Solwise UMD-606N is World's Smallest WiFi Dongle
It's more like a USB jack with a dongle attached than the other way around.
When it comes to electronics, smaller is better; it's only natural as technology gets better. We started out with blocky, brick-sized "portable" phones that could only make calls; now we have super-slim phones that barely make a bulge in your pocket and can call, text, go online, and play games. Yet nothing else evokes the spirit of miniaturization than Solwise's latest creation: it's a WiFi dongle no bigger than a coin.
The UMD-606N looks like it's nothing more than a tiny nub of plastic attached to a USB jack. Your brain tells you it shouldn't work, but it apparently it does. Inside that tiny enclosure is a full-blown 802.11N WiFi antenna, giving you a throughput of 100Mbps. It's also compatible with all WiFi security protocols, like WEP, WPA and WPS.
It's a great solution for people who like to enable their computers for wireless, but don't like the aesthetics of typical Wifi dongles. The only downside is for Mac users, since it's only compatible with Windows. Still, a great little gadget, and quite a steal at $12.
[source: Solwise via Pocket Lint]
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I know that tech is always going to get smaller with time. But, don't most devices and computers come with wifi now? Even if you had a desktop without wifi, having a small adapter like that won't work that well IMO. I guess if someones wifi card went out in their notebook/netbook it could serve as a replacement.
Cheers ether way!
I could see someone thinking they broke off a usb jack from one of their devices. There's a point where smaller is not better!
Why is this a downside for Mac users? This device is presumably for laptops, since the physical size doesn't matter much when you're dealing with a desktop. Mac was an early adopter of Wifi in their laptops, with it being built-in as standard while most Windows laptops required a PCMCIA card. Finding an Apple laptop that isn't already equipped is really going back a LOT of years, so it makes sense that this device is only for Windows. Now hopefully it supports the *older* windows operating systems like Windows 2000 and Windows 1998, since those are the likely OS's on such old hardware.
Or the Buffalo on which MIGHT be all of 1/2 centimeter larger can be had and you get Wireless N
Hmmm... I'll stick with a large bulge in my pocket as well as a big dongle
Unless I'm mistaken, 100Mbps isn't a 802.11N transmission rate; should be either 150 or 300, I believe.
Great product for small laptops, unfortunately I can't buy one in Australia.
Doesn't seem smaller than Buffalo's but at least they qualify their statement on their website by stating "Probably!" at the end. Although the price is quite different.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6833162037
even on modern computers this is usefull. For example Hps dv 6000 have defective M/Bs where the mini pci slot will die winthin 2 years. Whats in that slot you ask? Why your perfectly good mini wifi card thats all. So now you have a good internal wifi with a bad M/B slot with no way to fix it without paying HP aprox 420$ for a repair. So a 12$ micro adapter such as this should work perfect in your home without messing up the lines of the laptop and running the risk of it falling of your lap onton the couch and breaking the longer adapters. Also many many many people still have laptop without wifi. Due to the suposed resession people don't buy new laptops as often as they like so they come into my store every day for possible upgrades to get another year or two out of it. I sell about 3 usb wifi dongles every day mostly to the older genereation but there is still a very strong market for it.
Unless I'm mistaken, 100Mbps isn't a 802.11N transmission rate; should be either 150 or 300, I believe.
I'm glad you pointed that out. That's what caught my eye when reading the article.
Honestly, if I can't connect to my wireless N router at 300, I would gladly trade in a small Wireless N USB adapter in for a larger one that can connect at full speeds.
This thing looks alright for working in a PAN like range like bluetooth, but without an adequate antennae it will not have the range of larger usb sticks, especially those with external antennae
I think the reduced overall transmission speed is due to this.
We're now at a point where the USB connector itself is bigger than the actual device itself. Amazing.
Reminds me of Logitech's Unifying Receiver which comes with all its latest wireless products.