Apple Airport Express Gets Draft-N Wi-Fi

Cupertino (CA) - Apple’s mobile Wi-Fi base station Airport Express has been upgraded from 802.11g to draft 802.11n, which, according to the manufacturer, boosts the available bandwidth by "up to" 5x.

Apple claims that the new device is the smallest 802.11n base station currently available on the market. Users can plug the new Airport Express directly into the wall and wirelessly connect a printer via an integrated USB port.

Among the features of the 6.7 ounce device is support for "AirTunes" to stream iTunes content via a Wi-Fi network to up to ten other PCs within its range.

Apple said that the 802.11n Airport Express completes the firm’s switch to the upcoming standard. The first device to offer 802.11n capability was the Airport Extreme, which introduced this feature in January of last year. The current iMac, Mac notebooks as well as Apple TV and the backup solution time capsule also support 802.11n.

The new Airport Express sells for $99. The Airport Extreme base station is priced at $179.