Faster On-Board WiFi and Mobile Data Coming to Brittany Ferries

Friday, November 2nd, 2018 (12:01 am) - Score 748

Brittany Ferries, the cross-channel ferry company that operates a large fleet of ferries and cruise ships between France and the UK, Ireland, and Spain, and between the UK and Spain, has partnered up with Telenor Maritime to upgrade their on-board mobile and WiFi connectivity for passengers.

The new connectivity platform will offer Premium Wi-Fi, VSAT and Mobile Broadband Backhaul. Additionally Honfleur, the forthcoming clean, green, LNG-powered newbuild ferry arriving in June 2019, will also be equipped with 3G services. At present it’s already possible to connect with a free WiFi service on-board, although this imposes some restrictions on content and is fed by a fairly slow Satellite link (see video below).

The CSO of Telenor Maritime, Jan Erik Norli, said: “We are delighted to be in a position to develop our partnership and services with Brittany Ferries. We are confident that our communications services will substantially enhance the customer journey on the ships we are upgrading. This is yet another important step for Telenor Maritime’s service-expansion in Europe.“

Bell Canada, Ford Partner to Launch In-Vehicle WiFi for Connected Cars

Image Credit: Bell Canada

Bell announced it is the first Canadian wireless service provider to enable built-in Wi-Fi hotspots in supported Ford and Lincoln vehicles with Bell's Connected Car – Built In service.

Available vehicle diagnostics services will also be supported on Bell's national LTE network.

Ideal for mobile workers, commuters and long family trips, Connected Car enables passengers to browse, stream and share on Bell's broadband LTE wireless network when they're on the road or nearby the vehicle when it's parked. The Wi-Fi hotspot features a dedicated external antenna, supports up to 10 devices at a time, and is powered by the vehicle's electrical system rather than the device battery.

As advancements in technology continue to connect people and enhance their lives, Ford is committed to taking the lead. In-vehicle Wi-Fi allows customers to stay connected with their friends, family and the world around them. From streaming music and driver assist technologies, to navigation and everything in between, connectivity is the key.

Ford customers can take advantage of a complimentary wireless data trial that expires at the end of 3 months, or after 3 GB of data is used, whichever comes first. After their trial is complete, customers can stay connected by signing up for a data plan. Bell customers can share data from their Bell Share plan with Connected Car for $10a month, with 1 GB in bonus data per month for 24 months. Bell Connected Car – Built In will be available for supported Ford and Lincoln vehicles beginning November 6, 2018.

Connected Car is the next evolution in the smart vehicle experience and part of Bell's IoT leadership to enable the connected vehicles, homes, businesses and smart cities of the future. 

Nauby Jacob, VP of Products and Services, Bell Mobility
Drivers and their passengers can now connect to Wi-Fi just as conveniently in their Ford and Lincoln vehicles as they do in their homes. As a Canadian leader in Internet of Things innovation, Bell is proud to partner with Ford to bring car owners across the country an even better in-vehicle experience.

Marc Vejgman, Connected Vehicle Marketing Manager, Ford of Canada
Connecting our vehicles is part of building smart vehicles for a smart world, and we look forward to working with Bell to offer Ford customers another way to stay connected across Canada.

Firm Says Bluetooth Chip Security Flaws Could Expose Enterprise Wifi APs to Attack

Photo: Paul Sakuma (AP)

Researchers at the security firm Armis announced this week that they discovered two serious chip-level vulnerabilities that could potentially put “millions” of enterprise access points at risk. Namely, the security flaw could allow hackers to gain access to networks completely undetected.

Dubbed “Bleeding Bit,” the two security risks involved the use of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) chips used in enterprise wireless access points from Aruba, Cisco, and Meraki—networking industry leaders that account for 70 percent of the market.

The firm said this week that the vulnerabilities pertaining to the use of the BLE chips, which are made by Texas Instruments, can pose two significant problems. The first applies specifically to two chip models used in Cisco and Meraki access points, while the second vulnerability can affect one of Aruba’s devices. Per TechCrunch:

Armis calls the vulnerabilities “Bleeding Bit,” because the first bug involves flipping the highest bit in a Bluetooth packet that will cause its memory to overflow — or bleed — which an attacker can then use to run malicious code on an affected Cisco or Meraki hardware.

The second flaw allows an attacker to install a malicious firmware version on one of Aruba’s devices, because the software doesn’t properly check to see if it’s a trusted update or not.

While some have already raised doubts about the likelihood that these vulnerabilities will be exploited in earnest, Armis CEO Yevgeny Dibrov said in a statement that Bleeding Bit should serve as a “wakeup call” to enterprise security for a couple of reasons.

“First, the fact that an attacker can enter the network without any indication or warning raises serious security concerns,” he said. “Second, these vulnerabilities can break network segmentation—the primary security strategy that most enterprises use to protect themselves from unknown or dangerous unmanaged and IoT devices. And here, the access point is the unmanaged device.”

Armis CMO Michael Parker said in a phone call with Gizmodo that the security firm has been working with the three companies on the issue for months but did not disclose the threat to the public before Thursday to avoid the obvious security threats, which he said is standard practice for security disclosures. He added that an effort to apply patches and work toward a resolution was coordinated. Right now, Parker said, making sure that patches are implemented and customers are aware of the issue is the firm’s number one priority.

An Aruba spokesperson told Gizmodo in a statement by email that it worked to resolve the issue by updating the ArubaOS operating system firmware and sending an advisory to its customers on October 18.

“Aruba 802.11ac Wave 2 (AP-3xx) access points, as well as the AP-203R(P), contain both Wi-Fi and BLE radios and the exploit only impacts the BLE radio,” the spokesperson said. “The BLE radio is disabled by default.”

A spokesperson for Cisco, which acquired Meraki in 2012, also told Gizmodo in a statement by email that its Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) unit had informed its customers of the issue and as well as of which Cisco products could be affected, adding: “Fixed software is available for all affected Cisco products.”

Both companies said that they were not aware of any impact to their respective customers. Texas Instruments has reportedly already issued a patch.

Armis said the takeaway is that these kinds of vulnerabilities could show up in other devices—not just access points—and could affect industries including healthcare, retail, automotive, and more. The researchers specifically pointed to the health sector, noting that BLE chips are used in devices that include pacemakers and insulin pumps.

“[T]his exposure potentially goes beyond access points, as these chips are used in many other types of devices and equipment,” Ben Seri, VP of Research at Armis, said in a statement. “As we add more connected devices taking advantage of new protocols like BLE, we see the risk landscape grow with it.”

[TechCrunch, Armis]

Did you Realize Public Wifi Hotspots are Tracking our Location? #1324

November 1, 2018InformationKirk

Does the SmartThings WiFi mesh router include a smart hub?

Best answer: Yes — the SmartThings WiFi mesh router system also doubles as a smart hub that can connect up to 100+ different SmartThings gadgets.

Amazon: Samsung SmartThings WiFi Mesh Router ($280)

The SmartThings WiFi mesh router is really two different products in one.

In addition to providing ample Wi-Fi coverage for your home, it also works as a smart hub for all of your other SmartThings devices. So, if you were already planning on getting a mesh router system and are invested in the SmartThings ecosystem, going this route just makes sense.

Everything's controlled through the SmartThings app

Whether you want to turn off your lights, adjust the thermostat, or customize your home network settings, everything is controlled through the main SmartThings app.

For buyers that already use the app for controlling other smart home devices, having your Wi-Fi options handled through here too is a really nice treat.

You can buy a single router or get a three-pack

If you're interested in buying the SmartThings WiFi system for yourself, you can purchase just a standalone unit or pick up a three-pack for maximum coverage.

Although it's more expensive upfront, we recommend going the three-pack route as it offers excellent Wi-Fi range (up to 4,500 square feet) and provides the most bang for your buck at around $93 per router instead of $120.

Mesh router + smart home hub in one

Samsung's SmartThings WiFi mesh router not only blankets your home in reliable internet coverage, but it also doubles as a hub for all your SmartThings devices. This bundle comes with three routers for one low price.

This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.

FG wants Google to extend free WiFi to markets

Anna Okon

The Federal Government has called for the extension of Google Station’s free WiFi services to markets in Nigeria.

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, disclosed this in Lagos on Friday while declaring open the 32nd Lagos International Trade Fair.

He said, “We are currently facilitating an innovative product being rolled out by Google, the Google Station where free WiFi is provided in public places. So we now have Google Station in six different locations, including Palms Shopping Mall, Landmark Centre, the University of Lagos, MM2, the domestic airport, computer village and Ikeja City Mall.

“But for us, the more interesting part of it is that we are asking them to roll out in markets across Nigeria. So, in the next few months, they will be in Onitsha Main Market; in Gbagi, Ibadan; in Kuto Market in Abeokuta; in the Kaduna Central Market, Sura Market and Lagos/Abuja international airport by the end of the year.”

According to Osinbajo, the government believes that by democratising access to the Internet in public places and in markets, more people can do their business and receive information, and the information can be cheaply delivered to them.

Speaking about the challenges in export and import processes, he admitted that there were still a lot of problems despite cutting down on documentation.

He said, “We are working on that and one of the reasons why we are trying to establish the national trade platform or the single window for imports and exports is because it can significantly reduce the time it takes to bring in goods and clear them.

“We hope that we will be able to launch that single window in a few months. It is being delayed due to individual ministries, departments and agencies of government trying to align all their various electronic platforms. But we are working on all of that.”

In his welcome remarks, the President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Babatunde Ruwase, said the theme of the trade fair, ‘Connecting businesses, creating value,’ was chosen to underscore the importance of relationships and interactions among businesses for the purpose of wealth creation.

“It is also to underline the value of interactions between producers and service providers, and the end users,” he added.

The Chairman, Trade Promotion Board, LCCI, Mr Gabriel Idahosa, expressed confidence that exhibitors would get full benefits of participating in the fair.

“They will expand their business horizon through the development of new partnerships, new customers, feedback from their consumers and showcasing their products, not just to the Nigerian market but also to continental and global markets,” he stated.

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Why a WiFi failure makes you angry?

By: IANS | Published: November 3, 2018 3:03 PM

Representative Image: File

Do you get frustrated and angry when your WiFi connection stops working? It could be because of your personality, says a research. The findings showed that when digital technology stops working, people with a fear of missing out (FOMO) — the anxiety that you are missing out a social experience others might be having while you are offline — or an internet addiction displays more extreme reactions.

People who were seen as being more neurotic and extroverted also had more extreme reactions to failures in digital technology.

“The more we use our devices, the more we get attached to them, so when they do not work, we tend to just go a little bit ‘crazy’ or just switch off and stop doing things altogether,” said lead researcher Lee Hadlington, psychologist at the De Montfort University in the UK.

For the study, published in the journal Heliyon, the team examined 630 participants aged 18 to 68.

The fear of missing out, internet addiction, extroversion and neuroticism all have a significantly positive influence on maladaptive responses. This means the people most psychologically dependent on digital technology are most likely to have maladaptive responses when it goes wrong.

Maladaptive responses are not only unhelpful, they also have a detrimental impact on productivity and achieving goal, resulting in poor job performance, the researchers said.

Moreover, they also found that as age increases, the level of frustration a person experiences decreases.

“If we can understand what leads individuals to react in certain ways, and why these differences occur, we can hopefully make sure that when digital technology does fail people are better supported and there are relevant signposts for them to follow to get help,” Hadlington noted.