Recently in Wi-Fi Category

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

Samsung and Clearwire have announced  the Samsung Mondi,  Mobile WiMAX-enabled handheld device aka Mobile Internet Device or MID.

The touchscreen Mondi, which is Latin for "world," is designed for use with the Clear Mobile WiMAX service from Clearwire in the activated markets of Atlanta, Las Vegas, Portland, OR and future WiMAX markets.

The Samsung Mondi can offer upload and download speeds that double comparable devices running on 3G networks while taking advantage of the widespread connectivity of Mobile WiMAX. The Mondi is also equipped with Wi-Fi.

Available in a solid black finish, this device slides open horizontally to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. The Mondi is packed with multimedia features that offer instant access to email, Internet, video content and business applications. The device also supports various services including Fring, Gypsii, and Windows Live Messenger. The Mondi is equipped for GPS Navigation through Route 66, providing turn-by-turn directions.

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.

T-Mobile has started selling  the T-Mobile webConnect USB Laptop Stick that connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi or T-Mobile's 3G wireless broadband service.

The new T-Mobile webConnect USB Laptop Stick, manufactured by Huawei Technologies accesses T-Mobile's 3G high-speed data network HSDPA and accessible Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g) network, which includes access to more than 10,000 convenient locations across the U.S. in the T-Mobile HotSpot Network.

Laptop users plug the webConnect laptop stick into their laptop and the built-in Connection Manager software automatically finds the best available Internet connection.  It also has 8 gigabytes of storage for documents, music or movies -- eliminating the need for an additional USB memory stick.

With tri-band 3G connectivity, the webConnect laptop stick is compatible with mobile broadband networks worldwide. For use in areas where 3G coverage is not yet available, the webConnect laptop stick is also compatible with T-Mobile's nationwide EDGE network as well as EDGE/GPRS frequency bands used worldwide.

T-Mobile webConnect USB Laptop Stick costs $49.99 with a two-year contract after rebate; $99.99 with one-year contract; or $249.99 with no contract.

Aircell haslaunched a new pricing option for Gogo Inflight Internet service for smartphones. Passengers can now connect using their handheld devices for $7.95 on any Gogo-equipped flight of any length.

Available on American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Virgin America Gogo-equipped flights, the new $7.95 handheld pricing option allows smartphone users to surf the Web, download entertainment, check e-mail, stay connected to their social networks and basically use their handheld devices to their full extent on the Gogo Inflight Internet service. Laptop users can still connect to Gogo for $12.95 on flights lasting longer than three hours and $9.95 on flights lasting less than three hours.

Gogo pricing and accessibility options continue to expand. Beyond integration with enterprise connectivity services like iPass, Aircell is exploring the addition of daily and monthly Gogo subscriptions in the near future. Additional options will be launched in the coming months, enabling passengers to easily connect on Gogo flights when they want, how they want.

CSR and Murata have produced 200 million modules that combine CSR and Murata technology. 

CSR  worked with Murata on its breakthrough Connectivity Centre product, CSR9000.

Launched this year at Mobile World Congress, CSR9000 is the world's smallest Bluetooth and Wi-Fi solution and supports a long list of connectivity technologies: Bluetooth, Bluetooth low energy, Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11abgn) and FM receive and transmit. CSR9000 enables the world's smallest connectivity modules and offer wireless performance and coexistence.

"When it comes to choosing a module for their device," said Matthew Phillips, Senior Vice President of the Handset Business Unit at CSR, "OEMS have come to associate Murata's name with build-quality, performance and power-efficiency that is second-to-none. Murata's designs are also held in high regard as being very compact and cost-effective. Like CSR, Murata takes a customer-centric approach, doing everything it can to minimize costs and time-to-market. Having shipped our own billionth chip a few months ago, we're proud to be marking this joint milestone with our valued long-term partner."

A new report by Devicescape Wi-Fi by Decipher, Inc, Wi-Fi users have high expectations, like smartphones, and want Wi-Fi in their handsets.

Here's what the survey found:

• An overwhelming number of Wi-Fi users expect Wi-Fi while on the road (91%).
• Most respondents want citywide Wi-Fi (84%) and, surprisingly, many are willing to pay for it (56%) as they would a utility.
• When traveling, the most-often used device for accessing Wi-Fi was the smartphone, such as an iPhone (vs.laptops).
• The overwhelming majority of smartphone users (81%) prefer using Wi-Fi over 3G for browsing websites, downloading data, Google searches and sending e-mail.
• 86% of respondents want OEMs to build Wi-Fi into their handset.
• 82% of respondents want the service provider to provide an overall 3G/Wi-Fi data package.

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.

AdMob has released some new information about smartphone ad serving and Wi-Fi

• The iPhone is at the forefront of Wi-Fi usage and recently launched smartphones such as the G1 and BlackBerry Bold suggest that Wi-Fi traffic will continue to grow in the coming months. Mobile devices that aren't phones (e.g. Sony PSP, iPod Touch) are also generating significant traffic on WiFi.

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.

WeFi has discovered ten million Wi-Fi access points which have been recognized and classified by WeFi. WeFi also announced that it has passed one million users, spread over 215 countries and territories worldwide. These users contribute to what is the largest virtual global Wi-Fi network, and the largest worldwide map of Wi-Fi access points available today.

New Wi-Fi access points have been added by the WeFi software on members’ devices at an increasingly growing rate. As the network is user-generated, the more users, the more access points discovered and added to the network.

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.