http://boardingarea.com/blogs/traveltechtalk A Travel/Technology weblog Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:50:54 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Sprint and Clearwire have finally completed the merger of their wireless metropolitan data services (Sprint's WiMAX service operating under the Xohm brand name and Clearwire's pre-WiMax services).  And, as part of the merger, they've decided to rebrand the whole thing.  The new product will now be called "Clear" which shouldn't ... http://boardingarea.com/blogs/traveltechtalk/2008/12/01/getting-a-clear-picture-of-wimiax-services/ As noted in my previous post, I had the privilege to be one of the first people to test out Virgin America's new inflight Wifi last weekend on a special test flight over San Francisco. I got a chance to put the service through its paces - trying things like VoIP, ... http://boardingarea.com/blogs/traveltechtalk/2008/11/25/first-look-virgin-americas-inflight-broadband/ Virgin America is premiering their in-flight broadband internet access, which is powered by Gogo, this weekend. The service, which utilizes the Aircell network, will deliver broadband speeds at 35,000 feet, while in US airspace, allowing you to access the Internet using your Wifi-enabled laptop, PDA, or Smartphone, or through ... http://boardingarea.com/blogs/traveltechtalk/2008/11/21/virgin-america-launching-in-flight-broadband-with-special-broadcast-from-the-sky/ A recent discussion I read has prompted me to remind you (again) about the danger of international data roaming. Remember folks, at $19 per Megabyte of data, you too could end up with a $2000 bill before you know it! Thankfully AT&T appear to be taking a friendlier approach ... http://boardingarea.com/blogs/traveltechtalk/2008/11/06/re-re-reminder-to-think-twice-about-international-data/ This week, Belkin announced their newest laptop bag. The Flythru bag features a clear window and a zipper that unfolds the bag in the middle, allowing it to pass through the checkpoint without removing your laptop. At $42.80 it is currently the cheapest checkpoint friendly bag on the ... http://boardingarea.com/blogs/traveltechtalk/2008/11/06/belkin-flythru-the-cheapest-tsa-friendly-laptop-bag-on-the-market/ iPhone owner with some gripes about the lack of common features? Join the fun at "Please fix the iPhone". The current nr.1 "please fix" item is of course the lack of MMS support, followed by wireless syncing, then the ability to use cut and paste. At ... http://boardingarea.com/blogs/traveltechtalk/2008/11/06/please-fix-the-iphone/ Several sites are reporting on a new JD Powers report claiming the iPhone is the best business smartphone choice. My initial reaction was of course "huh?". Then when I read the actual report, I noticed the articles played a little fast and loose with the results. The ... http://boardingarea.com/blogs/traveltechtalk/2008/11/06/iphone-is-the-best-business-smartphone-say-what/ OK - I've now had almost 2 weeks with my Android powered phone, and several years with Windows Mobile. It is no secret that I'm convinced Windows Mobile is badly broken and in need of a major overhaul, but how well does it do when ... http://boardingarea.com/blogs/traveltechtalk/2008/10/30/windows-mobile-vs-android-who-will-win/ And if you've already purchased your Android/G1 phone you probably won't be happy with it.  Starting tomorrow, October 29, the G1 phone will be available at WalMart stores for $30 less than T-Mobile is charging at their own stores. Seriously, this reeks of the Apple iPhone fiasco where they ... http://boardingarea.com/blogs/traveltechtalk/2008/10/28/g1-takes-a-page-from-the-apple-playbook/ There is no easy way of saying it; the battery life of the T-Mobile G1 is beyond horrible. A full G1 is down to just 15% battery life by noon. This is clearly unacceptable, but T-Mobile does not have a solution as of now. Their customer support staff ... http://boardingarea.com/blogs/traveltechtalk/2008/10/28/liar-liar-pants-on-fire-t-mobile-g1-battery-life-horrible/