Sorry we’re a almost as late at AT&T with this one, folks. (We were busy engineering a TiPbDOS attack over on Stickam, it seems!) But like AT&T, we’ll keep on keeping on… In their case, however, it’s (finally!) making good on the 3G launch-day promise of free WiFi for iPhone users at AT&T hotspots.
According to SMS and email notifications going out, here are the deets:
AT&T knows Wi-Fi is hot, and FREE Wi-Fi is even hotter. Which is why FREE AT&T Wi-Fi access is now available for Apple iPhone at thousands of hotspots nationwide, including Starbucks*. Users can relax and access music, email and web browsing services with their favorite blend in hand from the comfort of their nearest location. For information visit www.att.com/attwifi.
So, if you find yourself at a Starbucks with your Gibson-esque Quinte-Vinte-Latte, let us know how good the side order of WiFi goes with that!
In another turn on the merry-go-round that is AT&T Wi-Fi and the iPhone, we have news that the service was supposed to launch yesterday. An internal memo floating around AT&T specifically mentions a failed launch of the upcoming iPhone Wi-Fi service but offers no specific reason.
“The iPhone Wi-Fi offer that was scheduled to launch today has been canceled. Nothing has been announced by the company to our customers and will not impact existing customers. Additional communication will be provided if the status of the project changes.”
I find it incredibly odd that AT&T is fumbling this entire situation. Though they are still expected to roll out the service, this maybe, maybe not square dance is raising eyebrows across the interweb. But free is free right? Here’s to hoping the next time we hear about this story, we’ll have a Starbucks latte on hand.
Read
Short weeks after Apple and Starbucks initially announced their partnership, Starbucks announced today that they’ll be giving away 1.5 million tracks per day for over a month. Their giveaway begins October 2nd and lasts until November 7th.
““Song of the Day” will offer hand-picked songs from top artists including Bob Dylan, Joss Stone, Dave Matthews, Bebel Gilberto, John Mayer, KT Tunstall, John Legend, Annie Lennox, Joni Mitchell, Keith Urban and Paul McCartney plus great music from up-and-coming artists such as Sia, Band of Horses, Hilary McRae, Frederico Aubele and Sara Bareilles.”
The downloads are given away by means of cards that you get when you go to Starbucks and buy coffee, which you can then redeem for the free song of the day. Supplies are limited — the deal begins “each morning and while supplies last,” so get up and grab some coffee before you, uh, go to Starbucks for your coffee.
Starbucks was in the news for other reasons today too — they’re being taken to task by the National Labor Relations Board for illegal union-busting and myriad other labor-related woes. Full disclosure: I’ll take tea over coffee pretty much any day.
