Until recently I have had a switch feeding my Windows computer and Aastra VoIP phone into the back of my iMac, which would then send the data to my router over the 802.11n connection. This was a really bad way of doing things, since my Trixbox server (running on the Windows computer) lost all connections when my iMac went to sleep.

Why was I doing it this way? Because my router is on the other side of the apartment by my cable modem, and there is no cable connection in my office area. I could have run an ugly wire over to the router, but I wasn’t really interested in a blue wire going across the apartment.

Now I have had other choices to create an 802.11g connection using what companies call a “Gaming Bridge” which allows you to link two ethernet ports over a wireless connection, but I have had bad luck with those in the past and I really wanted to stay on my primary 802.11n connection.

A few days ago Apple answered my request. They have released an 802.11n version of the AirPort Express and it works just like their original 802.11g device did (before it burnt out on me in a puff of smoke). All I had to do was tell the device to connect to my .11n network and allow computers to use the connection over the built in ethernet port. I then hooked that ethernet port into a switch that feeds my Windows box and Aastra phone. That’s all it took to get them on the network!

So if you’re running an 802.11n network in the 5GHz range and want to provide network access to a room without running a bunch of wires through walls (or can’t because you’re in an apartment like me), this is a logical choice at a price of $99.

However if you are not keen on Apple products, Netgear also has a product that can perform similar actions for a slightly higher cost. The one drawback with the Netgear product is that you won’t get the same additional features (like AirTunes and USB Printer Sharing) as you will get with the AirPort Express.

So the new Knight Rider movie was on last night, and I was looking forward to seeing some good action and watch KITT use some of his classic (and new) technology as he helped to take down the villian. I had accepted that they would be going away from the classic Trans Am and using Val Kilmer (odd choice) as the voice of KITT. What I didn’t expect, though I really should have, is that this was a terrible 2 hour commercial.

Ford Motor Company was the sponsor of this movie and apparently had a lot of input when it came to the cars used and the commercial break times. Not only was KITT a Ford Mustang (an extremely nice one, that is) which had the ability to morph into a cheaper silver model that fooled the bad guys every time, but the villain vehicle was a Ford Edge. Now tell me this: Why do military-like folk drive around in an Edge? If I worked for a military contractor company out to steal secrets, I’d at least be driving around in a Hummer. Cliché, but it makes more sense.

And when it came to the commercials, I almost lost it. I found myself counting the time it took to get through a commercial break and how long the movie scene lasted before the next commercial break. The worst spot was around the 1 hour mark where there was a 5 minute commercial break followed by 5 minutes of the movie. Are you kidding me? I’m not even going to touch the topic of those Ford commercials that aired right as they went into each commercial break.

Now lets turn our attention to the car itself. I will agree that the design was great they really pulled off that self healing nano-technology off, but where were the missile launchers, turbo jump, and other things that made the original KITT so awesome? All we got to see this car do was morph, heal, and go really fast. You guys underused the car, and the show is all about the car. Nice touch on the Apple keyboard in the glove compartment, though.

While this next point is really meaningless, there wasn’t enough Hoff. Sure he’s old now and has the America’s Got Talent show, but he really made that show what it was all those years ago. Do I think this commercial movie would have been better with the Hoff in more than just the final 5 minutes? Yes, I think it would have helped…as long has he didn’t take out a microphone and started singing.

Would I want to see them try and revive the series? I’d like to see them attempt, but they’d have to do a lot better than what we had last night. I do thank Ford for giving this movie a chance to be broadcast, as I’m sure it probably would have never made it without their financial backing.

And for your attempted enjoyment, but likely retreat, I present to you: Knight Rider, the movie.

Courtesy of hulu. (I have 10 invites to give away. Leave a comment with your e-mail address and I’ll send you one)