Despite being announced three times (1, 2, 3), the Roku Streaming Stick isn’t yet available… however, release nears, as the Stick just passed through the FCC and it seems we’re still on track for an October launch. Roku’s goal with the Stick is to bring “smart TV” capabilities to perhaps dumb sets, without actually requiring a box. But, while the Roku Stick may be a compelling concept, it’s an idea whose time hasn’t come. It’s MHL-compliant, integrating with a host television (or Blu-ray player) via a shared HDMI port. Unfortunately, there’s only a small number of devices that currently utilize MHL and I suspect a large number of customers will be quite disappointed to learn their new Christmas gadget is incompatible with their television – despite select partner hardware to be branded “Roku Ready.” Further, at the same price or more than a traditional streaming box, the $99 Roku Stick really only offers a reduction in clutter. And while that often motivates me, I’ve moved my Roku LT out of sight by mounting it onto my television. Having said that, I was pleased to learn the Roku Streaming Stick will provide dual band wireless capabilities — featuring 5GHz, in addition to 2.4GHz. Not to mention there will be two models, the 3420 in black and the 3400 in Roku purple.