Entries tagged with “Samsung Jack” from WIRELESS AND MOBILE NEWS

The Samsung Jack is now the official. This successful successor to the BlackJack and BlackJack II, will go on sale May 19. It offers office, music, and video features with a QWERTY keyboard.

If you don't know Jack about iPhones this smartphone has many of the same features of iPhone at a much lower price. For its features the Samsung Jack is good deal especially when you use the Wireless and Mobile news $50 off online only coupon-link with qualifying contracts (data & voice) making the virtual cost $50.

The Samsung Jack's keyboard is optimized for easy and accurate messaging, including SMS, instant messaging and access to multiple e-mail accounts.

Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile on the  Samsung Jack keeps enterprise and small business customers connected with synchronization of schedules and contacts, Internet Explorer Mobile provides improved quick and easy web browsing and Office Mobile enhances productivity with the ability to manage Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. The Jack will also be upgradable to Windows Mobile 6.5.

Additional features of the Samsung Jack include 256 MB RAM, a 3.2 megapixel camera with video-capture capabilities, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) to connect with home or office networks, and built-in aGPS for use with AT&T Navigator, AT&T Navigator Global Edition and other GPS-based applications for personal and business use.

WAAV, said Amtrak selected the AirBox X4 multiple-connection 3G cellular router to provide wireless Internet service to the Presidential inaugural train.Multiple WAAV will be keeping the President-elect, guests, and press connected to the Internet while in transit, allowing them to check email, message supporters, surf the Internet, and check for the latest online news stories.

Amtrak officials tested WAAV's AirBox late last year and recently chose WAAV's latest product, the AirBox X4, the world's first quad connection cellular router, for Presidential use.<

Brian J. Smith, president of WAAV, Inc. "The team at Amtrak has worked diligently to make this happen, and we are thankful to be a part of this project." WAAV is a leading provider of wireless Internet to the mass transit industry, having been chosen recently by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority to provide wireless Internet on Boston's commuter rail in addition to providing mobile WiFi services for many other mass transit authorities.There is not word yet, if Obama's BlackBerry has Wi-Fi and if he will surfing the net while riding to Washington.

United Airlines will begin offering Aircell's Gogo Wi-Fi service to customers onboard its transcontinental service between New York and California sometime during the summer

The service will be available to United customers traveling in all classes of service for a flat fee of $12.95.

Delta Air Lined will be offering Gogo Inflight Internet service onboard six of the airline's aircraft, starting tomorrow.

Inflight Internet will be available first on five MD-88 aircraft flying Delta Shuttle routes between New York's LaGuardia Airport and Boston's Logan and Washington's Reagan airports plus one Boeing 757 flying throughout Delta's domestic system, with service spreading to other Delta routes as additional aircraft are introduced.

To celebrate the launch, Delta passengers traveling on the Gogo-equipped MD-88 Shuttle aircraft will be treated to a holiday surprise with complimentary access to Gogo during a Dec. 16 - 31, 2008 promotional period.

Boingo Wireless has acquired Opti-Fi Networks, Wi-Fi infrastructure implementation and management for airports around North America.Boingo will be adding 25 new airports to its footprint.

AT&T that will acquire Wi-Fi provider Wayport, for approximately $275 million in cash.

The acquisition expands the AT&T Wi-Fi footprint to nearly 20,000 domestic hotspots, takes the company's global Wi-Fi presence to more than 80,000 locations, and creates thousands of new ways for customers worldwide to stay in touch.  Wayport hotspots are in key locations, including select Wyndham, Marriott Vacation Club and Four Seasons hotels; HealthSouth and Sun Healthcare locations; plus McDonald's restaurants.

AT&T is offering free AT&T Wi-Fi service to current and new customers of select smartphones, including the new BlackBerry Bold. AT&T has the nation's largest Wi-Fi network, with more than 17,000 hot spots including Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, and thousands of other locations.

Southwest Airlines will be the first US carrier to test satellite-delivered broadband Internet access on multiple aircraft. The trial will begin with a Boeing 737-700 followed by three Boeing 737s in the first quarter.

The service is provided by Row 44. Southwest Customers with a Wi-Fi enabled device will have full access to the Internet including e-mail, music, shopping, and virtual private networks (VPN) via a high-speed connection.

Airline attendants on planes with Wi-Fi Internet access have received complaints from passengers who can see porn on fellow travelers’ devices that lead to Delta’s decision to filter inappropriate content.

Boingo Wireless announced the launch of Boingo service at both Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Ronald Reagan Airport (DCA) in the Washington, DC area. Boingo members can now use their Boingo login and passwords on the Boingo landing page to access the Internet or automatically connect using GoBoingo software at both of these airports.

Boingo's Wi-Fi network is now available to the more than 24 million passengers that go through Dulles International Airport annually, and the more than 18 million annual passengers that fly through Ronald Reagan Airport. Passengers with Wi-Fi enabled laptops, mobile phones or PDAs are able to connect to the Internet to check their e-mail, access corporate servers, download documents and surf the Web from anywhere in the airport.  

Several sources note that Cablevision will launch an extensive Wi-Fi network this fall in the NY NJ CN Tri-State area. The $300 million network will be available to Cablevision broadband Internet subscribers for free, heating up the broadband/free Wi-Fi competition for AT&T.

Wi-Fi hotspots are continuing to grow greatly in 2008. According to ABI Research's WI-FI Hotspots Forecasts, by the end of this year global hotspots will grow by 40% over 2007. The greatest growth and the largest number of hotspots continue to be found in Europe. While the UK has long led in European Wi-Fi hotspots, there is also marked growth in France, Germany, and Russia.

Most remarkable about the hotspot market, says vice president and research director Stan Schatt, are the dynamics of a fast-changing business model. "Starbucks' decision to go to a virtually free Wi-Fi hotspot model is having a profound impact. Hotspot owners are beginning to see Wi-Fi as a cost of doing business and an operational expense, rather than as a profit center." Schatt expects major retailers to move towards a free service model in phases. "The first phase is likely to be a free or almost free service for good customers, those who have signed up for loyalty cards."

One reason hotspot owners are willing to move towards such a business model, according to Schatt, is the realization that, "Charging for service is counter-productive in the long run because the real money will be in value-add content downloads." In the near future hotspots are likely to encourage users to pay to download the latest music and TV shows. Airport clubs are likely to offer hotspot users the chance to download movies for their upcoming trips. Starbucks has already begun selling music CDs in its stores. The next logical step will be to move to selling music downloads.

Alltel Wireless is offering premium Wi-Fi access to more than 25,000 hotspots developed through Alltel’s relationship with Boingo Wireless.

Alltel Wi-Fi is available for purchase by anyone in the United States as a stand alone offer. Consumers can access unlimited Wi-Fi access for $19.99 per month or $3.99 per day with no contract commitment. In the past year, more than 15,000 additional hotspots have been added to Alltel’s nationwide service, which includes thousands of hotels, bookstores, coffee shops and fast food restaurants. Travelers can also take advantage of Alltel’s premium Wi-Fi service, which provides Internet access in more than 100 of the nation’s airports and thousands of hotspots across Canada, Mexico and Europe. Exact locations of Wi-Fi hotspots can be found at http://wifi.alltel.com and downloadable Wi-Fi software for laptops can be downloaded for free at http://software.alltel.com.

Recently, Alltel Wireless began offering an Internet Anywhere Bundle, allowing Alltel customers to bundle their Wireless Internet plan with unlimited Wi-Fi access for their laptop. The $69.98 per month bundle gives customers the choice of connecting to either Alltel’s EVDO network or a Wi-Fi hotspot. More information about the bundle is available at www.alltel.com/internet.

MetroFi, a provider of free ad-supported and premium no-ad supptorted  WiFi services told subscribers in California and Illinois that it will be shutting down its service on June 20. Users are encouraged to remove the MSN SideGuide application from their computers.

There are reports that nodes are for sale for $135 in CA and other cities are up for sale. The nodes are on street lamps.

They refer former subscribers to http://www.wififreespot.com/ to look for other free options.

"Wi-fi on steriods." That's one of the many potential uses for the wireless spectrum that is now lying unused between TV channels, Larry Page told the New America Foundation in DC this week.

But why does Google care about helping more people get access to the web, whether it's through enhanced wi-fi or other means? As Larry put it, Google's mission is to organize the world's information -- but if no one has access to the Internet, what good is that effort? That's one of the big reasons Google has become steadily more engaged in spectrum policy debates in Washington. In his talk, Larry said that:

• The U.S. has slipped from third to sixteenth in broadband penetration rates, in part because the U.S. has not shown leadership in encouraging greater broadband access. Utilizing the unused TV "white spaces" for broadband access would be a tremendous opportunity to bring the Internet to more Americans -- including those in rural areas and first responders. Because of the much longer range of these spectrum signals, wireless broadband access utilizing the TV white spaces could be brought to more consumers using fewer base stations -- in effect, "wi-fi on steriods"

For more information go to the Google Public Policy Blog.

AT&T announced that qualifying LaptopConnect customers can now access more than 17,000 Wi-Fi hot spots free of charge. Users can access Wi-Fi at nearly 7,000 participating Starbucks locations plus thousands more AT&T Wi-Fi^SM locations, including restaurants, airports, hotels and other convenient locations across the United States.

AT&T LaptopConnect uses AT&T's wireless network to keep customers connected to e-mail, the Internet and business applications almost anywhere they can make a phone call. Qualifying LaptopConnect customers will now automatically receive a pop-up message alerting them to Wi-Fi availability when in range of an AT&T hot spot. At that point, customers who have downloaded the latest AT&T Communication Manager software to their laptop PC just need to click Connect to access the Wi-Fi connectivity. The offer is available to customers who subscribe to a DataConnect plan of $59.99 or more.¹ AT&T Communication Manager comes with new LaptopConnect cards and is available for free at www.att.com/laptopconnect.

Row 44,  provider of airborne broadband systems for commercial aviation, is scheduled to perform commercial trials with Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines in North America this summer.

Airline customers will pay a fee to access the service.

Cablevision is expected more than $300 million to supply Wi-Fi technology to  the New York metro area and on Long Island over the next two years. AT&T is already offering free Wi-Fi hotspot service to its subscribers. It could help Cablevision win the fight against Verizon's super fast FIOS installation in the area.

The AT&T Tilt, their first Windows Mobile 6 smart device, features a slide-out QWERTY keypad design, a 3-megapixel camera, 3G data speeds, 3 e-mail connectivity types, Bluetooth, WiFi, touchscreen, GPS and complete global connectivity will be available on October 5.

The Tilt is the first US Windows Mobile device to come with BlackBerry Connect and Windows mobile applications The 2.8 inch color screen tilts to a 45 degree angle. It sells for $299 with a two year contract.

"There is no device on the market that packs the number of features that are available on the Tilt," said Michael Woodward, vice president, Business Voice/Data & Mobility Products, AT&T.