New York gets its first WiFi-enabled buses

Using buses in New York is about to get busier, as the city has started rolling out the first wave of WiFi enabled buses.

Windows 10 will share your WiFi passwords with your contacts and FB friends by default

We're in full countdown mode for the Windows 10 launch, but it seems there are still some small tidbits that are bound to surprise users: like the fact that Windows 10 will share you WiFi passwords with all your contacts and friends by default.

Amazing visualization reveals WiFi signals in 3D

WiFi is something most people take for granted, except for the odd cases where it seems to behave very strangely and making us wish we could "see" what's actually happening with WiFi signals - and that's precisely what I bring you today.

Free WiFi hotspot asked for eldest son in the ToS - and users said yes

We all know "no one" reads those lengthy terms of service that often pop up when you install an app or sign up for a service. And if that wasn't clear, an experiment in the UK proved it beyond any doubt.

iOS Personal Hotspot can be Cracked in Less than 1 Minute

If you regularly use your iPhone or iPad as a mobile WiFi hotspot to share internet access with other devices, you'll want to read this. When you use your iPhone to create a personal hotspot, iOS automatically generates a "random" password that may look like a strong enough password for us not to touch it any further. However, that's hardly the case, as recently demonstrated by researchers that are able to crack any iOS Personal hotspot with a system generated password in less than a minute.

The thing is, iOS uses a combination of short words and number sequences that create a password you can more easily remember. To do so, Apple has a list of over 52 thousand words that serve as a base foe those automatically generated passwords. Even if you consider 52 thousand words and all possible number combinations, you can easily try out every possible combination until you get the right one. Using a GPU, that's something you can do in under 50 minutes.

But wait... 50 minutes isn't that bad, right? You're probably never around the same place for that long.

The problem is that the iOS "random" word chooser does a pretty bad job at it, and ends up using just about 1842 of the 50 thousand available. That makes it even easier for attackers to narrow down the possible candidates, making it possible to crack it in under one minute using a 4 GPU cluster. (And it might take even less if you offload this intensive processing to some cloud computing service).

However, don't worry too much about it. All you have to do is to use your own - secure - password, and you can easily make things much more complicated for this kind of attack. Bruteforcing a 16 character password with upper and lower case letters, number and symbols isn't something that can be one in a matter of seconds, hours, or even days.

WiSee - Whole House Gesture Detection via WiFi

Gesture recognition isn't new. Today we have smart TVs that can react to your waving hands, not to mention things like Kinect, capable of detecting 3D gestures with precision. But... what if you could get rid of cameras, and have a system that can recognize your gestures no matter where you are: in the living room, in the bedroom, at the office, and even multiple people at the same? That's precisely what WiSee aims to do, and it looks like it can a revolutionary step forward in the way we interact with our devices.

Remember the iPhone 4 antenna-gate incident, where half the world was "shocked" to find out that the human body has an effect on radio signals? Well, WiSee uses the same concept, but in a much more advanced way.

With our home filled with WiFi radio waves bouncing back and forth, we also "interfere" with it with every tiny gesture we make. These researchers were able to detect the tiny variations our gestures cause on the radio signals, using but a slightly modified router. The system was able to track five people in a 2 bed apartment, with 94% correctly identified gestures in over 900.

Just imagine the possibilities...



Can you imagine that with such a system, whole house control would no longer be a "pain" requiring you to use some kind of remote control or install cameras everywhere? You could even say goodbye to motion sensors, as this system would more accurately know where someone might be and what kind of gestures they may be doing. You could switch radio stations while in the shower with a simple gesture; or turn out the lights in the living room by simply doing a gesture before going to bed (or it could automatically detect you were lying down)... the possibilities are endless!

Well... there will also be privacy issues I'm sure: what's to stop you from "tuning in" to your neighbors, and "see" what kind of gestures they are doing?... I guess this is a good time to invest in companies that make WiFi reflective wallpaper and paint! :)

How to Fix iOS 6 WiFi Unable to Join bug

Ever since I updated my iPhones to iOS 6 I was experiencing a very strange thing: all iOS 6 iPhones failed to connect to my main WiFi hotspot. An hotspot that had been working just fine for years, without any hint of trouble, and that still worked perfectly... provided you tried it with a iOS5 device.

However, as I have two other hotspots at home, one acting as a repeater, another as a separate network, and both were working fine (yes, I was able to connect to a repeater but not the the primary hotspot)  never worried about it too much.

But yesterday, with the iOS 6.0.2 update promising to fix WiFi bugs, I hoped that it would finally take care of it... but it didn't. But then, one of my most regular readers pointed me to a post that talked about an identical problem... and how they were able to fix the problem by simply typing the wifi network name manually!

Could it be that simple?

I actually had never tried that, because all my WiFi SSID's showed just fine and in full strength. But, although it connected fine to my other 2 WiFi networks, there was the "one" that always ended up in a "unable to join" error.

Well... no harm in trying. And... it actually did the trick! I was able to connect to the elusive WiFi network I had been unable to connect to for months (since the iOS 6 update).

Although this doesn't seem to be a widespread or common bug, if you ever face the same weird unable to join errors in a specific WiFi network, be sure to try and enter its name manually. You never know that might be it - as it was in this case.

iOS6 WiFi Drops Out and Apple Login Shows Up

The new iOS6 may come with hundreds of improvements, but it also comes with a very annoying bug: just after installing the new iOS6, and as I was checking that everything was working as it should, as soon as I made the mistake of checking the new App Store, my iPhone 4S suddenly went into berserk mode, dropping out of my WiFi network, and popping up some sort of Apple web login page (that shows a page not found error).

No matter what I do to try and get it to "stay" on either of my WiFi networks, it jumps out just a couple of seconds after being connected. I was going crazy, rebooting my routers, checking the wifi settings, etc... until a cry for help on twitter quickly revealed a lot of my friends was also having the exact same problem.

Maybe this is just a glitch caused by overloaded servers in Apple's Data centers... but it certainly is annoying as well, and.. as there are dozend and dozens of pending App updates, I'm not afraid some of them have already been done via cellular and not over wifi.

If anyone finds a fix for this issue, please to let me know.

Update: seems like that there's nothing we can do on our side, just got a tweet saying: "Apple’s WISPR captive portal (i.e. coffee shop internet) check page is broken. Not iOS 6 related. Apple needs to fix the page."

iOS Fast WiFi Connection Leaks Information

I'm not really a network expert, but something that I always loved about my iPhone was/is its ability to "instantly" connect to the WiFi networks when I get home or to work. Putting my Android Phone side by side with my iPhone, and waking them up at the same time, the iPhone can get immediate internet access, while on my Android I have to wait several seconds that feel like an eternity.

Sometime ago, I remember reading about how Apple achieved that feat, with the iOS attempting to connect to the three previous WiFi networks simultaneously, hoping that it would "get lucky" and speeding up the process dramatically. For most cases, it does.

But now, someone decided to turn that speeding up procedure into a security risk, because anyone in a public WiFi network you connect to could have access to the MAC IDs of your previously connected WiFi networks.

Considering your MAC addresses are already being publicly broadcast (for anyone in the vicinity of your WiFi network), I don't think this is a greater security "leak" than any other thing you're willing to do over WiFi - and, personally, I prefer the convenience of the instant WiFi access that iOS is currently offering, over the privacy of somw WiFi networks MAC IDs.

WPS Vulnerability Helps Crack WPA WiFi Networks

Looks like security (or lack of it) is the buzzword for 2011's last days. After learning that most internet servers out there are vulnerable to attack, we also find that even WPA WiFi networks can be cracked in 10 hours or less.

Most people should know by now that using WEP to protect their WiFi networks is almost the same has having it open - with lots of programs out there that can crack it in just a few minutes. And as such, WPA/WPA2 has been promoted to the "de facto" standard protection method every WiFi network should use.

But, the thing is... even your WPA WiFi network can be crack in less than 10h - if you're using WPS!

The key here is WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) itself.  The system that tries to make it simple for any person to setup a protected WiFi network, but that - in this case - serves the exact opposite purpose.
The most basic method of WPS allows you to configure your WiFi devices using a simple PIN... and it's that same PIN that is vulnerable to brute force attacks that hackers can then use to find out your WPA passwords.

Something to keep in mind if you're really serious about your WiFi network security.

SleepWell WiFi Technology Doubles Battery Life

If you think you shouldn't waste time in "old proven technologies" like WiFi, here's one more example of how even the most common things can often be improved - and using plain simple concepts.

A grad student in Duke University found a simple way to double the battery life of mobile devices by simply changing the way WiFi is used.

Have you ever felt that sometime you can use WiFi for a very long time with no noticeable impact in the battery life of your device, while other times it seems like it drains it in no time? Well, it actually happens.

The power your device uses depends on the number of WiFi hotspots and equipment around. In a high density neighborhood your device will have to "fight" with other devices using the WiFi networks, wasting a lot of power.

But, with this SleepWell technology, devices will be able to go to sleep while other devices are using the networks, until it's actually their time to transmit and receive data. (Keep in mind this happens hundreds or thousands of times per second, so, it's not as if you'll have to wait for a neighbor to finish a download! :)

Considering that battery life is currently the major issue preventing smartphones from becoming even more useful (an intensive user won't expect more than a day from their high-end smartphone - or even less), all help in this department is certainly appreciated!

HP WiFi Mouse

For the most part, computer mouses have remained unchanged since their invention. Sure, we let go of the dust gathering rubber balls and started using LED and Laser optical sensors. And we even ditched it's "tail", by evolving to wireless mouses.
But, for the most part, wireless mouses also came with some annoying drawbacks: you still had to use a receptor dongle on a USB port, and you'd have to start worrying about battery life and charging/recharging.

That's two things that HP might have taken care of with their WiFi Computer Mouse.

By using WiFi, it requires no special USB receiver dongle and can be used by any computer with WiFi connection; and as for the battery, HP claims up to 9 months battery life, which should be enough to make you forget about that as well.

The HP WiFi Mouse should be available from June onwards with a price of $49.99.

WiFi Light Painting

Ever wished you could see the electromagnetic spectrum of radio frequency? Well... while can't, we can try the next best thing, using lightpainting to reveal a WiFi signal strength across a city.

Amazing how you get very weird patterns in places you'd least expect it, and helping understand why we often have frustrations trying to have a good WiFi signal on a particular spot... but moving just a step in either direction fixes it.

Not I suddently feel the urge to WiFi lightpaint my entire home, in order to see how my wireless network actually looks like! :)


Immaterials: Light painting WiFi from Timo on Vimeo.

iPhone as WiFi Hotspot

This was probably the great reveal during Apple iPhone Verizon presentation in the US: the Verizon iPhone can act as a 3G/WiFi hotspot.

This "feature" was once even available at Apple's own App Store, thanks to an App that was promptly removed shortly after. So, we all know the iPhone could always do it. And, now that even low cost Android phones can do it as well, does it make any sense to keep it away from iPhone users?

(We're not talking about tethered Internet sharing, where you can use your iPhone as an internet "modem" when connected to a computer; but using the iPhone as a WiFi hotspot, for multiple simultaneous devices, without any need for proprietary drivers like those required for tethering.)

Sure, this delay has probably more to do with AT&T saturated 3G network than anything else (most of the world had tethering enabled iPhones one year sooner than AT&T customers), but again... the iPhone is a world phone, and lots of other countries have 3G networks that are perfectly capable of handling the extra mobile data an hotspot iPhone could provide. So... let's hope Apple doesn't make us wait too long for something that should have been there from the start!

WiFi Wireless Battery Charger

How about a simple adapter that can recharge your batteries using WiFi energy?
That's what this Airenergy from RCA claims to do, one more device in the long list of wireless energy promisses that we're still waiting to see delivered. According to them, it can "charge a mobile phone battery in little more than 90 minutes."

Well... if that sounds too good to be true, so did to several other people who took the time and effort to do some calculations where they concluded that such device would take over 30 years to charge a cell phone battery using a single WiFi signal (and assuming some very "lucky" conditions.)

Let's wait to see how RCA responds to that...

Eye-Fi Pro X2 - WiFi SD Card

If you regularly use a digital camera, you've certainly experienced the dreaded "out of memory" warning at least once.

Well, with this SD Eye-Fi Pro X2 you'll never have to face it again.

As an evolution to the previous Eye-Fi, this card now offers a faster 802.11n WiFi connection and some interesting extra services - the most curious being the "endless memory" mode.

If you activate it, whenever the card runs low on memory it will automatically delete the photos that have already been uploaded to your computer (or a number of different web photo hosting services.)
No more worrying about which photos are safe to delete and which ones are not - the Eye-Fi takes cares of that for you.

Fonera 2.0n

Just the other day Fonera 2 was launched, and we already have the new Fonera 2.0n to wish for.

Thanks to its new 802.11n WiFi is speedier than ever. And with its built-in USB hub the Fonera 2.0 management software allows users to connect external hard drives and other USB devices. This enables users to share data wirelessly, upload videos or photos automatically to YouTube, Flickr, Picasa and Facebook, or download torrents or files directly from BitTorrent, RapidShare, and Megaupload without a computer running at the same time. Additional features include the ability to backup files to a hard drive, print, or access a remote webcam via WiFi, and convert an HSDPA or 3G dongle to WiFi.

Considering the Fonera 2.0n router consumes less than four watts while downloading, while PC averages nearly 100 watts, I can't think of a better gadget to have around the house for most of the 24/7 daily computer tasks.

WiFi WPA Cracked

Everyone has been told that using WEP for securing their WiFi network is practically as good as having an open network. You've probably heard time and time again, from your "geek" friends: "Use WPA!"
Well... today you can tell them back: "WPA is useless just like WEP!"

WPA has been cracked and is now as ineffective as WEP.
That means that, unless you want to run a open network, you better upgrade your WiFi network security and start using WPA2 - which should keep you safe from casual hackers... (but not the ones using their GPUs to crack it.)

Cellphones and WiFi - the new Plague?

Every week, we come up with studies raising caution about how bad cellphones and wireless computer networks might be for our health.

Right or wrong, one thing is certain: some people are already accusing these equipments to be the new cigarettes - and that like it happened before, that a lot of people are keeping the truth from public knowledge and discrediting these studies..

I sincerely don't know what's the case here. I don't know if those electromagnetic and radiofrequency radiations are bad for our health. I mean - I'm pretty sure it isn't "good" for us; but the question is: are they really bad enough to cause harm? That's the billion dollar question.

But let's consider that, for a moment; it has been proven that cell phones and WiFi networks are indeed harmful for your health in the long term - just like smoking.


I don't know how government and industry agencies would deal with it. If past performance is an indication, they would keep denying it for decades, and then slowly admiting that *maybe* it was indeed harmful. And then they'd introduce warnings on cell phones and WiFi devices with stickers like: "Warning - this WiFi router may be harmful to your health" "Danger - this Cell phone can Kill you" and so on...

But what I'd really like to know us: what would you do about it?
If you knew, for certain, that your cellphone - the one next to your right now - would considerably increase your chance to get cancer, and all those Wifi networks and hotspots surrounding you had the same effect... what would you do about it?

Would you still keep using your cell phone as usual, even next to your own kids - just like many smokers keep doing?
Or would you ditch your cell phones and turn odd your Wifi routers and look for "radiation free" zones wherever you went?

Today, this is an hypotethical question, but who knows... maybe we'll really have to decide what do to do about it sooner thanwe think.

Up Side Down Internet

I believe everyone should leave their WiFi Internet access open to easy access by everyone. How many times were you able to access something on the web thanks to one such WiFi "hotspot"?

Of course, this would be easy and simple to do if everyone behaved in a responsible manner.
However, we all know that - sooner or later - someone will show up using and abusing your internet connection.

When that happens, instead of simply turning up your WiFi security settings, why not have some fun?

What do you think about turning their internet upside-down? Or maybe blurr all their images?

That something you can easily do if you follow these instructions.

Now, you just need to imagine how their faces will look like next time they try to access a web page through your router.