wifi

Two airports fly higher than Sea-Tac, which falls to third in new analysis of best free Wi-Fi

by Kurt Schlosser on August 27, 2019August 27, 2019 at 8:57 am1 Comment

You made it through airport security, now you want to make it onto the internet. A new Speedtest analysis by Seattle-based Ookla will tell you where to jet off to… Read More

Podcast

Geared Up: Why Amazon is getting into WiFi, and how Apple could upgrade the AirPods

by Todd Bishop on February 13, 2019August 14, 2019 at 1:42 pmComment

What does Amazon want with Eero? The tech giant’s deal to acquire the mesh WiFi networking company is the latest sign of its smart home ambitions, prompting speculation about the… Read More

Podcast

Geared Up Podcast: Galaxy Note 9 hands-on review

by Clare McGrane on August 15, 2018August 14, 2019 at 1:58 pmComment

The smartphone of the moment is Samsung’s new high-end Note 9, the super-powered competitor to phones like Apple’s iPhone X. On this episode of Geared Up, we give a full… Read More

Sea-Tac Airport speeds to the top of the list in Ookla’s ranking of best free Wi-Fi in North America

by Kurt Schlosser on June 12, 2018June 12, 2018 at 10:40 amComment

When it comes to flying these days, few things are free anymore. But free Wi-Fi is still a perk worth enjoying and a new analysis by Seattle-based Ookla ranks the… Read More

Starbucks picked an odd time to force WiFi customers to cough up personal data

by Bob Sullivan on April 8, 2018April 9, 2018 at 7:01 am 4 Comments

With all the sensitive news about Facebook and privacy hovering menacingly over the Internet this week, it seems an odd time for Starbucks to begin “forcing” consumers to register so… Read More

From Redmond with WiFi: How this Microsoft employee helped bring critical infrastructure to a hurricane-ravaged Caribbean island

by Nat Levy on December 27, 2017December 28, 2017 at 8:26 am 6 Comments

Nicholas Harland worried about his uncle Roger. Roger Harland, a resident of the smallest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John, is on medication for a recent liver transplant, and… Read More

T-Mobile’s new SyncUP DRIVE turns the car into a mobile hotspot with tracking smarts

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 7, 2016November 7, 2016 at 9:47 amComment

T-Mobile, the Bellevue, Wash. mobile carrier known for its colorful branding and even more colorful CEO, is launching a new connected car service called SyncUP DRIVE. The primary function of… Read More

Washington State Ferry system to end WiFi service for passengers June 30

by Monica Nickelsburg on June 10, 2016June 10, 2016 at 10:34 am 8 Comments

WiFi service on Washington State Ferries (WSF) is ending June 30, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced Thursday. Data-enabled mobile devices are partly responsible for crippling Boingo’s ferry service.… Read More

Microsoft’s ‘Super Wi-Fi’ at Seattle Center: How it actually works, and what it really means

by Todd Bishop on September 4, 2015November 26, 2017 at 2:49 pm 3 Comments

Hidden in plain sight on top of Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center, literally in the shadow of the Space Needle, is a cylindrical antenna. Fed by a fiber connection, the antenna… Read More

Windows 10 draws heat for WiFi sharing, but fears may be overblown

by James Risley on July 30, 2015July 30, 2015 at 12:41 pm 4 Comments

A new feature in Windows 10 called WiFi Sense is drawing heat from some security experts who fear that it may compromise your network security, but the potential problems with the… Read More

Google donates $200K for free WiFi network near company’s Kirkland engineering office

by Taylor Soper on June 30, 2015June 30, 2015 at 10:50 amComment

Google already has a presence in Kirkland, Wash., where it employs hundreds of people who work on products such as Maps and the Chrome web browser. Now, the tech giant is giving Kirkland… Read More

Field Test: Microsoft’s new Seattle Center WiFi is robust and reliable, but not blazing fast

by Todd Bishop on April 1, 2015April 1, 2015 at 12:02 pm 3 Comments

I’m sitting here on the roof of Fisher Pavilion, in the shadow of the Space Needle — or at least there would be a shadow if these late morning clouds… Read More

Coco Communications raises $6.1M to bring mesh networking technology into the connected home

by Taylor Soper on February 16, 2015February 16, 2015 at 11:42 amComment

Coco Communications has spent more than a decade developing wireless networking technology to help members of the military communicate more efficiently. But now the company sees an even greater opportunity inside the… Read More

Marriott changes mind, says it won’t block personal WiFi hotspots at hotels

by Taylor Soper on January 15, 2015January 15, 2015 at 8:50 am1 Comment

Marriott International wants to let you use your personal WiFi hotspots after all. The hotel chain announced Wednesday that it will “not block guests from using their personal Wi-Fi devices… Read More

Comcast rolling out controversial Xfinity WiFi public hotspot feature for home wireless routers

by Todd Bishop on June 11, 2014June 13, 2014 at 8:27 am 12 Comments

Comcast is rolling out a new feature for its Xfinity Internet customers in the Seattle region and other parts of Washington state that turns home wireless routers into public Internet… Read More

Glympse inks deal with Gogo, allows real-time location sharing while flying

by Taylor Soper on November 6, 2013November 6, 2013 at 6:36 am 2 Comments

To find the location and arrival time of a family member or friend’s flight, people typically use the “Flight Status,” tool found on airline websites and other apps. But now… Read More

College football game student attendance dropping because of poor wireless service

by Taylor Soper on September 27, 2013February 8, 2015 at 6:19 pm 7 Comments

Down in the southern United States where college football is worshipped, student attendance at games is on the decline. The Wall Street Journal has an interesting look at the somewhat… Read More

Wireless at CenturyLink Field is finally improved — for AT&T customers, at least

by Taylor Soper on September 14, 2013February 8, 2015 at 6:14 pm 4 Comments

Notoriously bad wireless connectivity is one of the most frustrating aspects of attending a sporting event for those of us who like to post a selfie — yes that’s a… Read More

Google to make Starbucks wireless 10 times faster under new partnership

by Todd Bishop on July 31, 2013July 31, 2013 at 10:15 am 2 Comments

Google will become the official provider of Wi-Fi at Starbucks stores in the U.S., promising to make the coffee giant’s wireless networks up to 10 times faster as the… Read More

Boeing fills plane with potatoes for WiFi breakthrough

by Todd Bishop on December 19, 2012December 19, 2012 at 10:04 am 14 Comments

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… Read More

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

by Todd Bishop on August 22, 2011August 22, 2011 at 11:40 am 5 Comments

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… Read More

Skype WiFi: Another iOS app for Microsoft’s portfolio

by Todd Bishop on August 17, 2011August 17, 2011 at 12:40 pmComment

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… Read More

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

by Melissa Kowalchuk on July 27, 2011October 1, 2011 at 2:19 am 18 Comments

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… Read More

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

by John Cook on June 2, 2011June 2, 2011 at 8:10 am 2 Comments

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… Read More

Comcast rolls out 105 Mbps ‘Extreme’ Internet service

by Todd Bishop on April 14, 2011November 9, 2017 at 9:35 am 12 Comments

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… Read More

The ‘Fourth Place’: Starbucks as a technology giant

by Todd Bishop on March 23, 2011March 23, 2011 at 2:29 pm1 Comment

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… Read More