Android devices might be leaking Wi-Fi histories

A new investigation conducted by the Electronic Frontier Foundation has found that Android phones less than three years old could be broadcasting the Wi-Fi networks you’ve connected to. This is attributed to a feature called Preferred Network Offload introduced with Android’s Honeycomb operating system. The PNO sometimes blasts out the list of named networks your phone has connected to while searching for Wi-Fi connections and often during the time your phone is in sleep mode. What makes this particularly dangerous is it could show a person’s movement or activity based on the specificity of the Wi-Fi names.

The easy fix for the leak just requires you to head to the Advanced Wi-Fi settings and disabling the “Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep” option. This might also increase your battery power or data usage if you keep your data on.

Source: The Verge

Air Canada to roll out Wi-Fi connectivity on North American flights

Air Canada is bringing in-flight Wi-Fi to its North American flights starting next month. The company will start to roll out Gogo-based Wi-Fi to 29 of its aircraft beginning May. The airline also aims to outfit 130 narrow-body models by December 2015. To make sure passengers have decent internet connection, Air Canada also plans to test advanced satellite broadband connectivity from Gogo and Inmarsat next year.

Airlines offer Wi-Fi during takeoff and landing

Photo by Kuster & Wildhaber Photography/Flickr Creative Commons

Since the FAA allowed gadget use during takeoff and landing, Wi-Fi on some airlines do not work below 10,000 feet. Those who are supplied by Gogo have antennas that are currently set up to send Wi-Fi to planes while in cruising altitude and not on the ground. The carriers include Air Canada, AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, United Airlines, US Airlines, and Virgin America.

Meanwhile, Allegiant and Southwest Airlines use Global Eagle Entertainment’s wireless internet system that works at all altitudes.

Source: Business Insider

QuickerTek launches Quicky Junior 3 for Apple MacBooks

QuickerTek promises an extra boost of power from a more compact device with the Quicky Junior 3. This third generation Wi-Fi adaptor expands to the ‘a’ spectrum of the 802.11 band to give older computer users access to newer access points.

The Quicky Junior 3 comes with the small USB Wi-Fi adaptor and redesigned antenna that folds into its body. It will give those who need an easy power boost by increasing the MacBook’s internal antennas threefold. The plug-and-play device can also be used to add other desktop computers to a network without adding cables. The Quicky Junior 3 is priced at $79.95 and you can read more about it on the product page.