Down the line
While mobile devices hog most of the headlines these days, an equally seismic shift is occurring around the other screen yet to be conquered by the Internet - the TV. Even giants like Apple, Google and Microsoft are struggling to define how best to integrate the TV and the Internet, but this could be a breakthrough year.
It might be stating the obvious somewhat, but in order to have Internet TV you have to connect the TV to the Internet. While most new TVs have all the requisite components, ports, etc, a lot of houses don't have their incoming broadband connection near to where they keep their TV. There are many solutions to this problem, but it's quite possible the best of all is powerline networking.
In our latest HEXUS.TalkingShop I spoke to Peter Huddleston, UK head of powerline networking specialist Devolo, who took us through the applications of this technology. While it's been around for a while, powerline networking looks like it's starting to appeal to mainstream consumers and the rise of Internet TV is bound to further accelerate that trend.
At the end of the Interview I cheekily offer to try out powerline networking in my house, where I currently struggle to get a Wi-Fi connection in my living room. Huddleston took me up on my offer and I can confirm that, by the simple act of connecting one plug to my router and plugging the other into an extension socket in my living room, I now have a full strength Wi-Fi connection there.
