Boeing fills plane with potatoes for WiFi breakthrough

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Boeing says it has developed a new method for measuring and analyzing wireless signals inside airplanes, a technological breakthrough that promises to improve the quality of wireless Internet connectivity in passenger cabins. And they’ve confirmed that it works by filling a plane with sacks of potatoes. No, the potatoes themselves aren’t the technological breakthrough. The… Read More…

Seattle named No. 1 tech city in U.S. by Scientific American*

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A new ranking by Scientific American magazine names Seattle the top city for technology in the country — ahead of other tech meccas including San Francisco, Boston, New York City and Los Angeles. But before we get all puffed up with hometown pride, it’s worth noting that the magazine’s research isn’t grounded in its own… Read More…

Skype WiFi: Another iOS app for Microsoft’s portfolio

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Skype today released its free Skype WiFi app for iPhone and iPad. It’s the latest in a flurry of new product releases from the company prior to the completion of its acquisition by Microsoft. Formerly known as Skype Access, the Skype WiFi service essentially acts as a middleman between WiFi users and a variety of WiFi… Read More…

How smartphones, tablets are killing Wi-Fi on city transit

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It seemed like a scene from the future: Step onto a bus, find a good seat, crack open a laptop, log on to the Wi-Fi and stay connected for however long it takes to get to wherever you’re going. But a few years later, the actual reality is much different — with public transit riders… Read More…

Alaska Air expands inflight Wi-Fi, offers free Facebook access for June

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Alaska Airlines continues to go high-tech.  The Seattle airline is expanding its inflight Wi-Fi system, saying today that 92 percent of its fleet will be equipped by the end of the month. The announcement comes just a few days after the airline said that it would equip pilots with iPads. To promote the offering, Alaska… Read More…

Comcast rolls out 105 Mbps ‘Extreme’ Internet service

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Do you really need download speeds of more than 100 megabits per second in your house? (Come on, really?) At any rate, if the answer is truly yes, Comcast has a solution for you, if you’re willing to add a sizable premium to your already sizable monthly bill. The company this morning announced the availability… Read More…

The ‘Fourth Place’: Starbucks as a technology giant

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Starbucks has always aspired to be the quintessential “third place,” giving people another place to settle in apart from home and work. During the company’s annual meeting with shareholders this morning, executives talked frequently about the company’s role in the “fourth place” — a.k.a. the digital world. Some of the stats rattled off during the… Read More…