wifi

Phone-Cloud Lets You Ditch Office Landlines

Chris Dannen — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:22:34 -0400

For many office workers, landlines are a redundant nuisance: one more voicemail account to check, one more thing to ring during a clandestine nap. But most office buildings wreak havoc on cell reception. New intra-office phone antennas, working as a cloud to smartly route traffic, might finally solve the problem, rendering landlines at long last unnecessary.

Silent Movie Theaters, Courtesy of Anti-Wireless Paint

Chris Dannen — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:51:03 -0400

Clever, mischief-minded researchers in Japan have developed an interior paint that blocks wireless signals. Made with aluminum-iron oxide, the paint resonates at the same frequency as many household devices like routers and cell phones, absorbing and deflecting waves of data.

Microsoft Building One-Mile Wi-Fi

Chris Dannen — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 11:58:41 -0400

Despite protestations from the Bush administration, the FCC succeeded last year in making a certain chunk of the nation's TV and radio spectrum--dubbed "white space"--available to unlicensed broadcasters. That meant that companies could begin developing super Wi-Fi devices that create networks at a distance of miles, instead of the 50+ feet we're used to today. The dream, nationwide wireless Internet access, was within reach.

Cherry Lets You Slide Between WiFi and GSM Calling--Cheap

Chris Dannen — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:29:06 -0400

Cherry is going to have T-Mobile and AT&T more than a little worried. The Belgium-based startup modifies your GSM smartphone to allow it to switch seamlessly between WiFi and cell network calling, all at ultra cheap "WiFi calling" rates.

The Insanely Byzantine Radio Spectrum Map [Graphic]

Chris Dannen — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:15:59 -0400

This week, Comcast announced it would begin the first official commercial rollout of 4G wireless broadband in the U.S. in Portland, Oregon, after using Baltimore and Atlanta as test markets. The company plans to bundle the WiMAX service, which is about twice as fast as 3G network speeds, with its "Triple Play" cable and Internet offering as a wireless Internet service for laptop users.

Trilliant Snaps Up SkyPilot Networks in Smart Grid Domination Attempt

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:54:07 -0400

Smart grid developer Trilliant announced that it purchased SkyPilot Networks yesterday in an attempt to future-proof the smart grid. SkyPilot, a broadband wireless company, delivers over 10-times the bandwidth of cellular networks at a lower cost. The company's long-range (over 10 miles) wireless mesh network add on to Trilliant's short-range SecureMesh networks that connect home smart meters and utilities.

Who Needs a Femtocell?

Chris Dannen — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:16:18 -0400

During the last presidential election, two major mobile phone carriers parked portable antennas at John McCain's Arizona ranch, as it was out of range of the nearest tower. If you live in a dead spot, you can get a smaller portable antenna for your home that will do the same thing. But does anyone really need one of these things?

It's called a femtocell, and it's a little device the size of a Wi-Fi router that has become something of a media darling: make your own little cell phone network in your home! Easy! Convenient! The future of wireless!

The racket works like this: if you get poor signal at your home, you can buy a femtocell from Verizon or Sprint (an AT&T version may be coming soon) for between $100-$250, plus a monthly fee. You plug the femtocell into your broadband Internet connection, and voila: you get 3G speeds on your cell phones in an area of about 5,000 square feet.

Yes, you have to pay extra because your cell network doesn't reach your house. "For most of us, we expect coverage to be part of the deal," says Steve Shaw, executive vice president of corporate marketing at Kineto Wireless. Kineto makes the software that is baked into some brands of femtocell, allowing them to convert cell signals into broadband data. (T-Mobile also uses their software in some of their VoIP applications.)

Which Senators Are Fighting Broadband Funding?

Chris Dannen — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:23:10 -0500

As the President's stimulus package approaches $1 trillion, the Senate is looking to cut the fat. In the senators' sights: about $6 billion in funding for expanded broadband access, much of it for wireless access in rural areas, among $90 billion of total cuts (as of Thursday night).

Depending on your political allegiances, here are the people to whom you can direct your letters of fury, or your calls of thanks, for trying to cut out Internet access as a priority in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Does the White House Have Wi-Fi?

Chris Dannen — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:23:52 -0500

Is the White House more of a museum than a working office? Does it even have WiFi?

The Six Tech Marvels We Had Better See In 2009

Chris Dannen — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:05:49 -0500

As 2008 comes to a close, here are the six tech marvels that are ready to explode into ubiquity. And after a year of almost-breakthroughs -- fast-but-spotty 3G; cheap-but-slow netbooks -- we deserve them. After all, this is the future, isn't it?

Free National Wi-Fi

FCC Cancels Whitespace Free Wi-Fi Meeting

Kit Eaton — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:48:38 -0500

First George W. expressed his disapproval of the future-thinking nationwide free Wi-Fi service, and now the FCC has simply cancelled a meeting that was scheduled this week to discuss the issue.

Dodge's New Ram Is a WiFi Hotspot, Too?

Chris Dannen — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:53:09 -0500

As Detroit feels the noose around its neck, everyone says it's getting what it deserves for years of crappy cars. And it is. But you wouldn't know it by looking at the new Dodge Ram, which is replete with more tech toys than most luxury sedans. The crowning feature: the truck can serve as a mobile WiFi hotspot and link multiple computers or phones to the Internet.

Bush Condemns Free National Wi-Fi

Chris Dannen — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:07:55 -0500

In another nod to his alleged "free-market" principles, President Bush has expressed disapproval of the free nationwide Wi-Fi proposal being considered by the FCC and Congress.

Virgin America's Gogo Wi-Fi Takes to the Skies

Elizabeth Svoboda — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 06:47:57 -0500

“Raise your laptops in the sky!” the announcer booms over the airplane loudspeaker. “Higher, higher, higher! Show us what you like!” Flashes wink as dozens of laptops rise in one swooping motion toward the cameras. This is Virgin America's in-the-clouds blowout bash to kick off its Gogo inflight wi-fi service—if the term “blowout bash” can be applied to a venue featuring oxygen masks and three-across seats bolted to the floor. Various YouTube personalities and a gaggle of press are on hand, squeezing their way up and down the aisles.

Tech Watch: Cheap Nationwide WiFi

Chris Dannen — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:00:05 -0500

Opening these airwaves will mean unprecedented access to wireless transmission for small companies and startups that can't afford to license existing spectrum space from the government. The frequencies, which are long-range, would be perfect for broadcasting WiFi, and wouldn't require any licensing fees from companies that use it. That will drive ubiquity, much as openness on the short-range spectrum for Bluetooth and WiFi has for those technologies.

Toshiba’s Refreshed “Satellite” Packs WiMAX

Chris Dannen — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:30:43 -0400

Now that Sprint [S] has announced its big WiMAX launch in Baltimore, bunches of companies are scurrying to announce products that will incorporate the wireless broadband technology.
As of this week, the XOHM network in Baltimore (and a handful of other cities nationwide; the list is growing) will have a new notebook to welcome: the WiMAX-ready Toshiba [TOSBF] Satellite notebook.

Asus Planning Skype Video Phone

Chris Dannen — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:17:28 -0400

It's getting increasingly difficult to make fun of Asus [TPE:2357] for its incredible fecundity, simply because it keeps coming up with good ideas. The latest is a Skype-certified [EBAY] video phone that looks simple enough for anyone to use.

Zune Owners Getting Free WiFi at McDonald's

Chris Dannen — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:10:18 -0400

If you've ever sat in a McDonald's [MCD] munching on a quarter-pounder and thought, "man, I really wish I could download music right now," you're finally in luck. A new Zune software update from Microsoft [MSFT] will give Zune owners free Web and download access at about 9800 McDonald's locations nationwide. Wouldn't it be cool if there were a new reason to buy music online, too? You got it: listening to the Zune's FM radio now allows you to select songs you like and buy them right then and there. Even Apple's [AAPL] ubiquitous iPods can't do that.

American Airlines Announces On-Board WiFi

Chris Dannen — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:51:26 -0400

The Internet Age dawned about a decade ago, and still American Airlines [NYSE:AMR] is the first of the major airline carriers to finally get on-board Wifi. Sure, it's pitifully late -- bus services like Bolt and MegaBus have had wireless internet for a while now -- but also a welcome addition to all of their long-haul Boeing [NYSE:BA] 767 flights.

D-Link Firmware Gets Green

Chris Dannen — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:27:24 -0400

Yes, you know it's a slow tech news day when we're discussing... firmware. But the Olympics are on, so why are you online anyway? No TV? Okay, well then I'll continue.

Acer Jumps On The WiFi Projector Bandwagon

Chris Dannen — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:52:02 -0400

Wireless projectors are all the rage in the boardroom, and Acer [TPE: 2353] is not about to let the trend pass them by. The company claims its new P5260i, which features good ole 801.11b/g WiFi, can stream HD video of MPEG1/2/4, WMV, ASF, AVI, DivX, XviD, and VOD files on par with a wired projector.