Category Archives: Wi Fi

Green Wi Fi in New York

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Who doesn’t remember the mild-mannered avatar Clark Kent using the iconic telephone booths to change into Superman, and then flying off to ‘protect’ Metropolis !  Those were the good old days!

Well let’s Flash Forward to our Metropolis, New York City, where the telephone booth will now be used to enhance the lives of its citizens by providing Free Wi-Fi… Read on…

Let’s review what Wi-Fi is again – Wi-Fi internet is a way of accessing the internet using a wireless network through an wireless access point. This replaces the traditional use of using a networking cable to access the internet. Read More »via Ask.com – What’s Your Question?.

♦ New Yorkers and visitors are now able to connect free-of-charge using their smartphones, tablets, and other WiFi-enabled devices. Access is currently available at 10 locations, with additional hotspots to follow in the coming months.  via NYC Digital – News.

♦ The wireless signal of the pay phone booths will span an 100 to 200 foot radius and the network will appear as “Free WiFi” or “NYC Free Public WiFi” on phones, laptops, tablets, and other WiFi devices.

♦ The network isn’t password protected, but when you launch your browser, you will be required to agree to terms and conditions before surfing the web. Read More via New York City Pay Phone Booths Now Free WiFi Hotspots – ABC News.

LOCATIONS:  Manhattan 402 West Broadway (at Spring Street); 458 Seventh Avenue (at 35th Street); 410 Madison Avenue (at 48th Street); 1609 Broadway (at 49th Street); 1790 Broadway (at 58th Street); 230 West 95th Street (at Broadway).Brooklyn 545 Albee Square; 2 Smith Street (both at the Fulton Street Mall).Queens 30-94 Steinway Street (at 31st Avenue). Read More via City Begins Wi-Fi Pilot Program in 10 Phone Booths – NYTimes.com.

Click for Maps:  via City of New York – NYC Public WiFi Hotspots – foursquare.

HOW TO USE PHONE BOOTH Wi-Fi

♦ Look for a phone booth that says WiFi or Free WiFi labelled on it.

♦ Stand within 200 feet of the WiFi-enabled phone booth.

♦ On your phone or laptop, connect to either of the wireless networks, “Free WiFi” or “NYC Free Public WiFi.”

♦ Upon launching your browser, agree to the terms and conditions.

♦ Go on the Internet, email, stream, or do anything else Internet-related.

For more details click link: via NYC phone booths will be free WiFi Hotspots – How to connect to NYC WiFi phone booth? — New York Computer Help Blog.

I hope this is helpful 🙂

Using HotSpots … Guidelines…

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At the last post we offered some suggestions for using HotSpot software.  Boingo WiFi and Wi-Finder appear to be very popular Mobile Apps. Both iPad and Android  have this App available for their mobile devices.  Boingo received  great reviews, both for ease of use and customer service.

Mobile applications, also called mobile apps, are software applications, usually designed to run on smartphones and tablet computers. They are available through application distribution platforms, which are typically operated by the owner of the mobile operating system, such as the Apple App Store, Android Market, and BlackBerry App World. Some apps are free, and others have a price.via Mobile apps – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Here are some of the details that caught our attention.  We suggest you use the links provided at the end of this post to get a complete review and guidance for each App.

♦ When traveling to a new place check out the Wi-Fi access before you go.  This may help you decide on a hotel site, or a particular hotel (see below).

♦ The Blue pins on the map show free hotspots; Red pins indicate Boingo hotspots.

To check where the hotspots are at the site you are traveling to, do the following on your mobile device:

1) Click the Boingo App Logo  2) Click Find Hotspots Near Me  3)  Type the  address, or city and state of the place you’re traveling to  4) When the Blue & Red pins show up, click the View button  5) click the List button  6) click Done, a list of locations will appear on your mobile device screen (see samples below). You can also click on a place to see more details (e.g., whether the hotspot is free).  Note:  Click the images below with your mouse to see a clearer picture.

              

Check out these great websites below by clicking the links for additional information:

 ♦ Boingo Wi-Finder for iPhone Review: Finding Hotspots Everywhere via Boingo Wi-Finder for iPhone Review: Finding Hotspots Everywhere

 ♦ Musings by Annelie Näs  Digital, and more digital – ideas, thoughts and reflections via Boingo Wireless Follow-Up: Special treatment for Blogging customers?.

I hope this is helpful 🙂 !



Are you in a HotSpot?

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In the upcoming weeks we are going to have  short bursts of information on what HotSpots are.  For example Boingo Wireless and Boingo Wi-Finder, and where you can buy or download the  free service. Also, we will look at why you would use a paid service instead of a free one.

What is  a HotSpot?

♦ A HotSpot is a site that offers Internet access over a wireless local area network with a router connected to a link to an Internet service provider. Hotspots typically use Wi-Fi technology (this was covered in a earlier post. Check the post listing if you want a detailed description).

♦ Hotspots may be found in coffee shops and various other public establishments throughout much of the developed world. via Hotspot (Wi-Fi) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

What types of  Internet access services are available to use Hotspots?

♦ Boingo Wireless is a paid service and provides Internet access

♦ Boingo Wi-Finder is a free service and provides Internet access

Below is a brief summary of information found  at Wireless Internet Reviews.  You can click the link  below to read the full description and rating of each service.

♦ Boingo Wireless has a network of Wi-Fi providers worldwide (100,000 hotspots globally).

♦ AT&T has competitive pricing  for monthly Wi-Fi Hotspot subscription packages. It’s a good choice for travelers.

♦ T–Mobile currently operates the fourth largest network in the United States. They have plans available of their network Wi-Fi Hotspots.

Click the link for detailed information: via Best Rated Subscription Hotspot Services | Wireless Internet Reviews

We will have the chance to discuss other findings about HotSpots at the next post.

I hope this is helpful! 🙂

Wi Fi, 3G, 4G, Data Plans ? So many decisions! What’s a person to think?

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It’s all so complicated! 

How does one make decisions about using cell phones; what service should you sign up for? Why do you need a data plan anyway?

AT&T pointed out recently, 200MB of data gives you the capability to send and receive 1000 e-mail messages no attachments and 150 e-mails with attachments, view 400 Web pages, post 50 photos on social media sites, and watch 20 minutes of streaming video.

via AT&T’s New iPhone Data Plans: Pros and Cons | PCWorld.

I ‘cyber-searched’ for answers to these questions. Hopefully, my excerpts will assist you in understanding what you require and how to make decisions about your cell phones and data plans. Also, there will be links to the websites where I found information so that you can research more thoroughly, should you want to do so.

                                               ***********

What is WiFi?  Wi Fi is short for Wireless Fidelity and..?     🙂
According to Dictionary.com, wifi:wireless local area network: a local area network that uses high frequency radio signals to transmit and receive data over distances of a few hundred feet.

What is 3G? 3G is an umbrella term for a collection of technologies that make up the third generation of cellular data networks. These standards allow cell phones (and other devices capable of connecting to a cellular network) to send and receive data at speeds comparable to cable or DSL. via In A Nutshell: What Is 3G?.

What is 4G? 4G, an acronym for fourth-generation wireless, is a technology that will transform wireless communications in a completely new way. It is also known as “beyond 3G,” since it provides a comprehensive and secure IP (Internet Protocol) solution. Users will enjoy high quality streaming video and “anytime, anywhere” voice and data at a much higher speed than previous generations. via What is 4G?.

Other things you should know:

Notes:

* While some Internet Service Providers offer both 3G and WiFi internet, they usually consider them separate services and require separate subscriptions.

* 3G is almost always more expensive than WiFi connected to a fixed service, so when WiFi is available – use it!

* Most 3G Service Providers offer a USB modem with their subscription services at a cost.

* 3G can be quite fast, but is in most cases worse than WiFi.

* Other wireless technologies also exist.

via Cryptech V2 » Blog Archive » The Difference Between 3G Mobile Internet and WiFi Wireless Networks.

  Do you need a data plan?

The first thing you have to do is to guesstimate how much data you think you’ll use. Two gigabytes of data per month seems to be the magic cut-off for most carriers. The vast majority of customers–98 percent, according to AT&T–use less than this each month. Average smartphone subscribers are using roughly, 400 MB of data per month, according to Validas, which recently analyzed a year of consumer phone bills from all four major carriers.

A couple of carriers, AT&T and T-Mobile, offer 200MB plans for low-data consumption. The lowest tier of service that Verizon Wireless offers is 2GB. And Sprint only offers an unlimited data plan for its smartphone customers.

But as you can see these plans aren’t tailored precisely for average usage. So most smartphone subscribers will need more than the 200MB plan but less than 2GB.

via Ask Maggie: Help! These data plans are too confusing | Signal Strength – CNET News.

All the major carriers offer tools on their Websites to help you estimate your usage. So I suggest checking that out to get a sense of what you think your usage will be. Here’s a little guide put together by Verizon Wireless that should give you an idea of how much data certain activities eat up:

* Email (text only) = 10KB

* Typical Web Page Lookup* = 1.5MB

* Audio Streaming = 40MB/hr

* Lo-Res Video Streaming = 200MB/hr

* Hi-Res Video Streaming = 400MB/hr

* Digital Photo download/upload (Hi-Res) = 1MB

$$$$$$  What will it Cost?

 The next thing to consider is price. T-Mobile’s 200MB tier is $10 a month. The good thing about its service is that if you go over your limit, it only slows your service. This means you aren’t socked with additional overage fees. AT&T’s 200MB service is $15 a month. But if you exceed this limit, your service isn’t slowed or “throttled.” Instead, you’re charged more money for more usage.

via Ask Maggie: Help! These data plans are too confusing | Signal Strength – CNET News.

🙂   That’s all for now folks.   I hope this is helpful!