Researchers at Boston University believe they can combine LED bulbs with wireless networking technology. The technology will be able to communicate data using light at speeds up to 10Mbps, and can even be adapted to existing power lines. Interestingly, the bulbs will use the same diode for lighting the room and providing the network connection, flickering “like tremendously fast signal lights.” They seem pretty lit up about it.

The researchers are working on the project in conjunction with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of New Mexico, thanks to a $18.5m grant from the US National Science Foundation. The researchers don’t have full working models yet, but they believe it’s totally workable. I have to wonder if this would have any adverse effects on humans, especially those who are light sensitive and prone to seizures.

Here’s an odd one from Nikon, but it’s no camera. The Media Port UP300 and UP300x video headset aims to be a wearable computer. The device basically looks like a pair of headphones with a small display, but has some nice specs. It features up to 8GB of flash memory for videos, music and file storage, Wi-Fi, and even, get this, a full internet browser.

The 300x model, even sports motion control. Browsing may be a challenge, who knows. You can also use the Wi-Fi connection to download audio and video content directly. The 300x will cost you $587. Looks like we are now on our way to becoming the Borg. If the next one requires that you dock yourself in a borg ship, I’m heading for the hills.

Porsche is a name associated with two things, style and speed. The new P’9522 arguably has plenty of style (though I don’t see it), but it sports a Wi-Fi web connection instead of a 3G network.

With your powered down connection you’ll also get a 5 Megapixel camera, touch screen, and built in GPS. Apparently forged from a single block of brushed aluminum and a glass plate, this one is for the rich set. People who won’t care about speed as much as making impressions. It ships in November and looks like it will sell for aout $875.

Packard Bell is trying to up it’s “street art” cred with the announcement of their latest power-packed gaming notebook called the iPower GX. It’s powered by a Intel Core 2 Quad Q9100 processor and has an nVidia 9800M GTS 1GB video card, 1,920 x 1,200 resolution display, Draft-N Wi-Fi connectivity, an optional Blu-ray drive and an interesting urban street art design. The Packard Bell iPower GX will be available this October for approximately 1499 Euros.

I hear ya. The Wii and DS already have Wi-Fi. True, but this device is a Wi-Fi router/bridge for those who don’t have wireless networks. Even when you do have a wireless network, it can be a pain to get your Wii set up depending on your provider. The device will be available in Japan on September 18th for $53.

Obviously it resembles one of those Wii knockoff jobs from China, but it’s the real deal. The adapter has a switch for three modes on back: “Router”, “Bridge” and “Auto”. “Router” is self-explanatory, while “Bridge” connects to another router and then communicates with the Nintendo DS and Wii. “Auto” will switch the household’s network over automatically.

Palm released a pair of official press photos of the Treo Pro and a video of the handset in action. They didn’t say a whole lot. Here’s what we know: the Treo Pro smartphone has a one-touch Wi-Fi button for wi-fi kung fu action, GPS, Windows Mobile 6.1 OS and sports a high-resolution flush-fitting color touchscreen. Earlier leaks indicate that the Treo Pro will feature a 3.5mm headphone socket, 320×320 pixel display, microUSB connector and has a 400MHz processor. No price or date yet. Video below.

The rate at which Wi-Fi networks are popping up in homes and offices is impressive. To save money and to have less of an impact on the environment many of the components and accessories we use with our wireless networks and computers are going green.

D-Link announced today that it is the first company to offer green Wi-Fi networking gear for home networks. According to D-Link its Green home network Wi-Fi routers are capable of saving up to 40% in power usage. Power savings are gained from the ability for the routers to detect cable length and link status and adjust power accordingly. The routers can also be programmed to turn the Wi-Fi radio off to save power.

Seeking a replacement solution to those old walkie-talkies you use around your large mansion has arrived in the form of some Wi-Fi enabled handsets. The Ascom i75 Messenger, though mainly targeted towards office and medical settings, could serve you well at home as well.

The Ascom i75 Messenger delivers what Ascom describes as “advanced messaging and highly versatile telephony as well as push to talk capabilities.” It has a virtual SIM-card which lets you hop from one handset to another in case of failure of the one you are using.

Creative’s ZEN X-Fi player is different and it appears to be targeted at Apple on both the hardware and software fronts, according to leaked information by epiZENter. The X-Fi changes the look of the original ZEN drastically, with an aluminum-and-chrome look that seems to be inspired by the iPhone.

This new ZEN features a nine-point directional pad to take advantage of integrated Wi-Fi. Users will be able to IM on Windows Live or Yahoo Messenger, typing without a touchscreen or a full QWERTY keyboard. Another feature of the device is that it will have access to a host computer’s own content so users can play it in another room. And an Internet-based media pool of some sort will give users access to some content at other Wi-Fi hotspots. No official release date yet, but word is it will be in July.

Users who are on the road a lot or find themselves out and about with their notebooks frequently are always on the lookout for hotspots for work and play. Alltel announced today that it was teaming up with Boingo Wireless to offer customers access to more than 25000 hotspots around the country.

The service is called Alltel Wi-Fi and can be purchased by anyone in the US as a standalone offer with unlimited Wi-Fi access for $19.99 a month or $3.99 per day with no contract. Alltel’s Wi-Fi plan also includes service in 100 airports across the nation.

The Kohjinsha SX Series UMPC is pretty sweet looking, and packs a lot in a small form. It sports an 8.9 inch touch screen display at 1,280 x 768 resolution, Intel Atom Z520 1.33GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 60GB HDD, Super Multi-DVD drive, Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity.

Some other features include an ExpressCard/34 slot, card readers, two USB 2.0 ports and VGA out. The Kohjinsha SX Series will be available in Japan. You can get it in black or white for $1199.

Onda announced their latest portable media player with some cool features, the VX777. This one comes with WiFi and internet radio and looks like it may even incorporate a touch-screen. It boasts a 4.2” color TFT with a resolution of 480 X 272. Is this the first MP3 player from China that does WiFi?

It sports a 3000mAh battery, good for 30 hrs of audio and 10 hrs of video playback. Plus it has support for almost all the major formats except OGG, has a built-in speaker, a TV-out connection. Some other features:

These sneakers are fully functional hot spot finders. As you walk around town, an integrated display will let you know what the signal strength is on hot spots around you. The wearable Wi-Fi sneakers are named A Step in the Right Direction and were designed by mstrpln and Ubiq boutique.

The ASRD sneaker has an integrated wireless internet detection unit embedded under the flap of the left shoe. When the pressure sensitive insole is activated, the device scans the surrounding area for Wi-Fi signals and displays the result through LEDs so you can see it. Sure, geeks are going to love these, but aren’t there more convenient ways to find hot spots? Better yet, instead of trying to find hot spots with your shoes, maybe you should be trying to score with the ladies, Poindexter.

TG Sambo’s new PMP has a nice clean look and a 4.8-inch screen, the usual audio and video and it’s capable of browsing the internet via a WiFi b/g connection and watching T-DMB digital TV. Hidden underneath the menus is Windows CE 5.0, running on an Alchemy AU1250 700MHz processor. It also sports 16GB of flash memory and a DAB digital radio tuner.

The PMP can play Flash files, view photos, e-books and comics, and even includes the PowerDic dictionary. The Polaris browser will give you access to the web on the 800 x 480 WVGA touchscreen. The whole thing is only 15mm thick. The PMP has only been confirmed for a Korean launch, but we may just see it here in North America and in Europe before too long.

You can make your own long-distance WiFi accessory from various items, but Hawking Technologies has another option if hacking isn’t your thing. The Hi-Gain Wireless-300N is a high-gain dish adaptor that will hook up via USB and can apparently extend wireless range by up to 600-percent. Supporting WiFi in b, g and n, they also claim to give you up to twelve times the data.

They are calling it “the most powerful 802.11n USB network adapter on the market”, and it supports WEP, WPA and WPA2 encryption. Another selling point is the dual-antenna. The idea is that you can avoid signal interference by pointing it away from other electronics, though I’m not sure that’s a big problem for most people.