Wi-Fi

9 Stories

Porn-Watching Homeless People Hog NYC WiFi Kiosks

At least according to critics

(Newser) - The web-browsing feature of New York City's 400 sidewalk WiFi kiosks will be disabled after critics complained that homeless people were monopolizing them and using them to watch porn, officials said Wednesday. The consortium that installed the LinkNYC kiosks said it will work with city officials to explore potential...

Lots of Christmas Lights? Your WiFi Signal May Suffer

But plenty of other devices cause interference, too

(Newser) - All those Christmas lights strung about might make your holidays bright, but they might also hamper your ability to binge-watch Netflix vis-a-vis a weakened WiFi signal. So warns British telecom watchdog Ofcom , which describes a decent Internet connection as the fourth essential service, ranking right up there with gas, electricity,...

Why iOS 9 Users Are Getting High Bills

Users may want to shut off Wi-Fi Assist

(Newser) - If you're using iOS 9 and your data rates are reaching new highs, watch out for an otherwise-useful feature called "Wi-Fi Assist." It automatically allows your phone to download data via your cellular plan when Wi-Fi coverage isn't great, ZDNet explains, which is fine—but can...

Guy Racks Up $1.2K In-Flight WiFi Bill

 Guy Racks Up $1.2K 
 In-Flight WiFi Bill 
in case you missed it

Guy Racks Up $1.2K In-Flight WiFi Bill

Whoops

(Newser) - When Jeremy Gutsche signed up for a WiFi plan on a Singapore Airlines flight, he knew he was getting 30 megabytes for $28.99 and would be responsible for any additional data he used. What he apparently did not know was that by "checking email and uploading a PowerPoint...

Brits Unwittingly Give Up Firstborns for Free WiFi

Security experiment uses 'Herod clause' to show vulnerabilities in public hot spots

(Newser) - What would you give for free WiFi? A handful of Londoners would apparently sacrifice their oldest child, according to F-Secure, a security firm that set up a public hot spot in June as part of an experiment to show how insecure public WiFi is, the Guardian reports. While connecting to...

Nokia Tries to Ban Most BlackBerries

After winning patent case in Swedish court

(Newser) - Nokia has asked a California judge for an order banning the sale of any BlackBerry phone with wireless LAN capabilities—which is basically all of them, ComputerWorld reports. A Swedish arbiter has ruled that RIM has breached its contract over the use of Nokia's wireless patents, Nokia announced today,...

Wi-Fi Light Bulbs Are 'Awesome'

You can control them from any smartphone or tablet

(Newser) - Ever stubbed a fragile toe while hunting for a lamp at night? No need, it seems, when you can control your lights from any tablet or smartphone. The technology has been around a while, but Greenwave Reality is releasing new 2700K, standard-size, Wi-Fi bulbs that "may just be the...

Neighbors Wage War Via Wi-Fi Network Names

Typically, it's about noise

(Newser) - Want to know what your neighbor really thinks of you? Try scrolling through your local Wi-Fi hotspot names, which may contain a personal message—like "We Can Hear You Having Sex" or "Shut The Barking Dog Up No 7," the BBC reports. Other examples include complaints about...

WiFi? Phhhh. Try Sending Data by a Light Bulb

Physicist Herald Haas calls it 'Visible Light Communication'

(Newser) - Think WiFi is amazing? How about LiFi, a technology in the works that could transmit data at amazingly high speeds from everyday light bulbs, CNN reports. German physicist Herald Haas is working on the process that could revolutionize movie downloads, cell phone calls, and anything that uses radio wave signals...

9 Stories