T-Mobile to offer free cell phones
This Saturday, T-Mobile is trying a pre-emptive strike at AT&T before the latest iPhones go on sale June 24. The company is offering free phones to customers who sign up for group calling plans at its retail stores on Saturday June 19 beginning at 8 a.m..
The “family plan” is for a calling plan that has at least 2 users. Current customers can upgrade their plans to “family plans” to take advantage of the offer.
The offer includes smartphones running Google’s Android such as myTouch 3G Slide, the HTC HD2, and the Garminfone.
Pocket Television
So your iphone can access youtube over the internet, but what about live call it as you see it television? The Tivit is hoping to help you do just that.
A small black box, not too different in size to the iphone itself can stream TV to a bunch of wi-fi enabled devices (including laptops, Motorolla phones, iphones, and the ipod touch). A single charge should get you about 3 hours of television viewing on the go. It isn’t a bad idea at all, you just hope the reception is good.
Schlage LINK offering $50 rebate
Schlage LINK offers an digital upgrade to your old-fashioned door lock. With wireless keypads and remote entry lock options, Schlage LINK gives parent’s peace-of-mind when they can’t be at home when their kids get there.
In honor of its first anniversary, the company is offering a $50 rebate on its starter kits (including instant rebate at Lowe’s and Radio Shack). The rebate is available through April 30.
According to the company’s release:
The starter kit provides everything needed to set up a Z-Wave®-based wireless home-management system, including one Schlage® wireless keypad deadbolt or lever lock, the Schlage Bridge, which connects to the home’s existing router, and a light module.
The Schlage LiNK System gives homeowners 24/7 control over their homes from a computer or cell phone and enables them to remotely lock and unlock doors, receive email or text alerts when specific access codes are entered, conserve energy through remote thermostat management and monitor the home via a live video feed.
The mail-in rebate applies only to kits sold at the full retail price of $299.
By Bus
It’s the future of travel, mobile Internet routers. We’ve seen them on planes recently, but now they’re beginning to show up in the most helpful places.
Bus #92 in Arizona is just like any other yellow school bus except for its wireless Internet access. Since this fall kids on bus 92 have been able to type and surf on their way to school as well as their way home. Bus drivers claim behavioral problems have all but disappeared on this particular bus, which must impress parents. I’m sure not all the kids are researching papers, but facebook is much more harmless than teasing. Whatever keeps kids calm and safe I guess. As long as it works it sounds like a good idea to me. I’d just hate to be there the one-day service goes out.
Santa’s sleigh gets a high-tech makeover
The geniuses over at GE have decided to spiff up Santa’s sleigh with a few high-tech improvements.
Building on technology they have developed the scientists and engineers offered up these ideas:
- A new frame for the sleigh made from GE’s specialized carbon fiber composite materials that are lighter and stronger to speed travel from house to house.
- Ultra-light, super durable blades made from ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) instead of metal to enable more efficient flight and cut down on rooftop “clatter.”
- Icephobic coatings sprayed on the exterior of the sleigh to prevent ice buildup while traveling through new fallen snow.
- Self-powered OLED lighting in the front of the sleigh color tuned to red to supplement Rudolph’s red nose and increase visibility for Santa on a foggy Christmas Eve.
- GE sodium batteries on board that store energy to provide supplemental power for the sleigh and offer Santa’s reindeer well-deserved breaks on their long journey around the world.
- GE’s Trip Optimizer technology on the sleigh’s dashboard to optimize Santa’s travel around the globe.
- GE’s Asset Intelligence tracking technology for Santa’s elves at the North Pole to track Santa’s whereabouts and the condition of his inventory (the gifts) at all times.
- 500 GB holographic disc to replace the miles-long list filled with the children’s Christmas wishes.
- A wireless medical sensor to monitor Santa’s breathing and make sure he is his jolly old self.
- Wearable RFID sensor worn on his red suit to check that those last glasses of milk left out all evening haven’t spoiled.
Local TV coming soon to a phone near you
Just in case you needed something else to do with your wireless device–soon you can watch real-time local TV.
According to the NY Times a group called the Open Mobile Video Coalition is working on a standard that will let TV stations use some of the new frequencies given for high-definition broadcasts to be used for wireless devices. Called Mobile DTV, the service will be available for devices such as in-car screens, portable DVD players and mobile phones
Five Washington-area station participated in a demonstration and will be conducting a trial for the services over the next few months. Programming choices will also include live emergency alerts, local news and sports and other interactive services still in development.
Currently a similar technology is available in Asia, but not yet in America. Your current phone won’t work with this technology, but a whole new generation of devices is being developed.
Musical Screen
Sonos (the home music system) just got even better.
I’ve already written about how I love the system at my house, but as time goes by you begin to notice the little problems and hiccups that come along with any good thing. Well, the Sonos wireless controller is less than convenient all the time. The click wheel is simple, but not always very fast. So to keep me, and everyone else happy, Sonos has developed a new touch screen controller.
There’s no price yet, so hopefully those who already have systems can still afford to upgrade. But, despite price, there’s no way anyone can say a new controller is a bad idea.
Home, Safe Home
I, like many others, was a latch-key kid. I remember the key over the window waiting for me and later knowing that if I bumped the door just right it would open without the key because it wasn’t actually locked (scary, I know!).
Today’s parents and children have new security options such as keypad door locks and even remote access lock features. Schlage offers a full line of electronic security options in their LINK products.
One of the starter kits includes a Wireless Keypad Deadbolt, a Wireless Bridge, a Light Module, one internet cable, and batteries. With this kit you can secure your door access with 128 bit AES encryption and set up one light in your home to come on automatically depending on codes entered in the keypad at entry.
You can even program the Schlage LINK system to email you and give you status updates and let you know who is home.
I think it is a great answer for today’s latch-key kids.
Store Better than Before
So we know I love the flash drive, so it’s no surprise I’m intrigued by Leyio’s new personal file sharing device.
It’s a flash drive taken to the next level. It stores files, can take files off of other flash drives (it has its own USB port built right in) . It’s secured with a finger print scanner and it can wirelessly transfer data to your computer or another Leyios.
It comes with a digital screen, but doesn’t use wi fi. Wireless connections come through ultrawide-band radio, which means to wirelessly transfer to a computer you’ll need to buy a little extra. It’s due out this month 
Paint with a Purpose
At school we all share the same wireless network. Our internet can be accessed in dorms and in class (if you have a password that is). What about the average wi fi user? How do you protect your investment?
Japan has released wi fi paint, it basically blocks hangers on from accessing the internet you are paying for. Convenient for honest apartment dwellers who do pay for their own wireless. It’s an unfortunate development for poor city interns and the like, but it is pretty ingenious. In this economy I’d hope we could all learn to just share, but I can understand not wanting to. If only city wide wireless was available for real.
