Internet on cruise ships to improve with more content in more places

by Chris Owen on

MTN Satellite Communications (MTN) provides Internet access to most cruise ships sailing around the world. This week, MTN announced the new and improved version 2 of its MTN Worldwide TV service that uses three overlapping satellite beams to supply a more reliable, uninterrupted service. The new system allows streaming to Wi-Fi enabled devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones.

“With MTN Worldwide TV, passengers and crew can now access entertainment and news programming, and other content, from anywhere on the ship using personal mobile devices – from lounging by the pool or in the comfort of their room. Further, this new mobile service will keep crew morale high and help increase productivity while at sea,” said Brent Horwitz, senior vice president and general manager of MTN’s cruise and ferry services business.

Cruise lines can now integrate additional video and audio content such as shore excursions, ship and port information and onboard vendor advertising for a comprehensive and personalized line-up, anywhere.

In other words, what cruise passengers can see on their stateroom television, they will be able to see on their personal Wi-Fi enabled devices all over the ship. Think: watching a movie, catching up on a sporting event or exploring shore excursions for the next port of call, while poolside on an iPad.

MTN Worldwide TV delivers programming from eight major U.S. and international television networks including BBC World News, CNBC, Fox News, MSNBC, Sky News, Sky Sports News, Sport 24 and E! Entertainment Television. The network also includes special event programing such as Premier League Soccer and onboard events.

“Yet another first for the cruise industry that addresses the needs of Digital Natives climbing aboard cruise ships with higher content demands, MTN Worldwide TV enables passengers and crew to stay informed and entertained – making for a better at-sea experience anywhere, anytime,” added Horwitz.

MTN Worldwide TV is currently reaching more than 60,000 cabins aboard 19 cruise lines around the world. To date, the service has broadcast 770 sporting events and more than 2,000 hours of live programming on its special events channel, including: NFL games, Australian Football League Playoffs, Premier League Soccer, Rugby World Cup, the MLB Playoffs and Formula One Racing.

Flickr photo by IamNigelMorris

Wynn Las Vegas website looks like a 1990s CD-ROM

by Mike Barish on

The Wynn Las Vegas is not an old hotel. It opened in 2005 and was last renovated in 2010. It’s an exquisite – and, more importantly for the sake of this post, modern – property. Why, then, is its website reminiscent of a CD-ROM menu from 1994? Everything from the frames to the bullet points to the seemingly generic layout built from a template make the site look like it was made on a shoestring budget by the designers of GeoCities. The single most marvelous aspect of the site, however, is the auto-play video that takes up more than half the screen and features 70-year-old Steve Wynn welcoming you to the website and marveling at the wonders of the internet.

Look, all hotel websites are horrible, and the more Flash they use and music they auto-play, the worse they are. But this? This isn’t even trying. This is either a joke, a tragic mistake or proof that Steve Wynn has spent too much time in the tanning booth.

What the hell is going on here, Wynn Las Vegas? Did you spend all of your money on the Lake of Dreams?

Belarus internet ban targets foreign websites

by Meg Nesterov on

A new internet ban in the former Soviet country Belarus will make the usage or browsing of many foreign websites illegal and punishable by a fine of up to $125. The Library of Congress reports that all Belarusian companies and entrepreneurs will be required to use only locally-hosted websites for conducting business, sales, or exchanging emails. Additionally, e-commerce websites without a local presence will be banned from providing goods or services to anyone in Belarus, meaning that websites like Amazon will not be allowed to sell to Belarusians. Internet cafe owners are required to report any illegal browsing to the authorities for prosecution. Additionally, websites deemed “extremist” or “pornographic” will be banned, bringing to mind a scene from the TV series Scrubs when Dr. Cox says “I’m fairly sure if they took porn off the Internet, there’d only be one website left, and it’d be called ‘Bring Back the Porn’.”

What’s unclear about the law is how it would apply to non-commerce sites like blogs or news sites, or any other website without the .by extension. How about travel booking engines or content for citizens to travel abroad? It’s also unclear how it would affect non-Belarusians doing business in the country, such as Gadling’s blogger Alex Robertson Textor, who recently reported from Minsk. Will this very website become illegal to read in Belarus? We hope not, for any Belarusian readers, and for the sake of internet freedom for all.

Photo courtesy Flickr user decafeined from a protest earlier this year in Istanbul against pending internet censorship in Turkey.

Kuala Lumpur mandates WiFi in all restaurants and bars

by Jessica Marati on

Thanks to a new law, visitors to Malaysia‘s capital city of Kuala Lumpur will be able to enjoy WiFi in all local restaurants and bars starting in April.

The New Straits Times reports that the law, passed yesterday, will make it mandatory for restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars, and clubs larger than 120 square meters in area to offer wireless Internet services free of charge, or for a reasonable fee. Kuala Lumpur’s city council intends to extend the requirement to public food courts, or hawker centers, later in the year.

While the law will certainly cement Kuala Lumpur’s reputation as one of the most connected cities in Southeast Asia, one has to wonder how the proliferation of WiFi will affect the dining experience, especially for travelers. It’d be a shame to be distracted from Malaysia’s mind-blowing cuisine by email and Facebook.

[Via The Next Web Asia; Flickr image via the trial]

How to access free WiFi in Rome

by Jessica Marati on

Anyone who has ever tried to access free WiFi in Rome probably won’t be surprised by a recent Business Insider headline proclaiming that Italians Don’t Care About the Internet.

According to a report released by ISTAT, Italy‘s official statistics bureau, only 54.5% of Italians have access to the Internet, and 26.7% of Italians think the Internet is “useless” and “uninteresting”.

It follows, then, that it’s damn near impossible for tourists to access the Internet in Italy’s capital city. Though cafes are ubiquitous, there are few with free WiFi, fewer with available electrical outlets, and only a handful with baristas that don’t give you dirty looks after thirty minutes of web surfing.

Thankfully, the city is taking steps toward a more connected capital with its Roma Wireless program, which offers free WiFi hotspots throughout Rome. There’s a catch, though: the free WiFi service is only available to individuals with a valid Italian cellular phone number. It’s well worth the effort to obtain an Italian SIM card if connectivity is important and your stay is longer than a few days.

The first step is to visit a local mobile provider. TIM, Italy’s largest, has offices throughout central Rome, including one on Via del Corso and one in Piazza dei Cinquecento near the Termini main train station. A new SIM card costs 10 euro, with 5 euro of included credit, and you’ll need your passport to register for a TIM account.

Once you have your new number, just visit a hotspot, plug your number into the registration page that pops up, wait for a confirmation text message, and get one hour of free WiFi per day. Any more, and you’ll have to face the wrath of the barista.