For those of us serious about ensuring that we are never unplugged, there is always a service, option, device, whatever that can make that a reality. But 2009 is shaping up to be the beginning of a period when the rest of us catch up whether we want to or not, as wireless hot spots finally push their way into transit options in a big time way. And with a major chunk of the public spending a fair amount of time commuting by planes, trains and automobiles it’s about time.
Of course late last year a variety of airlines including Delta, Virgin America, American Airlines and Air Canada announced that they had launched or planned to launch Wi-Fi on a limited number of flights domestically. But most of us working stiffs are not jet setters, so that leaves trains and automobiles, right? Actually, we can expect to see some changes here as well. With regards to trains, California-based broadband provider Wi-Fi Rail Network has recently announced the approval of a contract with the San Francisco Bay Area’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system that will bring high speed Internet to commuters system-wide by the end of 2010. The BART system consists of over a 100 miles of track connected by over 40 stations, linking San Francisco to cities and residential areas north, south and east as well as both the San Francisco and Oakland airports. In tests trains moving up to 85MPH reported consistent connection speeds up to 15mbps based on a signal provided by a network of fiber optic cable laid along the train lines and transmitted to trains every mile. Service is planned on a subscription model estimated to follow a pricing pattern of: Day Passes - $10, Monthly Passes - $30, Annual Passes - $300, with corporate plans eventually available. If this service ends up being profitable, or even break even, which will be the ultimate yardsticks, look for similar plans for comparable rapid transit systems all over the country.
Carpoolers can also expect to see wireless options move beyond GPS services and OnStar soon as well, as dealerships across the country, led by Chrysler’s UConnect Web system, launch hot spot functionality available with new Chysler, Jeep and Dodge models. The MSRP for the UConnect hardware is $450, not including an installation fee and a monthly access fee of about $30. The lament here, which has been repeated many times and in many places will of course be “one more distraction for drivers,” which is true enough, but for those with free and responsible hands who spend hours a day watching traffic from the passenger seat, it could be a godsend. The additional caveat is that the big hit that the auto industry has taken in the current economic downtown could knock this Wi-Fi trend off track. The year is young yet, so only time will tell.
In the meantime check out video below of UConnect Web in action.
Does your dog need a cell phone? Does your cat need a translation dictionary? Some gadget makers clearly think so. Check out PC World’s article rounding up the top of the dogpile (sorry) of gadgets made for your pets.
Some of these are pretty neat. I like the idea of a webcam attached to your pet’s collar if you just want to see the kind of trouble he gets up to when you’re not around. But some of these ideas I think need a little refining. For example, I can vouch that my neighbor friend’s Litter-Robot makes such a racket when it’s running that her cats are terrified to go near it. Frankly, I’m terrified to go near it. At seemingly random intervals it makes a noise that sounds like Sauron eating a car.
Linksys by Cisco announced at CES that they are making a play for the burgeoning arena of wireless home audio (also called “distributed audio”) products. Similar to products such as Sonos and the Roku Soundbridge, Linksys by Cisco’s line of wireless home audio products connect to your home WiFi network to stream music from your PC’s hard drive.
Though the devices run on a Linux kernel, the products require Windows to set up. In addition to streaming your PC’s digital music files, the Linksys WHA products also work with the Rhapsody music service, and can stream Internet radio via the RadioTime service.
The line comes in a number of form factors, from the single Player, which is just a receiver to act as a bridge between your digital music collection and your existing home stereo equipment, to the Director, a standalone unit with an LCD screen. The units can be mixed and matched, and controlled with the Controller–a resistive LCD touchscreen that can act as your go-between for each or all of the devices on the network.
If you don’t want to build your own system, several pre-bundled kits are offered: the Trio, a kit designed to just connect your MP3s to your home stereo; the Executive, which is ideal for small rooms such as dorms or offices; and the Premier, a multizone package with multiple remotes.
These work on a Wireless-N network, so if you have a compatible Linksys router you can use the WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) to connect all the devices with a couple of buttons.
Wireless home audio is a category that’s still finding its feet–there’ve been a few iconic products such as Sonos but many others have fallen by the wayside. But Linksys looks like it’s got its act together here. They’re not including storage media with the devices, which was the kiss of death to products like the Escient Fireball with their rapidly-obsolescing hard drives and expensive upgrades, and the range of price points means you can scale a system according to your needs, instead of being locked into a solution that the manufacturer thinks is sufficient. All in all, it looks like a very promising start.
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