wifi

Gadgets

Build Your Own Linksys WRT54GL Wi-Fi Monster Truck

Posted by Sean Fallon at 5:00 AM on September 20, 2008

If you love R/C toys, this Wi-Fi router monster truck is definitely a project worth tackling. In a nutshell, a guy named Jonathan Bennet managed to rig a very hackable Linksys WRT54GL router to a $US5 R/C monster truck so that it could be driven via the internet from up to 500 meters (1640 feet) away. Although not designed to be a how-to guide, there is more than enough information on the project page for someone with some knowledge to put one together at home. [JB Projects via Boing Boing Gadgets]


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Peripherals

Eye-Fi Share Gets Lexar Branding

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 1:21 PM on September 19, 2008

That Eye-Fi technology we were so gung ho about a few months back, the one which adds Wi-Fi to any digital camera, has found a new home in Lexar. The memory card giant is churning out a 2GB Shoot-n-Sync WiFi SD card that works exactly the same as the Eye-Fi Share. But with the Lexar branding, I guess these cards will be guaranteed a much larger audience. They'll be available in October for $US99.

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Networks

Delta's Bringing In-Flight Wi-Fi to Its Entire U.S. Fleet

Posted by John Mahoney at 11:12 PM on August 5, 2008

Delta will join the other airlines using Aircell's GoGo cellular data service, becoming the first of the U.S. biggies to announce concrete plans for a fleet-wide rollout. They're starting with their 133 MD88/90s, then moving on to hit every plane by summer of next year. It'll run you US$9.95 for flights less than three hours, or US$12.95 for longer flights. There goes our last possible Internet-free haven...I mean, yay! Read on for the full release:


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Networks

Aussie Starbucks Closures Means Fewer Telstra Wi-Fi Hotspots

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 11:57 AM on July 31, 2008

One of the only few things going for getting an iPhone on Telstra, especially in light of their terrible data packages, was the inclusion of free Wi-Fi at their hotspots around the country. But now that hotspot network looks to be a few locations fewer with the announcement that Starbucks is closing 61 of their 84 stores.

Because not every store had Wi-Fi before the closures, this probably won't effect too many people. Unless you live in Canberra that is, where it's likely that all three Wi-Fi enabled Starbucks stores will close.

The guys over at ZDnet got into the nitty gritty of the situation, and although there are a lot of unknown factors still involved around exactly which Starbucks stores will be closing, the loss of any free Wi-Fi hotspot is a sad day for Gizmodians around the country. Hopefully Telstra will be looking to expand their 1000+ network of hotspots in light of the Starbucks move. And hopefully they'll make them free to everyone. Not holding our breath, though...

[ZDnet via Lifehacker AU]

Phones

Samsung's i8510 Boasts Almost Everything, Plus An 8 Megapixel Camera

Posted by Matt Hickey at 12:00 PM on July 24, 2008

Samsung has a new slider on the market in Europe and we're hoping it finds its way over here. The i8510 is a S60-powered GSM phone with very fast 3G speeds and Wi-Fi, as well as GPS. What makes this high-end phone lust-worthy, though, is the 8 Megapixel multifunction camera with Xenon flash that can record video at up to 120 frames per second. It also has image stabilisation and face recognition as well as other features. Couple that with Bluetooth 2 and 16GB of internal flash storage and you've got a serious, slim phone for T-Mobile users. And it looks really nice, too. [Symbian Guru]


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Networks

Walt Mossberg Reviews GoGo In-Flight Wi-Fi (Verdict: Fast, But Not Fast Enough)

Posted by Benny Goldman at 1:18 AM on June 20, 2008

Walt just tested GoGo, the in-flight Wi-Fi service, on a bunch of laptops and smartphones during a flight from San Francisco to Denver. The service distributes, via Wi-Fi, a high speed mobile phone data signal pointed at airplanes, which Mossy rated at around 600kbps down and 250kbps up. This was quick enough for Walt to browse the web, send emails with iPhone rumour attachments, and talk on IM to his ladies, but it couldn't keep up with streaming video on Xtube Hulu. Also, VoIP is blocked, and mobile calls aren't possible either. Still, Mossy thought it did well enough for someone who can't stay off the grid for a few hours. GoGo costs US$10 for flights under three hours, and US$13 for longer ones. It'll begin rolling out in the next few weeks on American Airlines, with Virgin soon to follow. [AllThingsD]


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Portable

T-Mobile Sues Starbucks Over Free AT&T Wi-Fi

T-Mobile is suing Starbucks over its free Wi-Fi from AT&T. The gist is that Starbucks and AT&T are promoting free Wi-Fi in markets where T-Mobile still has the exclusive right to "sell, market and promote its services" since the... Read More »

Online

AT&T Laptop 3G Data Subscribers Getting Free Wi-Fi

Originally free for its U-Verse subscribers, AT&T is now making all of its Wi-Fi hotspots free for subscribers to its LaptopConnect mobile broadband service. Now you won't have to waste precious chunks of your allotted 5GB a month anytime you're... Read More »

Hardware

FCC Filing Teases WiMAX Option for Future Apple MacBooks

Posted by Gizmodo US Edition at 10:00 AM on May 18, 2008

A new FCC filing for an Intel 5350 WiFi/WiMAX combo card that fits into Mini PCI Express slots is probably the best evidence yet for future WiMAX functionality in Apple MacBooks, but it's still far from a confirmation. The bottom line is that with the new card, the WiMAX option officially exists for MacBooks, but as of yet there are no drivers written that would allow it to work with Apple's line of laptops. You could actually hack your laptop and plug the card in just fine as it is now, but without the drivers (which do exist for Windows), it's pretty useless. That said, the drivers—especially with Intel Macs—are a mere Leopard update or MacBook redesign away. [FCC Filing via ComputerWorld]


Online

Free City-Wide Wi-Fi Not Dead Yet (Not Exactly Living Though Either)

Australian Post Posted by Nick Broughall at 11:10 AM on May 12, 2008

sydney wi-fi.jpg

Even though the NSW state government decided it hated the idea of free Wi-Fi, Unwired is joining up with cafe owners in Sydney and Melbourne to provide free hotspots for consumers.

The idea is obviously nothing new - Starbucks has been doing it for years - but it is a step forward for tech-lovers in the country's two biggest cities.

While Unwired are seeking cafes and bars to take up their uConnect service, the service is also being picked up by local councils and libraries. Since December last yer, more than 30,000 have used the service for everything from web browsing to VoIP calls.

The biggest problem with the service (and something Unwired has been working on for years) is the relatively narrow availability within Sydney and Melbourne CBDs. Still, free Wi-Fi is crucial, especially with 3G data services being so cost prohibitive.

[uConnect]