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Desktop users will have to at the very least invest in a new motherboard; whereas laptop users are pretty much stuck with what they’ve got, since upgrade and replacement options are limited with the portable variety.

Seeing opportunity in this economic adversity, D-Link has released USB upgrade option that is relatively cheap.

The D-link DUB-1310 is a PCI-Express card that works similar to a riser card and comes with two USB 3.0 ports. D-Link has a similar option for laptop users with the DUB-1320 which also slots into laptop’s Express slot. Before you invest in one of these, ensure that the desktop motherboard has a spare PCIe slot and the laptop has a slot for an Express card.

Alongside these two, D-Link has also release a USB 3.0 hub that can be used to extend the cards capacity to connect to four additional devices simultaneously. We haven’t tested these or any similar devices, but we guess that there will be at least some reduced performance when compared to native USB 3.0 hubs that are integrated with the motherboard.

Tags: DUB-1320, USB 3, USB card

D-Link just announced the Boxee Remote Control by D-Link. Compatible with Boxee software on both PC and Mac computers, this device features the same slick two-sided design as the remote that’s included with the Boxee Box. One side has a full QWERTY keypad; the other side has a four-way D-pad and two buttons.

Designed to bring the computer closer to your home theater experience, D-Link says that this remote makes navigating through the Boxee software a breeze.

“The D-Link Boxee Remote Control is ideal for home theater enthusiasts who have customized their home entertainment environment with a specialized PC or Mac media center, but still want the Boxee Box’s unique viewing experience on their TV,” said Daniel Kelley, D-Link’s associate VP of consumer marketing in North America. “We are thrilled to offer this complementary tool to consumers already using Boxee’s software on their home computers — enabling people to more easily search, browse and type from the couch.”

The Boxee Remote by D-Link is identical to the one used with the Boxee Box.

Having the keyboard means it’s easier to search for audio, video and other content and access the social capabilities of the Boxee software. It also makes it extremely easy to type email and enter your Netflix, Pandora or other passwords and account info.

One other important aspect: The D-Link Boxee Remote Control uses radio-frequency signals, so you don’t have to worry about constantly pointing the remote at the computer.

The Boxee Remote by D-Link (DSM-22) is available now, priced at $49.99 (MSRP). Amazon is currently selling the product at a discount, for $39.99.

Tags: Boxee, DSM-22, Mac

Awhile ago, Cisco refreshed its E series of routers and switches. Today, D-Link introduced its own by announcing its Amplifi family of high-performance home networking solutions.

The company says the new products are designed to offer fast performance for even the most demanding connected homes. They include two routers (the HD Media Router 1000 with HD Fuel DIR-657 and the Whole Home Router 1000 D-Link DIR-645), a Wi-Fi Booster (DAP-1525) and three Powerline 500 products (DHP-500AV, DHP-501AV, and DHP-540). Though announced today, most of these products were first introduced during CES 2011

D-Link says that the HD Media Router 1000 with HD Fuel (DIR-657) is capable of automatically managing traffic flow and and prioritizing broadband connections for different services, such as media streaming, gaming, or voice over IP. The router boasts Gigabit Ethernet ports, USB SharePort Plus, and an SD card slot for accessing HD media and streaming USB devices.

The Whole Home Products with SmartBeam, similarly, optimizes home wireless network bandwidth to handle HD video streams. D-Link claims that its SmartBeam uses six multidirectional antennas to find and track individual devices, then focuses beams of bandwidth to those devices, to ensure stable wireless connections.

Both new routers are single-band (2.4Ghz) and supports 300Mbps wireless N standard. This is rather surprising, as most recent high-end routers feature true dual-band and/or the higher 450Mbps wireless standard. To make up for this, both of the new routers support IPv6 natively.

The new Wi-Fi Booster (DAP-1525), on the other hand, does support dual-band (selectable 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz). It’s essentially a wireless bridge, similar to the D-Link’s previous version, the DAP-1513, and is designed to extend an existing router’s wireless signal to up to four Ethernet-ready devices. The new device features Gigabit Ethernet, SharePort Plus, Wi-Fi Protected Setup, and IPv6 support.

If the new routers seem a little behind the time due to the lack of support for true dual-band, D-Link’s new Powerline products are all features the latest 500Mbps speed (as opposed to the 200Mbps of the HomePlug AV standard). The three new products include a single adapter (DHP-500AV), a kit that include two adapters (DHP-501AV), and a PowerLine AV 500 four-port Gigabit Switch (DHP-540). Apart from that, they share the same function of turning a home’s electrical wiring into a network, extending the existing network to the far corner of the home.

Apart from the D-Link DIR-645 that will be available in August (at the estimated price of around $120), the rest of the products are available now. The HD Media router DIR-657 is slated to cost $150, the Wi-Fi Booster (DAP-1525) is $160 and the three Powerline products, DHP-500AV adapter, DHP-501AV Starter Kit and DHP-540 Four-Port Gigabit Switch have the price tags of $100, $160, and $200, respectively.

Tags: Amplifi, DAP-1525, DHP-540, DIR-657

With HD Fuel to manage and prioritize high-bandwidth traffic, SmartBeam to optimize wireless signals in the farthest corners of your home, and PowerLine 500 to provide bandwidth over your existing electrical wiring.

D-Link’s family of Amplifi products are not only the fastest home networking solutions on the market, they’re also some of the smartest. HD video streams, online gaming, VOIP applications, network storage drives – Amplifi has been engineered to let you do it all, all at once. Get uninterrupted connectivity to your digital universe with complete home networking solutions that are as reliable as they are state-of-the-art.

HD Media Routers DIR-657

Up to 300Mbps speed combine with HD Fuel smarts to create the ultimate solution for connected entertainment designed to meet any digital demands you can dream up.

Wi-Fi Booster DAP-1525

Boost your existing D-Link router’s wireless signal to deliver lightning-fast, uninterrupted coverage to any wireless device, anywhere in your home or small office.

Whole Home Routers DIR-645

SmartBeam technology tracks individual devices in your wireless network and delivers focused beams of bandwidth, simultaneously, for seamless connectivity anywhere in the home.

Powerline 500 DHP-500AV

Plug, play and transform any power outlet into a fully-functioning Ethernet port and your building’s existing electrical wiring into a wall-to-wall network, instantly.

Tags: Amplifi, Amplifi products, HD video

When we initially heard about Intel’s Wireless Display (WiDi for short) technology, we immediately suspected it would become the next killer application for notebooks. The dream of wireless streaming for video, particularly in consumer machines at consumer-level prices, was a big one. To date, WiDi hasn’t really grabbed a huge chunk of mind share, at least not in the way of some other things — things like Android and iOS. That said, it’s still a viable option, and it’s only getting better with time.

D-Link is now looking to cash in on the solution by shipping their MainStage for Wireless Display (DHD-131), which delivers the web directly to TV screens. It claims to be an easy way to surf the Web, view photos and stream online video, all from their HDTV; all you have to do is plug MainStage into the TV using an HDMI or A/V cable and with a push of a button it automatically connects to your router, allowing you to surf the web and view home movies from a network computer or laptop.

It relies on WiDi’s 2.0 implementation, allowing customers to enjoy Blu-ray movies, DVD movies, and content from Internet services like Intel Insider on your HDTV with up to 1080p HD clarity and 5.1 surround sound, and also share pictures, music, or videos. It’s available for $129.99 right now in the U.S., and will be available in Canada in July for $129.99. Not exactly cheap, but hey, cutting the cord never has been.

Tags: android, D-Link, DHD-131, HDTV, Intel