wifi

Do you remember the old-fashioned college days when a friend would call you by cell phone to let you know when "he" turned up at the library? Or maybe you figured out someone's class schedule, so you could just happen to be walking by when "she" got out. Technology, once again, is changing the game.

The Senseable City Lab at MIT released a free desktop application on Wednesday with real-time mapping and instant-messaging features. iFind, as it's called, works by detecting which Wi-Fi access point a person is near. Because MIT has over 2,… Read more

Thursday, Archos will officially announce the arrival of the 30GB 604 WiFi, the industry's first and "only wireless portable video player" (actually, Archos' own PMA430 was the first Wi-Fi-enabled PVP).

The highly sought-after digital swiss army knife is one of several A-list portable media gadgets to enter the holiday game just under the wire. Still to come: the Zune, Cowon's A3, Philips' PMC, and maybe even a video iPod.

Nearly identical to the excellent 30GB 604 (shown in photo) in form--same removable battery, same ginormous 4.3-inch widescreen, same video playback prowess--the 604 WiFi adds a … Read more

Rant against Starbucks Wi-Fi, Part II. To recap: The last time we checked, Starbucks charged $10 for a single day's Net access through a T-Mobile wireless connection. And unless you're planning to hide in the restroom all night, that probably means $10 for a few hours, not the full 24.

So a very viable alternative is to ditch Starbucks altogether and find another, friendlier coffee shop that offers free Wi-Fi. In our last episode, we offered the possibility of finding just such a caffeinated oasis via a $70 Wi-Fi detector. But now, Coolest Gadgets has found one much cheaper, … Read more

For those of you intrigued by the Microsoft Zune, the official Zune Web site is now alive and kicking.

Basically a glossy digital brochure of people having fun and looking cool (think J.Crew meets Lollapalooza), Zune.net reveals stuff that we've already seen such as: Zune photos, accessories such as the VAF Octavio speaker system, advertisements, Zune Marketplace and ZunePass PR fodder, artist profiles, and Zune "on tour" dates. The Zune hits the streets on November 14.

Today, Microsoft gave CNET a demonstration of the Zune and the Zune software. Our initial impressions: It's a well-designed portable media device with good playback performance, a snappy processor, and an excellent interface. Wi-Fi sharing worked well, but prospective owners should know that format support, especially for videos, is limited. This goes along with Microsoft's mantra of starting simple and closed, then expanding features as the Zune community evolves.

Watch the demo video and read our first take of the Microsoft Zune.

(Photo: Microsoft)

Though Microsoft officially unveiled the Zune portable media player 48 days ago, the actual device has only seen a scattered few non-Microsoft hands, and usually within the confines of the Microsoft campus. Tomorrow, we finally get a hands-on demo of the Zune, which is slated for a November 14 release. Check back Wednesday evening for my first impressions of the Zune in the flesh, including how it looks and feels in person, Zune-to-Zune sharing, and an in-depth feature list. Look out for the First Look video, too.

(Photo: Microsoft)

Cities keep promising to blanket us all with free Wi-Fi networks, but we're not holding our breath. At the same time, though, we're way too cheap to pay $10 just to read our e-mail while we have a soy latte at Starbucks.

So given our frugal nature, we're conflicted over whether it's worth shelling out $70 for a wireless detector like the DigiWifi from ThinkGeek. On one hand, that's only seven T-Mobile day passes at Starbucks; on the other--well, it's $70.

This particular device does claim to be a step above other Wi-Fi detectors, … Read more

The story of our life: Just when we find a gadget we like--nay, need--it's already sold out. Such is the case with the eStarling Wi-Fi photo frame.

The new version of the live LCD device (whose predecessor also sold out last year) can carry custom RSS feeds from Flickr based on your tags. You can also e-mail your phone photos directly to an eStarling frame on the fly.

ThinkGeek is selling the screen for $250, but its soonest restocking date is estimated at December 10. Which means the chances of getting one for the holidays are probably as slim … Read more

This is one little guy that could be dangerous. At first glance, Bandai's NetTansor looks like a lot of other cute robot toys on the market--but don't be fooled.

It's equipped with a WiFi webcam that can beam transmissions back to its owner's screen, according to Gizmodo, with a power supply that can provide up to "two and a half hours of voyeuristic fun." You can talk to it through email or just let it bop around on its own, because the NetTansor has sensors to keep it from running into walls or inflicting … Read more