The current range of Apple products—such as the Macintosh, AirPort and iOS devices—all utilize the current standard of 802.11n specification, but if rumors pan out we will soon be seeing a new network of 802.11ac chips that would feature better range and power efficiency than the existing chips.

Skype has unveiled their new app: Skype WiFi. It gives iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users the ability to connect to one million paid Wi-Fi hotspots around the world (airports, train stations, convention centers, hotels, restaurants) and pay for them via Skype Access. The service is a pay-per-use model since you pay for only the minutes you use using the Skype Credits.

Let’s say you want to watch some movies on your iPad, but you don’t have enough space to store them. Or perhaps you just want to browse the web on your iPod touch, but all you have is an ethernet cable in your hotel room. G-Connect’s got this. It’s a hard drive in a box that not only can stream media to your iOS device (with a free app) but it can take an ethernet cable and make Wi-Fi.

In a quiet update to their free iOS app, Skype has added the ability to make video calls over WiFi and, yes, 3G. Two way calls can be made from iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch 4th gen. If you have an iPad or iPod touch 3rd gen, you can still receive video calls. Video calls may be made in portrait or landscape orientations, just like FaceTime. But unlike FaceTime, you can use it over 3G (if your data plan allows).

We are just past halfway through the 60 day waiting period that Apple announced for the release of the WiFi iPad. While we don’t know everything about the device, we do know there are six different models split in half by a single feature: a GSM 3G cellular radio for data only. In the last 30 days, the first question many people have asked is “Are you going to get an iPad?” But if the answer is yes, the second question is almost always “Are you going to get the 3G?” The choice is tough.

Either Apple is doing what they obviously should by adding 802.11n to the feature list of the next iPhone or someone knows what I want and is making up detailed rumors to make me salivate. I’m sticking with the first. AppleInsider dug up some information pertaining to a new WiFi and Bluetooth chip that’s supposed to make it’s way into a new iPod touch, and through the law of obviousness, a new iPhone. The current chip, which you should know by name (BCM4325), supposedly will be upgraded to BCM4329. That’s 4 points higher!

iPhone users may notice a text message from AT&T today. Although I haven’t yet received it (why are you dissing me, AT&T?), we’ve had reports that AT&T is announcing free WiFi access all across the U.S.:

AT&T Free Msg: Your Apple iPhone now has free AT&T Wi-Fi access at thousands of hotspots nationwide, including Starbucks*. For info, visit www.att.com/attwifi.

Being the investigative journalist I am, I did, indeed, visit AT&T’s site. There…

The iPhone and iPod touch have a pretty good amount of storage space on them, but let’s face it—your music library is likely larger than the space you have on your device. So, you have to pick and choose which songs you want to have with you at all times. That problem must have bugged Simplify Media, because they’ve got an app to help keep you and your music together forever.

The app, also called Simplify Media, lets you stream songs from your home computer and even your friends’ computers; up to 30 in total. All you have to do is download the app for your Mac, Linux, or PC, create an account on their website, and then get the app for the iPhone or iPod Touch.

Jump past the break for details on how to get this app for free for a limited time.

Yeah, I didn’t think so. Not in the U.S., anyway, says Apple; at least, not without jail breaking your little friend. Though, for a minute there, it seemed Apple was cool with the idea of using your iPhone’s 3G or EDGE data connection over a SOCKS5 proxy.

Late Thursday night I was doing my usual routine—browsing the App Store for new programs that I just can’t live without—when I found myself in dire need of a reality check. Nullriver released a straightforwardly named program to the App Store, NetShare. NetShare creates an ad-hoc WiFi network with your iPhone, allowing you to connect wirelessly to a computer and use the iPhone’s EDGE or 3G data connection.

Jump past the break to learn more.

A company by the name of iCall is offering the ability to both make and receive free phone calls on your iPhone when in range of a wireless hotspot. What’s interesting about this is that you can also hop on and off of the VoIP service as you enter and leave a hotspot, as shown in the YouTube video (after the break). It also has access to your entire address book on your iPhone, along with a customizable voicemail feature. This application should be available next week when the SDK App Store comes out.

Click through to see the video.