Consumerist
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freebies
Google Offering Temporary Free WiFi Access At 47 Airports
From now until January 15th, 2010, Google will offer free WiFi access at 47 airports around the country. As part of the promotion, they'll be collecting donations through Google Checkout for three non-profit organizations and will provide matching funds up to $250,000. But whether you donate or not, there's a much better chance now that you'll be able to go online while waiting for your flight. Imagine all the airline tips you can send to us!
"Free WiFi for the Holidays" [Google via IntoMobile]
(Photo: quinn.anya) -
false advertising
Hilton Complimentary Internet Access In Lobby Costs $10 A Day
At Hilton Washington Dulles Airport hotel, everything is complimentary! That's because to them "complimentary" actually means "for a price." Last week, a linguistics professor tried to take advantage of their "Complimentary High-speed Internet access on the lobby level," which is how they describe the service on their website. He quickly discovered that he'd have to agree to a $9.99 charge in order to get the free service. More » -
free
Borders To Offer Free Wifi
Later this month, Borders and Verizon will roll out free Wifi access in "virtually all" Borders stores, with no password or access fee required. Borders' CEO Ron Marshall says their goal is to extend "the open atmosphere of exploration that is at the core of every great bookstore experience," and then he said something about building a community, yakkity yak. You know how press releases are. Whatever, Marshall, we're just happy you're offering free Wifi access!
"Borders teams up with Verizon for free in-store WiFi" [IntoMobile]
(Photo: ginnerobot) -
potential for rudeness
Should Airplane Passengers Be Allowed To Make VoIP Calls?
Until now, airplane cabins have been blessedly free from idle phone chatter thanks to FAA regulations. Now, thanks to the introduction of wi-fi on commercial flights, it's time to ask: should passengers be able to use Skype, Google Voice, or another VoIP service of their choice to make phone calls in the air? More » -
smartphones
AT&T To Offer Free Wi-Fi Hotspot Access To Windows Mobile Users
If you have a WinMo smartphone, you're in luck. (Wow, I never thought I'd be typing that.) Starting September 14th, AT&T will open up its approximately 20,000 Wi-Fi hotspots to Windows Mobile customers with "qualifying plans." According to AT&T, that should mean most WinMo customers as "most [already] have a qualifying data plan." More » -
wifi
People Love Airplane Wi-Fi, But They Don't Love Paying For It
The WSJ's latest "Middle Seat" column is about that holy grail for all internet-lovers — airplane Wi-Fi. It turns out that people love, love, love it... but pay for it? Nah. More » -
joy
Wi-Fi Coming To Southwest Airlines Next Year
Southwest says a test of Wi-Fi on its planes was successful, so they're going to expand the service to all of their planes next year. More » -
free
Free Wifi For All At Barnes & Noble Stores
The new ebook offering from Barnes & Noble may not be that compelling—it's all the DRM badness of Amazon, but not always the lower prices—and yet something awesome has come out of it. Starting immediately, all customers can access free Wi-Fi in any B&N store. More » -
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how to
Access Commercial WiFi Hotspots At Airports For Free
We all know the crushing defeat of logging onto an open WiFi hotspot at an airport only to discover that you need to pay to reach the internet. No more! If the portal has a space for promotion codes, go ask the gift shop if they have a coupon for free access. If they don't, you're not out of options... More » -
air travel
One Man's Publicity Stunt Is Another's Vision Of Hell
I mentioned comedian and filmmaker Mark Malkoff in passing in a post about Starbucks last week, not knowing that he would embark on a new project this week. He's making a career out of bizarre feats of consumer endurance, such as visiting all 171 Manhattan Starbucks outlets in one day, and living in the Paramus, NJ IKEA for a week. Now, as part of a campaign to publicize AirTrain's new in-flight wi-fi, he's living on an AirTran plane for 30 days and posting his adventures on the Internet. Yes. That's an entire month. Most of which will probably be spent on the tarmac in Atlanta. More » -
not recommended
Comcast: Don't Use Your Residential Account To Sell WiFi To Apartment Buildings
OceanNet is a company that provides building-wide WiFi to residential buildings in Ocean City, Maryland. One problem — the WiFi was really just some guy's Comcast account. More » -
poll
Will You Pay $12.95 For WiFi On United Airlines?
United Airlines has announced that passengers on flights from New York City to Los Angeles and San Francisco will soon have access to WiFi... for $12.95. More » -
flying porn
The WiFi Porn Party Is Over At American Airlines
American Airlines has changed its mind about its liberal anti-porn-filtering policy and will, indeed, attempt to stop that guy in a trench coat from downloading naughty content. More » -
Verizon Policy Blog
Verizon's Policy Blog V. SmarterChild
Verizon's so-called "policy blog" is a grotesquely self-serving marketing orifice, perhaps the worst corporate blog we've ever read. We decided to stack Verizon's inane sales schmaltz against the internet's preeminent bullshit-spewing chatbot, SmarterChild.... More » -
how to
The Idiot-Proof Way To Securely Use Public Wi-Fi
We talk a lot on this blog about personal data and privacy, but not so much about how to secure that data on your own computer. That's because a.) we're not Lifehacker and b.) the solutions frequently bloat into crazy, jargon-filled recipes that scare away the non-IT crowd. Not this time! For all you novices, here is a single idea you should consider that will help keep your personal data personal, and make your identity that much harder to steal. More »
1:30 PM on Mon Oct 6 2008
By Chris Walters
53,394 views, 76 commentsMost discussed mariospants: Just a question for you uber geeks: after a little researching, I could find no real way (outside of the more »
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Chrysler announces WiFi-enabled cars: "We want to make the radio itself a WiFi port," a spokesperson said. The service will require a subscription to a wireless phone carrier. [Washington Post]
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Today is indeed the beginning of the Starbucks Free-Wifi era. Hooray for "2008 as a year of transformation in a difficult macroeconomic environment." Or whatever. Customers who register a Starbucks card and use it twice a month will get 2 hours of free WiFi per day. [Seattle P-I]
MORE »
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free
Rumors: Starbucks To Launch Free WiFi Tuesday
A blogger who is friends with a Starbucks manager says that it looks like the long-awaited free AT&T WiFi, even if you're not an AT&T customer, inside Starbucks will launch tomorrow. A few caveats:
1. You have to have a registered Starbucks card and use it at least once a month
2. You only get 2 free hours per day
3. You will still have to carve out your own piece of square footage, maneuvering among the limbs, inconveniently placed bags, adaptor cords, and deadly gazes other Starbucks laptop campers use to claim their territory.[Zatznotfunny via Gizmodo]
(Photo: smcgee)
wifi
New York, 9:50 PM
Tue Nov 10
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