The US Federal Aviation Commission says it’s safe for passengers to use more types of electronic devices during any phase of a flight. It’ll be up to individual airlines to make policy changes, but basically the FAA is saying it’s cool if you want to use your phone, tablet, Kindle, or other device in airplane […]
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Scratch Wireless launches free(ish) mobile phone service
Tired of paying $70 or more each month for your smartphone bill? There are a growing number of companies offering cheap, or even free alternatives. The latest entry is Scratch Wireless, a company that lets you sign up for a cellphone service that doesn’t cost a thing… if you use it right. Here’s how it […]
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Google partners with Starbucks to offer 10x faster WiFi
Starbucks coffee shops across the US have been offering free WiFi powered by AT&T since 2010. Over the next year and a half Starbucks will move from AT&T to Google — and Google says that means you’ll see internet connection speeds that are up to 10 times higher in most locations. If you’re in a […]
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Simple fix for MK802 IV Android mini PC WiFi performance
Over the past year Android TV sticks have gotten more and more powerful, while prices continue to drop. These days you can get a device that fits in the palm of your hand, has a quad-core processor, and lets you run Android apps on a TV for well under $100. But one problem that plagues […]
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MK812 Android mini PC features webcam, Bluetooth, external antenna
The MK812 is basically a mini-computer with a dual core processor and Android operating system. It’s about the size of a USB thumb drive, but you can plug it into a TV to run Android apps on a big screen, or basically treat your TV like a computer. We’ve seen a lot of these devices […]
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Asus WL-330NUL Pocket Router is a WiFi router… that fits in your pocket
WiFi routers are a dime a dozen these days… or around $20 to $30 anyway. But the Asus WL-330NUL Pocket Router breaks the mold a bit. It’s a WiFi router that’s small enough to fit in your pocket. It can also draw power from a USB port so you can use it with your laptop on […]
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Technique for better WiFi management could improve battery life
One of the best ways to improve battery life on a laptop, smartphone, or tablet is to shut off the WiFi radio. Of course, that’s not always practical, but a grad student at Duke University has come up with a technique for managing WiFi networking that uses between 38 and 51 percent less energy. […]
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Kingston Wi-Drive is a wireless hard drive for your iPad or other tablet
Sure, Google is adding support for USB peripherals to Android 3.1, which means that you may eventually be able to carry around your complete movie collection on a USB hard drive and plug it in when you need it. But what about the iPad? There’s no USB host support on that tablet. Seagate recently introduced […]
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Broadcom pushes combination WiFi, Bluetooth chip for notebooks and tablets
Wireless chips that bundle WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G, GPS and other functions are pretty standard for smartphones. But most notebooks and netbooks which offer Bluetooth use separate wireless cards for WiFi and Bluetooth functions. That makes it easy to offer Bluetooth as an option rather than a standard feature. But wireless chip-maker Broadcom wants to make […]
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Samsung Galaxy Tab WiFi up for pre-order at Frys for $350
Sure, a leaked Samsung document suggested that the WiFi-only version of the company’s 7 inch Android tablet would set you back $399. But someone forgot to send the memo to the folks at Frys, because they’re taking pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy Tab WiFi for $349.99. There’s no ship date listed yet, but the tablet […]