Posts tagged Wi fi at Switched

Posts with tag wi-fi

Thief Caught After Stolen Wi-Fi Camera Sends Images Home

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 6th 2008 at 9:47AM

It was inevitable, really.

We've seen quick-footed thieves swipe GPS units that eventually led to their arrest and a bank robber who didn't even bother to close his clamshell while holding up the joint. Now, in the latest example of thieves caught by stolen gadgets, it looks like the nifty $100 Eye-Fi card -- which automatically and wirelessly uploads images to the Web from any camera whenever it hits a Wi-Fi hotspot - - is really paying off.

According to Reuters, Long Island resident Alison DeLauzon had her entire stash of camera gear (over $1,000 worth) stolen while taking a load off in Florida. Upon returning home and checking things out, she noticed that all of the snapshots taken prior to the theft were uploaded to the Web, and, upon closer inspection, she even noticed a clear shot of the remarkably idiotic crook.

After syncing up with the boys in blue, all of the gal's equipment was eventually returned, and some semblance of normalcy was finally returned. How's that for a feel good story, huh? [Source: Reuters]

[Image courtesy of Al]

Get Your Wi-Fi For 'Free,' But You Still Pay a Price

by Will Safer, posted May 12th 2008 at 4:25PM

Wherever people go, from airports to hotels to coffee shops near home, Wi-Fi access is being offered for free, for a price.

A contradiction, you say? Let's take a look.

As an answer to the consumer expectation that wireless Internet access be given for free, many business that previously charged a fee for hourly or daily Wi-Fi use have been switching over to service models that combine a kind of advertising-supported access, a loyalty program or a combination of the two.

Airports, such as Denver International, switched from a paid to an ad-supported model last November and the Starbucks chain this spring is switching its Wi-Fi offering from a paid service provided by T-Mobile to service offered by AT&T that gives two hours of free Wi-Fi access per day to customers who use a Starbucks loyalty card at least once per month. (The company says most people only use one hour of service at a time.) Those without the loyalty card still have to pay a fee of $3.99 for two hours or $19.99 for a monthly unlimited access plan.

Clearly, a little caffeine and the free access option are the way the company wants its jittery clientele to go.

Airports and hotels that have switched from a paid to an ad-supported model have seen wireless use increase dramatically, and according to an article last week in the New York Times, the revenue from the advertising outpaces what they previously made by charging customers for the privilege. [Source: The New York Times]

World's Highest Wi-Fi Hotspot Now On Mt. Everest

by Will Safer, posted May 7th 2008 at 9:57AM

Admit it. You've tapped into a neighbor's Wi-Fi, siphoning off a little bandwidth for free so you can check some e-mail or maybe just surf the Net for a bit. Of course, you could get your access on the up and up by going to a local Internet cafe -- but what do you do when you're attempting a shot at the top of the world?

China has the answer.

17,000 feet above sea level, at the base camp to Mount Everest, China Mobile has built a business office and Internet cafe. The Mount Qomolangma base camp provides mobile and Internet services to "government officials, mountain climbing members and journalists," reports China Daily.

The highest hotspot in the world was established to support the Olympic torch's journey across the so-called "rooftop of the world." The China Mobile office offers Wi-Fi access with remote payment, SIM change service and other basic services, "in addition to free film, vending machines and new business experience." China Mobile claims "about 40 to 50 people go to the office and Internet cafe every day to experience the services."

No word on the quality of their lattes. [Source: China Daily via CNET]

Wi-Fi Public Transport Makes Commuters Early for Work

by Tim Stevens, posted Apr 11th 2008 at 1:04PM

While telecommuting becomes every more popular, the morning commute is still a reality for millions of Americans. Many have the benefit of relying on public transport to get where they need to go on the way into the office, but whether driving or riding that means wasted time disconnected from the world. That's time that many cities are helping people regain by installing Wi-Fi into their buses and trains.

Buses in Cincinnati and Colorado Springs have been upgraded into mobile hotspots at a cost of roughly $1,000 to $2,000 per vehicle, meaning passengers can whip out their laptops or iPhones and do some some high-speed surfing while on the go. The same goes for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority train between Worchester and Boston, and soon NYC's subway stations will all be Wi-Fi enabled as well. Great for people who can't be offline for a moment, but we're not entirely sure that pulling out your new MacBook in a subway station is a good idea -- though smarter than other things we've heard of people doing down there.

From USA Today

Chrysler to Offer Wireless Internet Access In Its Cars

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Mar 24th 2008 at 10:28AM

Chrysler is looking to pick up its sagging sales by being the first to offer in-car Internet access in the U.S. Later this year, an unspecified mobile broadband (read: cellular data) radio will be offered as an option on Chrysler vehicles, with the goal of making it standard on all of the company's cars down the road.

Inside the new cars, a Wi-Fi router will be installed to allow any Wi-Fi-enabled device to take advantage of the connection. That means no wasting your cell phone battery or messing with add-on cards to get your laptop online from the road. You'd simply connect to the car's Wi-Fi as you would to your home network.

At least initially, charges for a cellular data plan will apply.

From Engadget

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60-Mile Wireless Ranges Coming From Intel

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 19th 2008 at 10:32AM

Earlier this week we reported on the new AirPort Express wireless router from Apple, which delivers an impressive 820-foot range. It's perfect, we thought, for those with expansive abodes. But what about those with expansive estates? Sorry, but 820 feet isn't going to cut it then; 60 miles, however, should be enough for all but the most palatial of digs, and that's just what some new technology from Intel promises.

Intel has developed software that promises to extend the reach of a typical Wi-Fi router well past the typical sub-kilometer range. There have been some interesting attempts with giant antennas to boost ranges up to multiple-miles, but this system from Intel uses simple (and relatively cheap) off-the-shelf equipment and no gigantic satellite dishes. The anticipated cost is $500 for the router and antennas; $1000 for the full system (one on each end). It all uses just a few watts of power, too, meaning solar could be an option for truly wireless broadcasting.

So, does this spell the end of Wi-Fi dead zones? We hope so. But if home networks are going to start spanning into the next county, then you'd better make sure you read up on how to secure yours before upgrading.

From textually.org and Technology Review

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Wi-Fi Bus Connecting the Streets of San Francisco

by Thomas Houston , posted Feb 22nd 2008 at 6:07PM

We've seen Wi-Fi installed in planes, trains and automobiles, but San Francisco will soon be launching the first Wi-Fi bus. Developed by Cisco Systems and Muni, the local transportation authority, the city's new "Connected Bus" is outfitted with free Wi-Fi for riders, as well as touch screens displaying wait times and useful map information. Muni CEO Nathaniel Ford explains, "This is definitely not your grandmother's bus in terms of technology and capability."

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, some local citizens think the program is an unnecessary waste of resources, while others think the bus, debuting this upcoming Monday, will be a big hit and draw new riders to the system. If the Wi-Fi capability proves popular, then it can be implemented into new buses for as little as $10,000 a pop.

Laptop use on the bus would probably be awkward, but it seems great for checking e-mail and quickly finding directions to local restaurants on smartphones and other Wi-Fi mobile devices. We can't wait for the Connected Trolley.

From San Francisco Chronicle (via Engadget)

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Five Things to Consider When Buying a Laptop

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Feb 18th 2008 at 6:18PM

Buying a new laptop can be a daunting task. First off, there are many more factors to take into account when buying a laptop than when buying a desktop PC -- size and battery, for example. Budget laptops can be alluring, but will they have the horsepower you need for daily computing tasks? What difference does having an AMD or Intel processor make? And how do you make sense of the alphabet soup that is Wi-Fi (802.11a, b, g, n)? Well, dear reader, and potential buyer, Switched is here to help you wade through the spec lists you see on those Sunday circulars and help you make the best of your laptop money. Take a look at our crib sheet of five things to consider when picking out your new portable, which starts on the next page, so click below....

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Starbucks to Offer Free Wi-Fi Via AT&T

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Feb 12th 2008 at 11:16AM

Starbucks, the chain that showed the world there is more to coffee than drip or perk (then proceeded to abuse our trust by dumping an overrated coffee hut on every corner), just announced that it will be switching its for-pay Wi-Fi hotspot service from T-Mobile to AT&T, and that it will offer up to two hours of free Wi-Fi a day. The switch will take place in 7,000 U.S. Starbucks locations by this Spring.

So are T-Mobile hotspot customers out of luck? Not at all. AT&T will let current T-Mobile subscribers continue to use the hotspots free of charge.

For those who aren't T-Mobile customers, though, the deal is even sweeter. As usual, existing AT&T broadband customers will get free access at the new AT&T-powered Starbucks access points, but even better is the deal that Starbucks card (basically a prepaid coffee card) holders get -- two hours of free Wi-Fi a day. This means all you have to do to get the free Wi-Fi is pre-pay for your coffee in the form of a Starbucks card and then use your card to complete the transaction.

Even if you don't fall into one of the above three categories, you'll save with the AT&T partnership. AT&T will be charging only $4 for two hours of Wi-Fi connectivity, which compares quite favorably with the $6 an hour T-Mobile charges. Let's just hope they make it easy to add extra days to all-day pay-as-you-go accounts, something that the T-Mobile HotSpot service has made really difficult.

All-in-all, it's a good day for consumers and Starbucks customers.

From GeekSugar

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Proposed Law Requires Age Verification on Public Wi-Fi Networks

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Feb 7th 2008 at 3:27PM

Utah Wants Age Verification on Public Wi-Fi Networks

We all know there's a lot of questionable content online, most notably pornography, and keeping kids from that content is a big priority for parents and social conservative groups everywhere. The question is how to do it. A Utah-based non-profit teamed up with a member of the State's House of Representatives to introduce a bill that would make pornography inaccessible at public Wi-Fi hot-spots with out age verification.

The bill would place responsibility on the wireless providers to verify age or face stiff fines -- even private citizens who have open access in their homes are susceptible to these fines. In other words, if a child next door leeches off your Wi-Fi network and accesses pornography through it, you could be fined $1,000.

XMission, a Salt Lake City based Wi-Fi provider has estimated that it would cost $5,000 per month to implement the verification process. Placing the burden of the verification process on the provider is considered unfair by many. If kids are dedicated enough, they'll always find a way around these road-blocks, and in this case it would be very easy since the specifics of the blockage would only affect sites hosted in the U.S. In our opinion, the best solution is for parents to actually parent and teach their children what is appropriate and apply the right amount of supervision to keep their kids out of trouble.

From ArsTechnica

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Was Wi-Fi Behind the Boeing 777 Crash In London?

by Tim Stevens, posted Jan 22nd 2008 at 9:55AM

Last week, a British Airways Boeing 777 on final approach to London Heathrow touched down short of the runway. The landing gear failed on impact and the plane ground to a halt on its belly at the beginning of the runway. Initial findings revealed that the aircraft's throttles failed to respond to a request for an increase in power, which caused the aircraft to come up short. Now, amid growing speculation about the effects of electromagnetic radiation, one woman is suggesting that Wi-Fi interference resulted in the problem.

The 777 relies on electronics for all flight controls, including the throttles. This enables computers on-board the aircraft to handle many of the details of flight, including fully-automated landings at many airports. In this case, when the landing system requested more thrust, the engines didn't comply. The pilots noticed this and manually shoved the throttles forward, but the engines still didn't respond.

Author and pilot Nina Anderson, who wrote 'Worse Than Global Warming -- Wave Technology,' believes that ground-based Wi-Fi signals are the culprit here, interfering with the aircraft's electronics and causing the throttles to fail. Her book, published late last year, ties technology to the prophesied downfall of humanity in 2012, believing that electromagnetic waves will trigger Earth's magnetic poles to shift, causing a global catastrophe. Her latest theory, about the 777 crash, was made public in an Australian Air Cargo magazine, and, like the rest of her book, doesn't seem to have much basis in fact.

The real cause seems to be bad fuel picked up from the craft's last stop in Shanghai. Water in jet fuel sinks and has the potential to be picked up by fuel pumps in the wings when the craft tilts back at landing. Substitute water for fuel and you have a recipe for disaster.

The real kicker, however, is that Boeing 777's have landed at Heathrow hundreds of times with no similar issues, meaning if there is some design flaw in the craft why is it just appearing now?

From CNet.com.au and Aircargo Asia Pacific

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Wi-Fi Memory Card Makes Any Camera Wireless

by Will Safer, posted Jan 10th 2008 at 10:47AM

Convenience is the name of the game if you plan on using one of Lexar's new wireless SD (Secure Digitalo) memory cards in your digital camera later this year. The new SD card, announced at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, is Wi-Fi capable, using a technology developed by a company called Eye-Fi to wirelessly transfer images from the card to your computer, a photo-sharing Web site or a retail kiosk. Eye-Fi released its own card late last year, but Lexar is the first company we've seen that's using the Eye-Fi technology in one of its own cards.

While some digital still cameras are starting to have wireless capabilities themselves -- Panasonic, for example, announced a Wi-Fi capable camera earlier this week -- most consumers own digicams that don't have this very convenient feature. This wireless SD card essentially turns any compatible camera into a wireless device.

After taking pictures, you go to within range of an open wireless, or Wi-Fi, hotspot, and your photos are automatically uploaded to your computer or to photo sharing Web sites such as Kodak Gallery, Wal-Mart Digital Photo Center, Shutterfly, Snapfish, Picasa, flickr and Facebook. Your computer doesn't even need to be turned on for the process to work.

No word on pricing or availability yet. We've been playing around with the Eye-Fi for a couple of weeks. When we've managed to get it to work, we love it, but as with all things Wi-Fi, it can be temperamental. Still, it beats having to carry a memory card adapter or USB cord around all day.

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New Sony Playstation Portable Comes With Skype

by Ian Rowan, posted Jan 8th 2008 at 8:32AM

The new generation of the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP-2000) is now being bundled with Skype. For those of you not included in the 246 million users of Skype it is a Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VoiP) service that allows users to call one another free of charge or call to land lines worldwide for a nominal fee using your computer (or in this case PSP) and its internet or Wi-Fi connection. This means that not only can users of the PSP play games, watch movies, listen to music, surf the Internet, and view photos, but also receive and place calls free of charge to other Skype users and stay connected to other friends as well via the SkypeOut option.

And for those of you whom have grown fond of your original PSP the Skype service will be able via a firmware update in late January. (Thanks, Sony, for taking care of these folks.)

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Netgear's "All Access Home": What It Is, and Why You Should Care

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jan 6th 2008 at 3:45PM

Netgear is launching an absurd 18 new products here at the Consumer Electronics Show. However, at its press event this morning, Netgear focused on 3 new products aimed at simplifying serious home networking, part of their vision they call the "All Access Home".

First up was the new RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Router, which features a pair of new fancy-sounding technologies called 'Metamaterial Antennas' and 'Push 'n' Connect.' So what does the marketing jargon really mean? You can expect longer range, faster speeds, less interference, and internal antennas for a sexier package.

Netgear has also taken the decorative plastic dome that adorns every RangeMax device and turned it into a functioning button. Pressing down will put the router in set up mode, allowing you to connect to the router without bothering with software. Pressing the button quickly will turn on and off the blinking status lights, a feature anyone who keeps their router in their bedroom will be thankful for.

Continue reading Netgear's "All Access Home": What It Is, and Why You Should Care

Airplane Internet Access May Come with Censorship

by Tim Stevens, posted Dec 26th 2007 at 1:50PM

Airborne Internet Access May Come with Censorship

Long flights are boring places. Even if you pack a book (or 200), a portable video game system, and a magazine or three, at some point you're bound to get bored of all your available options and want something else to do. With the promise of mid-air Internet access, you could be downloading new stuff or just playing online games whenever you exhaust your carry-on entertainment reserves. But, a debate is growing over whether airborne travelers should be allowed to surf anything they like, or whether their access should be locked down tighter than the PCs at an elementary school library.

The argument is over whether people can be expected to act responsibly with their computer usage online. Will people take the opportunity to make loud, tasteless VOIP (as in calls via Skype or similar services) phone-calls and disturb the entire cabin? Will lonely businessmen start perusing adult sites while sitting in coach class next to unwilling participants who'd rather not see their naughty content of choice? The AP's take is that all this and worse will be happening; people will be doing all sorts of lewd and uncivilized acts with their Wi-Fi connections. However, Ars Technica has a much more realistic perspective, likening mid-air Internet access to what you'd find at any Starbucks; people working quietly and in general not disturbing anyone else.

What's your take? Will Internet access from flights make long journeys better or more irritating?

From Slashdot, AOL Money & Finance, Ars Technica

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Thief Caught After Stolen Wi-Fi Camera Sends Images Home

Get Your Wi-Fi For 'Free,' But You Still Pay a Price

World's Highest Wi-Fi Hotspot Now On Mt. Everest

Wi-Fi Public Transport Makes Commuters Early for Work

Chrysler to Offer Wireless Internet Access In Its Cars

60-Mile Wireless Ranges Coming From Intel

Wi-Fi Bus Connecting the Streets of San Francisco

Five Things to Consider When Buying a Laptop

Starbucks to Offer Free Wi-Fi Via AT&T

Proposed Law Requires Age Verification on Public Wi-Fi Networks

Was Wi-Fi Behind the Boeing 777 Crash In London?

Wi-Fi Memory Card Makes Any Camera Wireless

New Sony Playstation Portable Comes With Skype

Netgear's "All Access Home": What It Is, and Why You Should Care

Airplane Internet Access May Come with Censorship

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