Wi-Fi

Internet service provider EarthLink said Tuesday that it would lay off approximately 900 employees as the company restructures in an attempt to boost its sagging stock price.

EarthLink will lose about half its staff in the restructuring as it shuts down operations in Orlando, Fla.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Harrisburg, Pa., and San Francisco. It will also substantially reduce its presence in Pasadena, Calif., and Atlanta, the company said in a press release Tuesday.

The reductions are expected to cost the company $60 million to $70 million. But it will save EarthLink $25 million to $35 million through the remainder of 2007, … Read more

Anytime a product is described as "idiot-proof" it gets our attention, providing that we're able to understand the big words. Throw in Wi-Fi and music, and it's a no-brainer. (We're beginning to sense a theme here.)

All three of these elements come into play with the Revo Pico Wi-Fi radio, another example of what we call the "Radio Free World" revolution. Claiming to be "the world's first portable Wi-Fi Internet radio," it automatically connects to wireless broadband networks and streams Net transmissions.

The radio has a rechargeable battery that lasts … Read more

This is the seventh in a series of posts from the Hot Chips conference at Stanford University. The previous installments looked at technology and software, process technology, multicore designs, IBM's Power6 efforts, Vernor Vinge's keynote address, and Nvidia. Other CNET coverage may be found here. This is sort of an experiment for me; I usually prefer to have time to review my work before I publish it. If you see anything wrong, please leave a comment!

This session has two presentations--one from SiBeam describing wireless HDTV transmission for home use, the other from Broadcom on new 802.11n Wi-Fi technology.

The SiBeam presentation is easily summarized: It describes a chipset that sends uncompressed HDTV video over… Read more

Maybe we've seen too many spy movies, but when we first heard about the Wi-Fire, a portable Wi-Fi booster, we imagined some sort of collapsible parabolic antenna, maybe with an accompanying mini-tripod so it can sit next to you on your desk. In fact, the 3x4x3/8-inch directional antenna is rather boxy, and it attaches to your laptop's lid much like a Webcam. According to manufacturer hField Technologies, the Wi-Fire can connect to an 802.11b/g access point as far as 1,000 feet away, giving you the opportunity to roam beyond the range of your laptop'… Read more

Apple announced today a new feature on its 802.11n-based Airport Extreme Base Station. Its Ethernet ports have all been upgraded to Gigabit Ethernet. Sadly, it still offers only three LAN ports, whereas most wireless routers offer four. Otherwise, it's basically the same product we reviewed, at the same price point.

We asked and, with any luck, we shall receive. A few weeks back we were bemoaning the lack of Wi-Fi aboard U.S. airlines after finding that Qantas had plans for on-board wireless Internet access. But American Airlines appears to be on the same flight path, teaming with AirCell to test broadband services next year on the carrier's Boeing 767-200 planes. Now if the airline would just incorporate the kind of gadget-laden chaise lounges that United is planning, we'd be in hog heaven. In Economy Class, thank you very much. Speaking of flying, what are those pigs doing … Read more

We've heard that Samsung has come up with yet another slider, dubbed the Samsung SGH-P260. It looks a little like the Samsung SGH-D807, but what sets it apart is that it is a UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) phone with built-in Wi-Fi. This feature lets it make calls via Wi-Fi, and the phone can also switch between wireless hot spots and GSM cellular airwaves automatically. Other features include a 262,000 color display, a 2-megapixel camera, 256MB of internal memory, a microSD card slot, an MP3 player, stereo Bluetooth, and more. No word on carrier, but since it is a … Read more

One of the most useful things the iPhone does is find Wi-Fi networks in the area. This is something any device with Wi-Fi connectivity can do, but finding a Web connection with an iPhone in hand is a bit easier than driving around a neighborhood with a laptop in search of a strong signal.

This also happens to one of the most revealing and amusing features of the iPhone.

Sure, many network names are as mundane as "linksys," 2WIRE252" and "homenetwork." In San Francisco, you find a lot of service set identifiers such as "… Read more

Note to U.S. airlines: Watch what Qantas is doing. The Australian airliner will offer Wi-Fi and electrical outlets on its new A380 and renovated 747-400s next year, according to Engadget. The cost of these perks hasn't been made public, but the carrier will reportedly install power sockets even in some economy cabins.

To which we can't help but respond: Where's the rest of the airline industry on this? For all the hassles and wasted time passenger must endure in the fiasco that passes for air travel these days, the least carriers can do is provide basic … Read more