Multi-gigabyte speeds, direct signals for all devices instead, and 160 megahertz channels are all now part of the 802.11ac standard. That’s according to a release from the Wi-Fi Alliance, the industry group that sets the standards for local wireless networking.
You might not realize it, especially if you’ve stuck with whatever router your ISP gave you, but Wi-Fi keeps getting better. The Wi-Fi standard keeps offering more and more power, and the new “wave 2” features of 802.11ac go a long way at making what were exclusive features become standard, Ars Technica is reporting.
A notable feature is MU-MIMO, or multi-user multi-input and multi-output. This technology allows routers to communicate with different devices much more efficiently, by creating direct links between the router and individual devices.
Until this technology came around, routers would constantly switch between devices, meaning if you were watching a movie on your tablet while playing a game on your laptop the signal would essentially alternate between the two. MU-MIMO changes that, by communicating directly with individual devices.
MU-MIMO is already offered on advanced routers, such as the outrageously powerful Linksys EA9500. However, the feature wasn’t an official part of the Wi-Fi standard until now.
Another new feature doubles the maximum channel bandwidth, from 80 MHz all the way to 160MHz. This is staggering. That kind of spectrum space offers bandwidth of up to 866 megabits per second, which is fast. This means any router offering two bands can provide well over a gigabit of speed.
Finally, the new standard uses more channels on the 5GHz spectrum. This should help alleviate problems in densely populated areas, where competing routers overlapping with each other can slow down connections.
It’s really excited to see the Wi-Fi 802.11ac standard catch up with some of the great things router makers were already implementing. And if you’ve been waiting to buy a new router, now might be a good time. Some of the higher-end devices out there will blow your mind.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.