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News that's changing the Wireless World!
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Monday, November 24, 2003 |
Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Verizon Slims Payphone Rollout
Verizon drops payphone Wi-Fi count down to 500 from 1000: Verizon had originally said they'd roll out Wi-Fi service for their DSL customers at 1000 payphones across Manhattan. Now they're saying that 500 should be enough....
Source Link
1:47:31 PM 
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Source: eWEEK Technology News
'Keep Your Cell Number' Rules in Effect
Phone company ads proclaimed "Bring your number
up to speed" and "Your number on America's best wireless
network" as new rules went into effect Monday letting consumers
switch cell phone service without switching their phone numbers.
Source Link
1:45:02 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Wireless KVM
If you don't know what KVM stands for, you don't need it: A keyboard/video/mouse switcher allows an IT staffer to run a bunch of servers as quasi-headless computers in which a single mouse, keyboard, and monitor are shared via a switch. It's a big business, because especially in the Windows world, there are a lot of functions that are most easily carried out when directly connected to a computer instead of adding complication with terminal servers and other virtual remote controllers. This wireless KVM controller is a single-PC device, however, for $995. It uses 802.11a and secures the connection with AES. It supports 24-bit color at a 30-frame-per-second refresh. This seems like an awfully high price except for specialized applications, and I expect we'll see switchers instead of one-to-one controllers in the near future. 802.11a is, as we know, a better choice for media because of the uncrowded 5 GHz band....
Source Link
11:20:11 AM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
SBC's Wi-Fi Slips Out from Under the Brim
An alert reader noted that SBC hasn't formally announced its Wi-Fi service, but has this page up with prices: FreedomLink is the name of SBC's Wi-Fi service, and they've scaled back a bit from the numbers of hotspots they expect: 2,000 by the end of 2004, but they're including the 600+ locations run by Wayport, which is the primary (but not sole) contractor for building new hotspots for SBC. SBC will charge $25 for three sessions, $50 for eight, and $100 for 20, which is identical to Wayport's pay-as-you-go pricing. Monthly plans will be available as well....
Source Link
11:08:39 AM
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Source: Wi-Fi Planet
The Long Distance Computer
A new product using modified 5GHz Wi-Fi will let you work at your workstation even when the physical PC is a few hundred feet away.
Source Link
11:08:38 AM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Hospitals Like Vocera
El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, Calif. is using Vocera's Wi-fi badges: The nurses say the system reduces the time it takes them to track down doctors, increasing the time they spend with patients. I'm wary of Vocera, mainly because it relies on voice commands. I've never, and I really mean absolutely never, been happy using any kind of system that requires voice recognition. It never works right. This article points out that people with accents have had trouble using it. I think there should always be a backup--a keypad or something in case the user is ready to throw the device out the window if the voice recognition doesn't work....
Source Link
10:58:15 AM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Another Small Town Gets Wi-Fi
Nevada, Missouri, a town of 10,000 has commissioned a Wi-Fi network to be built in town: The city is paying NeighborLink $25,000 to build the network. but it's not clear how extensive the network is. Without the network, which offers broadband to homes and businesses, city residents could only dial-up for Internet access. The story notes that private providers may feel uncomfortable competing against a service like this one that is funded by the city government. I've been curious about how that may play out in a number of circumstances. However, here no other provider was willing to offer any kind of broadband so the city took the matter into its own hands. Around the country a number of municipalities are funding broadband networks--wired and wireless--because the big boys won't serve them. In those cases I don't think a potential conflict is an issue. Cities can't be expected to wait forever for the big boys to pay attention to them....
Source Link
10:58:14 AM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Once a Hacker, Always a Hacker...
The cops late last week arrested a third man accused of breaking into Lowe's Wi-Fi network and stealing credit card numbers: This one is not released on bond because in 2000 he was one of the first to be charged under Michigan's computer crime law for hacking into a local ISP. I'm still really curious to know how secure Lowe's network was. While clearly these guys shouldn't have done what they did, Lowe's has some responsibility for making the network at least reasonably secure. Otherwise, it's an attractive menace....
Source Link
10:58:13 AM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Sony Ericsson Wi-Fi/GPRS Card
Sony Ericsson reportedly is soon to introduce a combined Wi-Fi/GPRS card: This story refers to it as a tri-band card, but only notes that it will support 802.11b and GPRS. Nokia has had a combined card like this for ages....
Source Link
10:58:12 AM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Desperate for Roaming Deals
Eric Lin describes his Wi-Fi roaming woes: He pays $30 a month for T-Mobile hot spot service but isn't traveling as much as he used to. He lives in San Francisco where many of the previously free local cafes have now banded together to charge $15 a month to use any of them. Too bad he can't pay just one subscription so he can get on networks at home and when traveling. We're at that point in the market where roaming deals have to speed up or the folks trying to make money from hot spots won't get enough customers and we'll start seeing them die off. The Jupiter study from last week that found 1 percent of computer users paying for Wi-Fi is making me nervous. People aren't paying because there aren't good subscription plans available....
Source Link
10:58:10 AM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Boston Convention Center to Get Wi-Fi
The new Boston Convention and Exhibit Center is entertaining bids for a Wi-Fi network: It plans to spend $204,000 on the wireless piece of the network. The city hopes to choose its vendor in three weeks. [via Kelly]...
Source Link
10:58:09 AM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Acer to Give Away Networks to Schools
Acer said it will build Wi-Fi networks for free for 120 schools: Apparently it got a huge response to an earlier announcement about the plan so will now hold a drawing. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but the networks may be pretty small for some schools. Acer said it will build up to two sites comprised of four APs each within a school. Not enough to cover most schools but good for coverage in areas like libraries and study halls....
Source Link
10:58:08 AM
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Source: Wired.com
Moving Cell Numbers? Wait a Sec
Cellular customers who switch carriers Monday may have problems say industry watchers. Wireless companies have spent more time fighting the new rules than preparing systems for a smooth transfer.
Source Link
2:41:21 AM
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Last Update: 12/1/2003; 5:10:59 AM
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