11 posts tagged “wi-fi”

It has been announced that Warner Music Group's Lala.com is to offer songs to listen to for free online.
 
Using the site, owners of iPods can keep their iTunes libraries online, where they will be able to be accessed from anywhere and shared with any user. Lala.com also allows users to trade CDs online for a nominal fee as well as selling tracks that can be uploaded directly onto an iPod.
 
Founder of Lala.com Bill Nguyen accused the studios of having "done everything they can to get people to hate music." He added that Napster, which was shut down in July 2001 after an injunction was issued against it, was the "last good thing to happen to music that people loved".
 
"We wondered what would happen if we built a new Napster, with one hope that if you trust the consumer and don't think they are the enemy then you won't get screwed," Mr Nguyen added. Currently Lala.com has approximately 300,000 members and charges $1 per disc for users to swap CDs among themselves.

"Music is and will always be a driving force of the Internet, states Mark Weibel, EVP of Marketing for Broadband National Inc. who operates the industries leading comparative shopping website for digital products and services. "Recently, there has been a boom in "boutique" music stores that cater to specific audiences. For example, Beatportand Bleep cater to the electronic music community. Magnatune, Amie Street, and Mindawn are other examples of sites that cater to specific audiences. "

For more information on broadband and other digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

For the first time ever, Denver-based satellite broadband company WildBlue has turned on its very own satellite, thereby substantially expanding its capabilities.
 
The company predominantly provides broadband service to homes and businesses in rural areas of the U.S. that previously used dial-up services. Dubbed WildBlue-1, the new satellite will allow the company to take on new subscribers in coastal states that previously it could not service.
 
David Leonard, WildBlue's CEO, said: "The launch of WildBlue-1 went extremely well, and we are now utilizing the additional capacity that this new satellite provides. "WildBlue is eager to offer WildBlue's high-speed Internet service to those rural consumers across the United States who have been waiting for an affordable alternative to dial-up."
 
The company has approximately 130,000 customers and offers broadband for a minimum of $49.95 per month. Currently, HughesNet is the predominant satellite broadband supplier in the US, with 325,000 subscribers, reports the Associated Press.

“Although not as fast as cable, satellite broadband services are far superior to dial-up connections,” states Mark Weibel, EVP of Marketing for Broadband National whose website broadbandnational.com is considered the industry leader for users shopping for broadband and related digital products and services. “Broadband opens the door to other exciting digital products and services.”

For more information on broadband and other related products and services, or to comparative shop for the best possible broadband deal visit www.broadbandnational.com

San Diego-based Slacker.com has debuted its own satellite-based radio service, which combines Internet radio, portable music and satellite distribution.
 
Currently the service is only in the testing stage, but when it is fully functioning could provide over 10,000 stations to users.
 
And by using the Slacker DJ function, the service also makes it possible for listeners to devise their own stations based on the kind of music they like.
 
Slacker co-founder and chief executive Dennis Mudd, said: "The only problem is that until now, personalized radio has been stuck on the PC.
 
"Slacker solves that problem."
 
Though Slacker is ad-based and therefore free of charge, the company is set to launch a premium service costing $7.50 per month, which will be ad-free and provide more flexibility to users.
 
In addition, the company is also to release the Slacker Personal Radio Player, which will be Wi-Fi enabled and able to play the user's personal playlists.

“Slacker has a taken a unique approach to the radio business,” states Mark Weibel EVP of Marketing for Broadband National whose website broadbandnational.com is considered the industry leader for users shopping for broadband and related digital products and services. “It’s much like an MP3 player but instead of play lists of songs Slacker.com offers customized radio stations.”

For information on broadband and other digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

For the first time viewers will be able to watch primetime shows over a wireless network, thanks to a recently announced deal between NBC Universal and MobiTV. In addition the two companies will also choose short form programming from Bravo, SCI FI Channel, USA Network, Telemundo and mun2. The programs will be available over five new channels, all of which are to be available to subscribers. Jean-Briac Perrette, president, NBC Universal Digital Distribution, said: "This is an extraordinary partnership with MobiTV and we're excited to be the first major network to offer our viewers wireless access to their favorite primetime shows on demand. "In addition, this groundbreaking deal with MobiTV will create another platform for NBC's partner advertisers to reach their audience." And Jeff Bartee, vice president content and programming for MobiTV, called the deal a "significant milestone in the history of television". The current seasons of popular shows like The Office, Heroes, Monk and Battlestar Galactica will be available on the new service.

"The expansion of broadband networks makes these types of partnership possible," states Mark Weibel, EVP of Marketing for Broadband National. "We have millions of people coming to our website and comparative shopping the more than 50 providers we represent." For more information on broadband and other related products and services, or to comparative shop for the best possible broadband deal visit www.broadbandnational.com

Hispanics in the U.S. are falling behind other cultural groups on using the Internet because their English skills are lacking, according to a recent report.
 
A full 56 percent of Hispanics in the U.S. use the Internet, but this figure is well below that of other groups, the report from the Pew Hispanic Center and the Pew Internet Project found. By contrast, 60 percent of black people in the US reported being on the Internet and 71 percent of white people said they regularly used it.
 
Susannah Fox, one of the co-authors of the report, said: "For many people living in the U.S., the Internet is the go-to source for information and for staying in touch with friends and family. "We find that significant portions of the population are cut off from online resources." The study also found that while 32 per cent of adults who only speak Spanish use the Internet, 76 percent of those who are bi-lingual use it regularly.

"This is precisely why we created our Spanish language website 'comprabroadband.com," states Mark Weibel, EVP of Marketing for Broadband National whose website broadbandnational.com is considered the industry leader for users shopping for broadband and related digital products and services. "There's a void that we're filling," states Vinny Olmstead CEO of Broadband National. "Our providers haven't been moving fast enough to address the market pressures so we saw and opportunity for us."

For information on broadband and other digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com  or www.comprabroadband.com

Communications provider AT&T is to invest more than $750 million this year in delivering global IP services and solutions to businesses across the world.
 
The extra money will help the company to extend its global IP network and capabilities, allowing it to provide more services to business customers in the US and elsewhere. It will also allow for the extended deployment of key access technologies, such as DSL, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and satellite, to help companies connect to AT&T's global IP network.
 
"In a global environment where IP network and convergence trends continue to transform companies and whole industries, we're well-positioned to meet our customers' needs," said Dick Anderson, AT&T group president for global business services. The company will focus its investment on key markets in fast growing economies in Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America, as well as developed markets in Europe and Canada.
 
AT&T offers, among other things, IP-based business communications services, high-speed wireless Internet access and voice services.

For more information on AT&T broadband and other digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

News organizations in the U.S. are facing a worsening financial struggle as they look for alternative sources of revenue.
 
A new study from the Project for Excellence in Journalism, dubbed State of the News Media 2007 has found that the Internet has not garnered new sources for revenue as they had hoped. Internet advertising especially has not lived up to the high hopes that news organizations, especially newspapers, have held for it.
 
"The hope that Internet advertising will someday match what print and television now bring in appears to be vanishing," the study stated. Charging web users to access news is one possibility that could garner the extra income needed, the study suggests.
 
In the last few years, newspaper stocks have been steadily declining as consumers turn to other outlets to get their news. Newspaper analyst John Morton told Reuters that newspapers must invest more heavily in new technology and devising ways for it to pay off.

"What we have discovered is that newspapers have moved quicker than broadcast TV stations in adapting to the online video advertising marketplace," states Mark Weibel EVP of Marketing for Broadband National, who operates the industries leading comparative shopping website. "Estimates are that the local online video advertising marketplace will reach $371 million this year or about 5% of total online ad spending. And that traditional media, especially newspapers are playing a significant role."

For more information on broadband Internet access as well as other digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

As part of the company's ongoing efforts to deliver media through the PC, TV and wireless phone, AT&T have debuted the Homezone service.
 
Using the service, customers can control their television recordings via their wireless handsets. AT&T also claims to have widely expanded the service's content via the Internet to include multiple new program titles.
 
Rick Welday, chief marketing officer for AT&T Consumer, said: "When consumers think TV, we want them to think AT&T and compelling features, like wireless remote access and thousands of downloadable titles, give us an entertainment service that goes beyond others on the market today." Homezone also lets users look at listings as well as set off video-on-demand downloads, the only service that offers this capability.
 
Users' can also take advantage of Akimbo, one of the largest video-on-demand services in the U.S., with over 15,000 titles.  And Akimbo adds over 150 new titles to its library every week. Meanwhile, AT&T has announced a major expansion of its worldwide Wi-Fi hotspots for business customers. Up to 13,000 new hotspots, available to AT&T Remote Access customers, will be added at hotels, restaurants and airports worldwide.

"We’re seeing growth spurred by the introduction and sale of hardware devices that can convert videos downloaded from the Internet into signals that can be played on high definition television sets," states Mark Weibel EVP of Marketing for Broadband National, who operates the industries leading comparative shopping website.

For more information on wireless networks and other digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

When grabbing a bite to eat, business professionals increasingly want a high-speed Internet connection with their fast food, companies believe.
 
Marriot, Starbucks and Panera Bread are among brands that have promoted themselves as places where business people can expect to connect to wireless Internet while on the go. In response to this growing trend, Indianapolis-based firm eWireless is unveiling its brand of remotely managed, "no-hassle" Wi-Fi hotspots to members across the state.
 
Henry Kurkowski, vice president of business development for eWireless, said that the company was looking forward to working with The Restaurant & Hospitality Association of Indiana to ensure that members receive the service. "With our managed Wi-Fi in place, restaurateurs will not only be able to offer their customers free Wi-Fi access, but we would be able to connect their patrons with targeted information, track repeat visits, track length of stay and gain an advantage over their competitors who may not have such an amenity to offer," he added.
 
eWireless claims that its remotely managed equipment offers a reliable wireless Internet solution that allows restaurant workers to concentrate on the core affairs of running their business. As the mobile consumer market grows, laptops continue to outsell desktops in the US, according to Mr. Kurkowski.

These wireless 'Hotspot' are quickly becoming the norm for not only restaurants but gyms, country clubs and just about anywhere else that people congregate," states Mark Weibel EVP of Marketing for Broadband National, who operates the industries leading comparative shopping website.  "They are easily incorporated into a business and are completely customizable"

For more information on broadband Internet access as well as other digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com

AT&T has announced that it is to roll out its wireless broadband network to the city of Napa, California.
 
The company will deploy the wi-fi technology, which will allow residents and businesses to access the network anywhere in the city. Users will be able to choose from several connectivity options, including higher-speed access tiers or a free, advertising supported access choice.
 
A parallel system is to also be installed to support municipal and public safety communications requirements. This means that communications for public sector workers and emergency service vehicles will be improved. For example, ambulance crews rushing to the scene of an accident can have information such as medical records transmitted to them instantly.
 
Commander Jeff Troendly, from the Napa Police Department, said: "This city Wi-Fi network will increase broadband Internet choices within the city and provide new dimensions of mobility for broadband users in Napa." He added that the project would enhance quality of life for residents, businesses and visitors.

This new Wi-Fi network will open up a new world of digital products and services for the citizens of the bay area", states Mark Weibel, EVP of Marketing for Broadband National, the industries leading comparative shopping website. "They'll also reap the benefits of faster download speeds, and access anywhere, anytime, 24 hours a day".

For more information on broadband and other digital products and services visit www.broadbandnational.com