Wi-Fi

145 'Wi-Fi' stories December 2010 - September 2014

T-Mobile unveils expanded WiFi calling capabilities, Personal CellSpot router, partnership with Gogo for in-flight texts

Chance Miller Sep 10 2014 - 1:54 pm PT

During its Uncarrier 7.0 event this afternoon, T-Mobile revealed a handful of new announcements as part of its ongoing quest to lead the mobile industry. Firstly, CEO John Legere announced that every phone it sells from here on out will be capable of WiFi calling and texting. The company says that anyone who does not currently have a phone capable of WiFi calling can upgrade to a supported phone with the carrier’s Jump program. As the name implies, WiFi calling and texting allows you to make calls and send texts over your WiFi network, as opposed to over the cellular connection.

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PSA: Don’t be surprised (or worried) if AAPL stock dips after iPhone 6 launch …

Ben Lovejoy Sep 1 2014 - 5:33 am PT

8 Comments

If there’s one thing as certain as the hype when Apple launches a new iPhone, it’s the “Apple is doomed” messages when the new model(s) fail to meet every single analyst prediction, no matter how crazy. Apple could add a matter transporter function to the iPhone 6 and some analyst would be complaining that it only operates on WiFi when they were expecting it to use LTE.

Business Insider pointed to a set of CNN charts which show that, typically, the AAPL stock price is down a month after a new iPhone launch. But any similar dip we might see after the launch of the iPhone 6 is no cause for concern: with the exception of 2013, Apple stock has been climbing since the first iPhone was launched in 2007.

As ever, make your own investment decisions with the aid of professional advice, but there certainly doesn’t appear to be any reason to be spooked if the launch of the new iPhone leads to some investors selling their shares. “Buy on the rumor, sell on the news” is a very common approach.

Deep iPad discounts at Staples and Target: $199 16GB Minis ($100 off), Airs $130 off AC(starting at $369)

9to5 Staff Aug 17 2014 - 7:15 am PT

12 Comments

From 9to5Toys.com:

Confirming our report from earlier this month, Target has revived its $199 iPad mini sale (Direct Link) this morning. At the time of posting it’s available both online at Target.com and at Target retail locations. That’s even $30 less than the retail price of top Android tablets Nexus 7 or Kindle HDX.

We’ve been told by a Target rep that quantities are limited and as such we highly recommend picking one up today. This deal is $100 better than retail and $20 less than Apple charges for a refurbished model. The non-Retina iPad mini features a 7.9-inch LED-backlit display, 10-hour battery life, and dual-core A5 chip.

Seperately, Staples is offering all WiFi-enabled iPad Airs (Space Gray or Silver) for $30 off (Direct link). Coupon code 79449 drops them another $100 yielding $369/$469/$569 on 16/32/64GB Wifi models.

As we’ve said before, these deals often sell out quick so if you are going to make a move, do so quickly.

Also, Apple is widely expected to update its iPads again in October but these prices are at or below what we expect current models to drop to so you are getting Apple’s holiday prices today.
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Award-winning MacLovin’ Bundle, $40 for djay, Boom, Cinemagraph Pro, Keyboard Maestro, NetSpot Pro, much more

9to5 Staff Aug 12 2014 - 9:00 pm PT

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Specials.9to5Toys.com has a pretty solid bundle of disparate Mac apps available for $40 bucks today. All apps included are award winners – Either Apple Design Award, Best of Mac App Store, or Macworld Editors’ Choice Award-Winners so no duds here:

Cinemagraph Pro ($100) – The Professional Photography & Cinematography Tool For Mac – Apple Design Award Winner 2014
Djay ($20) – The #1 DJ Software For Mac – Best of Mac App Store
NetSpot Pro ($149) – The Only App For WiFi Analysis and Troubleshooting on Max OS X – Macworld Editors’ Choice Award-Winner
Keyboard Maestro ($36) – Record and Design Your Own Macro Shortcuts –Macworld Editors’ Choice Award-Winner
Hype 2 ($30) – Create Beautiful HTML5 Web Content w/out Coding –Macworld Editors’ Choice Award Winner
Dropzone 3 ($10) – The Swiss Army Knife of Productivity – Mac Gem Award-Winner
Moom ($10) – Move and Zoom Like Never Before – Macworld Editors’ Choice Award-Winner
Boom ($7) – System-Wide Volume Booster & Equalizer That Makes Your Mac Louder, Clearer, & Better – Macworld Best of Show Award-Winner
The OS X App Master Class ($499) – Learn To Make Fantastic Mac Apps w/22 Hours of Instruction

Review: iKettle, the iPhone-controlled kettle for gadget-loving tea drinkers

Ben Lovejoy Aug 6 2014 - 7:14 am PT

26 Comments

Any tea drinker will know the experience. You wander into the kitchen to put the kettle on to make tea, wander back to the living-room or office and half an hour later realize you forgot all about it. So the second time you stand there waiting impatiently for it to boil. This is the problem the iKettle sets out to solve.

That, at least, is my excuse. The reality, of course, is that it’s a kettle with wifi – how could anyone reasonably expect me to resist … ?
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Apple & AT&T begin sending $40 checks to original 3G iPad buyers

Mark Gurman Jul 22 2014 - 3:48 pm PT

9 Comments

Apple and U.S.-based wireless carrier AT&T have begun sending out $40 checks to buyers of the original iPad WiFi + 3G in the United States over a “bait-and-switch” regarding the device’s data plan. The backstory is that when Steve Jobs announced the 3G iPad in January 2010, he announced a deal with AT&T for a $30/month unlimited iPad data plan.

When the 3G iPad launched in late April 2010, this plan was available, but AT&T eliminated the plan just about one month later in early June 2010. Lawsuits followed in the months and years following the shift in data plan strategy claimed that customers overpaid for the 3G iPad believing that they would be able to use the device to access unlimited amounts of data.

In September 2013, Apple and AT&T settled and agreed to pay $40 to each affected iPad buyer. For iPad buyers who had not yet purchased an unlimited data plan, a discount on the replacing 5GB plan was offered. The two companies began sending the checks out late last week, and they began arriving today. You can view the entire check stub and letter from the payout fund below:

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Apple releases OS X 10.9.4 with WiFi & wake-from-sleep fixes, Safari 7.0.5

Mark Gurman Jun 30 2014 - 10:12 am PT

10 Comments

In addition to releasing iOS 7.1.2 today for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, Apple has just released OS X Mavericks 10.9.4 for Macs (direct combo update download link). The update brings various bug fixes, improvements, and security enhancements to the Mac:

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This Yves Behar-designed smart cup can tell you about your drink’s nutrition

Mark Gurman Jun 12 2014 - 9:00 am PT

8 Comments

A partnership between famed industrial designer Yves Behar and company Mark One are today announcing the Vessyl, smart cup that seeks to track data for the nutrition in beverages. The concept sounds simple. Pour a drink into the sensor-packed Vessyl cup, and an accompanying iPhone application will instantly tell you the type of beverage (like soda or milk), the brand (perhaps Coke or Pepsi), calorie content, fat content, and sugar content…

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PSA: You can now get a new iPad mini at Best Buy for $199.99 shipped ($100 off)

Seth Weintraub Jun 11 2014 - 6:43 am PT

3 Comments

From 9to5Toys.com

Update: Best Buy only offers in-store pickup now.

These things usually go out of stock quickly so you might want to jump all over it, especially with Father’s Day coming up.

Target began the $199 price drop over the weekend but quickly ran out of shippable inventory. They are still available at physical Target and Best Buy stores when this inventory runs out.

This of course isn’t a Retina display model but at a price below the retail price of a Nexus 7 or an Amazon Kindle Fire, who’s complaining?

Looking for a deal on a full-size iPad? Altatac (Top Rated Plus seller) via eBay Daily Deals has a 16GB WiFi model for $399.99 shipped (Reg. $499)

D-Link’s new Wi-Fi Smart Plug offers full iPhone control over electronics w/ energy monitoring & thermal safety features

Justin Kahn May 7 2014 - 8:11 am PT

6 Comments

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX8FE8q-Bjw

D-Link has just launched its new Wi-Fi Smart Plug designed to offer users full control over their electrical outlets via the free mobile apps. The small adapters communicate with any existing WiFi network and plug into any electrical outlet. The user can then control power to any of the devices plugged into the adapter.

They come with a few handy features along with basic on/off control. You can create custom schedules for particular outlets and monitor your energy use on connected devices.

You can set device schedules so that you walk into a brightly-lit home every day after work with your favorite song playing and the AC exactly where you want it.

The system also includes a thermal protection system that allows you to manually shut down power on an outlet and includes a thermal sensor that will automatically turn off over heating appliances.

The D-Link Wi-Fi Smart Plug comes in at a slightly lower price tag than the popular $60 WeMo options from Belkin. D-Link is launching its smart plug at $49.99 right now (temporarily out of stock on Amazon) and the mydlink Smart Plug apps for iOS and Android can both be downloaded for free via the App Store and Google Play.

Walgreens & Walmart testing iBeacons, Motorola Solutions launches iBeacon marketing platform

Jordan Kahn May 6 2014 - 5:52 pm PT

4 Comments

Walgreens-owned drugstore chain Duane Reade announced today that it’s updating its iPhone app with support for iBeacons it recently installed in 10 of its New York city locations. It and Walmart are just two of the latest big name chains said to be testing the technology, while Motorola Solutions announced today its own indoor location platform that includes a combination of Bluetooth iBeacons and Wi-Fi based features.

Like other implementations that we’ve seen in retail and grocery stores, Duane Reade has installed the Bluetooth iBeacons in order to beam offers, coupons and product info to customers in proximity that have the company’s iPhone app installed:
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iPhone case will measure heart-rate, blood pressure, temperature, oxygen saturation & lung function

Ben Lovejoy Mar 6 2014 - 5:47 am PT

11 Comments

A prototype iPhone case tested by Engadget aims to provide a comprehensive array of vital signs, encompassing heart-rate, blood pressure, temperature, oxygen saturation & lung function.

Readings are done with your hands in a comfortable position, and the health tracker was able to return our vital signs as well as a fancy ECG graph of our heart in just a few seconds. Out of the box, you’ll be able to pair it with your Wi-Fi scale and fitness tracker, so you can keep an overall picture of your health in the same place …
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Tired of waiting for Apple to upgrade the Mac mini to Haswell? Make your own …

Ben Lovejoy Jan 31 2014 - 7:07 am PT

20 Comments

If you’ve decided you’ve waited long enough for Apple to update the Mac mini with a Haswell processor, you can always create a Hac mini.

A user posting on the Hacintosh site tonymacx86.com has documented his successful squeezing of an Intel DH61AG motherboard with i3-3225 CPU (55w TDP), 4GB Ram, 128GB mSATA SSD, half mini PCIe Wifi and an external Dell laptop power supply into a 2010 Mac mini case …
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Google Play app arrives on iOS to stream movies and shows over WiFi

Mark Gurman Jan 15 2014 - 1:58 pm PT

3 Comments

Today, Google has released a new application for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch to allow Google Play users to stream purchased movies and TV shows. You cannot rent or purchase content via this application: you must download it from Google Play on Android or the web and then the purchased titles will be available to stream via this app. The application is only supported in the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom. WiFi is currently required for streaming. The app also allows streaming to the ChromeCast.

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Eye-Fi announces software for direct camera-to-Mac transfers

Ben Lovejoy Jan 7 2014 - 7:35 am PT

2 Comments

Wifi-equipped cameras have long been one of those things that promise more than they deliver. In theory, you can take a photo on your camera and have it instantly and wirelessly transferred to your Mac. In practice, not so much. You either need to go via an iOS device, or go via a router with ridiculously-convoluted networking configuration required to make it work.

Eye-Fi seems to be getting one step closer to the theory, announcing beta software at the Showstoppers CES event that allows photos to be sent direct from camera to Mac. The beta version is free, though you have to register for the company’s labs project to get access, but it seems the release version will be chargeable.

The app is only compatible with Mobi cards – earlier versions won’t work. Hopefully the reliability of the cards has improved since I last tried them.

iPad Air off to a good start as early usage outpaces previous models 4-to-1

Ben Lovejoy Nov 4 2013 - 4:08 am PT

8 Comments

Tracking data from Fiksu suggests that iPad Air adoption may be outpacing both the iPad 4 and the iPad Mini by around four to one. The numbers are as yet very small, but three days in, iPad Air usage hit 0.8 percent of active devices versus less than 0.2 percent for the iPad 4 by the same time …

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U.S. Cellular, the country’s fifth largest carrier, to begin selling iPad Air Nov. 8

Mark Gurman Oct 25 2013 - 2:35 pm PT

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U.S. Cellular has informed us that it will begin carrying the iPad Air on November 8th. This morning, we reported that multiple regional cellular providers in the United States will begin carrying the iPad Air “in the coming weeks,” but U.S. Cellular’s announcement is more notable in that the carrier is the nation’s fifth largest and because a firm launch date has been provided.

U.S. Cellular today announced that iPad Air with Wi-Fi + Cellular will be available online on November 8. U.S. Cellular will offer iPad Air with a range of attractive data plans that will allow customers to connect to its fast 4G LTE network with speeds up to ten times faster than 3G.

The carrier promises “attractive data plans” on its 4G LTE network. Last week, we reported that U.S. Cellular, too, will begin selling the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c on November 8th.

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New Space Gray iPad mini quietly begins hitting Apple Store shelves

Mark Gurman Oct 24 2013 - 6:27 pm PT

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Silently announced alongside the new iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display, Apple has begun selling a Space Gray version of the first-generation, non-Retina display iPad mini at its physical retail stores.

Sources say that the model is now available via several Apple Stores, but not every store. Interested customers should call their store to ensure availability…

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Review: Eye-Fi Mobi, a cool idea let down by poor reliability

Ben Lovejoy Sep 3 2013 - 4:06 am PT

17 Comments

An increasing number of cameras these days have wifi built-in, allowing instant viewing of photos on your iPhone or iPad, and from there instant sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and so on. Which can leave those of us with less sociable cameras feeling a little left out in the cold.

Eye-Fi has offered solutions to this for some time, in the form of wifi-equipped cards that you can insert into your older or pro camera and transmit the images to a PC or Mac. This approach worked, after a fashion, but had two big problems. First, setup was far from easy, and second, transmission was via a wireless router. Fine at home, where you probably didn’t need it, not so fine when out & about, where you probably did.

This was the problem the Eye-Fi Mobi set out to solve: a $50 (8GB) or $80 (16GB) SD card that transmits photos direct to an iOS device running the free Eye-Fi app, with no router required. I decided to give it a try …
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Sony’s Smartshot QX ‘smart lens’ will have a white and champagne color option, just in case

Seth Weintraub Aug 31 2013 - 1:40 am PT

3 Comments

We’ve previously covered the recent rumors of the 20 Megapixel Sony Wifi ‘smart lens’ which will attach to Android and iOS smartphones and connect to the phone via Wifi. Theoretically, you’ll be able to take much better pictures with the bigger CMOS sensor and Zeiss glass.

But is that black lens going to look good on your new gold iPhone? No, it is not.

Thankfully, the rumored gold iPhone now has a rumored gold lens attachment from Sony, according to a report from SonyAlphaRumors. According to the report, it will be announced at Sony’s IFA event in Berlin (which Jordan will be covering). Some other info about the new lens comes with the ‘smartshots’ above:

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TiVo announces new ‘Roamio’ DVRs w/ out-of-home streaming to iPhone and iPad

Jordan Kahn Aug 20 2013 - 6:07 am PT

2 Comments

TiVo is officially taking the wraps of its latest family of Wi-Fi enabled DVRs today dubbed “Roamio”, which appear to be replacing the company’s high-end Premiere offerings. In addition to inking some new deals with cable providers and redesigning its interface, TiVo is adding a ton of features with the new boxes, including a number of streaming options and support for the DIAL protocol (the same one used by Chromecast) for streaming and controlling apps like Netflix from mobile devices. It is also moving to a new HTML5 engine for a smoother native app experience and introducing an “out-of-home” streaming feature that will launch for iPhone and iPad later this year:

Coming very soon, out-of-home streaming will allow subscribers to stream TV and recorded shows to your iPad® or iPhone®. The built-in TiVo Stream feature allows users to connect to their Roamio over Wi-Fi and watch recordings and cable channels almost ANYWHERE… Streaming is restricted to a limited number of devices owned by the TiVo subscriber. Due to content provider restrictions, not all content can be streamed out of home and some content may only be streamed while a mobile device is on the same local network as the subscriber’s DVR. Mobile devices sold separately.

The new out-of-home streaming feature will also be coming to TiVo’s existing TiVo Stream product, and for Roamio boxes will require at least the mid-range $399 model. Details on pricing and availability below and more on TiVo’s website here.

The TiVo Roamio DVR Series includes three models: TiVo Roamio ($199.99), TiVo Roamio Plus ($399.99) and TiVo Roamio Pro ($599.99). Roamio features four or six tuners and unprecedented storage (ranging from 75 hours to 450 hours of HD content). It ensures subscribers never miss a show again and have plenty of space for recordings. The improved speed and performance of TiVo Roamio also includes integrated wireless and TiVo Stream functionality in certain models… The TiVo Roamio can be purchased today online at TiVo.com, Amazon.com or BestBuy.com and in Best Buy stores in the coming weeks.

Apple releases software update for new MacBook Air to fix Wi-Fi, audio & Photoshop bugs

Jordan Kahn Jul 18 2013 - 3:42 pm PT

1 Comment

Apple just released a software update for the mid 2013 MacBook Air that addresses rare issues related to wifi connectivity, audio playback, and Photoshop:

This update fixes an issue that in rare instances may cause an intermittent loss in wireless connectivity, an issue with Adobe Photoshop which may cause occasional screen flickering, and an issue which may cause audio volume to fluctuate during video playback.

Last month, we reported that Apple started investigating reports of Wi-Fi issues on its new MacBook Air and some customers even received replacements.

The 3.35MB MacBook Air (Mid 2013) Software Update 1.0 is available to download now.

New MacBook Air software issue artificially limiting 802.11ac transfer speeds

Jordan Kahn Jun 24 2013 - 2:42 pm PT

0 Comments

In its extensive review of the new 2013 MacBook Air, AnandTech notes an issue with the machine’s new 802.11ac WiFi capabilities that it says is limiting the faster Wi-Fi chip’s potential. While it was able to get an average of 533Mbps using the iPerf networking tool, Anand found real world file transfers would only get 21.2MB/s or 169.6Mbps:

I disabled all other wireless in my office. Still, no difference. I switched ethernet cables, I tried different Macs, I tried copying from a PC, I even tried copying smaller files – none of these changes did anything. At most, I only saw 21.2MB/s over 802.11ac. I double checked my iPerf data. 533Mbps. Something weird was going on. I plugged in Apple’s Thunderbolt Gigabit Ethernet adaptor and saw 906Mbps, clearly the source and the MacBook Air were both capable of high speed transfers. What I tried next gave me some insight into what was going on. I setup web and FTP servers on the MacBook Air and transferred files that way. I didn’t get 533Mbps, but I broke 300Mbps. For some reason, copying over AFP or SMB shares was limited to much lower performance. This was a protocol issue.

According to the review, the problem is likely with the OS X networking stack that is for some reason artificially limiting the capabilities of 802.11ac:
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New for accessory makers in iOS 7: Open AirPlay audio, Apple-designed hearing aid tech, device management, much more

Jordan Kahn Jun 14 2013 - 8:48 am PT

0 Comments

We already told you about a few big new features in terms of improvements to Bluetooth coming in iOS 7: Developers will now have a standardized controller framework for hardware game controllers and new features for BLE devices that will bring Notification Center support and always-connected apps. That’s not all Apple has planned for accessory makers in the near future, below developers have reached out to explain some of the other big new features that will be available to accessory manufacturers with iOS 7 and Mavericks…
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