Tag Archives: connectivity

OnePlus co-founder’s ‘Nothing’ brand will launch wireless earbuds this summer

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After parting ways with OnePlus, Carl Pei has revealed that his new startup, Nothing, will unveil a pair of wireless earphones sometime this summer. It will be the first device from the London-based firm, with more set to arrive later in 2021, accord...

Orion WiFi will connect you to public WiFi when cell coverage is limited

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Google’s in-house incubator Area 120 wants to make it easier for people to stay connected inside buildings where cell service might be iffy, for instance, inside NBA stadiums. To do that, Area 120 just launched Orion WiFi, a platform that links carri...

Samsung’s UWB tech will let you use a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra as a digital key

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The flagship Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is Samsung’s first phone with ultra wideband (UWB) technology first seen on Apple’s iPhone 11. In the near term, that technology will power Google’s new Nearby Share, letting you see others around you with Galaxy Not...

Comcast’s public WiFi hotspots will remain free for the rest of 2020

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As part of its continued push to keep people connected during the pandemic, Comcast is making its public WiFi hotspots free to anyone for the remainder of 2020. In March, Comcast made its 1.5 million public hotspots free to all (even non-Xfinity Inte...

Facebook’s Discover app is a new take on its Free Basics internet service

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This week, Facebook released Discover, the latest take on its Free Basics “web for all” work. Available in Peru, Discover is a mobile web and Android app that provides users with a daily balance of free data from participating mobile operators. It’s...

Alphabet’s Loon and AT&T will tackle global crises with internet balloons

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Alphabet’s “balloon-powered internet” — Project Loon — has been active for five years now. Born of Google’s X Labs, the initiative sees balloons floating 20km high in the stratosphere, beaming internet to people below. Its primary function is to brin...

Kenyan government finally approves Loon’s internet-delivery balloons

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Alphabet's internet-delivery balloon service, Loon, has finally received approval from the Kenyan government. To help improve communication during the coronavirus pandemic, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta fast-tracked the regulatory approval Loon and...

Apple, Amazon and Google unite to help create a universal smart home standard

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Smart home devices are a godsend for the busy, the disorganized and the plain ol' lazy, but getting them up and running can still be a complicated pain in the backside. Some products work with others while others only work in specific ecosystems, so...

Verizon enlists Boingo to help it bring 5G indoors

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Sure, real 5G is up to three times faster than LTE, but there are a few caveats. As we discovered in Chicago, 5G doesn't always hold up when you're trying to use it indoors. Even a pane of glass can cause your signal to flicker between 5G and 4G. Ver...