Fonero Gets Fonero Updated!

$5.99 for La Fonera, $1.99 for La Fontenna (+$5 shipping) and a total of 20 invites available! not a bad deal at all, makes me wonder what Fon has planned. This is almost half the cost of the previous FGF (@ $20 with free shipping)

NBC Report on FON

Good video on Martin's blog explaining what Fon is all about

Look here for alternative ways to share your wifi [will be updated later]

Re-design of Fon website & new feature

Looks like Fon finally updated their website and added a new feature. You can now message other Foneros. Also, the maps have been updated. Overall, the revamp of the site in my opinion is much better than before. The maps now show much more detail about the Fon spots, locations, and locations of registered users. The messaging feature is something that has been on the Fon boards for a while. We now have a way of contacting other users. Now only if Fon can doing something about their products.


UPDATE: Looks like Martin finally posted this in his blog LINK

Lower price for la Fonera -> In Europe

"Starting today, people in Europe will buy the Fonera for 29.95 euros (VAT included) + shipping costs, those in the US will pay 39.95 dollars + shipping costs."

http://english.martinvarsavsky.net/fon/lower-price-for-la-fonera.html

Radom thoughts and stuff...

Another thought that came to me today is how can Fon give out all of these free routers. They offered free routers back on thanksgiving (first 5000), $10 routers to aliens as a holiday gift, and some foneros got an offer for 3 free routers (another holiday/Christmas thing). And at the same time charge people $39.95 for ONE router. Fon must be making money from somewhere (from selling passes, Google, Skype, and BT).

I found an interesting blog post by Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten http://bomega.com/
and he made some good points about Fon (He also started a company similar to Fon a few years back, but later sold it). Here's a quote from a blog entry.

Having said that here is my opinion on Fon and the problems, I think, it faces;

1: It is illegal
Although Fon aims to make deals with ISPs to allow Fon on their networks right now Fon is illegal on most networks. My ISP clearly states that it isn’t allowed to share my network with other people than those that live in my house. If I open up my network to the world I’m violating the contract I have with my ISP. Wether the ISP would actually sue me is a different matter as long as Fon isn’t really successful. But you can image the ISPs opinion of Fon will drastically change if people start canceling their DSL lines because they all share one Fon router. And I’m not even talking about reselling your DSL line to other people through Fon.

2: It is dangerous
Wether or not you are allowed to share your DSL line or not either way YOU are responsible for all data that is transmitted over your connection. If your neighbor uses your DSL line to upload kiddie porn you will be held responsible. As far as the ISP is concerned YOU are uploading illegal stuff. Opening up your DSL to the world is like playing russian roulette.

3: It doesn’t work
Wi-Fi in theory is great. You switch on your Wi-Fi router and within 100 meters (according to the specifications on the box) you will be surfing the web with a 11 mb connection. In reality Wi-Fi sucks. Every electrical device in your house limits the signal of your Wi-Fi adapter. Every other Wi-Fi adapter tries to get in the same spectrum as your router and every wall limits your reach considerably. Getting your house covered is NOT easy and requires constant attention. My house in only 22 meters long but I would need 3 access points to get it covered because of all the interference from other sources. Even if every house in the world would have a Fon router installed there still wouldn’t be Wi-Fi access everywhere.

4: You won’t find it
The general idea is that you want to check your mail, open your laptop and (surprise!) there is a Fon router there. In reality 99.9% of people don’t live next to a bar, hotel lobby or restaurant or other potential place where you would open your laptop. With HubHop we went looking for individuals who lived near big squares in the larger cities. But even IF we could find someone willing to help us we often found out that they were just slightly to high in a building or far away from the square to be of any use. I think I am a prototype Fon user; always on the road and opening my laptop all the time in different places all over the world. But so far I have never accidently stumbled upon a Fon access point. My guess is I never will unless I look up an address at Fon and go search for it in some residential area.

http://bomega.com/2007/09/25/fon-hubhop/

US approves Wi-Fi porn monitoring bill

Saw this come up on the boards, but it doesn't seem to make sense. Isn't child porn already illegal?

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill saying that anyone offering an open Wi-Fi connection to the public must report illegal images including "obscene" cartoons and drawings--or face fines of up to $300,000.

That broad definition would cover individuals, coffee shops, libraries, hotels, and even some government agencies that provide Wi-Fi. It also sweeps in social-networking sites, domain name registrars, Internet service providers, and e-mail service providers such as Hotmail and Gmail, and it may require that the complete contents of the user's account be retained for subsequent police inspection.

Securing Adolescents From Exploitation-Online Act, or SAFE Act--will "ensure better reporting, investigation, and prosecution of those who use the Internet to distribute images of illegal child pornography."

I can't quite imagine how something like this will be enforced and Fon was mentioned in the one article.

"Wi-Fi company Fon, which allows individuals to securely share Wi-Fi connections, suggested that its users may not be responsible for reporting illegal images."

http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9829759-38.html

http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9830648-38.html

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2205321/approves-wi-monitoring-bill

http://boards.fon.com/viewtopic.php?t=3832

Check your email for a Christmas gift from Fon

Looks like Fon is giving away La Foneras for Christmas. Well not for me at least, I only got a couple emails (from different accounts) to get a La Fonera for $10. (although on the Fon boards a couple people mentioned that they received and email to get three routers for free) At this point I don't think I need them, unless I find some friends that are interested or maybe I can get them and sell them.

DIY City Wide WiFi - Fon Style

Is your city boring and you have trouble getting WiFi around town. Your answer is Fon. The problem is, it's up to you everyone else in the city to help contribute. In theory it sounds reasonable, it's just the fact that some how you have to convince everyone to buy a La Fonera or La Fonera + and keep them connected.

Up coming Fon videos and misc. updates

I have a few videos (3-4) planned that deal with Fon (they are how-to videos), but right now I have absolutely no time to plan, shoot, and edit them. Expect them to appear late December to early January.

I have no updates on the fontrepreneur program. After I received the kit, I emailed Fon to find out what the schedule of the program is and what do you know it, a little over a month later and a dozen emails and still no reply back. So today I sent them 8 emails, hopefully one of them gets noticed. If not it looks like I'm out 50 bucks and have 3 La Foneras to sell (and maybe flash with DD-WRT to help sell them)

I got my free La Foneras (yes two) from the Thanksgiving promotion on November 29, 2007. The one is the newer model (2200B with the 7.5V 1A power brick). As of now I don't have any plans for them, but they will eventually find a home and a new Fon spot will appear on the map.

And I conclude with a picture.