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Google has been fined 145,000 euros ($189,230) by a government regulator in Germany for collecting data from Wi-Fi connections in the country. The fine stems from when the company's Street View cars were in operation between 2008 and 2010, inadvertently collecting data packets from individuals and businesses as the fleet drove around the country.
Wi-Fi provider Gowex has turned on its Wi-Fi network covering New York City, providing free Internet access to residents and tourists. Covering the areas of Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, the 1,953-hotspot network is available to anyone wanting to use the 1-megabit connection through their mobile device.
The Federal Communications Commission is currently pushing to allocate additional spectrum for Wi-Fi devices, in an attempt to decrease hotspot congestion and improve performance. The proposal also aims to help accelerate the growth of the latest Wi-Fi technology that is capable of achieving wireless speeds in excess of one gigabit per second, likely referring to 802.11ac equipment that has begun to arrive on the market.
Technologies being developed to aid in communications between cars may be affected by the Federal Communications Commission's plan to increase Wi-Fi spectrum. Bands reserved since 1999 for car-to-car communication may become collateral damage in the FCC's search for more wireless spectrum, and potentially puts the future of self-driving vehicles at risk.
The Federal Communications Commission has proposed the creation of "super Wi-Fi" networks across the US. The networks, in theory would be powerful enough to allow people to access the Internet through them without needing separate coverage via a carrier, has seen a number of parties within the wireless industry lobbying against such a proposal.
Accessory manufacturer and designer Withings has announced the availability of its Internet-enabled baby and toddler scale, the Withings Smart Kid Scale. The Smart Kid Scale has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, which allows for the instant transfer of data measured by the scale to be sent directly to the Withings Baby Companion application. The scale and app combo provides parents a simple and accurate way to monitor, understand and share a child’s growth using the Internet.
Qualcomm Atheros has revealed its new intelligent bandwidth management technology for Wi-Fi routers and gateways. StreamBoost will allocate data to various Internet-connected devices on a network, automatically managing and shaping network traffic and giving specific applications traffic priority over others, such as gaming or video-on-demand applications.
Pioneer Electronics has deployed a free firmware update that adds the Pandora Internet radio and vTuner Internet radio services as available features on its line of SMA series Wi-Fi speaker systems, the XW-SMA1-K, XW-SMA3-K and XW-SMA4-K. With the update, Pandora and vTuner are incorporated as sources available on the wireless speakers.
Cisco has acquired cloud startup Meraki for a reported $1.2 billion. The deal, entirely in cash, sees the networking giant take control of the networking infrastructure service, which offers mid-sized organizations on-site Wi-Fi networking, security, and cloud-based management software at a relatively low cost.
Researchers have worked out a way to boost the throughput of a high-traffic Wi-Fi network by up to 700 percent. Created by a team at NC State University, software called WiFox is able to monitor data traffic and set priority for various users, balancing traffic flow between multiple routers on a network and allowing for a smoother connection for the majority of users.
D-Link has started shipping its latest Dual Band USB Wi-Fi adapter. The AC1200 allows for computers to connect wirelessly at 802.11ac and earlier Wi-Fi standards, with its dual band connection capable of speeds up to 300 megabits per second. The high throughput connection is due in part to the adapter sending multiple simultaneous streams to a compatible router, such as the Cloud Router 5700.
Logitech has formally announced its new HD Broadcaster Wi-Fi Webcam aimed at bloggers and video professionals. Previously leaked under the name "Wireless Webcam for Mac", the camera can wirelessly transmit 720p video at a distance of up to 50 feet over Wi-Fi to an iOS device, a Mac, or a Ustream account.
Skype is offering free Wi-Fi access across the UK and Ireland through its app. A deal signed with hotspot provider Wicoms will let customers connect at no charge at various “high street venues and businesses” across the country, in a move that sees the service offer free Internet connectivity for far longer than previous short-term special events, such as in New York City during New Year's Eve.
Apple has issued a support bulletin for Verizon iPhone 5 regarding plan data usage taking place even when an iPhone 5 is connected over a Wi-Fi network. The bulletin informs customers to update their Verizon carrier settings to 13.1, which will result in the issue being addressed. The new Wi-Fi-related issue is the latest to plague some iOS 6 users since the update went live on September 19.
Samsung has put two compact cameras on sale in the US. Both the MV900F Smart and the previously-seen EX2F Smart are Wi-Fi enabled cameras and are similar in many respects, but while one prioritizes a lower price-point and higher resolution sensor, the other is claimed to have the lowest f-stop of a compact camera currently on the market.
A new industry standard for video streaming is set to directly compete with Apple's AirPlay for dominance of the TV. Industry standards group the Wi-Fi Alliance has started a certification program for the Miracast standard, which will allow compatible devices to display video, images and applications instantly, regardless of brand.
D-Link is adding another Wi-Fi sharing product to its mobility range. The SharePort Go portable hotspot uses Wi-Fi to quickly turn any Internet connection into a hotspot, It can allow any USB drives connected to also be accessed, effectively turning flash drives into temporary network-attached storage.
In-flight Wi-Fi provider Gogo has been given approval to offer its service in Canada. Industry Canada has issued a subordinate license to the company, allowing it to serve flights using its air-to-ground radio-based technology. Both internal flights and those crossing the border into the US will get access.
Throughout the month of September, the Wall Street Journal is offering free Wi-Fi across more than 1,300 hotspots in New York and another 1,000 in San Francisco. The New York hotspots blanket the entirety of high-traffic neighborhoods like Times Square, West Village, and Washington Square Park. Popular locations such as Nob Hill and Fisherman's Wharf will be covered in San Francisco.
Sony has two new NEX compact body, mirrorless cameras in the works after the models turned up in the product inventory of a Sony Indonesian agency. The NEX-5R looks to be a revamped version of the popular NEX-5 series of cameras, but upgraded with at least the addition of Wi-Fi capability. Also apparent in the leak is an all-new model, the NEX-6, which looks destined to fill the large price void between the NEX-5 and the NEX-7 in Sony's lineup.
The Western Digital brand typically conjures thoughts of hard drives or other storage devices, however the California-based company has continued to push its way into the home-networking market. The My Net N900 router exemplifies this new focus, bringing dual-band 802.11n connectivity and a slew of high-end features that attempt to balance raw performance with simple setup and superior traffic management. In our full review, we attempt to determine if the device is worth its hefty price.
New York City has started a pilot program to add Wi-Fi access to its payphones. The new scheme sees an initial ten kiosks gain cost- and advertisement-free public Wi-Fi in the city, with a view to expanding the service to more locations if it is considered a success.
Delta Airlines has expanded its onboard Wi-Fi offerings to include international flights. The Gogo-powered Inflight Internet Service will be added to more than 150 aircraft in Delta's international fleet, including the Airbus 330 and the Boeing 777, 767, 757 and 747.
Intel has agreed to buy 1,700 mobile patents from InterDigital. The $375 million cash deal sees patents for Wi-Fi, 3G, and LTE technologies head to the processor giant, which is expected to expand its push into the mobile market. The patent sale comes six months after InterDigital decided against selling itself entirely, preferring to continue its patent licensing business.
Virgin Media has named the first London Underground stations that will be Wi-Fi enabled for no charge during the summer. The Internet service provider is installing hotspots at stations in the UK capital ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games, with 80 stations due to be set up by the end of July, and 120 stations by the end of the year.
Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology have demonstrated transmission speeds of 3Gb/s at 542GHz, the BBC reports. This development could mean greatly increased wireless transmission speeds, up to 20 times faster than 802.11n Wi-Fi transmission rates and slightly faster than the 1.7Gbps speeds that Netgear claims for its new 802.11ac equipment.
Today Amped Wireless, which specializes in high-range wireless equipment, announced the availability of what it claims is the industry's most powerful indoor Wi-Fi option. The R20000G High Power Wireless-N Gigabit Dual Band Router boasts a Wi-Fi coverage area roughly the size of a major league baseball diamond.
The IEEE has published expanded standards for increased speeds and simpler communications in Wi-Fi. The revision, called IEEE 802.11-2012, increases the scope of the existing networking standards to include more supported devices and improve cellular network hand-offs. This is the fourth revision of the standard since the original publication in 1997.
Samsung has revealed three new mirrorless cameras for its 2012 lineup of NX cameras. The NX1000 ($699), NX210 ($899) and NX20 ($1099) all arrive utilizing the APS-C format, incorporate a 20.3-megpixel CMOS image sensor, can capture 1080p video and have an ISO range up to 12,800. Each model also now includes Wi-Fi for sharing of photos directly from the camera, wirelessly.
Toshiba has begun shipping the Camileo AIR10, a pocket camcorder that features Wi-Fi connectivity. The device enables users to shoot 1080p video and upload the content to the Internet or a computer without requiring a direct connection via USB. The Wi-Fi connection also enables wireless webcam and streaming functionality.
AT&T officially is making Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) available to HTC Vivid owners. Although the carrier is recommending that all users update their devices, the upgrade is not automatic. Owners must connect to a Wi-Fi network and then start the download through an update check.
Samsung has announced that it has started shipping its DualView, Wi-Fi enabled DV300F pocket camera around the globe. However, while the company has made the product available on time, it may retail for anywhere up to $260 although it had been priced at $199 during CES 2012. The camera is the latest in its line of DualView cameras and features a second 1.5-inch front display giving subjects a better sense of how they appear when a photo is taken,
Apple has issued an update over the weekend specifically for iMacs (late 2009 and newer) entitled Wi-Fi Update v1.0 that is said to correct an issue where the unit does not automatically re-connect to a known Wi-Fi network after waking from sleep. The update requires that users be running the latest version of Lion (10.7.3) and weighs in at 25.81MB. It's available for all supported OS X languages.
Intel is readying a new dual-core Atom-based chip with a digital 2.4GHz Wi-Fi receiver built into the same die. Dubbed Rosepoint, the new architecture is built on a 32nm process and will show for the first time as a research project (PDF) at ISSCC 2012 in San Francisco. For end-users, devices equipped this technology significantly improve power consumption and produce a more reliable Wi-Fi connection than current analogue-based receivers.
Congress has has passed a bill allowing spectrum previously set aside for TV broadcasts to be used for next-generation Wi-Fi services and Bluetooth. According to CIO, a portion of the band will be offered up for unlicensed use by long-distance ‘super Wi-Fi’ services. A separate portion of the TV spectrum will be utilized as a nationwide mobile broadband service for emergency services.
Two applications from Google to the FCC, one asking to test a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enabled "entertainment device" from December and other seeking to set up a residential gateway using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth from earlier this month may indicate that Google is planning to deploy or at least support future 802.11ac networks and devices, which would dramatically increase transmission speeds for HD video and other data throughout a local network.
Microsoft has provided details on how it has optimized its upcoming Windows 8 OS for mobile and wireless networking. Integrated into the new architecture are tools to automatically toggle between mobile broadband and Wi-Fi networks based on data transmission costs, seamlessly switch between networks without interruption, and view diverse networks, including Wi-Fi, mobile broadband like 3G and 4G, and Bluetooth, from a unified interface. The new Windows can even stay connected to a network even when the PC is in a low power state such as sleep-mode or when the screen is turned off.
Residents of Belarus are reportedly facing a new law that bars attempts to access foreign websites. The new regulations also threaten to impose fines for Internet cafes, public Wi-Fi providers and individuals that share connections if they do not identify users who violate the law and submit the data to authorities. Separate reports suggest the government of Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur has taken a contrasting approach, requiring restaurants all restaurants to offer Wi-Fi to customers.
The US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) has reportedly issued a warning regarding a vulnerability in Wi-Fi routers that use Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) PINs. The security flaw, which was said to be discovered by security researcher Stefan Viehbock, enables hackers to easily gain access to routers by using brute-force attacks and software tools to guess the PIN codes.
Sirius XM's new Lynx satellite radio, first revealed in October, has reached the FCC for approval. The radio will be one of the first devices to support Sirius's expanded broadcast capabilities. The portable audio device runs a modified version of Android and is one of the few devices outside of phones and tablets to get the treatment.
Samsung has finally demonstrated its SE-208BW Smart Media Hub, which was originally announced in September. The device offers the same basic functionality as many other media hubs, however it adds a CD/DVD burner. Users can stream audio CDs or DVD content over Wi-Fi networks to play on smartphones, tablets or PCs.
TP-Link has expanded its 802.11n router lineup with a new pocket router and a portable router for 3G modems. The pocket router enables users create a Wi-Fi network after connecting it to a network or modem via Ethernet. Users can also configure the device to work as a range extender or a wireless bridge to expand the connectivity of existing Wi-Fi networks.
United and Continental Airlines have announced that they will have Wi-Fi access on all their main flights by 2015. The companies have chosen Panasonic Avionics to install the Wi-Fi systems on over 300 of their aircraft. The companies chose the Panasonic system because it offers Ku-band satellite technology that delivers faster air to ground speeds and wireless streaming of video content.
Starting in mid-October, T-Mobile will be holding a month plus long launch of 12 new phones, tablets and Wi-Fi hotspots, a leak uncovered Tuesday. The roll-out will start October 10, and continue until November 19. The busiest day will be November 2, when the carrier will put forward six new smartphones.
When T-Mobile launched the RIM BlackBerry Bold 9900 in August, It irked its customers because the new smartphone was being shipped without any Internet calling support. The carrier acknowledged the deficiency and promised to fix the situation with a future software update. A new maintenance release, with at least a partial solution, is expected in November.
A company called Joypad has released a self-title free app for the iPhone that turns it into a Wi-Fi, ad-hoc or Bluetooth synced controller for some popular retro-style games, including Super Mega Worm, Vertex Blaster and others. The app offers multi-button presses, five controller layouts (with support for additional ones), accelerometer and multi-player support as well as options for retro gaming. Joypad supports select iOS as well as Mac or Windows games.
Qantas Airlines will begin offering iPads on a trial basis to its passengers for in-flight entertainment. The airline will be offering the devices to all 254 passengers on the plane. It will conduct the experiment on a single Boeing 767-300 aircraft flying between Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
Popular VOIP and telephony app Line2 has released a Line2 HD version for the iPad that lets users make or receive calls as well as text-message using Wi-Fi or 3G. The app requires an existing Line2 account (due to App Store restrictions, users must get the account from the website rather than within the app) and allows users to port over existing phone numbers, supports Visual Voicemail and generally turns the iPad into a full-fledged mobile phone.
Ooma has introduced a wireless accessory for its Telo home phone system. The Air adapter attaches directly to the back of the Telo box, enabling connection to a home network via Wi-Fi rather than requiring users to route an Ethernet cable. The wireless option is claimed to support the same level of quality as a direct connection.
Delta has announced that it is expanding its in-flight Wi-Fi service to include a number of additional regional aircraft. The program is set to include Bombardier CRJ700 jets operated by Delta Connection carrier Atlantic Southeast Airlines. The company claims to be the first carrier to offer Wi-Fi services across its entire mainline and two-class regional fleet, which include a total of more than 800 aircraft.
