wi-fi

Microsoft turns Forbes magazines into Wi-Fi hot spots

I have always believed that the old and the new can coexist with extreme joy.

Microsoft appears to believe this too.

In a promotion that melds the dying world of magazines with the living world of Wi-Fi, select copies of Forbes are enjoying a Wi-Fi router, which oozes 15 days of free Wi-Fi through T-Mobile.

This fetching gift was first noticed by someone on the Slickdeals forum -- handle BigMacG4 -- who wondered whether anyone else had been fortunate enough to be gifted this way.… Read more

Share files between your Android device and a Mac with Droid NAS

You can share files between your Android device and a Mac by using a USB cable and running Android File Transfer on your Mac. If both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, however, there's an easier way: Droid NAS. Droid NAS is an Android app that makes your device appear in Finder as a Bonjour computer. There's no need to open a Web browser or run a separate program on your Mac.

Launch Droid NAS on your Android device, then select which profile you want to use. You can choose among the three profiles that are … Read more

The 404 1,258: Where we get a GIF from Peter Ha (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Nathan Fielder asks: What happens if you text your parents that you're a drug dealer?

- Some New York City subway stations just got free Wi-Fi and cell service.

- Crew team finds unexpected floating head in Hudson River.

- Michael Bay is why Transformers toys got so complicated over the years.

- Mars Rover penis graffiti goes viral.… Read more

Google Fiber prompts Time Warner to offer free Austin Wi-Fi

Though Time Warner Cable's free Wi-Fi hot spots are nothing new, there is something perhaps more than coincidental about the timing of their launch in Austin, Texas.

Did someone say Google Fiber?

Well, actually, Time Warner itself did. In its announcement Thursday that it's bringing free Wi-Fi hot spots to its Austin customers, the company said it was Google launching its superfast Internet and TV service in the Texas capital that gave Time Warner momentum.

"We've been rolling out our free Wi-Fi network across our footprint for some time now, as part of our larger strategy … Read more

FreedomPop introduces nationwide 3G, $40 hot spot

For a while now I've been wanting to test-drive FreedomPop, the wireless Internet provider that offers, among other things, 500MB of free mobile data per month.

Alas, because it's a 4G-only service based on Clearwire's WiMAX network, there's no coverage in my area.

That changes today with the introduction of FreedomPop's new Overdrive Pro mobile hot spot, which offers both 4G and 3G coverage via Sprint.

In other words, now I can get in on the free-data action. The Overdrive Pro costs $39.99 and allows for up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices to connect at … Read more

Home networking explained, part 6: Keep your network secure

Editors' note: This post is part of an ongoing series. For the other parts, check out the related stories section below.

If you were concerned after reading CNET's recent report that most home routers can be easily hacked, I don't blame you. The study did sound ominous, but the good news is that your network is likely far less susceptible than the report suggests. And more importantly, there are things you can do to make sure it's secure.

Two things are vital to keeping your network safe: proper settings and prudence. The first step is easy; you … Read more

Germany fines Google $189K for Street View Wi-Fi data breach

Germany's privacy regulator has fined Google 145,000 euros ($189,000) after the search giant illegally collected private Wi-Fi network data, including usernames, passwords and Web site results.

It amounts to a minor bluff for Google, but an overall win, as the fine represents about 0.002 percent of its total net profit in 2012.

This is despite it being "one of the biggest data protection rules violations known," according to Hamburg data regulator Johannes Caspar in an e-mailed statement to Bloomberg, claiming that Google's "internal control mechanisms must have severely failed."

It's … Read more

Top Wi-Fi routers easy to hack, says study

The Wi-Fi router you use to broadcast a private wireless Internet signal in your home or office is not only easy to hack, says a report released today, but the best way to protect yourself is out of your hands.

The report, written by research firm Independent Security Evaluators of Baltimore, found that 13 of the most popular off-the-shelf wireless routers could be exploited by a "moderately skilled adversary with LAN or WLAN access." It also concludes that your best bet for safer Wi-Fi depends on router vendors upping their game. All 13 routers evaluated can be taken … Read more

Apple will replace faulty Apple TVs for free

9to5Mac is reporting that according to internal communications, Apple has implemented a new policy at its retail stores and support centers that a small number of its Apple TV media devices may be faulty and be eligible for a free replacement.

The applicable systems are third-generation Apple TVs that are experiencing network connectivity issues where they either cannot locate or are unable to join wireless networks, or they can only successfully connect part of the time.

This issue affects only a small number of devices that Apple has identified. To qualify, your Apple TV's serial number must meet the … Read more