Tuesday, March 9, 2004

VCs eye nanotech as next big thing. Venture capitalists are warming up to the fledgling technology--and some are willing to put their money where their mouths are. [CNET News.com - Front Door]
3:57:44 PM    comment   

Pittsburgh port seeks software firm to build navigational system. A prototype of a "SmartLock" system, which could provide pilots with the navigation information they need to safely enter a river lock, has already been developed. [Computerworld Mobile/Wireless News]
3:56:07 PM    comment   

Bringing carrier-grade reliability to WLANs. Tips on how to take advantage of wireless networks while addressing security and performance concerns. [Computerworld Mobile/Wireless News]
3:55:34 PM    comment   

PARC wants to make networks smarter, easier. Faster WLAN sign-on and sharing of digital data among incompatible devices are announced. [Computerworld Mobile/Wireless News]
3:54:52 PM    comment   

Coursey's Spectrum Skepticism. David Coursey at ZDNet AnchorDesk picks up on our IEEE Spectrum article about the coming spectrum explosion. 

David's job is to be cantankerous and pick fights.  So I'm not offended by his comment that "My immediate reaction to [the article] is, 'Keep dreaming.'"  He acknowledges that we make a convincing case; he's just skeptical the spectrum-rich future we paint will arrive quickly or without tradeoffs. 

I'm not sure where exactly we disagree.  The IEEE Spectrum article isn't a lyrical vision of infinite bandwidth; it's a point-by-point account of where the new capacity will come from, and why we're confident it's coming.  Even if you don't believe the more exotic technologies we discuss, such as ultra-wideband, will have any significant effect, there is still a huge amount of spectrum coming on the market from simple FCC reallocations. 

The kick from the unlicensed technologies will indeed take some time to manifest itself fully.  But that's like dismissing the Web in 1994 or WiFi in 1999.  If we know that the wireless world is going to be transformed, we shouldn't dismiss what's happening because the process will take a few years. 

I'm gratified that most of the comments to Coursey's column on the ZDNet site defend our original article.  It doesn't help Coursey that he throws in red herrings like the risk of cancer from cell phones and the problems with spectrum auctions.  Our basic argument, that more new wireless capacity will soon be made available than over any comparable period in history, remains unrefuted.
 [Werblog]
3:50:52 PM    comment   

Smaller, smarter mobile phones see more. New handsets to be launched next week at Cebit [InfoWorld: Top News]
3:50:09 PM    comment   

Japan Seeks Robotic Help in Caring for the Aged. The Japanese government's decision to push for home care for the elderly has fueled demand for robotic home care devices. By James Brooke. [New York Times: Technology]
3:49:18 PM    comment   

PARC wants to make networks smarter, easier. Faster WLAN sign-on and sharing of digital data among incompatible devices are announced. [Computerworld News]
3:48:27 PM    comment   

Macromedia looks to extend Flash technology. To boost multimedia application development products, the company is redesigning the internal workings of the Flash Player. [Computerworld News]
3:47:43 PM    comment   

Amex CEO Glen Salow on measuring IT value. In the opening keynote of Computerworld's Premier 100 Conference, American Express CIO Glen Salow today offered attendees a framework for measuring IT value. [Computerworld News]
3:46:43 PM    comment   

OnStar One-Ups the FBI. Note to criminals on the lam: If you must steal a car, make sure it doesn't have an OnStar decal on the dashboard. Terrence Kasses... [Gizmodo]
3:45:58 PM    comment   

Another "World's Smallest...". The hardware realm's race to the microscopic continues, as General Micro Systems debuts the world's smallest single-board computer (SBC). Codenamed Spider, the whole computer takes... [Gizmodo]
3:45:17 PM    comment   

Lingering Job Insecurity of Silicon Valley. Well-educated technology workers have long been at the forefront of American economic growth and innovation. But some of them can't find jobs. By Steve Lohr and Matt Richtel. [New York Times: Business]
3:24:12 PM    comment   

Telefonica buys Bell South's Latin American mobile ops. Numero uno [The Register]
3:15:57 PM    comment   

Sony Ericsson unveils megapixel flagship, EDGE kit. High-end swivel [The Register]
3:14:16 PM    comment   

MIMO: Coming Soon. Vendors say that access points and PC cards that use MIMO technology will be available by the end of this year: MIMO, which stands for multiple-input-multiple-output, is a smart antenna technology that promises to boost speed and throughput of wireless gear. Some say that MIMO will likely be part of the next Wi-Fi upgrade, 802.11n. This story quotes an unnamed vendor executive who says that in trials, gear using MIMO chips from Airgo produced a 200 percent to 400 percent increase in throughput over standard gear and 150 percent to 300 percent better range. Supporters say that MIMO shouldn't increase the price of gear dramatically. I'm not sure I believe that but I suppose I'll see. Atheros and Broadcom both declined to say if they're working on MIMO. Amusingly, they both pointed out that customers won't want to buy products that don't comply with the IEEE standard. Both companies have products that boost throughput in a proprietary fashion so that argument hasn't stopped them in the past.... [Wi-Fi Networking News]
1:30:52 PM    comment   

Broadbeam Wi-Fi/Cell Roaming Solution Has Customers. Broadbeam's Uni-Fi Networking platform lets clients seamlessly roam between Wi-Fi and cellular networks: The offering supports all the flavors of wireless, including 802.11 a, b, and g as well as GSM, GPRS, CDMA, 1xRTT, Nextel's iDEN, EV-DO and EDGE. I've seen plenty of announcements from companies that say they offer this capability but few leap to mind who have actually deployed it for real customers. London Ambulance service uses this for ambulance dispatch in a 620-square-mile radius. Each ambulance is equipped with gear that can operate over two different GPRS/GSM networks and Wi-Fi. Another user is CSX Transportation, the rail network operator in the United States. Train conductors use an application to report on their work process throughout the day. They can use the local area network, 1xRTT, or GPRS, or data can be stored and forwarded later if the conductor is out of range of any network. I wonder if Calypso, which recently received a patent for its technology that enables roaming between networks, has or will go after Broadbeam. I've been surprised that more companies don't want to talk on the record about the Calypso patent, which could be narrow enough to allow other ways of enabling such roaming. But I suppose it's a legal issue and companies may want to let their lawyers handle it.... [Wi-Fi Networking News]
1:28:27 PM    comment   

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