Well, there’s cheerful news to start off the week: Researchers have discovered and disclosed a massive WiFi vulnerability that puts everyone’s private data at risk. How massive? Basically, if you can read this story, congratulations — you’re almost certainly affected. [More]
wifi
Delta Now Lets Passengers Send (Some) Inflight Text Messages
By 9.27.17
The next time you’re on a Delta Air Lines flight and want to tell the pal picking you up at the airport that your flight is delayed (or ask your mom to please make sure there are cheese curds in the refrigerator upon your arrival), you’ll be able to send a text message from the air — for free. [More]
The iOS 11 Control Center Doesn’t Really Turn Off WiFi Or Bluetooth
By 9.21.17
During Apple’s announcement earlier this month of new products, there was also something for users who are happy with their old devices: A new version of the company’s operating system for phones and tablets, iOS 11. However, one handy feature of the new operating system — a menu that lets users quickly access certain functions at any time by swiping up — doesn’t actually work the way it appears to. [More]
Apple Admits Its Brand-New Watch Has Trouble Connecting To Cell Service
By 9.21.17
While Apple has been busy bragging about the fact that its new Series 3 smart watch has integrated cellular communication capabilities — meaning you don’t need to connect it with your phone anymore — just before it starts shipping those devices, the company is admitting that they’re having LTE connectivity problems. [More]
American Airlines Ditching Seatback TVs In Some New Planes. Will They Be Missed?
By 1.25.17
Not that long ago, “in-flight entertainment” consisted of having to crane your neck to watch a bland, inoffensive movie on shared screens — and that’s assuming your headphones worked. Then individual seat-back screens expanded viewing options; more movies, shows, and games to choose from. But with nearly everyone now carrying some sort of personal entertainment device, are these small screens necessary? American Airlines doesn’t think so. [More]
JetBlue Offering Passengers Free WiFi On All Flights
By 1.11.17
When traveling by air it might seem like you have to pay for every little thing: checked bags, seats with leg room, among other things. But passengers on JetBlue will now be getting one thing free: WiFi. [More]
Apple Kills Off Its Router Division, Reassigns Employees To Stuff That Sells
By 11.21.16
Once upon a time, at the dawn of the WiFi age, Apple’s AirPort Base Station was a not-ugly plug-and-play option for computer users looking to untether from ethernet cables. In spite of having got off to such a great start, Apple’s router business has sagged since — and now it’s being put out to pasture. [More]
American Airlines’ In-Flight WiFi Love Triangle
By 11.9.16
While it’s no secret that American Airlines has been working with in-flight WiFi provider ViaSat to offer speedier connections, its current partner GoGo can’t be too thrilled that the carrier has plans to install its rival’s service in about 500 more of its aircraft. [More]
Facebook Is Launching Yet Another Snapchat Clone
By 11.9.16
In its latest attempt to lure Snapchat users away from the photo-sharing app, Facebook has launched yet another service that basically does exactly what Snapchat does. [More]
Kiosk-Hogging Complaints Drop 82% After NYC Blocks Porn At Free WiFi Spots
By 10.5.16
Now that New Yorkers can no longer “inappropriately” use the city’s free WiFi kiosks while web browsing, the agency that runs the program says reports of people monopolizing the spots has dropped 82%. Weird. [More]
Reminder: Your iPhone’s WiFi Assist May Get You Data Overage Charges Galore
By 9.2.16
If you need a reminder to turn off the WiFi assist feature included in iOS 9, now’s the time, after yet another report of folks getting hit with data overages because they weren’t aware of what their phones were doing without their knowledge. [More]
McDonald’s Starts Blocking Porn Access Over Free WiFi
By 7.14.16
If you’ve been using McDonald’s free WiFi to check out the latest porn while eating a McGriddle, we’ve got some bad news for you.
[More]
T-Mobile Thinks A Free Hour Of Inflight WiFi Is The Price of Your Love
By 6.23.16
What does it take to get your heart rate up? Candy? Flowers? Or perhaps free WiFi? That’s the route to romance T-Mobile is taking, offering everyone — including non-customers — an hour of complimentary Gogo WiFi on domestic flights this weekend. [More]
Nest Thermostats Were Leaking ZIP Codes Over WiFi
By 1.20.16
The Nest thermostat is a popular smart device that supposedly helps users to save money on heating and cooling, and also have a cool-looking round electronic device on their walls. Yet two researchers at Princeton University pointed out a problem that should terrify most Nest users: their thermostats were broadcasting their location, unencrypted, over WiFi. [More]
Hilton’s DoubleTree Hotel Now Offering Fee Packages For Extras Like WiFi, Drink Service
By 12.28.15
Just like airlines, hotels charge customers an array of fees for everything from WiFi access, minibar usage, premium coffee, and other little extras. Instead of surprising guests with these costs when they check in (or, even worse, when they go to pay their bill at checkout), one hotel company is experimenting with packages of add-ons that customers can select when they check in. [More]
Company Faces $718K Fine For Blocking WiFi Hotspots At Baltimore Convention Center
By 11.2.15
Another company is learning about the fine points of Section 333 of the Communications Act, which prohibits willful interference with any licensed or authorized radio communications. This time, it’s the folks who provided the Baltimore Convention Center’s in-house WiFi service who were caught by the FCC trying to block individual WiFi hotspot users from going online. Meanwhile, Hilton is also being slapped with a proposed fine for its failure to comply with an investigation into its alleged hotspot blocking. [More]
Wireless Companies Have A Plan To Make Your Mobile Data Faster And Better… But It Might Break WiFi
By 10.19.15
Over the last couple of years we’ve all finally gotten used to 4G LTE being the mobile standard our phones use… so of course, the next network tech is already in development. The wireless companies’ plans for expanding LTE networks sound simple: piggyback off spectrum that’s sitting right there, available for anyone to use, so the metaphorical pipes can be bigger. Except that could cause big problems for basically all the wireless tech we already use. [More]
