Wi-Fi usage at Boston’s Logan Airport jumps 412% after going free

by McLean Robbins on

If there ever was an arguement for the positive effects of free airport Wi-Fi, this is it. The Massachusetts Port Authority Board says the number of passengers using its free wireless service to access the Internet at Boston’s Logan International Airport jumped by 412% last year. More than 1.4 million sessions were logged on its Wi-Fi network in 2010, compared with just over 349,300 in 2009.

That represents more than half of the more than 2.2 million sessions since Wi-Fi was first available at the airport in June 2004.

The free system was unveiled in January 2010 and is supported by advertising that users must view before accessing the Internet.

Having benefitted from Logan’s free Wi-Fi on numerous occassions, we can only hope that this is a movement other airports consider.

The arguement from a traveler’s perspective is simple – free Wi-Fi is available almost everywhere else … so why should we pay for it at airports? Anything that makes our air travel experience more pleasurable is something we’ll continue to champion.

[Flickr via Gurretto]

Valentine’s day: Propose to Boingo and win an Apple iPad

by Scott Carmichael on

Our friends over at the Boingo Blog have a romantic Valentine’s day contest for you – propose to them, and the three best proposals will win an Apple iPad with a year of Boingo access, a Roku XDS player with six months of Boingo or a Beating Heart stress relief pillow.

The contest runs till Valentine’s day at 12PM PDT and proposals can be sent in video, photo or love letter/poem. Once you’ve sent them your entry, Tweet about it using hashtag #marrymeboingo.

And for those that still think Boingo is one half of a popular 80’s band, this Boingo is actually the largest provider of Wi-Fi access in the world. With thousands of hotspots at airports, hotels and more, Boingo is the most affordable way to get online. Plans start at just $7.95 for unlimited global access.

The rules and other fine print can be found over at the Boing Blog, along with an example of a romantic video. Good luck!

Want to win a trip to Australia’s Northern Territory? Hie thee to Twitter.

by McLean Robbins on

Here at Gadling, we’re not above shameless self-promotion. Particularly when the prize is a free trip to Australia for one lucky winner.

Our blogger-at-large, Andrew Evans, just returned from a month-long trip to Australia and he’s hosting a Twitter-based contest to send a winner (plus a friend) on a similar journey.

The best part? Entering is simple. Just tweet @WheresAndrew with the reason that the Northern Territory is the place you’d most like to visit in Australia. Be sure to include the hashtag #Takeme2NT or your entry won’t count – that leaves just 130 characters!

The rules are fairly simple. You must follow Andrew on Twitter, Fan the Northern Territorry on Facebook, and compose a tweet answering the above question.

The winner of the “best tweet” (decided by an external body in the Northern Territory) will win two round-trip tickets from the winner’s nearest flight departure city to either Darwin or Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia and a five-day rental of a Britz 4WD camper van.

Hurry, the contest ends February 11. Full contest details are avaiable here.

Mobiata introduces HotelPal 2.0 for the iPad

by Scott Carmichael on



HotelPal has long been on our “must carry” list of mobile applications – Instead of browsing individual hotel chain sites, or navigating non-mobile web sites, you can find, research and book rooms from right inside the app.

Until now, HotelPal was only available for Android and the iPhone/iPod Touch. Of course, you could use it on the iPad, but it wasn’t “made for” the iPad – until today.

In HotelPal 2.0, the app has become iPad native, which means gorgeous map based price searches, a new page-turning interface for hotel navigation and the ability to view side-by-side hotel listings.

And just like the previous version, HotelPal 2.0 is still free of charge. You’ll find download links for the various versions at Mobiata.com.

%Gallery-115669%

Amble by Louis Vuitton iPhone app invites you to discover the world

by Scott Carmichael on

When Louis Vuitton approached me to introduce their first iPhone App, I fully expected nothing more than an iPhone based storefront for ordering good looking (but expensive) luggage. As it turns out, I was wrong to judge that quickly, because their first app is actually a thing of beauty.

Called Amble – this app is designed to let you follow in the footsteps of “friends of Louis Vuitton”, or journeys created by other Amble users.

The app contains a pretty decent selection of pre-loaded “Ambles” from people like Sarah Jessica-Parker and Sofia Coppola. And don’t expect walking tours around snotty places – Sofia Coppola starts her Amble tour at Shake Shack, followed by a music store and a charming book shop.

If you’d rather create you own Amble, you can use your phone to design your own – with GPS mapping, photos, video and audio. Once created, others can follow in your footsteps and enjoy the same experience you wanted to share.

The app is free of charge, but more comprehensive city guides with Louis Vuitton recommendations have to be purchased, These start at $5.99. You’ll find it in the App Store.

With Amble in hand, you’ll have a much easier time finding somewhere to eat next time you find yourself bored in Sant-Tropez.

%Gallery-115663%