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Corporate viral video showcase: Philips and Fon
We've seen a lot of pretty bad corporate attempts to woo the YouTube crowd -- for every Will It Blend? there's a million PSP disasters -- so these two clips from Fon and Philips score some points for actually making us smile. Fon unleashed a WiFi-seeking matador with a ridiculous fake accent on the streets of San Francisco, eventually sending him to a Starbucks to curse the high access charges and champion the Fon Community. It's not exactly a knee-slapper, but it's fairly amusing when the guy calls it "Wi-fee." On the other hand, Philips' mockumentary for their Bodygroom manscaper is one of the best virals we've seen in a long time -- the sad story of Frank "Furback" Sack and his walk-through Coney Island body hair remover is an inspiration to us all, if only for sheer number of double entendres it contains. Check both videos after the break. (Warning: the Philips video has some mildly blue language in it.)
Engadget Chinese gets hands-on with La Fontenna
Although we certainly wish it was our hands wrapped around FON's La Fontenna, we've been admittedly busy handling other matters over the weekend, so we're glad to see that our Chinese brethren were able to do the honors. The directional antenna looks to be a rather simplistic and unvaried device, as it simply replaces the stubby antenna on your La Fonera and instantly boosts your range (and popularity amongst other now-nearby users, we presume). During rather unscientific testing, the crew was able to notice a halfway decent increase in signal strength in a number of (marginally) faraway locales, and while recorded increases weren't anything to write home about, more connectivity is never a bad thing to have. So go on, give the read link a visit, and check out a few more unboxing shots during your stay.
Fon's new La Fonera hits FCC
Ok, Fon's new La Fonera isn't too different from last year's business-stealing La Fonera -- except this time it has a second Ethernet jack if you have a computer or device you want to plug right on in (and don't want / need to use an external switch), or, we suppose, if you want to jack your Fonera into your home network (if you do want / need to use an external switch). We kind of wish Fon changed the name up a little on this thing, maybe re-conjucated it so it would become La Fonero or something, but it would seem the ethernet jack is the only think you've got to look forward to in version 2.P.S. -Don't mind that USB port -- it only appears in some of the pictures and not in the documentation, so we're assuming that's just a port used in testing / debug units.
Boingo set to roam on FON's worldwide WiFi network
Boingo, which just recently flashed its Boingo Mobile services in your grill at 3GSM, has now made its somewhat sensational claims seem a bit more justified by partnering with FON to roam on its worldwide network of WiFi hotspots. Once the agreement is executed, Boingo's customers will reportedly have "access to an additional 130,000 hotspot locations," which will more than double the company's network size. Of course, this isn't the only partnership FON has inked in recent memory either, and while one may expect to fork over slightly more than the previously advertised $7.95 per month for an expanded Biongo Mobile network, it looks like the rates are staying put. No word yet on when the WiFi roaming will go live, but if you happened to be swarmed by Foneros in your neck of the woods, Boingo Mobile just might be worth the effort.
FON router used in DIY wireless network printer
Sure, turning your OS X or Linux-based machine into a FON Spot is snazzy in and of itself, but what about that dusty grey printer that stays shoved beside your desk? In an admittedly impressive feat of determination, a certain modder took a screwdriver, cutting utensil, and a few dollars worth of FON routers to the inside of a printer's case, and the result is a lesson in utility to say the least. By shoving one of those inexpensive FON routers inside the case, and relying on DD-WRT to open up the appropriate channels, he was able to convert a HP LaserJet 5 into a wireless printer and WiFi hotspot, all without making a scene. Still, the idea of turning your tethered printer into one that accepts incoming jobs wirelessly is no easy task, and judging by the laundry list of duties required to pull this all together, we wouldn't recommend giving this a go without hordes of spare time on your hands. That being said, those still interested should be delighted that a step-by-step guide (with pictures, no less) has been made available for the brave and talented, so be sure to hit the read link and start digesting.
Turn your OS X and Linux-based machine into a FON Spot
Not one to dwell too heavily on the past, FON is apparently already moving beyond its newfangled partnership with Time Warner, and has now caved to giving Mac and Linux users the ability to get in on the action. The latest FON Spot software now appears in a beta form for OS X and Linux (preferably Ubuntu) users, allowing Ethernet-connected machines to share excess bandwidth with others via WiFi. Notably, it's even supposed to work if connected via 3G, but we can't imagine your carrier being all too pleased with such a scheme. Per usual, the company warns of its beta nature and insinuates that problems could arise, but if you're still not deterred, be sure to hit the read link and get your respective download on.[Via GigaOM]
Time Warner partners with FON, customers to get free WiFi
Just like it has in so many other instances, Fon has coaxed yet another company into signing the line, and this time it's Time Warner (parent company of AOL, which owns Engadget) taking the bait. While the two firms had been in talks for some time regarding a potential partnership, today the duo made things official by announcing that "Time Warner Cable subscribers could become Fon community members and create Fon access points via their home or business broadband connection." Additionally, "the same subscribers would enjoy free WiFi access around the world, wherever Fon has partner ISPs," but the bulk of said partners sadly aren't found on American soil. Still, you won't find us bickering about free internet access, but for those anxious to hear details about this endeavor, it sounds like they'll be testing your patience; there was no word as to how soon TWC customers would be able to join the Fon bonanza, but we're sure that bombarding your local office with these inquiries could get the ball rolling.
Sprint loses $20 billion government contract to rivals
The US government and Sprint Nextel have hung up their respective gloves and Sprint has claimed a big loss, as the government has apparently kicked Sprint's telecom-providing butt out the door. Sprint, which has provided various telecom services for the feds for 18 years, was displaced by AT&T, Verizon Business and Qwest as part of the largest telecom contract ever cobbled together by the government. The newly-coined "Networx Universal" contract has a period of 10 years and makes provisions for wireless voice, video and data services to 135 federal agency across 191 countries. That's what we call a contract, and a stout one at that. Until then, Sprint may still be in the running for another contract for providing secure, IP and managed network services to the U.S. Government. That contract will be awarded in May, but in the meantime, losing $20B has gotta sting.
Fon wants you to help steal business from Starbucks and T-Mobile
Oh tricky, sneaky Fon. Fresh off their 10,000 Fonero giveaway, they're stepping up the ante with how they give away their loss-leader routers. Their newest campaign is sure to strike a chord with armchair entrepreneurs and Adbusters fans alike: if you live within the immediate vicinity of a Starbucks (read: WiFi range), Fon would like to send you one of their Foneros. Why? Because, if you recall, when you allow users to connect with your internet connection over your Fonero, Fon splits the profit with you -- $1 for every user (who pays $2 to use your connection). So for every $10 T-Mobile / Starbucks WiFi user you swipe, Fon gives you a buck; now, granted this still isn't a scheme for those paranoid about home network security, bandwidth usage, or nefarious hax0rs type with a spoofed MAC and a keen eye for easy hotspot access, but who knows, for those near Starbucks (yes, they'll be checking against known locations) it might even be worth it to buy a budget DSL line just to profit with Fon.
Nokia and Qualcomm ready to play nice because of WiMax?
Qualcomm and Nokia, the two heavyweight fighters in a long and drawn out nasty battle over intellectual property rights are possibly burying the hatchet (just not in each other's backs.) Both companies are having a press conference along with Sprint Nextel a week from tomorrow (Feb. 28). Now, when you get Qualcomm and Sprint Nextel together, nothing seems out of place. Inject Nokia in there and there is something afoot -- but what? With Sprint Nextel committed to WiMax for its 4G plans and Nokia shaking hands with Sprint Nextel on that turf, maybe Nokia and Qualcomm are close to shaking hands in some form after years of issues that left Nokia holding an expensive but worthless 1xRTT bag of, well, nothing. Maybe WiMax will be the glue that reseals that relationship.
BT Group chatting up FON for partnership
Good news all 'round for BT Fusion, BT Broadband and FON lovers of the UK: BT Group is reportedly in talks with FON for a hefty partnership that extends the services of both companies extensively. In exchange for allowing BT Fusion users to replace those pricey Vodafone minutes on their phones with free FON WiFi UMA lovin', BT will officially give its blessing to users sharing their BT bandwidth over FON -- ISPs usually frown on the practice -- and even go so far as to push a FON firmware upgrade to its own users' broadband routers. Subscribers can opt out, but we're sure plenty of users will bite at the chance, since signing up for FON not only gives you profit sharing from people who pay to use your access point, but also gives you free WiFi access to other FON routers. With the 10,000 FON users already in Britain, the country could become one of the top spots for free-ish WiFi, and might give BT one of the best UMA services around, but neither company is talking about the deal just yet, so we'll wait for everything to be legit before we do our little "free WiFi party" dance.[Via WNN; thanks R Gomez]
Skype launches SMC Wi-Fi Phone Package
While neither of these products are all that new, Skype and Fon hope that when their powers combine, it'll make them more powerful than Optimus Prime. Skype's just announced its "SMC Wi-Fi Phone Package" that merges the SMC WSKP100 handset, Fon's La Fonera router, 500 SkypeOut minutes, and a full year of Skype voicemail, all for $160. That's pretty much a steal right there, given that when sold separately the handset alone would set you back $200. Of course, as of this writing, Skype's site says that the package is out of stock, so maybe if you really want all those items soonish, you might have better luck assembling the pieces on your own. But that sorta defeats the point of the package, now doesn't it?
FON announces Liberator, adds NAS
Remember Fon, that new startup straight outta Spain? Yeah, the one that got funding from Google and Skype and then started selling subsidized Linksys routers? Well, Fon is doing all it can to bring more members into the fold, what with its giving away free routers in San Francisco not long ago and all. However, Fon's not quite done yet; according to our main man Mr. Malik, the one behind GigaOm, Fon has just acquired GSpace for an undisclosed sum. For those of you who aren't familiar with this Firefox extension, it turns those empty gigabytes on your Gmail account into online storage space with an FTP-like interface. GigaOm goes on to tell us that GSpace will be included in the new FON device, known as the FON Liberator and will be launched in February 2007. It's basically the same thing as the current FON router (pictured), except with the addition of a USB 2.0 port, allowing you turn your your thumb drive, iPod, or whatever other USB device into a NAS without much fuss. That's pretty FON-tastic, no?
French ISP Free opens up subscribers' WiFi to each other, adds handsets
In what appears to be a potentially disruptive move, French ISP Free has just opened up its network of 300,000 subscribers' WiFi networks across France to its subscribers. What does that mean? If you're a Free subscriber living in Paris, and you and you come across a Free WiFi network while in Lyon for the day on business, you can log in and use up to 64kbps of bandwidth no problem. All new Freebox HD subscribers will have this feature turned on by default, so we assume that also means you can turn it off if you're concerned about privacy. Now for those of you who might not be familiar with Free, it isn't just your garden-variety ISP, no sir. For €30 per month ($38), Free will give you a pair of boxes (known collectively as the Freebox) that comes with a DSL modem at 24Mbps, includes a digital TV receiver, 4-port switch / WiFi router with MIMO, built-in VoIP with free calls to 28 countries, and can stream TV to your computer and DVDs from your computer to your TV. Also, Free recently introduced two new handsets (pictured): its white model (WiFi-only) goes for €60 ($75), while the black model is WiFi and GSM and goes for €200 ($250). So to recap, let's say you want to roam around l'Hexagone with your laptop or your WiFi handset, and you're a Free subscriber, then you've now got one of (potentially) 300,000 locations around the country to choose from. Some industry watchers like Yannick Laclau are convinced that if companies like France Telecom or Telefonica (Spain's incumbent telco) or Verizon were to make a move à la Free, it would mean better and less expensive service for everyone, and also might wipe out FON in the process.Read - GigaOmRead - Yannick LaclauRead - Net Economie
FON wooing "foneros" with $5 router
Remember that FON service we brought to you a few months back, which aims to create a worldwide network of private hotspots wherein members can hop onto any other members' routers for free VoIP calling? Well after receiving a fresh infusion of cash from Google and Skype, the company is storming into the U.S. and Europe with a deal straight out of a domestic wireless carrier's playbook: give away or heavily subsidize the hardware in order to lock customers into long-term commitments. In this case, Fon is "selling" Linksys routers for $5-a-pop (or five Euros in Europe) in exchange for users agreeing to open up their network to other so-called "foneros" for 12 months, though by doing so, they are free to make calls from other members' hotspots during that period as well. As you'll recall, those folks unwilling to provide public access can still tap into other members' signal, but must pay $3-a-day for the privilege. The future of the company is no way assured, though, as this whole operation could go down in flames should Internet providers take FON to court for enabling their customers to share bandwidth; on the bright side, you'll only be out five bucks plus shipping and taxes if the business folds.
