Starbucks Announces Free Wi-Fi, Proprietary Content Network

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/06/starbucks-announces-free-wi-fi-proprietary-content-network

Starbucks Announces Free Wi-Fi, Proprietary Content Network
Eliot Van Buskirk June 14, 2010

NEW YORK — Starbucks’ coffee drinks have become synonymous with the high costs consumers are cutting back on these days, but at least the Wi-Fi connections in its stores will no longer require a credit card.

Free Wi-Fi is in my mind just the price of admission.Starting July 1, Starbucks will let anyone connect to its WiFi network for free. This fall, the company will add a content network called Starbucks Digital Network, in partnership with Yahoo and other sites, which will include local content you won’t be able to read anywhere else. Both offerings will be free.

“Free Wi-Fi is in my mind just the price of admission — we want to create … new sources of content that you can only get at Starbucks,” chairman and president and CEO Howard Schulz told the Wired Business Conference. “This is a thing that doesn’t exist in any other consumer marketplace in America.”

Starbucks hopes to make money from these initiatives indirectly, by “enhanc[ing] the experience” and making the content “so compelling that it drives incremental traffic,” said Schulz as he announced the new initiative at Wired’s Disruptive by Design conference on Monday.

McDonalds has free Wi-Fi too, of course, as does just about every other coffee place in the country other than Starbucks. Schulz admitted that both of those stratas have been competing with Starbucks on coffee as well as internet service, with McDonalds stealing bargain-oriented customers and boutique independent coffee shops in urban areas grabbing some of its loyal epicures.

However, none of Starbucks’ direct competitors have their own localized content networks on the level of what Schulz described. In some communities, Starbucks functions as a sort of community center — a “third place” between home and the office, in Schulz’s words — and this infusion of local news and information, along with a free way to get it, could enhance that effect.

Each customer must log in to Wi-Fi and the Starbucks Digital Network with a unique identifier, so Starbucks won’t only know where you are, but who you are, potentially allowing for targeted messaging to offset cost further. Focus groups have been quite receptive to the free Wi-Fi and local content customers will get in return, says the CEO.

So, where will all of this content come from? Especially, when Starbucks wants it to be updated multiple times a day, so people always see something new.

In addition to the inked partnership with Yahoo, Starbucks is talking to AOL’s Patch.com content-creation division about having it create customized content for the network. In addition, the network will include free online access to the Wall Street Journal, with a percentage of subscription revenue generated when coffee drinkers decide they want to access those articles elsewhere, too.

Xbox 360 Elite dropping to $299 (finally)?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10308200-1.html

August 12, 2009
Xbox 360 Elite dropping to $299 (finally)?
by Scott Stein

Treat this right now as very likely, but still a rumor--a photo of a catalog page posted to Kotaku shows the 120GB hard drive-and-HDMI Xbox 360 Elite going for $299. The Meijir catalog (a Midwest store chain) in question is slated for August 30, which would mean a nice holiday surprise for future Xbox 360 buyers.

Other rumors have it that the price-dropped Elite and the bare-bones, hard-drive-free Arcade system will be the only 360s left on the market. It's a move that makes sense, since 120GB is not exactly a luxurious amount of storage space anymore, and is far more suitable for the mainstream than a fine-in-2005-but-now-piddling 20GB.

The 360 wasn't the system that most needed a price drop, after all. But then again, Sony might be following close behind with a cheaper (and redesigned) counterpunch of their own.

This leaves the Xbox 360 Elite at a price that's only $50 more than a Wii. And, for that price, you get a system that streams Netflix, plays DVDs, has robust online gameplay, and has far more storage than Nintendo's white box (even adding in a mountain of SD cards).

While we have absolutely no problem with getting more Xbox 360 for less, this raises a rather sharp sticking point with the prices of Microsoft's proprietary Xbox hard drives. An impassioned rant from Gizmodo accurately and appropriately skewers the currently ludicrous $160 retail cost of the 120GB hard drive. When half a terabyte can be had for the same--and when Microsoft, after all, wants us to buy more downloads than ever before--this hardly seems logical. Then again, maybe hard drive price drops/capacity increases are also on the horizon. In fact, wouldn't that be expected? If 120GB is the mainstream, there has to be a larger capacity to upgrade to.

Or, even better: Wi-Fi built in, and a slimmer, more reliable 360. How about that?

Scott Stein, a New York Jets fan and CNET senior associate editor, has written about tech, entertainment, video games, and viral culture for outlets including Laptop, Wired, Maxim, Esquire Online, Asylum, and Men's Journal. He also appears on the Digital City podcast. In his spare time, you might see him performing improv in New York City (when he's not being a dad).

AT&T Teases iPhone Owners With Free Wi-Fi

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2008/07/att-teases-ipho.html

AT&T Teases iPhone Owners With Free Wi-Fi -- Again
By Brian X. Chen July 18, 2008
Categories: Internet, iPhone, Our Telco Overlords

Moments after AT&T posted a message on its site saying it would provide free Wi-Fi services to iPhone users, the company took it back. And AT&T spokespeople are keeping their lips sealed as to who or what caused the "error" -- or whether free AT&T Wi-Fi is ever going to become a reality.

At approximately 9 a.m. PDT, AT&T removed the message from its site, which read, "AT&T knows Wi-Fi is hot, and free Wi-Fi even hotter, which is why we are proud to offer iPhone customers free access to the nation's largest Wi-Fi hotspot network with more than 17,000 hotspots."

"It was posted in error and was removed shortly thereafter, so it should not have been up," said Seth Bloom, an AT&T spokesperson, in a phone interview. "We know how important Wi-Fi is and we intend to make it available to as many people as we can, but nothing can be announced today."

Another AT&T representative said almost the same thing, verbatim. Clearly they were both reading from the same script.

This isn't the first time AT&T has teased iPhone users, either. In late April, iPhone users began receiving free AT&T Wi-Fi without any official announcement. Days later, that free access was no more.

Unlike in May, Friday's snafu is a bit more embarrassing for AT&T since an announcement -- official or not -- appeared in writing. It's practically irresponsible (not to mention condescending) for the company to refuse to comment on any prospects of free Wi-Fi: Why else would that message ever have been written? If it were "pushed live erroneously," doesn't that imply it'll be pushed live eventually? And if so, why don't they just tell us that?

How to Extend Your Wireless Network's Range

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/80308

How to Extend Your Wireless Network's Range
Wed Feb 20, 2008

Wi-Fi networking range is like money, candy, and free time. You can never have too much of it. Getting more range out of your wireless networking gear can be a challenge, but it isn't impossible. Here are some pointers on how to extended your Wi-Fi range, hopefully letting you cover your entire house or office.

Upgrade to 802.11n - OK, it's not a free solution, but it's the best one there is. The new 802.11n gear (even though it has yet to be finalized by the standards body in charge of it) has dramatically better range, speed, and stability than 802.11b or g: After simply upgrading your router to an 802.11n model, you will likely find that your signal is stronger and more reliable in every room, plus you'll experience faster throughput all around (especially if your laptop has 802.11n technology in it). I've also found that 802.11n routers crash less frequently, another big bonus. A new 802.11n router will set you back from $60 to $180.

Try a Range Extender or Repeater - You'll find lots of hardware like this on the market. Some of it works well, some doesn't. In general, I've had the best luck with extenders when they are made by the same company who made your router. Some vendors also offer "high-gain" antennas as a replacement for the little ones on your router. They're worth a try.

Move Your Router - Got DSL or a cable modem? You can attach your network hardware to any working phone line or cable outlet, respectively, in the house. Obviously, picking someplace central to connect your equipment will give you the best overall coverage throughout the house. But even if you can't move the equipment to another location, minor changes can have drastic effects. Wi-Fi signals are blocked by thick metal and concrete, so try picking the router up off the floor and putting it on a table or mounting it on the wall. Pulling the router out from behind your monster TV or entertainment center can also boost the signal dramatically. Experiment by watching your Wi-Fi client's signal meter to see if something helps.

Tweak Those Antennas - They're not just for decoration: Orienting your antennas (try horizontal, vertical, and/or a 45-degree angle) differently can offer decent results with minimal effort. In general, all antennas should be oriented the same way. Again, experiment to see what works best.

Change Channels - For this tweak you'll need to get into your router's management screen, either through an installed application or by typing the IP address of the router into a web browser. You'll find a "Wireless Channel" (or similar) setting in the wireless configuration portion of your router. Most routers default to channel 1, 6, or 11, but if your neighbors are all on channel 6, then you might be seeing slow speed and lower range due to interference. Try one of the other channels (start with 1, 6, and 11, but other channel numbers are worth a shot, too), to see if you get a better signal with them. Remember that your neighbors may also replace their equipment at some point, so if you see a sudden drop in range or speed, try a new channel.