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Facebook is testing out a new service that hopes to encourage Facebook users to check in at physical retail stores. Presumably, the idea is that by checking in at retail stores friends and followers might be more inclined to visit the same store. In exchange for checking in at the retail locations, Facebook users get access to Wi-Fi hotspots at no cost.

The system requires the business to provide Internet service and Facebook provides a free router that will direct users to businesses Facebook page after checking in. Facebook has confirmed that it is conducting a “small test with a few local businesses.” Exactly, which businesses are participating in the test is unknown.

Some stores may also be offering specials where discounts to shoppers who check in using the new service. This could prove to be an interesting way to monetize Facebook access for mobile users in a time when most users are starting to access Facebook via a mobile device rather than a computer.

The special Facebook routers will allow non-Facebook users or people who simply don’t want to check in to access the Internet for free. People who don’t check in with Facebook to access the hotspot for free would have to enter a password provided by the business. It’s unclear right now if this free Wi-Fi service will catch on and be expanded to other areas by Facebook.

[via CNET]

Facebook testing out free Wi-Fi hotspot access for check-ins is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

D-Link has announced the official launch of its Pocket Cloud Router DIR-506L aimed at people who are highly mobile. The router is the latest addition to the Cloud Router family of products providing an easy way to share digital content, and an Internet connection on the go. The slim Pocket Cloud Router is designed to fit into a small handbag or jacket pocket.

The device is powered by a rechargeable battery good for up to four hours of use. The router creates a local network and generates a personal cloud for mobile device owners to access information, view, and share content between devices. The router also uses D-Link SharePort Technology allowing users to download a free app to be able to access, view, and share the content from a memory stick connected to the router’s USB port.

The app is available for an iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. The router allows the user to not only access data stored on the flash drive plugged into the USB port of the router, but the user can also backup files onto that USB device wirelessly. The USB port can also be used to charge mobile phones and other devices providing up to 5 V/0.8A.

The Pocket Cloud Router has multiple operation modes, including repeater mode, router/access point mode, and Wi-Fi hotspot mode. The repeater mode helps extend Wi-Fi coverage of a home or office while the Wi-Fi hotspot mode allows you to add Wi-Fi connectivity to web connections in a hotel room or other location where a wireless network isn’t available. The Pocket Cloud Router will sell for £64.99 in the UK.

D-Link launches new Pocket Cloud companion cloud router is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If getting long-range WiFi is a perpetual battle, ASUS just started a nuclear war. Its fresh RT-N12HP router carries a pair of (thankfully removable) high-gain, 9dBi antennas and a separate signal amplifier that can jointly boost the range of the router’s 802.11n wireless up to 300 percent versus challengers that reach the same 300Mbps peak speed. Beyond that, the hotspot mostly claims sheer flexibility as its virtue with support for as many as four separate WiFi networks and a fast toggle between pure router, access point and repeater modes. Once ASUS confirms that we can grab the N12HP in specific countries, it’ll likely deliver a good signal from corner to corner in most any home — and invite some Freudian interpretations.

Continue reading ASUS unveils RT-N12HP WiFi router with extra-long antennas: compensating for anything?

Filed under: Networking, ASUS

ASUS unveils RT-N12HP WiFi router with extra-long antennas: compensating for anything? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Oct 2012 03:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Island of Dr. Moreau-style splicing of technologies is generally one trend the world could do without. “Haven’t you always wanted a lava lamp with a built-in hatchet?” No, Mr. Pitchman, and please take your abominations elsewhere. More »

We’ve seen connected light bulbs before, some more sophisticated than others, but they’re rarely as straightforward as GreenWave Reality’s just-shipping Connected Lighting Solution. Eco-friendly LED bulbs in the lineup include their own WiFi and are immediately controllable from a smartphone or tablet as soon as they’re receiving power. Basics controls like group presets and timed lighting are just the start; if you’re not worried about leaving anyone in the dark, the bulbs can respond to motion sensors and only illuminate the rooms that need attention. And while the intelligence isn’t new in itself, GreenWave would argue that sheer accessibility gives it an edge, with electric utilities in Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden skipping the retail middleman by selling directly. Don’t despair if you live in the US: the linked-up lighting is cleared for eventual use by Americans who’d like to save both energy and a trip to the light switch.

Continue reading GreenWave Reality ships WiFi light bulbs that flick on through motion and smartphones

Filed under: Household

GreenWave Reality ships WiFi light bulbs that flick on through motion and smartphones originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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