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Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Wireless

Fresh off an extensive corporate decaffeination downsizing and a scaling back of its foray into music sales, it’s a fair question to ask: just how ironclad is Starbucks’ commitment to rolling out iTunes WiFi Music Store integration across its entire chain? We just happened to notice that the Starbucks page on Apple’s site is now stone-cold gone, redirecting to the standard iTunes 8 stuff. You might say “no big deal, Apple’s just playing down an agreement that’s now been in place for a full year,” but there’s some other weirdness, too — the company’s iTunes WiFi Music Store at Starbucks FAQ, for example, still references the dead link. The partnership was kinda ill-conceived to begin with; getting access to the store meant hooking up to AT&T WiFi, which you wouldn’t normally have configured unless you actually had an AT&T WiFi account. We haven’t heard any official word here that the deal is in danger, but really, would anyone be welling up if it fell apart?

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Source: Chris Ziegler

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Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Despite AT&T’s best attempts at completely failing its free WiFi promises eternally, iPhone owners can finally fire up Mobile Safari in their local Starbucks, or, um, that one other place we heard about with AT&T WiFi, and get browsing. Of course, that’s not to say the service won’t crash horribly in the next 10 minutes, but at least AT&T stuck by its word, and can now move on to more pressing issues.

Update: Yeah, turns out this isn’t true, and AT&T has pulled the page. Free WiFi? That’s just silly.

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Source: Paul Miller

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Filed under: Wireless

Remember that WiFi pact brewed up between AT&T and Starbucks earlier this year? How could you forget, right? As if it wasn’t official enough already, the two have announced that the rollout has begun at company-operated Starbucks locations, and the nationwide effort will continue throughout 2008. Effective May 1st, qualifying AT&T high-speed internet / WiFi customers — that’s those who subscribe to one of the three higher-speed residential broadband packages, a small business broadband package or a U-verse offering with high-speed internet — will have free WiFi access at over 7,000 coffeehouses across the US. Unfortunately, we’re not given any real insight into what kinds of potential deals are in the works for AT&T wireless customers (if any at all), but here’s to hoping you all can get a little love, too.

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Source: Darren Murph

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Filed under: Desktops

We’ve already seen the confusion and hilarity some so-called “portable” computers can cause when taken out into public, but those shenanigans are nothing compared to the scene stirred up when the folks from Improv Everwhere lugged some ancient desktop computers (replete with CRT monitors) into a Starbucks. As you can see in the video after the break, they surprisingly weren’t kicked out, but they did manage to attract a fair bit of attention, including from a few folks that thought the computers were set up for public use. Be sure to head up the read link below for the full report, as well as another video with the team relishing in their accomplishment.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Pranksters invade Starbucks with desktop computers

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Source: Donald Melanson

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Filed under: Handhelds

You’re already well aware that Apple and Starbucks are buddy-buddy on at least some level, but this application would really cement their friendship. Quickorder, as you can probably imagine, would enable iPod touch users to swing by their local Starbucks, order up their favorite drink and avoid a good deal of that always questionable human interaction. Granted, what you’re peering at above is still a mockup for now, but it’s brimming with potential, no? Hit up the read link for lots more pics.

[Via DVICE]

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Source: Darren Murph

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Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Announced today, Starbucks is gearing up to transition its WiFi relationship from T-Mobile to AT&T in over 7,000 of its locations in the US. For T-Mobile HotSpot customers feelin’ a bit like day old espresso right about now, fret not, as the coffee giant has assured us all that you folks “will be able to continue to access WiFi services at no additional cost through an agreement between AT&T and T-Mobile.” Starting “sometime this Spring,” Starbucks card holders will be treated to two hours of free WiFi access per day, while more than 12 million “qualifying AT&T broadband and U-verse internet customers will have unlimited free access.” For whatever it’s worth, the press release also notes that the carrier will “soon extend the benefits of WiFi at Starbucks to its wireless customers,” but it (sadly) fails to elaborate. For those of you out there without any ties to AT&T, expect to pony up $3.99 for a two hour session or $19.99 for monthly access.

[Via mocoNews]
Read - Starbucks to expand technology relationship with AT&T
Read - More than 12 million AT&T, Starbucks customers to get free WiFi access

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Source: Darren Murph

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Apple came out swinging today, with three entirely new iPod models, a color refresh of the Shuffle, the launch of the iTunes WiFi Music Store, iPhone ringtones and a price cut, and a partnership with Starbucks — if you blinked and missed something, here’s a brief recap of what went down at Moscone West:

Live Coverage / Hands-on

• Steve Jobs live — Apple’s “The beat goes on” special event
• iPod touch first hands-on
• iPod nano 3G first hands-on
• iPod classic first hands-on
• iTunes WiFi Music Store first hands-on

iPod / iTunes

• Meet the new iPod family
• Apple announces (PRODUCT) RED iPod shuffle, new colors
• Apple announces new 3rd gen iPod nano
• Apple’s new iPod classic
• Apple’s iPod touch gets official
• Apple announces iTunes WiFi Music Store
• Apple and Starbucks join up for iTunes WiFi purchase

iPhone

• Apple adds iPhone ringtones to iTunes
• iPhone to get iTunes WiFi Music Store, too
• Apple cuts 8GB iPhone price to $399
• Apple killing 4GB iPhone, $299 while supplies last
• Where the hell is the 3G iPhone for Europe? We might know.

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Source: Nilay Patel

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Wireless

digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/apple/Apple_and_Starbucks_join_up_for_iTunes_Wifi_purchases’; Before you get too excited about this new “feature” Apple announced today in regards to its iTunes WiFi Music Store, you should be warned it’s not half as neat as it sounds. Apple and Starbucks are partnering to bring you that lame sauce song playing way too loudly over your local Starbucks’s soundsystem. When you’re in a Starbucks T-Mobile hotspot, an icon will pop up on the iTunes WiFi Music Store that allows you to purchase that track from a playlist of recently played songs in that store. You also get free WiFi access to the iTunes Music Store — not quite as great as full-on free WiFi, but we’ll take what we can get.

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Source: Paul Miller

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