10x, 100X speeds ? I don't think so..So they are moving from B/G routers to N routers or maybe even C routers and that's all well and good but the backhaul is still the same. Who cares what the connect speed is if the router can't handle wirespeed [hint, it can't] and the backhaul is still DSL [and likely provided by ATT]. No one cares who the provider is only if the service works reliably. Much ado about nothing.
re: Is Google the New Wi-Fi of Coffee Snobs?Love the last sentence, as all of us "true" coffee snobs avoid Starbucks and go to the shops that roast their coffee without charring it. :)
I see this more as helpful big data play for Google. Like with the Chromecast dongle they get to learn even more about their customers patterns and coffee habits.
re: Is Google the New Wi-Fi of Coffee Snobs?Now if only AT&T could get rid of that "connect to WiFi" annoying spam messages baked into their android ROMs, we'd be much happier.
re: Is Google the New Wi-Fi of Coffee Snobs?I don't think the Wi-Fi brand cache (sic) matters. No one cares what Wi-Fi provider they're using if the access is free and fast.
This move is all about Starbuck's trying to do more with and for its customers in-store. Providing them music, information and other digital hooks that reinforce the "only at Starbuck's" experience.
Starbuck's stores are just nodes on a big network. Google probably appreciates this fact and is in a better position to help Starbuck's get more out of each node than AT&T. One acts like a telco. The other, a software telco.
Apparently speeds will 100x faster in Google Fiber cities.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Go...
I see this more as helpful big data play for Google. Like with the Chromecast dongle they get to learn even more about their customers patterns and coffee habits.
This move is all about Starbuck's trying to do more with and for its customers in-store. Providing them music, information and other digital hooks that reinforce the "only at Starbuck's" experience.
Starbuck's stores are just nodes on a big network. Google probably appreciates this fact and is in a better position to help Starbuck's get more out of each node than AT&T. One acts like a telco. The other, a software telco.
Surely Google will look for a way to tie in sales of its Nexus tablet or target personalized ads to users in coffee shops....