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Tag: wi-fi

  • TP-LINK and Google Launch OnHub, a Router for a New Way to Wi-Fi

    TP-LINK and Google Launch OnHub, a Router for a New Way to Wi-Fi

    onhub-router-google-tp-link

    TP-LINK has collaborated with Google to introduce OnHub, a new kind of router designed to keep up with the latest technology in the home, and help make Wi-Fi faster, more secure, and easy to use.

    OnHub addresses some of the most significant challenges associated with Wi-Fi today. It’s designed to be out in the open, where it works its best. It has fewer wires, a shell to keep cords tidy and lighting that is subtle and useful.

    OnHub’s innovative antenna design combined with smart software continually work to enhance users’ Wi-Fi connection. With its extensive router heritage, TP-LINK’s expertise was an integral contribution to OnHub’s design, in particular its unique circular antenna with 13 built-in, hidden antennas that reduce network interference and optimize network connectivity.

    “We count on Wi-Fi more than ever, and we need it to work well to do all the things we love to do online,” said Trond Wuellner, group product manager at Google. “By working with TP-LINK, we’ve brought together expertise across hardware and software to design OnHub, a new router that gives you a fast connection, makes Wi-Fi management simple, and gets better over time.”

    OnHub is managed by the Google On mobile app, making it easy to set up and manage Wi-Fi. During setup, OnHub selects the settings that will work best for the home, then automatically adjusts if things change so the network is always performing at its best.

    OnHub is designed to get better with time. The router automatically installs new features and the latest security updates. OnHub is also Bluetooth Smart, Weave, and 802.15.4 ready, so it can support a growing number of smart devices in the home.

    For a full list of OnHub features, visit on.google.com/hub/#specs.

    Price and Availability

    OnHub is available for online preorder today on Amazon and will be widely available at retailers in the U.S. and Canada in the coming weeks. MSRP for OnHub is $199.99.

  • Broadcom’s Internet of Things WICED Platform Now Offers Full HomeKit Support

    Broadcom’s Internet of Things WICED Platform Now Offers Full HomeKit Support

    homekit-breadcom

    Broadcom has announced that its Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices (WICED) SDK now offers full HomeKit support. As the first company to meet HomeKit technical specifications for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Smart, Broadcom expands its Internet of Things (IoT) portfolio offerings.

    Broadcom’s WICED platform enables developers and OEMs to take advantage of the growing Apple’s HomeKit ecosystem. By helping companies create IoT products that are HomeKit compliant, Broadcom is said to reduce time-to-market and improve the consumer experience.

    Broadcom’s WICED platform can also connect endpoints through a process known as bridging that delivers the benefits of HomeKit through a hardware module. This allows a product like a Bluetooth Smart light bulb to connect to a smart plug containing Broadcom’s WICED module, creating a bridge from the light bulb to the user’s HomeKit-supported app on their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

    HomeKit offers a set of common protocols making it easier for customers to control HomeKit-enabled accessories using Siri or iOS applications. HomeKit is built on a secure foundation with end-to-end encryption which provides customers a secure connection between their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and HomeKit-enabled accessory.

    Key Features:

    • Support for 802.11ab/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Smart
    • Compact design to support multiple microcontrollers (MCUs) and systems-on-a-chip (SOCs)
    • Low memory footprint
    • Integrated development tools
    • Reliable interoperability and integrated security
    • Upgradeable over wireless connections

    Availability
    Broadcom’s WICED SDK and hardware module with HomeKit support are available now.

  • Ooma Telo Air VoIP Phone with Bluetooth Adapter is 50% off at Amazon

    Ooma Telo Air VoIP Phone with Bluetooth Adapter is 50% off at Amazon

    amazon-ooma-telo-air-voip-phone-with-wireless-plus-bluetooth-adapter

    Today’s Bonus Gold Box Deal of the Day at Amazon is the Ooma Telo Air VoIP Phone with Bluetooth Adapter for $89.99 shipped (50% off).

    Ooma Telo lets you make free U.S. local and long distance calls over the internet. It includes the Wireless + Bluetooth Adapter, enabling your Ooma Telo to connect to the internet wirelessly using your Wi-Fi network. The built-in Bluetooth function also links your mobile phone to your Telo to receive incoming calls through your home telephones, giving you an additional level of convenience.

    PureVoice HD technology allows Ooma to deliver clear audio even when the internet is busy. Packet loss causes VoIP phone calls to sound stuttered or garbled. Ooma’s Adaptive Redundancy detects packet loss and automatically sends redundant packets for better sounding phone calls and fewer dropped calls.

    Ooma works with Nest

    Ooma securely interacts with Nest devices for convenience and peace of mind never before possible with a home phone (premier service required).

    • Automatically forward home phone calls when you leave the house.
    • Receive a call from home when your smoke alarm detects smoke or CO and have the option to contact your local emergency services
    • Receive a call from home when things don’t go as planned

    Features included with free calling service:

    • Free U.S. calling
    • Caller-ID, call-waiting and 911
    • Low international rates
    • Wireless and Bluetooth Connectivity
    • PureVoice HD technology for clarity and reliability
    • Text alerts when 911 is called
    • Online portal with call log, preferences and contacts
    • One-touch voicemail audio playback
    • Remote voicemail retrieval
    • Fax mode
    • Free Ooma-to-Ooma calling worldwide
    • Choose almost any area code

    Get it now for just $89.99.

  • 6 Essential Public WiFi Security Tips

    6 Essential Public WiFi Security Tips

    safe-on-public-wifi

    There are many risks associated with using a free WiFi network to browse sites that house private information. It’s quite easy to scan a public WiFI network to get a list of all the IPs currently connected. Once a snooper has that list, there’s a large amount of things they can do with that information. They can, for example, install software on your computer which can then be used to capture confidential information such as usernames and passwords, credit card numbers, even emails or search history.

    SaferVPN assembled their 6 fundamental tips for staying safe on public WiFi:

    1. Turn off sharing

    Uncheck all the boxes (music, photos, printers, etc.) from the Homegroup section of Network and Internet Settings on a PC and from Sharing under System Preferences on a Mac.

    2. Use anti-malware / antivirus

    This applies to much more than public WiFi alone – you should always protect your computers and mobile devices from malicious attacks. It’s not much different than getting your annual flu shot. There are some great free and paid solutions out there. PC Magazine has a nice unbiased list of their favorites here.

    3. Use HTTPS

    General rule of thumb: don’t enter sensitive information (credit card numbers, social security number, even a password) on pages that don’t have https at the very beginning of the URL (the full address you see towards the top of your screen). If you are just browsing around, playing a game or catching up on the news, having https won’t matter as much.

    4. Protect your passwords

    If you use the same password for every site, or if you password is featured in the dictionary, you’ve got a problem. In fact, a password’s lifespan really shouldn’t exceed more than 6 to 12 months. But how do you manage all of these unique passwords? Apps like 1password or LastPass will do it for you.

    5. Enable a firewall

    This is a quick an easy task that can be accomplished on both Windows and Mac that prevents undesired web traffic from entering (or exiting) your computer. This adds an extra layer of security and can be used to prevent computers from accessing certain sites and content. You can learn how to configure your firewall here.

    6. Confirm the network name

    Before you try to connect to the WiFi at your local Starbucks, make sure the network is actually called Starbucks and not something suspicious like Stars and Bucks. On top of that, it’s very easy to assign any name to a network so think before you click as there may be more than one “Hotel_WiFi-Guest”. Always gotta be on the look-out for the little things.

    Source: SaferVPN

  • Telecom Service Providers Waking Up to Global Wi-Fi Roaming

    15 disruptive service providers around the world with nearly a billion mobile subscribers have partnered with the largest global Wi-Fi roaming network, iPass.

    iPass chief executive officer Evan Kaplan reporting on the state of Wi-Fi in the telecom operator industry said: “Mobile carriers are waking up to the power of global Wi-Fi roaming and the competitive advantage it offers. While Wi-Fi is in its early years, 15 telecom service providers worldwide are pioneering its growth and the signs are incredibly encouraging for explosive growth in this market.”

    Even though the public discussion on mobile operator Wi-Fi has previously centered on cost-savings offered by domestic mobile data offload, global Wi-Fi roaming has the ability to generate revenue. iPass has a unique vantage point in the telecom industry and the ability for service providers to deliver both consumers and the enterprise global Wi-Fi roaming connectivity is set to be an inherent part of their subscriber features in the future.

    “The 15 service providers that have signed up to offer global Wi-roaming have a combined mobile subscriber base of 974 million people worldwide. With high-value customers demanding Wi-Fi roaming, these service providers are seizing the initiative to provide the benefits of a global Wi-Fi network,” said Kaplan.

    With the increasing number of international business travelers using multiple mobile devices – including non-SIM devices – to data roam, various service providers are looking at Wi-Fi to serve the needs of these high-value customers. “Mobile is everything; it has changed how people communicate and work. Wi-Fi is global in nature and these service providers recognize that they are in a highly competitive industry. Providing convenient and cost effective connectivity options all around the globe for their high-value customers is going to be the next big differentiator,” said Kaplan. “We’re breaking a religious barrier by enabling carriers to bundle services to support the needs of their customers who carry both SIM and non-SIM devices that are Wi-Fi enabled.”

    A recent industry report from Juniper Research indicated revenues generated from mobile roaming will hit more than $80 billion by 2017. “There is an increasing opportunity for telecom operators to enhance their roaming revenues and profit margins via Wi-Fi networks,” said report author Nitin Bhas. “These revenues will largely be driven by increasing data usage and mobile operators are looking at global Wi-Fi as a way to protect their post-paid, high-value customers that are demanding Wi-Fi, especially when they travel overseas.”

    With 1,137,695 Wi-Fi hotspots in 113 countries and territories worldwide, iPass has nearly doubled the number of hotspots in its Wi-Fi network since the beginning of 2012 and expects its network to hit two million Wi-Fi hotspots by the end of 2013. “We are building the largest Wi-Fi ecosystem in the world and operators in Asia and the Middle East are taking an early lead in shaping how people roam today and in the future,” said Steve Livingston, iPass senior vice president of carrier development.

    Both Zain and Etisalat in the Middle East and China Telecom and China Mobile are using the iPass Open Mobile Exchange as a foundation for their global Wi-Fi data roaming service; along with SK Telecom in South Korea, dtac in Thailand and KDDI in Japan there is a surging Wi-Fi expansion throughout Asia. Additionally, Oi, South America’s largest mobile operator has joined the exchange and is building the largest Wi-Fi network in Brazil. With a nexus of forces driven by cloud computing and mobility causing an ever-increasing need for global Wi-Fi, iPass is starting to see carriers thinking of Wi-Fi roaming as an inherent part of their mobility services that subscribers will expect as a feature rather than an add-on service.

    Wi-Fi standards such as the Next Generation Hotspot (NGH) from the Wireless Broadband Alliance and the Wi-Fi certified Passpoint program from the Wi-Fi Alliance are a welcome evolution according to iPass. “NGH and Passpoint are critical to remove the friction inherent in the seamless mobile connection process today as it will improve the user experience,” said Livingston. “iPass is helping lead these discussions on defining and driving the future of Wi-Fi and these initiatives speak to the core value proposition of iPass. The network that iPass has built enables operators to bridge the gap from today’s Wi-Fi into the future and beyond.”

    As Wi-Fi standards continue to progress and improve the user’s experience, iPass is strongly positioned both today and in the future. The company’s global Wi-Fi presence is unsurpassed and their technical integration and expertise over the last 12 years with more than 140 global Wi-Fi networks provides iPass a significant advantage, especially as Wi-Fi uses a different infrastructure to cellular networks.

    “Consumers are very sensitive about expensive data roaming charges but with Wi-Fi people are used to daily, flat-rate or time based billing versus consumption usage,” said Kaplan. “As both mobile and fixed-line operators now have an opportunity to get into the global Wi-Fi roaming business, iPass is there to help operators derive greater wallet share from mobile customers. Whether it’s a smartphone or a non-SIM device, they can use our Wi-Fi network virtually wherever they are in the world.”

    An early pioneer in the creation of the global broadband roaming market, iPass delivered the industry’s first broadband roaming service that gave business travelers simplified, high-speed and secure remote access to their corporate networks. iPass is a board member of the Wireless Broadband Alliance and co-author of the WISPr 1.0 protocol, a standard that defines how smart clients can access Wi-Fi networks.

  • Sonus Enables Cable Customers to Make and Receive Calls on Their Smartphone Using Their Home Phone Number

    Sonus Networks has introduced a new solution for cable operators to add value to their existing home line services.

    Dubbed "Fixed – Smartphone Convergence," cable operators can use new capabilities in the company’s ASX Telephony Application Server to allow cable subscribers with home phone service to combine their existing phone line with up to five additional SIP-enabled devices including 3G/Wi-Fi enabled smartphones.

    According to the company, the Sonus Fixed – Smartphone Convergence solution makes it possible for subscribers to receive or place calls using both their home telephone line (using NCS or SIP call control) and nearly any SIP-enabled device connected to the Internet.

    The solution will ring all of the devices simultaneously and allows users to make and receive multiple calls concurrently as well as allow calls to be transferred to other users.

    "Cable operators are looking for ways to add more value for fixed line customers, and also get more involved in offering mobile services," said Greg Zweig, director of access product management at Sonus Networks.

    "With Fixed – Smartphone Convergence powered by the ASX Telephony Application Server, we are giving cable operators a way to make a subscriber’s home number more valuable and more convenient to access, anywhere in the world. The solution gives MSOs a compelling new offering that leverages the explosion in smart mobile phones and tablet computers," he added.

    Sonus is demonstrating this new solution at the CableLabs Summer Conference 2010 taking place August 15-18 at the Keystone Resort and Conference Center, Keystone, Colo. Live calls coming into the booth’s landline phone will ring simultaneously on different devices including a PC softphone and a SIP-enabled smartphone.

  • Vonage Mobile App Provides Free Wi-Fi / 3G Calling For Facebook Users Worldwide

    Vonage has just introduced the Vonage Mobile application for Facebook, a new service that allows users to make free mobile calls to all of their Facebook friends who have the app, anywhere in the world, directly from their friends list.

    The downloadable application is free to get and free to use. According to Vonage, the new service enhances the ability to connect with Facebook friends through the addition of voice calling.

    It is available for iPhone, iPod touch and Android devices and works over Wi-Fi and 3G /4G networks in most countries.

    “The new service is easy to use,” says Vonage. The app works with a user’s existing community of Facebook friends, so there’s no need to remember screen names or to input numbers. The application eliminates dialing – users can just click on a friend and start talking. When placing a call, the friend’s profile picture and status update display on the screen.

    "The Vonage Mobile app for Facebook is a tangible example of our commitment to deliver extraordinary value and a better communications experience for individuals and their social networks, across broadband-enabled devices, around the world," said Marc Lefar, Chief Executive Officer of Vonage.

    "This is just the start. In the future we will expand on this service to include a wide range of integrated voice and messaging services that change the way people communicate," he added.

    The application can be downloaded from the Android Market in 48 countries and from the iTunes Store in 87 countries. Users who don’t have an unlimited data plan should check with their carrier to see if any charges apply.

    Related articles
    Requestec Provides Bell Mobility with 3G Mobile Video Calling App for Facebook
    Vonage Goes Mobile: Wi-Fi and Cellular Networks Low Rates Calls Available

  • Truphone Brings Wi-Fi Calling to Nexus One

    After releasing VoIP enabled Truphone for Android earlier this month, Truphone today announced that it has updated the application to operate on Nexus One, which makes the company the first to provide Wi-Fi calling on Google’s device.

    In addition to compatibility with the Nexus One, the update (version 3.0.2), ensures compatibility with the T-Mobile Pulse, meaning that Truphone is now Wi-Fi compatible with a total of five Android devices (Nexus One, Puls, HTC G1, HTC Magic and HTC Hero). Compatibility with Motorola Droid is supposed to come soon.

    The Truphone for Android integrates a full VoIP engine allowing users to make free calls to Truphone, Google Talk and Skype users when both parties are in Wi-Fi, in addition to low cost calls to landlines and mobiles around the world whether they are in or out of Wi-Fi.

    It also includes fully integrated multi-headed Instant Messaging support for Skype, Google Talk, AIM, Yahoo! and MSN customers.

    The application builds on the company’s previous release which allowed customers to make low cost calls on their mobiles when out of Wi-Fi. When out of Wi-Fi, the application works by making a local GSM call to the Truphone gateway (if a customer has a bundled package of minutes this call is often free, otherwise is charged as a ‘local call’), from where the call is then routed over the Truphone network.

    Calls can be made outside of Wi-Fi using Truphone Anywhere in 33 countries around the world.

    The application is available now as a free download in the Android Market.

  • fring Brings World’s First Video Calls to the iPhone

    Just a week after fring brought world’s first video calls over IP to mobile, the company announced “the first ever” mobile video calls over internet for the iPhone.

    fring video enables users to conduct video calls with other users as well as with Skype contacts over their device’s Wi-Fi or 3G internet connection, with support for mobile-to-mobile and mobile-to-desktop calls.

    The company says this is the first video over internet service on the iPhone or iPod touch.

    The new fring version with video calls support is currently available to users with iPhone/ iPod touch OS 3.0 and selected Nokia Symbian S60 devices (Nokia X6, N97 mini, N97, 5800, N95 8G and N95).

    For the iPhone only incoming video-stream is available (due to the location of the camera). 2-way video streaming is available for Symbian devices.

    “We were the first to bring mobile voice over internet to mobile devices, the first to bring iPhone/ iPod touch users the choice to make free Internet calls, the first to enable cost-saving mobile twitter over internet, and now we’re proud to continue leading the field of rich mobile-internet communication by bringing users the world’s first fring video calls over internet for the iPhone and iPod touch,” said Avi Shechter, Co-Founder & CEO of fring.

    “As the mobile VoIP trail-blazers since this industry’s inception, we have a responsibility to continue breaking the mobile-internet barriers, and bringing users all the choices, richness and always-on connectivity that internet communications on mobile can deliver,” he added.

    The new video feature is embedded within the popular fring application that enables free voice calls to other fring, Skype and GTalk users as well as friends on regular phone lines via Skype-Out and SIP services.

  • T-Mobile to Offer First 3G BlackBerry with Voice Calling over Wi-Fi

    RIM announced the upcoming availability of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 with Wi-Fi Calling from T-Mobile.

    It will be the first 3G-powered BlackBerry available through T-Mobile USA, and also the first smartphone from RIM that includes built-in support for both 3G connectivity and voice calls over Wi-Fi, according to T-Mobile.

    T-Mobile customers can continue to get mobile coverage and nationwide Wi-Fi calling with the company’s Unlimited HotSpot Calling service or, for business customers, the new Wi-Fi Calling with MobileOffice solution.

    Wi-Fi calling will require Unlimited HotSpot Calling mobile plan or Wi-Fi Calling with MobileOffice service, qualifying rate plan, broadband internet connection and wireless router.

    T-Mobile’s Unlimited HotSpot Calling is an add-on feature to qualifying mobile plan that enables unlimited nationwide calling over Wi-Fi from home and from all of US T-Mobile HotSpot locations across the country. It starts from $9.99. Regular plan minutes are used when call does not originate on Wi-Fi network.

    Rumored as the Onyx, Bold 9700 comes with new BlackBerry OS 5.0, 624 MHz processor, 2.44” light-sensing display, 256MB Flash memory, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g), 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, flash and video recording, full-QWERTY keyboard, touch-sensitive optical trackpad and micro SDHC 2GB card.

    It includes support for 3G HSDPA networks around the world and provides all well known RIM’s mobile e-mail and messaging solution, and access to social networking applications.

    Many applications from BlackBerry App World are readily available directly on the 9700, such as Slacker Radio (free music), TeleNav GPS Navigator (turn-by-turn directions), and visual voicemail.

    The new BlackBerry smartphone is expected to be available in November.

    By the end of the year T-Mobile’s 3G network is planned to be available to approximately 200 million people across the U.S.