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Time Warner offers free Wi-Fi in NYC
Time Warner Cable has launched free Wi-Fi for all 1 million of its New York City customers.
According to Time Warner, customers can connect to "thousands" of high-speed Wi-Fi hot spots around the city starting Thursday. Time Warner Cable subscribers will have unlimited access to the Wi-Fi services, which run on Cablevision's Optimum Wi-Fi network that launched in 2008.
It should be noted that only New York City-based subscribers will be able to access the hot spots. In order to access a hot spot, customers will need to log in using their Road Runner username and password.… Read more
Sniff out nearby Wi-Fi
iStumbler is a free, Snow-Leopard-only tool that helps you sniff out nearby Wi-Fi networks, even if you're just stumbling around with an open laptop.
iStumbler has a clean and helpful interface: on launch, it automatically displays all networks in your vicinity in a chart that shows each network's name, mode, protocol (e.g., 802.11n vs. 802.11g), security (anything from Open to WEP to BSS), noise, channel, frequency, MAC address, vendor (e.g., Apple or Netgear), sample, geographic location, and last update time. You can move these columns around and sort the networks any which way you … Read more
Social network's CEO documents flight nightmare live
Flying is increasingly becoming pleasant only for proctologists.
However, one CEO, David Martin, perhaps now considers himself fortunate to have been on Saturday's flying Alcatraz that was the Virgin America flight from LA to New York.
This flight seems to have consisted of a diversion away from JFK due to high winds. It then involved a landing at Stewart International Airport, which does not seem to be an international airport owned by Rod Stewart but some little outpost 90 miles northwest of New York.
Passengers were then kept on the plane for somewhere between four and a half and … Read more
CNET TV Apple Byte: Mac Pro
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AT&T CEO sandbags iPad 3G subscriptions
One of the bigger surprises about the iPad when it was introduced was the sweet 3G prepaid subscription deal Apple and AT&T are offering.
But it turns out, AT&T's CEO doesn't anticipate many people will even use it.
At an investor conference Wednesday, Randall Stephenson predicted that Apple's tablet computer, which comes in both 3G and Wi-Fi-only flavors, will primarily be "a Wi-Fi-driven product," according to Reuters.
"My expectation is that there's not going to be a lot of people out there looking for another subscription," Stephenson said. … Read more
Turn your iPhone into a wireless headset
Alarm clock. Metronome. Guitar tuner. TV remote. The list of real-world items the iPhone can replace just keeps getting longer. The latest entry: wireless headset.
Shape Services' Mobiola Headset app turns your iPhone or iPod Touch into a wireless headset, suitable for use with Skype, MagicJack, or any other VoIP-powered applications. (I'm assuming it would work with games as well, though I haven't tried this myself.)
The 99-cent app works with all iPhone models and second-gen Touches (though the latter will need a plug-in headset, as it would for any kind of telephony).
On the PC side (Windows only, I'm afraid), you'll need to install the free Mobiola Headset utility, which connects your device to your PC over your home Wi-Fi network.
I tested Headset on an iPhone 3GS and a PC running Windows 7. The two apps recognized each other immediately (following a couple of firewall approvals), and from there it was smooth sailing.
The idea here, of course, is to avoid having to buy a wired headset for use with, say, Skype or Google Talk. And Headset gives you the freedom to mosey around the house while on a call--no need to stay tethered to your PC.… Read more
U.K. bill would 'outlaw open Wi-Fi'
The U.K. government will not exempt universities, libraries, and small businesses providing open Wi-Fi services from its Digital Economy Bill copyright crackdown, according to official advice released earlier this week.
This would leave many organizations open to the same penalties for copyright infringement as individual subscribers, potentially including disconnection from the Internet, leading legal experts to say it will become impossible for small businesses and the like to offer Wi-Fi access.
Lilian Edwards, professor of Internet law at Sheffield University, told ZDNet UK on Thursday that the scenario described by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) in … Read more
Grace Digital intros portable Wi-Fi radio
The number of Wi-Fi radios on the market has exploded the last couple years, but we've always been struck by how few portable units are available. Grace Digital is looking to fill that relatively empty niche with its new portable radio, the Allegro GDI-IRD4000, which includes the features we like on the company's stationary Wi-Fi radios, plus the ability to be powered by six AA batteries. Even better, the Allegro has a built-in charging circuit for NiMH batteries, so you don't need a separate charger if you go the rechargeable route.
Like other Grace radios we've … Read more
Palo Alto plane crash creates Wi-Fi thirst (podcast)
The crash of a small plane in East Palo Alto, Calif., brought down lines that supply power to much of Palo Alto, which is home to Facebook, Hewlett-Packard, and this reporter.
Knowing that Google provides free Wi-Fi to most of nearby Mountain View, I grabbed my laptop and headed for the Mountain View Starbucks nearest to Palo Alto, but it was standing room only thanks to other Palo Alto refugees in search of Wi-Fi and coffee. My next stop was LeBloulanger, a cafe and bakery near the center of town. The Google signal is weak, but the cafe offers its … Read more
