TechCrunch reports that Aircell is launching WiFi in the Sky today.
As a person who used to choose his flights by which airlines had Airfone and later which airlines offered the ill fated Boeing Connexion service for International travel, I'm happy to hear this service is now a reality.
So, while there's no VoIP allowed, at least we can all chat and email.
Rob Evans, a highly respected exIBMer, who now is the UK Telecoms Sourcing Manager for the Orange FT Group in the UK. has been writing a series of posts describing how client Truphone has been saving the day for him, on his blog called Rob's Digital Life.
His most recent one talks about being somewhere where phone service was only available from the hotel as cell coverage was non-existent.
With WiFi access, Rob was able to make a call to check on his children who were being watched by "grandmum."
Net Net here is with Truphone and WiFi, Rob can be working anywhere.
3, my favorite carrier when I'm in the UK, has launched the SkypePhone Version 2 and does it look mighty tasty.
First their offering includes both post paid/contract as well as Pay as You Go. The fact that they make this available for Pay As You Go, and their data plans are are low as 2.50 pounds a week or 5 pounds a month makes this a real killer device.
When combined together, calls to your Skype buddies on the go, plus to anyone else with the 3 calling plans for international that were available last time I was in the UK, make it an unbeatable offer.
Now add in that they've opened up the phone to be tethered to a PC or Mac and you have the play of the year for the on the go, Working Anywhere type user.
Network World reports that HP has come out with a new ultralight in weight laptops that they call it ruggedized. That's a fancy word for "built to take it" and is designed to compete with the line of laptops from Panasonic called "Toughbooks."
What's neat though is the use of Qualcomm technology called GOBI, that lets users switch between EVDO and HSUPA technology for Wireless Internet access that lets you be Working Anywhere.
These kinds of computers are great for job sites, remote working where conditions aren't exactly pristine, or even in a place like a pet store, flower shop or pottery barn where there's always something you don't want touching your PC.
With so many people who like to text and drive out there, who are also Crackberry (Blackberry) addicts, this new beta application from JOTT may be something that just about changes the game for smart phone users.
Now remember, it's beta. First you install the Blackberry plug-in that lets you reply to messages using your voice. To use it, simply click like you normally do, but choose Reply with Jott, or Replay to All with Jott, follow the simple audio prompts, talk, review (if you want to) then send.
Jott transcribes it, and sends the message on to your intended recipient, with a copy back to the speaking party.
One use I see for this is when I'm getting off the airplane. Usually time is tight, so after firing up the Blackberry, I tend to scan the messages and type off quick replies. This lets me do the same thing, but I don't have to type any more.
While you won't be using this for long notes, you will want to use Jott for short, quick replies, one line instructions or quick questions when you're on the go.
My initial testing shows it works. Names and domain names should also always be spelled out.
What's more, you can also click through from a web browser and hear what was spoken.
This application is quickly heading to the status of "Working Anywhere Approved" but not until its out of Beta.
For those cheapskates out there who just can't afford a WiFi/Hotspot account from AT&T, T-Mobile or Boingo (to be transparent my agency represents Boingo) you can take the advice of Popular Mechanics and find some airports offering WiFi for free. You can also learn about some cool apps that make it easy to find the open, unsecured hotspots too.
What's more the article suggests camping outside the doors of airline clubs that offer free WiFi. I have to admit in the early days of WiFi that was the one way I could get access to T-Mobile's Hotspot service and I've done it. It's not exactly the best experience, especially when the only seat is the hard floor.
Now, with the clubs offering free access to their own WiFi network this "camping out and latching on" idea would in theory make sense for the Bandwidth Bandit, a first cousin to users of Minute Stealing services. But it's not really, as many of the airport lounges have begun using WEP and WPA to limit the access to only their own patrons. Unfortunately, the perception is you have to join the club. That's not exactly correct. Sure you can purchase a day pass, but there's a better option.
I suggest investing in the Working Anywhere Approved Priority Pass to gain access to the airport clubs and all the free coffee and drinks you want. Between Boingo, T-Mobile and Priority Pass in the last two years I've always been able to find HotSpots that make it possible for me to be Working Anywhere.
A second way into the clubs of American Airlines and Continental Airlines is using an American Express Platinum Card. That's a benefit which makes the card's annual fee worth it.
This is the kind of story I like to see, not only because it has direct benefit to clients (Truphone and Boingo) but also because one of the company's whose advisory board I sit on Agito, is smack in the middle of this whole Voice over WiFi game.
Voice over WiFi works. And it works very well. Just last week I had a series of VoWiFi calls via my AT&T 3G connection using client Truphone on both a Nokia N95 and an Apple iPhone that was tethered to Joiku Spot on my Nokia E71 from the 30th floor of the Intercontinental San Francisco.
Joiku, which recently announced a deal with FON, takes an incoming 3G signal, then sends it out the WiFi side of the handset, much the same way an Apple Mac Book can do with an incoming broadband connection via the Ethernet port and out via WiFi. What makes Joiku so useful is that it can be used virtually anywhere there's a 3G connection, and thus eliminates the need for other data cards, or things like Cradlepoint.
Want proof that this voice over WiFi is happening? Look at all the companies creating new devices and services that do exactly that in one form or another. Comcast, Sprint, T-Mobile.
As someone who has used both Truphone and T-Mobile's Hotspot @ Home services, I can safely say, they both work as promised, with the edge to Truphone in quality and ability to get around hotel NAT/Firewall issues.
Ok, so I'm a gadget geek. I love bright, shiny and new my pal James Body of Truphone likes to say. So today I'm going to take you through some essentials that you can't be without when you're on the road.
Making the Room Wireless
WiFi Travel Router-The make and model doesn't really matter. I carry both an Apple Airport Express and an Asus travel router each set to different IP address blocks to deal with how hotels and corporate apartments configure their networks. The bottom line is a good travel router, with the ability to change power plugs and a retractable Ethernet cord from Belkin make any place I stay wireless, even when the hotel doesn't offer it, or as is the case in some hotels, the wired is a far better network connection based on where the room is located.
We Need More Power
Multi Outlet Extension/Surge Protector-Outlets in hotel rooms are not always plentiful, nor are they surge resistant. Enter the neat and compact Targus 4 outlet surge protector. For under $20.00 I now can plug in my laptop and cell phone next to the bed, and sleep peacefully, work from the bed and not have to go running across the room to find the phone.
Staying Connected Anywhere
There are a multitude of ways to get online when you're mobile these days. All the major cellular operators now offer some form of 3G data plans. Some require cards that slip into your PCMCIA or Express Card slot or a USB dongle. But while that's good when your solo, sometimes you need to share the connections too. Here are a few options that will make your working anywhere experience easier.
In the USA Verizon Wireless and Sprint both offer a 3G experience using data cards or over some select mobile phones. Verizon may offer the most complete array of access methods, and while very good for the USA based road warrior, once you leave the USA the CDMA network from Verizon lacks any real global roaming options away from North America. Still their Broadband Access platform is a great choice to be able to be Working Anywhere.
Sprint comes close to mirroring Verizon in access methods. They both offer CDMA based access, but my issue with them both is how the proxy data, making some aspects of Working Anywhere a challenge, like using VoIP or Video Conferencing. Still, for basic email, web surfing and Instant Messaging, as well as many other Internet based applications, their products work and deliver a quality experience.
AT&T may be the best option around though, especially if you buy an unlocked 3G modem. I use the Novatel Wireless MC950D USB HSUPA/HSDPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS data card that works anywhere in the world if you purchase an unlocked unit versus the carrier specific models from AT&T or your local mobile operator. What's great about an unlocked one is I can simply insert a SIM card in places like the UK or Spain and take advantage of 3G data and be Working Anywhere.
If you buy a USB data card, regardless of carrier, the Cradlepoint Personal Hotspot PHS-300 is a wonderful solution for sharing the wireless Internet connection. Since it has a self contained battery, it's also very useful when you're not near a power outlet, and need to use your laptop or WiFi enabled device to do something over the Internet.
Another way to go is with Joiku Spot, an ingenious piece of software that turns your 3G data enabled mobile phone into a WiFi Hotspot ANYWHERE. I opted for the Premium edition, and have found it to work as promised. It's a great way to tether your laptop to phones like the Nokia E71 or N95, as well as many others.
Can You Hear Me?
Headsets and speakerphones can be really good or really bad. Three that I find to work very well include the Iqua Sun Bluetooth headset, the Polycom Speakerphone C100 or C100S and the Plantronics Virtual Phonebooth headset. All provide exceptional tonal quality and won't make you sound like you're under water.
Last week while I was in Philadelphia and Chicago, my staff, led by Danielle Ross and Cheryl Cink, managed an event for our client Nokia in San Francisco.
Intercontinental San Francisco GM Peter Koehler knows how to run a hotel there. He's much like pal and hotel mentor to me, Steve Pagano, now at the San Diego Marina Marriott and Towers who has always demonstrated to me how a hotel needs to be run. Steve and I go back to his days at the Del Mar Marriott that he built and opened back in 2002 and still grab the occasional glass of wine and a good meal somewhere.
The event, which was a breakfast meeting that was flawlessly executed and no needs were unmet. The broadband worked as expected and at every turn my team reported to me that the hotel did everything that was requested. What's more the entire sales and banquet process was first rate, professional and provided excellent value per dollar, simply because they knew what to do. I even got a call from our client who said how perfect her room was.
I'm happily in SF the next five days or so, and looking forward to my second stay this year at the InterContinental. The first stay was so perfect I took my bill and hand wrote "Perfect" on it and handed it to Mr. Koehler.
Like the Hotel 1000 in Seattle's GM Denny Fitzpatrick, Koehler craves the tech savvy/work space needy business guest in his hotel. His letting me know that resulted in three more happy room nights from my staff and client as well as a tech thought leaders breakfast that had over 25 media, bloggers and executives in the room, who all had a professional experience, that was all first class.
Based on my past stay and the reports from my team, the San Francisco InterContinental is WORKING ANYWHERE APPROVED!
UPDATE--Apparently W Hotel City Center GM Edwin Frizell agrees with me on my displeasure. He refunded my entire stay. That's class.
Given I expressed upfront that there were certain levels of expectations that needed to be met, he felt they didn't deliver. What was also disturbing is he never got any message that I asked to speak with him while I was a guest, but he said he was traveling, but then again so was I. Bottom line, he restored my faith in the W brand, so I'll give them another shot.
The month has just recently begun, but after three great stays in three great hotels, Seattle's Hotel 1000, the swanky and ultra discreet London-NYC in Manhattan and the always reliable Sofitel in Philadelphia, I hit a speed-bump in Chicago.
My chosen hotel was the W City Center. MISTAKE. At $400 a night I expect just about perfection. What I got was average broadband as their 350 room hotel plus public areas is running off of a bundled T1, meaning 3 megs of bandwidth for a property that's got a lot of people in the hotel all the time.
But here's the kicker, if you use the public areas like lobby WiFi you're knocked off every 30 minutes or so, as some genius set the router lease that way. It wasn't the IT Manager who was super apologetic about it because he had no clue about the short lease, but explained it was likely due to people nearby wanting to latch on to their WiFi. Nor was it the Director of Operations who admitted he had no idea what a router lease was when I spoke to him about that. I doubt they homeless outside need Internet access, but if they do McDonalds offers free WiFi with coffee and the Corner Bakery down the street does as well.
Why is it an issue? Well on Tuesday when I first arrived earlier than expected I planned on having breakfast and getting some work done while waiting for my room. You see, hotels to me are not just for the S's (sleep, shower, shave, sex and S*&*) but for work too. Just as you don't rent a "sleeping room" but a "guest room" the public areas are also used by Global Nomads for more than simply something to look at. Anyway, back to breakfast. The very nice manager on duty apologized and said my room would be ready soon, but that there was free Internet all over the hotel lobby and restaurant area. NOT. It seemed the nice corner table I chose was out of WiFi range, so I was moved by the IT manager to the lobby to eat. Cool. Except thirty minutes later, in the middle of a voice call over my laptop, POOF, there went the connection. No warning. No advance notice. Nothing. It happened again thirty minutes later.
Yesterday, right in the middle of executing a secure transaction online, the same thing happened. I had spent a good seven minutes running through a hotel reservation system for an upcoming trip. I was just completing the transaction when the W City Center's WiFi time dropped my lease. Now we're not sure if the reservation is made or not, or what the status is. End result, we have to call the Palazzo in Las Vegas or run the risk of having a double booking (and a possible double charge.)
What did this mean? Well for the last four days instead of enjoying the lobby and spending money in the restaurant my wife and I were either at the conference in another hotel or as she said "leaving the hotel so I could find a place to work that had Internet other than in our room."
Helene, who is online as much as I am, needed to do some work, but the W's restaurant lack of quality Internet access clearly makes this a hotel that doesn't grasp the idea that people do more than sleep and drink there.
But it gets worse. Someone, likely the never available by phone or to meet GM, seems to think that when the hour of 6 PM arrives the volume of the music should be louder in the public areas than a concert at the nearby United Center. I'm talking so loud when I asked about it two of the hotel staff leaned forward and said "sorry, what did you say."
Here's my point. Public areas are where I meet up with business colleagues and friends when I travel. I don't invite them up to my guest room, and with a key required to access those floors, its even more difficult to even suggest that. So one reason for choosing the W was my past experiences in Silicon Valley, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Hip and cool feel. Good drinks and a comfortable and relaxed lounging area. Not in Chicago. Talk about a hostile working environment. Every business meeting and even a casual meeting meant leaving the property in the evening hours.
Last but not least, was the tardiness of the housekeeping staff. On Friday we hung in our room until about 4 PM and then removed the Do Not Disturb sign and went wandering. We came back, had a cocktail, but couldn't talk as the music was so loud. When we got back into our room around 730 or so we were horrified to see that the room wasn't made up, but relieved that our laundry was returned. Let's see. 5 PM Laundry returned. Bed not made. That means no one had the brains to call housekeeping and tell them the status of the room when they delivered the laundry. Talk about a lack of team work.
Bottom line, the W City Center in Chicago is NOT WORKING ANYWHERE APPROVED. And there's now a GM whose on my list of people who should never be allowed to work anywhere but a dog kennel.
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