SpectraLink now has voice priority for its Wi-Fi phone when used with Symbol networks: SpectraLink, makers of a phone that works over 802.11b to a central phone switch, now interoperates with Symbol equipment, offering voice prioritization for that company's Wi-Fi networking gear. Telephony, unlike data, waits for no one, and a regular stream of packets must continuously be fed on a scheduled, priority basis to ensure clear voice calls. This quality of service (QoS) improvement works with Symbol NetLink wireless 802.11b networks among others. Symbol makes primarily logistics equipment, which means their networks and devices are often installed in warehouses and other spread-out locations in which telephony via conventional wires would be expensive, and proprietary wireless telephony equally tricky.

5:22:16 PM    comment   

Alan Reiter plans two-thirds day conference on using Wi-Fi at conferences!: an excellent topic, this 8 am to 1 pm conference in Washington, D.C., should help conference planners better incorporate wireless data into how they support attendees.

5:21:35 PM    comment   

Mehr Licht! RF lighting might beat out Wi-Fi?: Slashdot weighs in on Steve Stroh's article from last summer in his Focus on Broadband Wireless Access newsletter about the potential for RF lighting (a method of illumination using radio waves) disrupting Wi-Fi.

5:21:10 PM    comment   

>>>Productivity is pro-cyclical, usually strongest during early recovery periods. In that sense, recent productivity performance is not that unusual. But in prior recessions productivity declined or, at best, was flat. In the most recent recession, productivity continued to grow right through the recession. So the productivity acceleration is coming on top of an already strong base.... We won't see another quarter as strong as the first, but we do believe productivity will grow at a 4% rate or better during the rest of the year. If so, earnings should be up strongly, despite a lack of pricing power, and inflation should be a no show. <<<

This is phenominal data and points strongly to something at work here we don't have a handle on (I think it is adoption of computer automation).  Earlier analysis showed that the strong productivity gains we made in the 90's weren't widespread.  Only 5 of 70+ industries experienced productivity growth in the 90's.  Most of it was in the computer industry (65% a year as of 1998). 

My fear was that we would need to go through a long period of adjustment before  computer automation percolated throughout the rest of the economy.  That was apparently unfounded.  Companies are learning to use computer automation faster than I anticipated and the results speak for themselves.  The mini recession actually accelerated the trend.

What does this adoption of computer automation mean, long-term?  Our economy may be in the process of aligning itself with Moore's Law.  The closer the alignment, the faster the acceleration of productivity.  Alignment means that advances in computer technology (price/performance) will have an ever greater impact economy wide productivity.

It's clear that we won't likely have an economy where productivity doubles every 12-18 months, but are trend productivity growth rates of 10%+ possible?  I think they are.  In that scenario, we all get very rich, very fast.  A "long boom" on steroids. [John Robb's Radio Weblog]
5:16:27 PM    comment