Hotspot

FreedomPop has announced a new global hotspot that offers free mobile data in many places around the world, launching first for users in the United States and UK. The hotspot works in 25 countries, including France, Germany, Spain, and other European countries. If all goes as planned, though, FreedomPop will expand the global hotspot’s coverage to include countries in Asia and Latin America, bringing the total to more than 40 regions globally.

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Who would have thought that free, especially from the government, would be this sweet? New York City's mission to lift the city's profile on the Internet map might just truly take off. LinkNYC, which will install gigabit Wi-Fi hotspots all over the city, has just launched in beta for a few locations. And already, the blazing fast speeds are earning it quite the accolades, at least for now. With still a few simultaneously connected users not doing anything extraordinary, not to mention improper, that might not be much of a surprise. Still, it's an achievement worth commending.

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These days, the word "unlimited" no longer really means unlimited. It's more like "unlimited except". Sometimes that's because it almost seems like human nature to abuse such untethered offers. At least that is what Karma experienced, the hard way, when it launched its unlimited Neverstop service. What was intended to be a painless way to connect to Wi-Fi hotspots across the country was turned into a backup or streaming connection at home, with users raking in over 1,000 GB. And that's for a single month only.

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Karma, the makers of the Karma Go WiFi hotspot device, have just announced its second data plan since its latest model debuted this past summer. Now, in addition to the existing $14 per gigabyte Refuel plan, users can choose the new Neverstop option, which offers unlimited data for $50 per month. Just like the pay-as-you-go Refuel plan, Neverstop still relies on Sprint's network with a capped speed of 5 Mbps for downloads and uploads, so it won't suffice for Netflix binges, but with no usage limits or throttling, it could be a godsend in the right situation.

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The writing has been on the wall for almost a year now, but it doesn't make this latest development any less disconcerting. Karma will be shutting down its WiMAX network come November 6, as it had already hinted last year. Understandably, that will require existing users to upgrade their devices to the new LTE-enabled Karma Go. But if that weren't inconvenient enough, they will practically be paying for it with the same price tag that they paid for when they bought the original Karma little less than 2 years ago.

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Imagine reaching the end of an exhilarating but also tiring mountain climb. You reach for your phone to take a selfie or tweet to the world about your accomplishment. But alas, you have no Internet connection. Big problem, right? Well, not if you're on top of Japan's highest peak. That's right, the iconic Mount Fuji is going to have free Wi-Fi hotspots, eight of them, in fact, and they are being placed exactly so that you can share to the world your wonderful hiking experience.

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When you’re traveling, connectivity can be important. When you least expect it, a data connection becomes crucial, often leaving you teetering on what happens next on your trip. Everything from directions to planning — even work — can depend on access to the Internet. But how will you know if you can get Internet? Where is it offered? Rather than fly blind when you’re in a strange locale, we’ve got some handy tips for making sure you’re connected every time you leave home, regardless of where you go.

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Earlier this year, Comcast caught public attention with its home-based WiFi Hotspot network, which utilizes some subscribers' hardware to broadcast a second WiFi signal for other Comcast subscribers to use. As Comcast told us back in June, this secondary usage is tied to the user's own account, not the home subscriber's account. Many still have issues with the feature, however, and now Comcast is facing a class-action lawsuit over it.

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Karma launched two years ago to revolutionize how you connect to the Internet, but it has unfortunately been held back by a now forgotten wireless technology. That is changing very soon, by December to be exact, as Karma plans to launch the new Karma Go, a hotspot that will connect to LTE instead of WiMAX.

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Comcast has again drawn scrutiny, this time over its practice of injecting its own advertisements into Web pages visited by those connected to its public WiFi hotspots. According to a spokesperson that talked to the folks at Ars Techica, the company started doing this "months ago".

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Google’s enterprise ambitions are clearing up daily, with the latest news highlighting their connectivity ambitions. According to sources who (of course) don’t wish to be named, Google is set to offer WiFi subsidies on both hardware and software to small and medium sized businesses. Those mom and pop stores are about to have a web presence and WiFi hotspot if Google has anything to say about it.

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ZTE did a bit of teasing pre-CES, and now that the show has begun, we have been able to get some hands-on time with the various items. There were some smartphones and the Iconic Phablet, however one stuck out a bit, the ZTE Projector Hotspot. This one is as the name would suggest and serves as both a projector and mobile hotspot.

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