 respectively.

Supposedly, the kit can handle up to 270Mbps and works by connecting two devices together by means of a standard coaxial cable. It works with most cable services and allows Ethernet-capable devices to connect as well like Blu-ray players, DVRs, TVs and more.

It’s MoCA-certified and has data encryption for your protection. You can even move files from one device to another. You can get the MoCA Coax-Ethernet Adapter Kit now from NetGear for $189.99.

Compared to previous Netgear digital media players, the EVA9150 is far faster and smoother in operation.  Photo navigation is quicker, and streamed media – either from elsewhere on the network or online – is automatically buffered on the EVA9150′s hard-drive.  There’s also a neat remote PC viewer feature, though this requires an app loading onto any PC you want to control, and usability is low thanks to only the remote being available for navigation.

In fact the general conclusion is overwhelmingly positive, especially if you already own something from Netgear’s media player range as the devices will not only live in harmony but pass content between themselves using the “Follow Me” feature.  The only problem we can see is the price: currently up for preorder at around $400, it’s not a cheap way to access your media from the living room.

Meanwhile, Netgear’s EVA9000 Digital Entertainer Elite was announced and promptly caught on video, while elsewhere in DVR land TiVo managed to please and frustrate in pretty much equal measure.  Hurrah for Netflix Watch Instantly on the popular DVR platform; boo at paused TV targeted adverts.

It’s also been a week of straightforward and bizarre ideas, with Addonics NAS Adapter sitting at the sensible “why didn’t I make that?” end of the scale while the Kickbee Twittering baby monitor lurks at the other extreme.  Sony, too, had the arguably crazed idea of pushing out their new Home beta to every PS3 user worldwide, and then promptly ended up fielding complaints as the service was inevitably overloaded.

In reviews this week, we went personal-audio crazy with both the Monster Cables Dr. Dre Beats Tour in-ear headset together with the Ultrasone HFI-680 headphones.  Meanwhile we gently drooled over Apple’s 24-inch LED Cinema Display.  We’ve also said goodbye to one of our writers, Brenda Stokes, who has left to pursue a new and mysterious adventure.

Finally, we announced the winner of our HP Workstation Giveaway, and kicked off the SlashGear HP Magic Giveaway this week.  Entering is straightforward, but please do read the rules as to where to register your participation!

Check out the video demo after the cut

Despite Netgear’s assertion that the EVA9000 is aimed more at the technologically-minded early adopter, rather than the audience for something like Roku’s Netflix streamer, this brief glimpse of the GUI looks to be relatively slick and well thought-out.  Netgear currently don’t have a deal in place with Netflix, to bring their streaming media via the Digital Entertainer Elite, but they haven’t apparently ruled that out as a possibility.

What it will be able to do from launch is handle Bittorrent downloads, stream in as high a definition up to 1080p as your broadband connection (and content source) can handle, and allow for user-replacement of the 500GB of standard storage.  It’s expected in Q1 2009, priced at around $400.

[via last100]