The battle over Cisco vs. Apple over the iPhone name is finally over (for now). The deadline for the law suit ended today with an official statement that both parties have reached an agreement. Within the terms of agreement, both companies will have the right to use the name.

Here is the Press Release from Cisco’s website:

Cisco® and Apple today announced that they have resolved their dispute involving the “iPhone” trademark. Under the agreement, both companies are free to use the “iPhone” trademark on their products throughout the world. Both companies acknowledge the trademark ownership rights that have been granted, and each side will dismiss any pending actions regarding the trademark. In addition, Cisco and Apple will explore opportunities for interoperability in the areas of security, and consumer and enterprise communications. Other terms of the agreement are confidential.

It seems like a vague statement without any financial settlement being discussed. It is a good assumption to think that Cisco has negotiated an agreement to get royalties of some sort from all proceeds of the Apple’s iPhone sales. However, it is hard to determine without further confirmation. Not sure what “Cisco and Apple will explore opportunities for interoperability” means… does that mean that we’ll see some sort of Cisco Apple collaboration or will the Apple iPhone have Cisco’s VoIP technology in the future?

If you are want a faster browsing experience on the Internet, OpenDNS may be an option for you.

Giving you a simplistic version of DNS (or Domain Naming System) - it is a system that translates domain names of websites and servers (like Yahoo.com, Google.com) to numerical IP addresses. Each IP address acts as a unique identification of where it is located on the internet and to which company or business it belongs to. Think of it like a street or house address. So when you type in a domain name on your browser, visit a web page or send an email, your ISP’s DNS Server automatically and transparently does the IP to Domain translation.

There are 2 factors that may influence and enhance your internet browsing experience:

Once you are sure that the first factor is out of the way, you can start concentrating on the later - making sure you have a good DNS. However, that may be a futile effort as most local ISPs would not give you access to their servers or mess with their DNS settings. That is where OpenDNS may be advantageous.

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It seems that powerline networking is still in business. Linksys (Cisco) recently showcased their new powerline products at CES 2007 with a strong indication that they were not about to write it off (yet). With the HomePlug AV standard and the UPA Plugtested logo being released and implemented, many traditional networking vendors believe there is a market for it in specific market niches.



The powerline networking concept, as the name suggest, uses your home’s powerlines to deliver data, high speed digital audio, video with speeds up to 200 Mbps, guaranteed bandwidth reservation and high reliability (using TDMA/ CSMA/ QOS).

Powerline networking came up at a time where wireless networking was not a commonplace and was considered the cheaper way to network without the necessary extended installations.

However, the lack of interoperability may stunt the powerline growth. Consumers have to realize that not all powerline products are compatible as they are based on different standards (HomePlug AV , UPA, HomePlug 1.0 to name some). Powerline networks are heavily dependent on the electrical wiring of the building, how it is installed and the environment, factors of which may degrade the data signal. Saying that, there may still be a viable market for it in places where WiFi can’t be used e.g. in buildings where there is an abundance of concrete or metal.

I used powerline networking years ago and while it proved useful, it had a certain amount of random instability. Doing further tests, I narrowed it down to the state of my house wiring and how old it was. The wear and tear of the wires and the lack of insulation in the wires degraded the data signals. The power cables essentially become antennas, absorbing electrical noise in the wires. Also, with AC powerlines, my network worked well when there wasn’t any other activity on the same line e.g. like turning the blender or turning light switches on and off. That was how it was years ago and it is claimed to be solved in the currently released HomeAV and UPA specification.

What is currently out on the market is impressive, but the price tag and lack of flexibility may deter most home users from utilizing the technology, compared to its WiFi counterparts.

New Powerline networking offerings from the big players in home networking market include:

Linksys PLK200 Adapter kit, starting at $120 (pictured above)
D-Link DHP-301 Adapter, retailing at $220
Zyxel NBG-318 Router, price TBD

Press Release [UPA Plugtested logo]
Press Release [HomePlug Powerline Alliance]
Picture Source [Howstuffworks]

Another Apple product that slipped under the media radar is the Apple Airport Extreme Router.

Following the media frenzy of the iPhone and Apple TV, the Airport Extreme is not an average wireless router as it offers up to twice the range and up to five times the speed of the average wireless router because it uses the 802.11 draft-n standard, the next generation in wireless technology.

Forgetting the technical talk, it is the styling of the Airport Extreme that will catch the attention of the consumer. It is crafted in the now familiar minimalistic white finish and measures only six and half inches square and just under one and half inches high.

Not just for Apple fans, though naturally as with all Apple products, there is a ready market out there. Retail price starts at $180 and it would be available in February.

Product Page [Apple Airport Extreme]

Linksys has released 2 new phones in its iPhone product line. The two new phones will be the CIT400 iPhone Dual-Mode Internet Telephony Kit for Skype, and model WIP300, the iPhone Wireless-G Phone for Skype (as pictured). All devices will come with embedded Skype technology so that you won’t need a computer to make calls. Prices will be $179.99 for the CIT400 and $199.99 for the WIP320.

Read [Linksys]