Wi-Fi

I really wanted to love my 80GB Zune. I'd heard good things about its Wi-Fi and its FM radio, its software, the Zune Marketplace, its easy navigation, and its non-iPod-ness. But then I got it, and now I hate it. Here's why, in ascending order of annoyance.

5. The software and music categorization

The Zune software (its equivalent of iTunes) is slow and super-unintuitive. When I first started using it, I literally could not figure out how to start adding songs. I had to look it up, and discovered it's a common bug when you use the … Read more

The New York City school system has refused to accept any more iMac shipments until Apple fixes a Wi-Fi flaw, according to a report.

MacNN is reporting that the city's Department of Education has instructed Dell Managed Services, which is apparently the DOE's IT partner, to stop all iMac shipments until Apple fixes a Wi-Fi connectivity issue. The exact nature of the issue wasn't explained in MacNN's report, which cited an e-mail from Apple to school faculty apologizing for the problems.

It's unclear how long this problem has been going on, but AppleInsider reported that … Read more

Panasonic has announced its first camera to include built-in Wi-Fi, called the Lumix DMC-TZ50. As the model name hints, the TZ50 is basically the DMC-TZ5 with Wi-Fi. Both are 9-megapixel cameras with optically stabilized 10x optical, 28-280mm equivalent lenses, and can record video at up to 1,280x720 pixel resolution at 30 frames per second. They both also include Panasonic's Advanced Intelligent Auto features, which include Intelligent Exposure, which adjusts brightness after a picture is taken; Digital Red-eye Correction to remove red eye after the image is captured; Intelligent ISO, which determines if a subject is moving and, if … Read more

T-Mobile USA is late to the high-speed wireless party, but it's going low-cost to catch up.

While rivals such as AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint Nextel have been talking recently about building new 4G wireless networks, T-Mobile--which will begin offering 3G wireless service this summer--is leveraging cheap, unlicensed Wi-Fi technology to bring true broadband speed over wireless networks to some of its subscribers today.

There's no question Wi-Fi is far from perfect. Its use of unlicensed bandwidth can mean signal interference. And it's a short-range radio technology that will never be able to provide ubiquitous … Read more

Nikon has just unleashed the latest version of its Wi-Fi ultracompact camera, the Coolpix S52c. As has become custom, they'll also offer a version without the "c" designation, called the S52, which doesn't include the Wi-Fi capabilities. Both cameras will sport a 9-megapixel sensor, a 3-inch LCD, a 3x optical zoom, a 38-114mm equivalent lens, an optical image stabilization system, and will support sensitivity of up to ISO 3200. Both will also carry over the distinctive, sleek, extremely pocketable body design.

According to Nikon, this year's models should have improved signal-to-noise ratios thanks to the … Read more

If you've been itching to hop on the 802.11n bandwagon but discouraged by the high prices of the routers, CompUSA has a sweet deal: A refurbished Netgear WNR834B Wireless N Router for $29.99 (plus shipping).

In case you're unfamiliar with it, the new 802.11 Wi-Fi standard (currently known as Draft-N) promises better range and faster throughput. The WNR834B is backwards-compatible with older 802.11 hardware. It comes with five Ethernet ports, three internal antennas, built-in quality-of-service (QoS) features, and, because it's a refurb, a measly 30-day warranty.

CNET gave the router a reasonably good review, … Read more

Wednesday, Slacker announced that Devicescape Connect, a Wi-Fi management software, will be available for the Slacker Portable going forward. This seemingly innocuous communiqué is actually great news for current Slacker Portable owners (all 12 of you), and it may offer just the right amount of incentive for hold outs who were waiting on better Wi-Fi integration. The main improvement is the ability to access "captive portals," such as the one at the CNET offices that requires a user to click through a terms and conditions page in order to access the free public Wi-Fi. Another added functionality … Read more

Chumby Industries, manufacturer of the eponymous huggable touch-screen Wi-Fi widget gadget, announced Monday that it has raised $12.5 million in Series B venture funding. The lead investor in the round was JK&B Capital, but existing investors Avalon Ventures, Masthead Venture Partners, and O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures also contributed.

A friendly-looking device that you configure online, the Chumby cycles through a rotation of custom widgets from weather to Google Calendar to cult-hit shopping site Woot.com. Many of these come from the Chumby Network, a platform of user- and partner-created applications that can be added to the little … Read more

In the name of competitiveness, Hong Kong has announced that it will expand the free wi-fi available at government buildings to 350 public locations around the city, Xinhua reports.

The GovWiFi program now gives free access to wireless Internet at over 30 government buildings and will have put in place around 2,000 hotspots to cover about 350 locations by mid-2009, said Frederick Ma, secretary for commerce and economic development. ...

The program will cover libraries, government offices, job centers, public inquiry centers, sports, cultural and recreation centers, community centers and parks.

Targeted hotspots are a nice consolation prize, as many … Read more