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Filed under: iPhone

Virgin Mobile Canada: Fifth Canadian outlet for iPhone

by Ken Ray (RSS feed) on Nov 20th, 2009

The iPhone is getting yet another carrier in the great white north. Virgin Mobile Canada has announced that it'll start selling the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in the coming months.

When exactly? How much? Can I get a Richard Branson ringtone? Actually, I can make my own ringtones, but what about the rest of it? We'll have to wait to find out. All the company said in its incredibly short notice was that it'll sell the phones online and in its brick-and-mortar stores at some point. Well, that and that its gotten some love from J.D. Power and Associates for its prepaid and postpaid wireless services.

The phones are already on sale north of the border through Rogers Wireless, its subsidiary Fido, Bell Canada, and Telus. While a Canadian friend tells me Virgin Mobile Canada has a reputation for inexpensive phones with prepaid service, Canadian mobile news site MobileSyrup expects Virgin to charge roughly the same prices with the same three-year contracts as Canada's other iPhone carriers.

Thanks EZ Mac Mike for the tip!

[via iLounge, MobileSyrup]

Tags: 3g, 3gs, bell, canada, fido, iphone, mobile, rogers, telus, virgin, wireless

Filed under: Internet

Google to deliver free airport Wi-Fi for the holidays

by Megan Lavey (RSS feed) on Nov 11th, 2009

Here's one holiday treat that Mac and PC users alike can enjoy. Google announced yesterday that during the holiday season, it is sponsoring free Wi-Fi at 47 airports around the United States, as well as on every Virgin America flight. According to CNN, those who choose to take advantage of this will be urged to set Google as their home page, or receive an offer to download Google Chrome. Google has also suggested that those utilizing the free service should donate the money they would have otherwise spent on airport Wi-Fi to a worthy charity.

Full details, including a list of airports, a contest and the charity drive, can be found at FreeHolidayWiFi.com. To connect on a MacBook, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, simply make sure your Airport is turned on and look for the available networks at your airport, then launch a web browser to complete the connection.

Other free Wi-Fi deals for the holidays include Yahoo donating a year of free Wi-Fi service to Times Square in New York City, and Microsoft's Bing search engine joining forces with JiWire to offer free Wi-Fi at JiWire hotspots that opt into the program -- provided that you run a search using Bing first.

Tags: google, hgg, wifi, wireless

Filed under: Hardware, Software, Software Update

Wireless Keyboard Update 2.0 now available

by Dave Caolo (RSS feed) on Nov 9th, 2009

Earlier today, Apple released Wireless Keyboard Update 2.0, which adds support for some nice features like using the function keys for display brightness, Dashboard, Spaces, iTunes playback control and speaker volume. To install the update, first turn on and pair your keyboard and then run Software Update. It's just under 11MB.

Note that Mac OS X 10.5.8 is required before installing this update; for Mac OS X 10.6 users, this support is included in the Mac OS X 10.6.2 update.

Let us know how the update goes for you!

Tags: keyboard, software update, SoftwareUpdate, update, wireless

Filed under: Wireless, Features, Airport, iMac, iTunes, Ask TUAW, Snow Leopard

Ask TUAW: Arranging icons on the iPhone, installing Windows on a Mac, Airport networks and more

by Chris Ullrich (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009

Welcome back to Ask TUAW, our weekly troubleshooting Q&A column. This week we have questions about arranging icons on the iPhone, installing Windows via Boot Camp, AirPort networks, iMac rotation support, replacing the video card in an iMac, and more.

As always, your suggestions and questions are welcome. Leave your questions for next week in the comments section at the end of this post. When asking a question, please include which machine you're using and what version of Mac OS X is installed on it (we'll assume you're running Snow Leopard on an Intel Mac if you don't specify). And now, on to the questions.

Leah asks:
Is there a better way to arrange icons on my iPhone than by trying to drag them around on the phone itself. I can't seem to get it to work very well and usually mess it up.
Apple provided a better way of organizing iPhone icons in iTunes 9. In the past, I always tried to arrange my icons on the iPhone the same way you do, by dragging them around on the device itself. This isn't as easy as it sounds, especially if you have larger hands.

Now, with iTunes 9 or higher installed and your iPhone connected to your Mac or PC, launch iTunes, click on the Applications tab, and you will not only see the apps you have installed on your iPhone, but the iPhone screens and the placement of the icons as well.

Simply drag the icons around in iTunes and put them in the desired order. The next time you sync, the icons are arranged identically on your iPhone as well. It's so much easier.

Continue reading “Ask TUAW: Arranging icons on the iPhone, installing Windows on a Mac, Airport networks and more”

Tags: airport, ask tuaw, AskTuaw, boot camp, BootCamp, fusion, gmail, itunes, mailplane, parallels, prism, vmware, windows, wireless

Filed under: Hardware, Peripherals, Wireless, Airport

Airport Extreme Base Station, Time Capsule boast a bigger antenna

by Lauren Hirsch (RSS feed) on Oct 20th, 2009

OK, so it's not nearly as exciting as a shiny new iMac or a Mac mini server, but the Airport Extreme Base Station and Time Capsule also received a mild update today. Both are now certified to the 802.11n specification (not draft-n), and along with this certification come improvements in antenna design, which promises 50% better Wi-Fi performance and 25% better range.

So, not earth-shattering, but for those of us who rely on complex Wi-Fi setups, having the extra range and more optimized antenna design may make or break the setup. And with many more non-geek homes adding devices that stream media in places where they never thought they'd ever need a wired network connection, better throughput can make all the difference.

Price is still $179 for the AEBS, $299 for the 1TB Time Capsule, $499 for the 2TB Time Capsule.

Tags: 802.11n, airport extreme base station, AirportExtremeBaseStation, wifi, wireless

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Wireless, Odds and ends

This just in: California 'cool car' law may hose your iPhone reception

by Steven Sande (RSS feed) on Oct 13th, 2009

Whenever I visit California, I'm always amazed with the number of state laws that have been enacted for one reason or another. For example, you're warned about alcohol's effect on pregnant women (duh!) when you go into bars and restaurants, and many buildings have mandated warning signs outside telling you if there are materials inside that might be cancer-causing.

Well, the latest California state law that will affect almost everyone in the Golden State is the new "cool car" regulation, set to take effect in the next decade. The idea here is that by reducing solar heat in cars by mandating reflective metal oxide additives in window glass, car air conditioners won't have to work as hard and gas mileage will be improved. The law calls for the coatings to prevent 45% of the sun's thermal energy from entering vehicles by 2014, raising the limit to 60% by 2016.

While this is a noble and worthy goal, there's one major issue -- these materials, according to a post on our sister blog Autoblog, seriously degrade the transmission of radio frequency energy as well. That means that just about any electronic device that depends on signals from the outside world, including iPhones, GPS receivers, and wireless broadband cards for laptops, will be "adversely affected by the metallic reflective standard." You think AT&T's service is bad now? Just wait until you're sitting in a car that is shielding you from any wireless signal!

Most likely, California vehicles will also need to be equipped with a group of (hopefully) aerodynamic external antennae to ensure continued wireless and GPS service as the law goes into effect.

Tags: air conditioning, AirConditioning, california, energy efficiency, EnergyEfficiency, idiots, regulations, stupid laws, StupidLaws, wireless

Filed under: Peripherals, Rumors

New Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mouse show up in FCC database

by Joachim Bean (RSS feed) on Oct 2nd, 2009


We've been hearing a lot about a new mouse from Apple lately, and earlier today images and additional documentation about a new Apple Wireless Keyboard and Mouse (using Bluetooth) showed up in the FCC database. The new keyboard has a model number of A1314, while the mouse has a model number of A1296. The dimensions of the new wireless keyboard are smaller than the current Apple Wireless Keyboard, particularly in the distance between the top and bottom of the keyboard. There are still few details on the new mouse at this point.

The FCC images were quickly pulled from the FCC database, then re-added later in the day with details cropped out, but they can still be found in all of their original glory over on our sister site Engadget.

[via Engadget]

Tags: Bluetooth, FCC, keyboard, mouse, wireless

Filed under: Hardware, Wireless, Odds and ends, Internet, iPhone

AT&T poised to roll out 3G MicroCell service

by Steven Sande (RSS feed) on Sep 22nd, 2009

For many iPhone owners in the U.S., the fact that you're tied to AT&T as the wireless carrier has been a serious problem. As an example, until this week, I was lucky if I got 2 bars of signal strength on EDGE at my house and I never had 3G service. Now, for some inexplicable reason, I'm able to get a full 5 bars on 3G on the top floor of my house and about 3 bars on the lower floor.

Unless you're fortunate enough to have a similar miracle take place near your home, you may need to take advantage of AT&T's upcoming 3G MicroCell service. This service literally puts a tiny Internet-attached cell tower in your home or office, blasting out 5 bars of 3G goodness to about a 5,000 square foot area.

The 3G MicroCell comes at a price, of course -- the device is rumored to cost $150 and there will be no monthly charge if you wish to use your existing minutes. You can also add unlimited phone calls through the device for an extra $20 per month, so if you primarily use your iPhone in one location, it might be cheaper to get the minimum service plan for the iPhone and just use the 3G MicroCell unlimited plan for your calls.

AT&T's rollout of the 3G MicroCell service will make the iPhone available to a wider audience of potential users, and may also benefit the overstressed AT&T network by decreasing the number of voice and data calls using the regular cell towers.

At the present time, AT&T is testing the 3G MicroCell service in Charlotte, NC. You can check availability of the service by visiting the AT&T site.

Tags: 3G, att, EDGE, femtocell, iphone, microcell, wireless

Filed under: Peripherals, Internet, Reviews, Road Tested

Road Tested: the Verizon MiFi portable broadband router

by Erica Sadun (RSS feed) on Sep 2nd, 2009

For the last couple of weeks, I've been testing the Verizon MiFi portable WiFi hotspot. After writing about the MiFi, a few months back, I was placed on a waiting list to receive a test unit. Could the MiFi enhance the iPod touch experience to bring it into the realm of the iPhone? A unit finally came free and I finally got my hands-on experience to discover whether my assumptions would be proved right or wrong.

The MiFi, which is a portable EV-DO router, provides a 3G connection through an absolutely tiny unit. All plastic, it's about as thick as an iPhone and about two-thirds as large as its front face. The MiFi's entire user interface is its single button (seen at the bottom right of the image here). When pressed, the button switches on and glows green. Pressed again and held, the unit turns off and the green glow disappears. Sprint offers a near-identical unit, except it's finished in brushed metal instead of black.

Read on to discover how my MiFi testing went...

Continue reading “Road Tested: the Verizon MiFi portable broadband router”

Tags: broadband, evdo, ipod touch, IpodTouch, mifi, mobile, review, road tested, RoadTested, verizon, wi-fi, wifi, wireless

Filed under: Bluetooth, Software Update, Macbook Pro

Apple releases fixes for Bluetooth and MacBook Pro hard drives

by Joachim Bean (RSS feed) on Aug 19th, 2009

Apple has just released two firmware updates, one fixing issues with Bluetooth and the the other fixing the MacBook Pro hard drive noise issue.

The first, Bluetooth Firmware Update 2.0.1, fixes bugs and improves compatibility with the Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse and Apple Wireless Keyboard. It's available for all Macs with Broadcom Bluetooth chipsets, which include all unibody MacBooks and MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs, and all other Macs introduced in 2009.

The other one, Hard Drive Firmware Update 2.0, which has been promised by Apple for some time now, fixes the widely reported issue with hard drive noise. This issue only affects MacBook Pros with 7200 RPM hard drives introduced in June 2009 or later, so this update is only available for those Macs.

Both of these updates are available through Software Update, or they can also be downloaded on Apple's support downloads page.

Tags: Bluetooth, hard drive, HardDrive, MacBook Pro, MacbookPro, update, wireless

Filed under: Accessories, Hardware, Peripherals, Video, Odds and ends, Bluetooth, Road Tested

Road Tested: Ecamm BT-1 Bluetooth webcam (& we're giving one away!)

by Steven Sande (RSS feed) on Jul 7th, 2009

Webcams are great, but when they're built into your display or laptop, they are usually good for only a couple of things -- video chats of your talking head or taking goofy pictures with Photo Booth. Ecamm, the development firm that makes the Call Recorder software we use to record the weekly TUAW Talkcast, demoed a tiny Bluetooth webcam at Macworld Expo in January. That webcam, the Ecamm BT-1, is now shipping and TUAW recently had an opportunity to test-drive one.

The US$149.00 BT-1 comes in a small box with a USB charging cable and one other useful accessory; a diminutive tripod to hold the webcam steady. The tripod is no slouch, as it has extendable legs and a tilt/pan head. For something that you can stick in your pocket, the BT-1 tripod is surprisingly sturdy.

Once charged, the BT-1 works for about 4 hours beaming 640 x 480 H.264-encoded video with stereo sound to your computer. Charging the BT-1 is as simple as plugging one end of the cable into a Mac's USB port or an iPhone charging brick, then plugging the other end into the BT-1's mini-USB port. While it's charging, a small LED glows, and when the BT-1 is fully charged the light goes off.

Continue reading “Road Tested: Ecamm BT-1 Bluetooth webcam (& we're giving one away!)”

Tags: bluetooth, camera, contest, giveaway, mac, video, wireless

Filed under: Tips and tricks, Internet, Security, TUAW Tips

Staying Safe: securing your wireless connection

by Michael Jones (RSS feed) on Jul 1st, 2009

Recently, we reported on AT&T's push to make it easier for iPhone & iPod touch users to connect to their Wi-Fi Hot Spots. One of our readers, Jamie Phelps, pointed out on his blog that AT&T's Wi-Fi service is not actually a "secure connection," as is advertised in various places on their website; we had overlooked this, and mistakenly reinforced the company's shaky claim in our post.

This brings to light an important point about wireless networks and security, however. It's really easy (and sadly all too common) to hop on to an available wireless signal in your office, at the hotel, or your favorite coffee spot and not even think twice about logging in to your e-mail or checking your bank balance.

What many users don't realize is even though the server you are connecting to (i.e. your bank's website) may employ several layers of security, the connection between your computer and the wireless access point is very likely to be unsecured. Anyone who is within range of your computer can trivially monitor the traffic being sent between your computer and the access point, allowing them to see what websites you may be visiting or capture details about other services that you may be connected to. This isn't because of some gaping vulnerability or software bug, it's just an inherent part of how wireless networks work.

So, what can you do to protect yourself? Read on for a list of simple steps you can take to ensure that your wireless connection is safe and secure.

Continue reading “Staying Safe: securing your wireless connection”

Tags: aebs, airport, airport extreme, AirportExtreme, att, encryption, hot spots, HotSpots, how to, HowTo, networking, security, security 101, Security101, wifi, wireless

Filed under: Hardware, Peripherals, Wireless, Odds and ends

Can having a Quicky boost your Wi-Fi range?

by Steven Sande (RSS feed) on Jun 29th, 2009

Get your mind out of the gutter! I'm talking about the Quicky Jr II USB wireless signal booster, which is a little USB dongle / antenna that plugs into a USB port on any Mac that is running Mac OS X 10.4 or newer. This little device, from QuickerTek, purports to let you wander up to three times the distance you normally can, and still receive a nice, strong, and encrypted wireless signal.

The US$89.95 Quicky Jr II comes with an easily-installed USB driver that lets it work with your 802.11n/g/b networks, including those that are powered by an AirPort Extreme Base Station. While I'm usually dubious of any device that claims to increase wireless range unless it is pitched by the late, great Billy Mays, the Quicky Jr II appears to be just what it says it is; a powered USB Wi-Fi antenna. In theory the larger antenna size and a built-in USB-powered amplifier could help boost the signal, then route it to your AirPort circuitry.

Rather than speculate on how well devices like this work, I'd like to ask our readers. Do you have any experience with this or similar products? Do they work as advertised? TUAW wants to know.

Tags: 802.11, antenna, hardware, quickertek, usb, wifi, wireless

Filed under: Wireless, Airport

Apple updates Time Capsule and AirPort Base Station firmware

by Victor Agreda, Jr. (RSS feed) on Jun 24th, 2009

Last night Apple released a firmware update for Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Express Base Station with 802.11n. Here are the fixes:
  • Fixes some problems with extending and maintaining connectivity with extended networks
  • Fixes an issue with clients that enable 802.11 "Power Save"
  • Fixes connectivity issues with some third-party devices
  • Fixes an issue when the base station is configured for PPPoE
  • Fixes some Back To My Mac issues with connectivity and support for third-party routers
All of those sound like issues that could affect quite a few people -- especially those with (gasp!) "third-party" devices. I've certainly had issues with Back To My Mac using a Netgear router, so we'll see if this helps. In any event, firmware updates are recommended especially if you've had any of the above symptoms.

Tags: 802.11n, airport express base station, airport extreme, AirportExpressBaseStation, AirportExtreme, firmware, time capsule, TimeCapsule, update, wireless

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Wireless

Faster AT&T 3G network on the way

by Steven Sande (RSS feed) on May 27th, 2009

AT&T today announced that it will begin upgrading its network to the faster High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 technology later this year. The 3G network upgrade will not be completed until 2011, at which time AT&T plans to start deploying the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. This is contrary to previous roadmaps, which showed HSPA+ (20+ Mbps) deployment occurring prior to the move to LTE.

Devices compatible with HSPA 7.2 3G networks are capable of a theoretical peak download speed of 7.2 Mbps (megabits per second), or almost a megabyte per second. While the current iPhone 3G does not support HSPA 7.2, many of the rumors circulating about a next-generation device include HSPA 7.2 compatibility. AT&T's press release also noted that "multiple HSPA 7.2-compatible laptop cards and smartphones" will be available later this year.

The AT&T network is currently undergoing other upgrades, to the tune of over $17 billion of capital investment. AT&T is still deploying more 850 MHz spectrum for better coverage and in-building 3G reception. The 'Death Star' is adding fiber-optic connectivity and more capacity to many cell sites in anticipation of the higher bandwidth required by HSPA 7.2 and LTE, and the plan is to add almost 2,100 new cell sites in 2009.

AT&T also noted that they're working on customer trials of AT&T 3G MicroCell, using femtocells to improve in-building wireless coverage.

Tags: 3G, 4G, att, HSPA, LTE, network, wireless

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