The end of cellular phone call service is coming. AT&T's Wi-Fi calling and text messaging is the next step towards that goal. While it may not be the intent of mobile device carriers to move completely away from cellular service, that is indeed the trend. AT&T's latest move is to enable Wi-Fi Calling on "select Android devices" - for now that includes the LG G4 and a variety of iPhone devices only.
If you want to get so extremely serious about your body that your scale can tell you if you have heart problems, Withings Body Cardio is here for you. This piece of hardware works with the ability to tell you your pulse wave velocity - that's the measure of the stiffness of your arteries - aka the velocity at which your arteries pulse through your vessels. The measurement is non-invasive, and could very well show you that you're at cardiovascular risk when you'd otherwise have no idea. So far it seems we're not at risk - so that's good!
One of the themes that Microsoft has tried to push with Windows 10 is how the latest OS tries to make life easier for users by making decisions for them. While an almost nice goal, that usually meant Windows 10 added or enabled features sometimes without the user's consent or even knowledge. One of those conveniences was Wi-Fi Sense, which supposedly made it easier to share Wi-Fi access, meaning passwords, with people in your social networks who happen to also be in the same area. Unsurprisingly, it was a controversial feature that Microsoft is now removing almost a year later, but for a different reason.
The demands on today's home networks have changed substantially compared to yesteryears. Whereas before each household would have at least one or two computers, today each member of that household would have at least one mobile device, sometimes even more. Regular consumer routers sometimes just aren't enough anymore to handle all those devices, not to mention the bandwidth their activities require. Enter Ubiquiti with its new Amplifi Wi-Fi system which was designed to create an enterprise-grade Wi-Fi network but with the convenience and beauty of a home device.
Wi-Fi may be quite ubiquitous these days, some of them offered for free even, but it won't always be there, sometimes when you need it the most. Mobile hotspots have become the go to solution for Internet everywhere but, naturally, not all of them are created equal. AT&T is unveiling the Unite Explore, which, as the name may suggest, is primed for adventure. In addition to the rugged shell that frees you from worries, the hotspot is also AT&T's first to offer a range of security features that allay worries of a different sort.
In this day and age of the internet, mobile devices, and social media powered news, you'd wouldn't think getting online at the world's biggest conventions would be a problem. And yet such conventions, even tech-focused ones, are notorious for having near dismal networks. Car shows are, sadly, no exception either. Audi, however, has come up with a clever way to change all that at the 2016 New York Auto Show, and showcase the 2017 Audi A4 and its intelligent connectivity in the process. What better way to get the message across, goes the thinking, than with free, high-speed Wi-Fi.
This week new users of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge are finding that they've got an extra option in their Mobile HotSpot settings. Instead of just being able to share their mobile internet connection, they're now able to bounce their Wi-fi connection from their smartphone to their laptop - or any other Wi-fi-enable device. What's the use of this? Why would you want to share a Wi-fi connection to a device when that device already has the ability to see a Wi-fi connection? Funny you should ask!
Four years after the launch of the original Raspberry Pi, the new Raspberry Pi 3 has appeared with several very important new features. This version of the device - the $35 computer, that is to say - comes with two essential features that've been relegated to accessories until now. Both Bluetooth 4.1 and Wi-Fi are now built-in with this Raspberry Pi 3, freeing up room for more ports for more projects and more freedom for the device on its own!
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.
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.
Not all changes that new software versions bring are always welcome with open arms. It isn't uncommon for one or two or even more new features, or the removal of such, while strike a nerve. In the case of Apple's iOS 9, that is probably the contentious Wi-Fi Assist. Supposedly designed to make surfing the Web a more fluid and painless experience, it has actually caused more pain for users unaware of the feature and the data charges that it brings. Apple isn't disable the feature in iOS 9.3 beta 1, but it will let you keep an eye on it at least.
Ring, formerly known as Doorbot, has been around for quite some time. It's a smart doorbell that lets your monitor and even respond by voice to visitors at your door. Some consider it to be one of the few Internet of Things devices that makes a lot of sense and can be considered really beneficial to an automated home. However, while Ring might protect your door and your house, it might not be doing the same for your home Wi-Fi network, potentially exposing home owners to hacking.
