Wi-Fi use with AT&T has exploded. In the second quarter, AT&T handled 68.1 million connections on its public Wi-Fi network -- up from 15 million connections in the second quarter of 2009. That's up 30% over the last quarter.

AT&T  Customers have made 121.2 million Wi-Fi connections in the first half of 2010, already far surpassing the 85.5 million connections made in all of 2009.

AT&T is also exploring new uses of Wi-Fi to provide an additional mobile broadband option in areas with consistently high 3G traffic and mobile data use. In the second quarter, AT&T deployed a pilot Wi-Fi hotzone in New York City's Times Square to help AT&T customers stay connected in one of the busiest locations in the world. AT&T plans to deploy additional hotzones in other areas across the country soon.

Starbucks will turn on free Wi-Fi with one click on July 1 at U.S. and Canadian company-operated stores.

Customers with Wi-Fi-enabled laptops, tablets and mobile phones will have unlimited Internet access to surf the Web, connect with social networks, search for jobs or work at their neighborhood Starbucks. Most recently, the free Wi-Fi benefit was limited to two hours a day and only available to members of the My Starbucks Rewards program. The new, unlimited Wi-Fi offering features a one-click entry point, so a username or password will not be required.

Starbucks  has recognized customers' desire for an easier free in store Wi-Fi experience and announced that on July 1, Starbucks will turn on one-click, free Wi-Fi through AT&T in all U.S. company operated stores.

Added on to the Wi-Fi update,  are plans for a new online customer experience called the Starbucks Digital Network, in partnership with Yahoo!, which will debut later this fall.  This online experience allows customers free unrestricted access to various paid sites and services such as wsj.com, exclusive content and previews, free downloads, local community news and activities, on their laptops, tablets or smart phones. 
    

According to AT&T there were 53.1 million AT&T Wi-Fi connections in the first quarter. Smartphones and other integrated devices accounted for the majority of connections made on AT&T’s Wi-Fi network. 69 percent of Wi-Fi connections were made from smartphones and integrated devices, up from 35 percent a year ago in the first quarter of 2009.

In Q1, nearly 32 million AT&T customers had AT&T Wi-Fi access included with their qualifying smartphone, AT&T High Speed Internet and 3G LaptopConnect plans. he total number of AT&T broadband connections — which includes both wireline broadband and wireless LaptopConnect cards — grew by 278,000 in the first quarter to reach 17.5 million in service.

Mos popular AT&T smartphones support auto-authentication at AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots, making it easy to connect.

Wi-Fi provider, Boingo Wireless,  reported that the iPad is now the second most popular non-laptop device connecting to its Wi-Fi networks.

The iPad pushed out former number two, Android and more than doubled the daily number of visits for the previous second place device.

The iPhone is still tops, representing nearly 90% of all non-laptop connections in Boingo's airports. The iPad registered 5.4% of all device connections, while Android tallied 2.5%. Blackberry phones and iPod Touch MP3 players accounted for less than 2% each of total visits. Windows Mobile was less than 1%.

The current version of iPad only connects to the Internet through Wi-Fi.

Today there have been a lot of iPad news stories, the $29.99 unlimited plan from AT&T will be truly unlimited, there have been over 524,000 sold, cost $260 to make, music iPad apps are really popular, Wi-Fi issues have been reported.

SugarSync now works with the iPad and whole bunch of popular aps blasted the app store in time for the iPad launch.

BlackBerry Curve 8530 Rated 3.5 out of 5 by Wireless and Mobile News' Review of Reviews

The BlackBerry Curve 8530 (Verizon) doesn't out-feature the latest smartphones but it does a great job of what BlackBerry does best, email, messaging and business docs, reviewers reported.  All reviews noted that the BlackBerry Cuve 8530  plays music and video well. Reviewers also all liked the call quality and messaging features. The addition of Wi-Fi  and fast snappy processor were praised.

Reviewers called the BlackBerry Curve 8530, entry-level and for first-time buyers and the photo quality was poor. With the latest price of $29.99 (from Verizon after rebates) it can offer value, however, buyers will still have to pay for a data plan like they do with the higher priced smartphones.

Some reviewers liked the new trackpad and keyboard, while some reviewers found the trackpad unresponsive and the QWERTY keyboard worked fine, but was cramped. Reviewers of all BlackBerry smartphones lately have be knocking the BlackBerry browser, an easy remedy is to install the BOLT browser, a favorite of all our readers for PC-like rendering.

The BlackBerry Curve 8530 comes in smokey black and violet. The phone is light and small, therefore you may want to try it out before you buy it. A QWERTY keyboard is always helpful and the violet color is appealing. Most reviewers rated it around 3.5 which is just slightly less than other higher priced smartphones. The BlackBerry Curve 8530 does quality for the popular a Buy One BlackBerry Get Any Free BlackBerry or Select Device deal offer from Verzion and costs $29.99 after a rebate with qualifying contracts. Don't forget you can avoid waiting for a rebate when you use the Wireless and Mobile News' online coupon-link Instant Phone Rebate Only Available with Online Purchase.

Online retailer  Wirefly is offering the BlackBerry Curve 8530 for free with a new Verizon account.Wirefly always offers free shipping.

JiWire,  released its Q4 2009 Mobile Audience Insights Report. The report looks at device use, consumer adoption of Wi-Fi and browsing behavior of people who access the Internet in public locations such as airports, hotels and cafés.

Nearly half of users make purchases online while out of the home and office, and are doing so on a broad range of devices, showing a rapidly changing dynamic of how people are engaging with digital media.

The use of Wi-Fi enabled mobile devices in public hotspot locations continues to increase. Fifty-six percent of respondents report they connect via their smartphone or other mobile device, and for 14 percent a mobile device is the primary means to connect to public Wi-Fi.

Looking at the popularity of mobile operating systems, JiWire's research shows that Google's Android jumped to second place in Q4 of 2009, with 167 percent growth in arket share.

Apple devices including the iPhone and iPod Touch remain the most popular; however, overall market share for the iPhone OS declined two percent in the fourth quarter. The report shows that usage of non-phone mobile devices, such as the Sony PSP, continues to grow among public Wi-Fi users. Three out of the top ten mobile devices used on public Wi-Fi aren't phones.

AT&T mobile broadband customers are increasingly using the the AT&T network. AT&T reported that its customers made a record 85.5 million connections to the Internet in 2009 using AT&T Wi-Fi network, four times the number of Wi-Fi connections made in 2008.

In the fourth quarter 2009, customers made 35.3 million Wi-Fi connections - up 10 million connections from the third quarter of 2009. Fourth quarter connections also surpassed the number of connections made in the entire first half of 2009.

AT&T, expects Wi-Fi usage to continue to surge as more customers utilize Wi-Fi on their smartphones and integrated devices and have Wi-Fi included with their service.

 Smartphones and integrated devices accounted for 72 percent of fourth-quarter connections and 61 percent of the total connections in 2009.

The Ford Motor Company will turn vehicles into rolling Wi-Fi hot spots when it introduces the second generation of its popular SYNC(®) in-car connectivity system next year.

Inserting an owner's compatible USB mobile broadband modem - sometimes called an "air card" - into SYNC's USB port will produce a secure wireless connection that will be broadcast throughout the vehicle, allowing passengers with WiFi-enabled mobile devices to access the Internet anywhere the broadband modem receives connectivity.

"While you're driving to grandma's house, your spouse can be finishing the holiday shopping and the kids can be chatting with friends and updating their Facebook profiles," said Mark Fields, Ford president of The Americas. "And you're not paying for yet another mobile subscription or piece of hardware because Ford will let you use technology you already have."

McDonald's will offer free wireless Internet access (Wi-Fi) at most of its U.S. restaurants, next year.  They have partnered with AT&T for the service.

In the middle of January, Mickey D will stop charging $2.95 for two hours of Internet access at a majority of its location and there will be no time limit for the service.

"McDonald's is about value -- value in our food, value in our services," a McDonald's spokesman said. "It's a natural fit."

The free Wi-Fi is supposed to attract coffee-house sitters and snacker in-between meal times.  It expand on their McCafe concept. McDonald's will also start selling smoothies and other Starbuck's style specialty drinks, next year.

Verizon Wireless has added free Wi-Fi to its mobile broadband and world global packages.
Verizon Wireless now offers Verizon Wi-Fi, a way for Mobile Broadband customers to access thousands of Wi-Fi hotspots at no additional charge.

Verizon Wi-Fi is available in locations across the United States, including airports, bookstores, coffee shops, hotels and other public locations. The service is also available at locations in Canada and Mexico, so customers can reduce data roaming charges in those countries when connected to a Verizon Wi-Fi hotspot.

Customers can search for local hotspots - either by address or type of location such as a hotel or café - via the service. Search results will provide the location's address, a map and driving directions.

Besides celebrating the 40th birthday of Sesame Street, Google along with Boingo Wireless, Advanced Wireless Group, Airport Marketing Income and others will  provide free W-iFi as a holiday gift now through January 15, 2010.

The gift of free wireless currently includes 47 airports, including Las Vegas, San Jose, Boston, Baltimore, Burbank, Houston, Indianapolis, Seattle, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, St. Louis and Charlotte. Additionally, as a result of this project, Burbank and Seattle airports will begin offering airport-wide free WiFi indefinitely.

The upcoming Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's holiday is one of the heaviest travel seasons of the year, and according to FAA estimates, over 100 million people will pass through the participating airports between now and January 15, 2010.

Due to bad weather and other extenuating circumstances, travelers often have extra time on their hands in the airport after they pass through security - 70 minutes, on average. Not surprisingly, having an Internet connection during this time can make a difference. A recent study conducted by the Wi0Fi Alliance reported that 50% of business travelers take red-eye flights in order to be "reachable" during business hours, and an overwhelming 82% said that being connected through Wi-Fi would help solve that problem.

Boingo Wireless, provider network of Wi-Fi hotspots,  announced the availability of its authentication software and Boingo Mobile service for the BlackBerry platform. Available immediately from the Boingo Download Center,

Boingo Mobile offers BlackBerry smartphone owners with an alternative to cellular data through one-click, high-speed access to Boingo's Wi-Fi network of over 100,000 hotspots.

The Boingo Mobile application will at first be available for the BlackBerry Curve 8900, BlackBerry Curve 8320 and BlackBerry Bold smartphones. Boingo will announce support for additional BlackBerry  models as they become available.

The free Boingo Mobile application improves the Wi-Fi user experience for BlackBerry smartphone owners by providing a convenient, automated way to connect. It automatically notifies users when they are in a Boingo hotspot, and connects to the Boingo network with a single click. Boing Wi-Fi acess costs $7.95 which could mean savings over pay per megabyte data plans.

JiWire released its Mobile Audience Insights Report that shows demographic and behavioral interests of Wi-Fi users.  Wi-Fi users are rich, travel and buy a lot of tech stuff.

The café Wi-Fi audience also reported that 38 percent make an online purchase during their visit and 77 percent are in the market to make a major purchase in the next 12 months.

AT&T reported a huge second-quarter increase in the number of Wi-Fi connections on the AT&T network, fueled by the rising number of customers with Wi-Fi enabled smartphones.

In the second quarter, AT&T handled nearly 15 million Wi-Fi connections on its network -- a 41 percent increase over the first quarter. With approximately 25.6 million connections so far in 2009, AT&T Wi-Fi connections this year have already surpassed the 20 million connections seen in all of 2008.

The number of customers with Wi-Fi access as part of their AT&T service, also continues to grow. AT&T broadband connections -- which include both wireline broadband and wireless LaptopConnect cards -- grew by 209,000 in the second quarter to reach 16.9 million in service. AT&T includes unlimited Wi-Fi access with qualifying AT&T High Speed Internet plans, 3G LaptopConnect plans and with select smartphone plans.

Wi-Fi Connections Increasingly From Smartphones Versus Laptops

In the second quarter, 49 percent of the total connections were made by integrated devices. This is an increase of 41 percent over the first quarter 2009 -- a significant shift that tracks with the growth of Wi-Fi enabled devices.

Mmmn lets see how the sale of  52 million new iPhones increase Wi-Fi traffic.

Barnes & Noble with the help of AT&T will provide complimentary in-store Wi-Fi to any customer that visits a Barnes & Noble bookstore nationwide.

The existing AT&T Wi-Fi network at Barnes & Noble has been available to customers since 2005. Now, anybody walking into a Barnes & Noble store anywhere in the country will have complimentary and unlimited access to the network at all store locations.

As a part of the Wi-Fi offering announced today, customers will soon be able to opt-in to receive personalized messages from Barnes & Noble -- such as a coupon to the in-store café, notices on an author book signing or details on where to find a new book release in their favorite genre -- on their Wi-Fi enabled devices when they enter the store.

Customers can also download free Barnes & Noble Apps giving them access to the world's largest eBookstore with over 700,000 eBooks titles and exclusive content, customer reviews, information about in-store events, store locations, and more.

US Airways flys with Wi-Fi via Aircell’s Gogo Inflight Internet service beginning in early 2010. Full Internet access including Web, Instant Messaging, email and VPN access will be available for purchase to passengers with laptops, smartphones and other Wi-Fi enabled devices.

“Gogo Inflight Internet will allow our customers to make the most of their flying time by catching up on work or relaxing and surfing the Internet. This is an exciting new option for our passengers that we believe will enhance their travel experience,” said Andrew Nocella, senior vice president, Marketing and Planning

According to Bango, over 20% of people visiting web sites to purchase content using their mobile phones are now connecting via Wi-Fi. Bango is developing a billing system for carriers so that Wi-Fi content purchased can be made via the carriers.

They believe that the Wi-Fi usage presents a major challenge to both content providers and operators as these mobile visitors are unrecognized by the networks, making it difficult to sell and market mobile services to them and significantly impacting mobile content revenues.

Smartphones and high end mobile devices with Wi-Fi, such as Blackberry smartphones, the Apple iPhone, Windows Mobile devices, Google Android and Nokia Series 60 (N95, etc) represent the fastest growing mobile phone segment. The smartphone growth leads to Wi-Fi  appearing more frequently as a primary connection method across a growing range of handsets, according to data recorded in Bango Analytics.

Wi-Fi hotspot provider Boingo Wireless is offering the Wi-Fi hotspot finder and connection manager for Android smartphones.

Boingo Mobile currently is available for all Android smartphones, including models running the latest version of the OS, Android 1.5.

Most Android smartphones include Wi-Fi, which the Boingo application enhances by providing an automated way to connect. The application automatically notifies users when they are in a Boingo hotspot without needing to open the application, and connects to the Boingo network with one-click. When in a hotspot, the Boingo application will appear in the notification bar, and depending on phone settings, will either vibrate or play a sound.

Boingo will continue to foster innovation and update its application to provide new features providing users even more benefits from the Boingo network and its locations, such as hotspot location mapping.

AT&T broadband customers tripled Wi-Fi access over the rate from a year ago.

AT&T reported Wi-Fi usage reached 10.5 million connections along with increases of the number of hotspots and an increase in subscribers with Wi-Fi access.

AT&T has over 20,000 domestic hotpots and offers free Wi-Fi access to customers with iPhones, some smartphone data plans, AT&T high-speed Internet plans and 3G LaptopConnect plans.

The service is also available at most Starbucks along with McDonald's restaurants.

AT&T broadband connections - including wireline and wireless LaptopConnect cards - grew by 471,000 in the first quarter to reach 16.7 million in service.

Some analysts contribute the increase to the number of iPhone and BlackBerry Bold users.

A full list of AT&T Wi-Fi locations is available at www.attwifi.com. If you are thinking of buying an AT&T phone, don't forget to use the Wireless and Mobile News' $50 off online only coupon-link with a contract that reduces your price for a phone or accessory by $50.