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 JiWire works with between 60% and 70% of all North American passenger airline services and hotel chains." 
 
 competing 
 
 For many holiday travelers, an hour-long wait at the airport presents a critical choice: a couple grande white chocolate lattes or $10-a-day WiFi access? (At least, that's my choice.) This year the (er, my) choice is simple. Google announced that it is giving away free WiFi access in 47 airports until mid-January 2010. Lifehacker reports that users can log in for free, bypass a couple invitations to try out Google Chrome, and browse for free through the inevitable snow delays.But wait! Some key cities -- including Chicago, New York and Washington, DC -- aren't on the list . Is there another way to finagle free Internet from the terminal? Yes , says Lifehacker's servicey team. Microsoft Bing is teaming with JiWire to offer free WiFi in nationwide hotels and airports in exchange for one Bing search. Sounds easy! Media Post reports that " JiWire's venues include New York's JFK, Chicago's Midway and O'Hare airports, and Washington Dulles.Imagine. Microsoft and Google,joining hands to bring you free WiFi in terminals across the country. I love it when capitalism gets into the holiday spirit. ||||| Call it an early holiday gift from Google to millions of airline passengers. Google said will be offering free Wi-Fi to travelers across the United States starting Tuesday at 47 airports. Google says the Wi-Fi will be available until January 15, 2010. Google says it will also extend the free Wi-Fi offer to Virgin America flights within the continental United States. 
 
 For a complete list of participating airports visit Google's dedicated Free Wi-Fi for the Holidays Website. 
 
 The FAA estimates 100 million people will travel back and forth across the country during the holidays, and those hunkered down in airport terminals due to weather delays will likely appreciate the free Wi-Fi. 
 
 Google has partnered with airports across the country, as well as Time Warner Cable, Boingo Wireless, Advanced Wireless Group and many others to offer Wi-Fi. Because Google's partners don't have a presence in all U.S. airports Google's free Wi-Fi won't cover everybody traveling this season. 
 
 Google's move follows a similar free Wi-Fi offer from Yahoo. On Tuesday, Yahoo announced that it would provide free Wi-Fi for an entire year in New York's Times Square. 
 
 Here is breakdown of how Google's free Wi-Fi offer works: 
 
 Get Online For Free 
 
 Airports across the country offering Google's free Wi-Fi include Boston's Logan Airport, Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Las Vegas' McCarran International, Seattle's SeaTac and many others. But there are some notable absences from Google's free Wi-Fi list including major hubs and popular destinations like Chicago O'Hare, LAX in Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St.Paul, Dallas-Fort Worth and all three New York-area airports. On the upside, however, Google says that Seattle and Burbank airports intend to offer free Wi-Fi for an indefinite period as a result of this free Wi-Fi program. 
 
 Contests and the Spirit of Giving 
 
 Starting next Monday, you will be able to win prizes by submitting photos of yourself using free in-flight or airport Wi-Fi during the holidays. Google doesn't specify what the prizes are or what constitutes a winning photo, but it looks like you'll be submitting photos to Picasa, Google's online photo storage and sharing service. To get more details about the photo contest, you have to enter your e-mail to Google's Holiday Wi-Fi Photo Contest page. 
 
 Image Credit: Flickr user mastermaqGoogle is also encouraging free Wi-Fi users to open their hearts and their wallets this year. When you log on to free Wi-Fi from any of the participating hotspots this season, you will be given the option to give back by donating to your choice of three different charities via Google Checkout. Charities include Climate Savers Computing, One Economy Corporation and Engineers Without Borders USA. Google says it will match donations across all the free Wi-Fi hotspots up to $250,000, and the airport that generates the most donations by January 1, 2010 will receive $15,000 to donate to the charity of their choice. Check out Google's charity page for more information. 
 
 The Fine Print 
 
 Taking a closer look at Google's offer there doesn't seem to be much in the way of sneaky catches--unless you consider a request for donations a catch. Google says you will not need to enter any credit card or other payment information to get the free Wi-Fi, but if you usually buy day passes to Wi-Fi services like Boingo watch out when selecting a network. Among your available wireless networks will be paid hotspots and Google's complimentary Wi-Fi, so make sure you choose the free service and save yourself a few dollars. One other thing Google doesn't address in its announcement is whether its gift of free Wi-Fi will be ad supported or not. 
 
 You should also know that Google says it "will have access to some aggregate, non-personally identifiable information." This should not come as a surprise to regular Google users, but if you're squeamish about Google and its data practices then free Wi-Fi may not be the gift for you this year. 
 
 For more information check out Google's free Wi-Fi FAQ page. 
 
 Connect with Ian Paul on Twitter (@ianpaul). ||||| It's difficult to tell when you're in the midst of a landmark moment in history. 
 
 Few guessed that in 2008 when Google debuted the G1, the first phone to run Android, the mobile software would transform the wireless world. It didn't help that when Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin went up on stage, they were wearing roller blades. 
 
 Page and Brin are probably laughing their inline skates off these days. Nearly nine out of every 10 phones sold run on Android software. 
 
 On Tuesday, Google took its best shot at making history again. The company introduced the Pixel and Pixel XL, which represent the first time it will offer superphones in the same class -- complete with the full backing of Google, a lofty price tag and an exclusive partnership with Verizon Wireless -- as Apple's iPhone franchise. At long last, Google's phones give us a showdown between two of the world's most powerful tech titans. 
 
 2:03 Close Drag Autoplay: ON Autoplay: OFF 
 
 The devices, which will start at $649 for the Pixel and $769 for the Pixel XL (£599 and £719 in the UK), are the closest things we've ever seen to a true Google Phone. More than any other phone the company has put out in the past, the Pixels aim to capitalize on the search giant's brand power as one of the best-known corporate names in the world. This new line of phones is officially called "Pixel, a phone by Google," and each handset has the company's signature G emblazoned on the back. 
 
 "The company has the best vehicle available for continuing to deliver its software and services -- and now, products too," said Jefferson Wang, a senior partner at IBB Consulting. 
 
 History or hype? 
 
 Another key company executive already sparked the history talk, suggesting in a tweet last month that we'd look back at this event with the same reverence as the original launch of Android. 
 
 "We announced the 1st version of Android 8 years ago today," wrote Hiroshi Lockheimer, who heads up Android. "I have a feeling 8 years from now we'll be talking about Oct 4, 2016." 
 
 Google has traditionally launched phones through its Nexus program: the search giant handles the software and other manufacturers, including LG, Huawei and Samsung, build the hardware. (The Nexus brand doesn't seem to be dead yet. Rumors of future Nexus devices are starting to crop up.) 
 
 With Pixel, Google teamed up with a partner to manufacture the hardware. This time, it's HTC. The Taiwanese phone maker seems to be the go-to when a tech giant wants to put its stamp on phones. The company made the HTC First, Facebook's ill-fated attempt to turn its social network into a quasi-operating system for phones. 
 
 Or perhaps Google is just a fan of history. HTC made the G1, too. 
 
 It's still about Google Assistant 
 
 The history chatter may reference Google's focus on artificial intelligence. In fact, Google CEO Sundar Pichai kicked off today's event talking about that topic. 
 
 "We're moving from a mobile-first world to an AI-first world," he said. 
 
 Google Assistant, a digital assistant that uses artificial intelligence to help you search for info like news and driving directions or to turn on the lights in your house, is the marquee feature in both the Pixel phones and the Google Home smart home hub it announced in May. 
 
 "It's a great example of hardware and software come together beautifully," said Brian Rakowski, software manager for Pixel. 
 
 The company devoted most of its Google Home presentation to showing off Assistant's "knowledge graph" capability, supplying information from its database and snippets from other sources like Wikipedia. "Finally, you have an assistant who can bring the knowledge of Google just by asking for it," said Rishi Chandra, a vice president at Google. 
 
 Google isn't alone in its AI ambitions. Microsoft has long pushed its Cortana assistant, and Amazon has steadily gotten its Alexa helper into homes through its Echo speakers (the $50 second-gen Amazon Echo Dot just debuted). And, of course, there's Apple's Siri, which kicked off the voice assistant craze back in 2011. 
 
 Tripling down on the home 
 
 Beyond Google Home, the search giant also unveiled a new version of its Chromecast streaming stick and a smart Wi-Fi router. 
 
 Chromecast Ultra is an update to Google's streaming stick that now takes advantage of sharper 4K resolution. But the new Chromecast, which costs $69 or £69 -- double the price of the old one -- comes as Roku and Amazon have added new choices for streaming media. Roku's cheapest option, the Express stick, costs just $30. Amazon's $40 Fire TV Stick comes with a remote that responds to voice commands 
 
 Google 
 
 Google also showed off its latest attempt at a Wi-Fi router. It's called Google Wifi. The company entered the router fray last August with the OnHub, touted as a router for the smart-home age. The idea behind it was simple: make a router that's not an ugly box so you won't hide it in a corner and obstruct the Wi-Fi signal. 
 
 Google Wifi was developed by the same team behind OnHub and designed in-house without a third-party manufacturer. The company envisions you buying multiple Google Wifi devices to expand coverage in the home. One unit costs $129, and a three-pack costs $299. Preorders begin in November, with the product shipping the following month. It's only available in the US for now. 
 
 Bringing VR to the masses 
 
 Google also unveiled Daydream View, a virtual-reality headset that will run on the Daydream VR platform first unveiled at its May developer conference. It represents a step up from the cheap $15 Cardboard VR viewers the company introduced in 2014. 
 
 James Martin/CNET 
 
 The original intent of the cheap Cardboard viewer was to give smartphone users a way to play with VR. Today's announcement is an acknowledgement that Google needs a more polished experience, with more content. 
 
 "Google's strategy to design a VR experience optimized for existing content libraries like those available from Netflix, Hulu and HBO, while also partnering to create immersive VR experiences, gives consumers plenty of ways to immediately enjoy a range of VR experiences," IBB's Wang said. 
 
 The $79/£69 View, available in November, is meant to serve as a road map for other companies looking to build their own smartphone-powered VR headsets. Companies such as Samsung and Alcatel OneTouch have already built their own units, but those devices typically only work with the company's own phones. Daydream View takes an open approach, letting you use any Android phone that's compatible with the Daydream platform. Naturally, the first Daydream-ready phone is the Pixel. 
 
 Google is hoping history repeats itself and that it sets the pace in the new areas of VR and AI. We'll see. 
 
 Update, 12:41 p.m. PT: To include a comment from a consultant.
– There’s a new public option in town: free wireless from Google for the holidays. The search giant has partnered to provide WiFi gratis in 47 airports nationwide from now until the middle of January; the generosity even extends to in-flight access on continental Virgin flights, PC World reports. Google would probably like to spread its beneficence across the entire nation, but its partnership with the likes of Time Warner and Boingo doesn’t allow universal coverage. That’s all well and good, but careful readers note that some pretty important national hubs—New York, DC, Chicago—fall outside Google’s range. Enter Microsoft. The software giant and Google nemesis is also in the free-holiday-wireless business, teaming with JiWire to cover an estimated 70% of airports, according to the Atlantic. All you have to do is perform one Bing search for the goodies. Give a hand to the rivals for turning even snow delays into an ad war.