Video streaming is becoming one of the main things we do on the internet, and few things in life are more annoying than having to wait for a clip to finish buffering. To keep up with our growing appetites for speed, Netgear has unveiled the Nighthawk X10 router, which it says is the fastest in the world. It’s got a 1.7GHz quad-core processor onboard that the company says is the speediest in a home router, as well as Quad Stream Wave 2 WiFi architecture that helps the device get up to 7.2 Gbps. Plus, it supports the latest 802.11ad standard . But what’s really interesting about the Nighthawk X10 is its Plex Media support that lets you turn any USB 3.0 flash drive or hard disk into a server, without requiring a computer. Previous devices in the popular Nighthawk line have also had USB ports onboard, but the X10 is the first to offer Plex firmware in its app to let you set up one or both of the two connected drives as a server. There’s no real limit to the storage size of the drives you can attach. Other non-speed-related goodies that come with the X10 include new mobile support for OpenVPN, so you can tap into your home network even when you’re overseas. The Nighthawk X10 is now available for $500, which is more expensive than prior models. That’s because, as Netgear explained, the new iteration is more like a mini PC than a mere router. If you’re a Plex fan, or prize having a really fast, high-end router that can keep your videos and backed up files available wherever you are, that price may be worth it. Otherwise, you might be better off finding a cheaper option.
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Netgear’s new Nighthawk router doubles as a Plex server
Verizon has unveiled a new pay-as-you-go unlimited mobile data offering yesterday called PopData that has some significant strings attached. The option charges you $2 for 30 minutes or $3 for 60 minutes of unlimited internet data. The Verge reports: Think of it like a microtransaction or in-app purchase in a mobile game, where you can’t enjoy the full benefits of a product you ostensibly already own or pay for without ponying up a few extra bucks. There does appear to be some legitimate reasons to want unfettered data access for a short amount of time. For instance, perhaps you know youâ(TM)ll be downloading large files to your phone like numerous Spotify playlists, or maybe you want to enjoy an uninterrupted stream of a sports game or Netflix movie without having to worry about your data cap. But thereâ(TM)s no telling really whether this is a good or bad deal, as it complicates how we think of the value of data by blending a monthly bucket metaphor with that of a time-based subscription system. This wouldnâ(TM)t be such a big deal if customers could simply pay for unlimited data every month. Yet Verizon — unlike ATT, T-Mobile, and Sprint — does not offer customers a standard unlimited plan, and the company has made an effort to kick users off their grandfathered plans in the past. Read more of this story at Slashdot.