REPUBLIC WIRELESS LAUNCHES WITH $19 "UNLIMITED" PLAN

Republic Wireless went live on Tuesday with its impossibly cheap $19 unlimited talk, text and data plan, presenting a service that could potentially save some users a tremendous amount of money each month. “Newsflash: anything a cell network can do, the Internet can do better and cheaper,” Republic Wireless touts on its website. “So we think a truly smart smartphone should make a habit of using Wi-Fi for everything. Surfing. Texting. Sharing. And, yes, even talking.” Read on for more.

Thanks to software technology that offloads voice calling and SMS to Wi-Fi networks whenever possible, Republic Wireless uses Sprint’s cellular network only when Wi-Fi service is not available. When Wi-Fi connections are available, it uses UMA to pipe communications over the Internet.

Unfortunately, the term “unlimited” is apparently entirely unregulated in the wireless space, and Republic Wireless uses the term rather loosely. The carrier employs what it refers to as a “fair use threshold” that defines average monthly cellular service usage. Should a subscriber’s monthly usage regularly exceed that threshold by a significant amount, Republic Wireless will give said subscriber the boot.

“How much cellular usage is too much? It depends,” the carrier explains on its website. “Even assuming 0% wifi usage, for example, you could consume 550 minutes, send 150 texts, and download 300 megabytes of data without crossing the community’s fair use threshold. Everyone’s usage patterns will be different, but we’re confident you’ll be amazed at how little cellular you actually use when you have a phone that makes it easy to leverage the power of your Wi-Fi networks.”

The carrier’s FAQ continues,”What happens if I use more than the suggested guideline? First, you’ll be reminded of the guidelines and to what extent you’ve crossed the fair use threshold. We’ll provide you with tips for reducing your cellular footprint and plenty of opportunity to get back on track. When we contact you about your usage, we’ll let you know how much time you have to correct your problem.” If the problem isn’t corrected within the timeline specified, a subscriber’s service will be terminated.

Republic Wireless currently offers one smartphone, the Android Gingerbread-powered LG Optimus S, for $199.99 contract-free. The carrier has a “beta” label slapped on its service for the time being so outages may be an issue, and subscribers must establish at least one Wi-Fi connection before service can commence.

CONTINENTAL UNITED AIRLINES JUMP ON WI-FI BANDWAGON

United Continental Holdings announced today that it's signed an agreement with Panasonic Avionics Corporation to bring satellite-based WiFi connectivity to more than 300 of its aircraft beginning in mid-2012. Those aircraft will include Airbus 319 and 320 and Boeing 747, 757, 767, 777 and 787, and the company says it expects its entire mainline fleet to be covered by 2015. No specific word on any additional content or services that will come with it (or a cost, for that matter), but the company promises that the system will "enable wireless streaming of video content."

AMTRACK REGIONAL TRAINS TO GET FREE WIFI OCTOBER 1ST

Amtrak may finally be implementing free WiFi on October 1st according to a recent tweet. A casual conversation between conductor and passenger yielded the information that the system is finally ready to extend beyond Acela, apparently "ready to roll and it's just a matter of 'flipping the on switch.'" This comes as great news for commuters who spend their mornings and evenings stuck on slow, old, often curious smelling Regional trains. Unfortunately, other than the tweet, there's no word (official or otherwise) whether net surfage will be possible beginning next month. Acela and some northwest passengers already enjoy this luxury, now the northeast can finally surf the internet while they ride the rails.

FORD DITCHING CD PLAYERS IN NEW VEHCILES

Fumbling around the car for a new CD to listen to on the road could soon be a thing of the past. Ford hopes to usher in a digital age for in-car entertainment by scrapping CD players in its new models. The company plans to help drivers to access their libraries of digital music via the internet.

It has become the first mainstream manufacturer to scrap the in-car CD multichanger.
The car maker’s latest Focus model will instead include a USB socket allowing digital music players to be plugged in.

The new cars will have the Sync ‘infotainment hub’ that lets drivers access their music library through the internet by plugging in a device called a dongle, which enables Wi-Fi.
This would facilitate using devices such as iPods, iPhones and other digital music players.
The in-car computer ‘hub’ can then access digital libraries stored on the internet, be it through Spotifiy or Apple’s iCloud.

Sheryl Connelly, Global Trends and Futuring manager at Ford, said the move was necessary if the company wanted to keep up with the needs of its customers. 'In-car entertainment technology is moving digital more rapidly than almost any other element of the vehicle experience,' she said. 'The in-car CD player - much like pay telephones - is destined to fade away in the face of exciting new technology.' Ford said sales of in-car CD players were declining rapidly, in line with falling sales of the discs.

WIFI XOOM RECEIVING ANDROID 3.2 UPDATE

Motorola began issuing the Android 3.2 (Honeycomb) update to Wi-Fi XOOM owners on Tuesday. The patch reportedly adds support for the tablet’s SD card slot and also features a new screen zooming feature that will allow users to resize mobile applications so that they fit the screen appropriately. Android 3.2 will also add support for smaller tablets with 7-inch screens, many of which currently run older versions of Android such as Gingerbread.

TACO BELL TO OFFER FREE WIFI AND TV

The border runners at Taco Bell have fallen behind the ginger clown and his posse of hamburger-loving friends in terms of connectivity, but the fast food franchise will soon rectify that with the introduction of free WiFi at 5,600 locations over the next four years. In an attempt to keep you connected whilst stuffing your face with Beefy Melt Burritos, Taco Bell has teamed up with Indoor Direct to bring in-store WiFi and a specially branded TV network to the chain. Diners will apparently be encouraged to interact with content running on the network, with enticements to download free music, receive opt-in text messages, and engage in social media campaigns.

T-MOBILE CONFIRMS FREE CALLING OVER WIFI

Last week, the online grapevine foretold that T-Mobile users would have complimentary calling over WiFi. Now, the pink provider's powers that be have made good on the gossip and officially made free WiFi calling official. The service is available to those with Android handsets with the carrier's Smart Wi-Fi app preinstalled and are on T-Mo's Even More or Even More Plus plans.

NVIDIA CEO SMACKS ANDROID TABLET SALES AROUND

It won't have escaped your attention that just about every Honeycomb tablet shipping in the first half of this year features, or will feature, NVIDIA's Tegra 2 hardware. Unfortunately for NVIDIA, reception for the Android 3.0 slates has been a little underwhelming, and the company's Chief Eloquence Officer, Jen-Hsun Huang, has had a few words to say about it.

He sees the relative paucity of tablet-optimized Android apps as a weakness, while also expressing the belief that cheaper WiFi-only models should've been the standard shipping config rather than fully fledged 3G / 4G variants as Motorola has been pushing with the Xoom. All in all, his is a very sane and accurate analysis, but Mr. Huang loves to look to the future as much as he enjoys talking about the present, and in his opinion all these major downsides have already been "largely addressed" by "a new wave" of Android tablets. He doesn't specify the devices that constitute said wave, but his emphasis on thinness and lightness leads us to believe he's talking up Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9 models

AMERICAN AIRLINES TESTING IN-FLIGHT VIDEO STREAMING

American Airlines’ announced that it will start testing its in-flight streaming service. The service will now allow customers to stream movies on their WiFi-enabled handheld devices. American Airlines claims it was the first airline to launch in-flight WiFi, and it’s proudly claiming that it will be the first to test in-flight video streaming. Customers will have the choice to stream movies, which includes new DVD releases, and recently-aired TV shows. This way, you won’t be stuck watching bad network TV pilots that never took off.

For its WiFi service, the airline already partners with Aircell, one of the most popular companies to provide commercial and private aviation services with an in-flight broadband solution. American Airlines’ current WiFi service uses Aircell’s air-to-ground technology by way of antennas attached to the outside of the aircraft allowing for a connection with Aircell’s broadband network. We assume that the new streaming service will need to use a server that’s already onboard the plane so that the connection will be fast enough to handle multiple simultaneous video streams. The service’s development will start this summer and is expected to be ready by 2012.

American Airlines is also planning to include WiFi on the rest of its domestic fleet by the end of the year. In addition, the airline will be adding more powerports. At the moment, the fleets that feature online powerports include the Boeing 777, Boeing 737, Boeing 767-300 Business, and the MD80 fleets. By the end of May, the Boeing 767-200 will have the ports, and by the end of the year, the two remaining fleets will offer the ports.

Pricing for the inflight video streaming service has yet to be announced.

SPIROSCOUT INHALER TRACKS ASTHMA ATTACKS

Spiroscout is a USB-powered inhaler that uses GPS as well as WiFI to track patients' inhaler use. David Van Sickle, the inventor from University of Wisconsin-Madison, says Spiroscout will yield a fuller, more accurate body of data than the self-recorded logs patients are often asked to keep.

The benefit is two-fold, Van Sickle says: physicians can use this data to adjust their patients' medication, if necessary, while epidemiologists might have more insight into population-level trends. As PhysOrgnotes, this isn't the first inhaler of its kind (that honor goes to SiliconSky GPS, though its product was also based on Van Sickle's first-iteration technology), but it may be the most practical one to date in that it doesn't come with a bulky box attached. Spiroscout isn't available just yet -- the company expects it to ship in the fall.

LONDON UNDERGROUND TO GET 120 WIFI HOTSPOTS IN ADVANCE OF 2012 OLYMPICS

A big announcement arrived today if you live in or around London: to prepare to the onslaught of data-hungry visitors for the 2012 Olympic games that the city is hosting, 120 WiFi hotspots are being added to various locations along the Underground subway system's stations and platforms, in addition to other measures being taken to beef up tech. No WiFi will be in the actual tunnels, mind you, but it should definitely come in handy for all those tourists trying to find their way around the city. British Telecom has already tolled out a trial run at the Charing Cross station, with further installations expected in the lead up to the games.

COPENHAGEN AIRPORT TRACKS VISITORS USING WIFI

According to the New York Times, Copenhagen International Airport is currently testing a new program that monitors passengers based on WiFi data emitted from devices like laptops and smartphones. Airport officials observe travelers from a remote computer, and can tell, within 10 feet of accuracy, where they spend their time -- those arriving and departing are represented by different colored dots. The program, created by Geneva-based SITA, also gives visitors the option to download an iPhone app that provides location-based information, like promotions from nearby restaurants. SITA's VP said the software isn't intrusive, as it follows devices, not individuals.

AUDIBLE AUDIOBOOKS NOW AVAILABLE VIA WIFI

Audible has just announced that over 50,000 of its audiobooks are now available to download directly onto Kindles everywhere through WiFi. Granted, that's still one step away (3G) from being as good as it could possibly get, but it's still a tremendous improvement over the tried-and-true USB sideloading method. For those looking to get started for the first time, the outfit's offering a 30-day free trial of AudibleListener Gold.

RUMOR: SAMSUNG GALAXY WIFI ONLY TAB LAUNCHING APRIL 4TH FOR $399

Information acquired by blog Droid-Life suggests that Samsung’s 7-inch, Wi-Fi only, Galaxy Tab may retail for $399 and become available on April 4th. The svelte price point, and imminent release date, come courtesy of a flier that was purportedly being handed out by a Samsung representative at a recent technology trade show.

The 7-inch Galaxy Tab is getting a little long in the tooth, but the $399 price tag is quite attractive. Samsung is expected to debut an 8.9-inch, Galaxy-branded tablet later this month at CTIA in Orlando, and we presume concrete information about the Wi-Fi only device will be provided then.

NETFLIX AND AT&T WIFI COMING TO NINTENDO 3DS

Satoru Iwata and Reggie Fils-Aime of Nintendo talked about the 3DS, just launched in Japan, at GDC 2011 today. Netflix will be available with the ability to pause it on the 3DS and continue watching it on your Wii (or Xbox 360 or PS 3 we assume).

A wireless 3D video channel is coming too that will push Nintendo-selected content like movie trailers (Green Lantern's coming soon), music videos, and comedy shorts to the device. And if you want to make your own, Nintendo's enabling 3D video recording as well.

Nintendo is partnering with AT&T to give users free WiFi access to over 100,000 hotspots in the US, starting in late May.

VERIZON CRIPPLES WIFI ON XOOM TABLET UNLESS YOU BUY A DATA PLAN

According to a leaked Best Buy advertising circular, Verizon is crippling the WiFi capabilites of the Motorola Xoom tablets it subsidies unless a data plan is added. The circular states

To activate WiFi functionality on this device, a minimum of one month data subscription is required."

This is reminiscent of when Verizon crippled Bluetooth on its handsets fearing people wouldn't buy ringtones from them. It is highly doubtful this is a Best Buy policy, but one being forced on them by Verizon.

T-MOBILE'S G2 IS NOW....FREE!

T-Mobile has slashed the price of their hot Android powered G2 with Google phone to zero. That's right! If you order online, it will cost you nothing, nada, zip, zilch, except for the two year contract.

The G2 with Google is a 4G smartphone with a Snapdragon processor running Android 2.2 (Froyo). Other specs include:

• 512MB RAM
• 4GB internal storage
• 8GB external SD card,bexpandable up to 32GB
• 3.7" TFT WVGA display (800x480)
• Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
• Bluetooth
• WiFi b/g/n
• 5MP camera w/LED flash, autofocus and digital zoom
• Camcorder, 720p, 30fps
• 1300mAh Li-ion battery

WI-FI ONLY SAMSUNG GALAXY TABLET ANNOUNCED

At Samsung's CES keynote address, they announced a Wi-Fi only Galaxy Tablet. The specs and device will be the same, except it will not have a cellular radio. It will be coming to the U.S. Q1 of 2011. No word on pricing yet, but it should be less than the current price, even after the Verizon price drop. [BGR]

iOS 4.2 DELAYED DUE TO WIFI ISSUES

On November 1st Apple released a pre-release build of iOS 4.2 for developers. It didn’t take long for complaints to start rolling in about an issue with Wi-Fi using the new build. Basically, it wasn’t working correctly and users were finding it difficult to get a connection that allowed access to the Internet. A connection to a network is found, but then either doesn’t allow web browsing or disconnects itself after a few minutes.

Roll on to today, when iOS 4.2 final was expected, and it’s nowhere to be seen. It looks as though Apple has delayed it in order to figure out what’s causing the Wi-Fi issue.

iOS 4.2 may get a new release date next week, but it could be two weeks before it becomes available and another pre-release version is released in the interim. It’s the right thing to do as Apple don’t want millions of iPad owners complaining they don’t have access to the web after updating. [Geek]

CLEAR'S NEW ROUTER PASSES FCC

The FCC has approved a new home router from Clear, the company behind the countries first WiMax 4G network.  The new router will be called the "Clear Modem with Wi-Fi".  It will make available the 4G signal, if available, to all your home devices via the 802.11 standard.  There appears to be a RJ11 jack on the back possibly for VoIP calling in the future. [BGR]