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Content Tagged with wi-fi + FON
Whisher Adds a Symbian App
Updated: Whisher has sent this special offer to our readers. They are giving away WiFi Out credit to GigaOM readers, and you can get the details here. The deal allows you to get free WiFi at Starbucks, Hilton Hotels, International airports and other locations.
Whisher, which provides access to Wi-Fi hotspots around the world in exchange for access on users’ own home or business networks, has unveiled a client that allows access to its hotspots on Nokia Symbian (N81, N82 or E61) phones. The move is a smart extension of Whisher’s service offering; Nokia has been including Wi-Fi chipsets in many of its smartphones and has built a strong market share.
To integrate the client (and further lock users into using the Whisher service), the company has introduced a feature called Automatic Connection. When enabled, Automatic Connection scans all Wi-Fi networks within range and connects to the one with the strongest connection. (It’s unclear at this point whether the client would prefer a Whisher network over an open-access network if the two network strengths are equal.)
If you’d like to try the Whisher Wi-Fi sharing system and the associated Symbian client, there are two steps. First, visit Whisher’s web site and download the software appropriate for your home networking set-up (the company has both Windows and Mac clients). Once it’s installed, you’ll be “sharing” on the Whisher network of global Wi-Fi hotspots. Then point your mobile browser to http://nokia.whisher.com and install the Symbian application. After the app is installed, available Whisher hotspots will have a designated “W” icon attached, as pictured on the right.
To see whether the Whisher service has hotspots in the areas you frequent, be sure to view its global map.
The Wisher Wi-Fi network isn’t as far-reaching as the Fon network, but moves like this Nokia agreement — which capitalizes on the E Series and N Series wireless networking capabilities — are proof the company is working to stay competitive. What Wi-Fi roaming service do you use? Would you recommend it?
Mac users get your FON on
FON, the share-your-Wi-Fi service company that announced a deal with Time Warner Cable earlier this week has released a new software (in beta of course!) that turns a Mac (Intel-based machines) or a Linux computer (preferably Ubuntu-based) into a FON spot.
In order to make the service work, you need to be connected to the Internet via the wired or 3G wireless connection. If its the later, it is almost guaranteed that Sprint and Verizon Wireless are going to come down on you hard.
You cannot share your Wi-Fi connections, however. Whisher, which launched at DEMO earlier, also offers a similar software download and allows you to share your wireless network. Of course, if you don’t want to be part of the FON network, then you can achieve the very same ends with the built-in network sharing features on a Mac. (Since I have little experience with Ubuntu-based computers, I digress.)
The company has also released a connection manager for Nokia E-Series phones that allows them to connect to FONspots. There were some bugs related to the bandwidth sharing management, and it seems like the company has fixed those.
FON, Time Warner deal confirmed
It has been more than twenty days since we reported that FON, the share-your-Wi-Fi service company was in talks with Time Warner Cable. Today, a news report from Associated Press confirms the deal and adds, that Time Warner Cable “will let its home broadband customers turn their connections into public wireless hotspots, a practice shunned by most U.S. Internet service providers.” Time Warner spokesperson confirmed the deal, though the two companies didn’t give any specifics.
FON is taking a shot at T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi service, with Joanna Rees, chief executive of FON USA adding, “They’re extorting people.” Lets just say, that is a bit of an overstatement - $30-to-40-a-month for a service that is reliable (if not fast) hardly counts as extortion.
Despite all the buzz, FON has a miniscule presence in the US and may not be that appealing to business travelers, who are short on time, and always look for convenience. Starbucks-T-Mobile does offer that. From that perspective, FON has its work cut out.
Meanwhile, since our big FON giveaway, some folks have written to us, and have pointed out that there is a bug in the firmware of the FON routers. Apparently, the default bandwidth control is broken. This is a way to allocate the bandwidth for the hotspot, and can be configured by the users. The bug, however takes away the bandwidth control, and visiting Foneros can suck all the bandwidth. This bug has been mentioned on FON boards.
Disclosure: GigaOM readers were offered FON routers for free as part of a special promotional offer.
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