Feb

The InFocus DisplayLink Wireless system cuts the cord between Macs and projectors

Dave Freeman on February 8th, 2010

One of the most frustrating things about using a projector is setting up all the cords. You have to connect the video, probably the audio (at least in a business setting) and get the whole thing up and running. If you have a Mac, life gets even more complicated due to the lack of an HDMI or DVI port, which is the industry standard for projectors. InFocus is fixing all that with their new DisplayLink wireless technology.

DisplayLink was just announced today, and will allow users to connect wirelessly to any InFocus DisplayLink enabled projector by just plugging in a USB dongle. DisplayLink compatible projectors and the associated USB dongles will be available for the Mac at the end of March 2010. No word on pricing at this time.

From the press release:

PORTLAND, Ore. and CAMPBELL, Calif., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ — InFocus® Corporation, the industry pioneer in digital projection technology, today announced a major enhancement to its wireless solution that eliminates the need to have wired connections between laptops and select InFocus projectors, with support for Mac OS and audio.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100208/SF51089)

Based on wireless technology from Wisair, a leading provider of single-chip based UWB and Wireless USB solutions, the InFocus DisplayLink™ Wireless system, allows presenters to easily connect to InFocus DisplayLink-enabled projectors and share HD content on the big screen without wires.

Successfully launched in August 2009 with initial support for Windows OS platforms, the system is now made available for MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air platforms with audio support. These enhancements enable broader deployment of the InFocus DisplayLink Wireless system to educational and additional markets, where Mac platforms are widely used.

MacBook platforms do not have VGA or HDMI connectors, which are the most common connectors in Projectors. For a complete audio-video experience today, Mac users need to connect at least 3 cable adapters: (1) a mini-DisplayPort or mini-DVI to VGA adapter cable (2) a VGA cable that connects to the projector for the video and (3) yet another cable for the audio.

The new InFocus wireless solution allows Mac users to transfer video, audio and also the projector’s control, via a single wireless link with a single adapter that connects to a USB port, available in ALL MacBook platforms.

The system will be available with Mac OS support at the end of March 2010.

The InFocus DisplayLink Wireless system cuts the cord between Macs and projectors

Apple, General, Headline, Mac, Projector, infocus, wireless No comments »

Feb

Rick Moody goes nuts over the Kindle

John Biggs on February 8th, 2010

I liked the Ice Storm. It was a good book and movie. I also like Rick Moody. Clearly the Moodster was expecting too much of Amazon when he cracked open his Kindle and immediately expected his device to contain the wisdom of the ages including content by Grace Paley and Stanley Elkin. Sure, the Kindle doesn’t have a lot of old-timey writers in there but there is still enough content to choke a horse.

His complaints? Pretty slim pickings:

Now I have to say, there are many ways that the Kindle truly sucks, right off the bat, at least mine sucks, and people who tell you that it doesn’t suck, and that it is somehow better than a book, or as good, these people are the literary equivalent of Scientologists. They have drunk the Kool-Aid. Here are some ways that the Kindle sucks: it has no page numbers. My Kindle indicates the amount of the text that I have reading in a percentage. This makes me feel like I am huffing gas, not reading the book.

Over time Moody grew to love the Kindle store and accept is as an inevitable source of income for years to come.