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News that's changing the Wireless World!
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Wednesday, December 17, 2003 |
Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
State of French Wi-Fi
Interview with French Wi-Fi expert (in French): Eric Montagne discusses security, wardriving, and French regulation of unlicensed spectrum. [via Thomas Gee]...
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8:07:27 PM 
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Source: Wi-Fi Planet
VoIP Invades Hotspots
A new service from Canadian wireless ISP FatPort brings wireless VoIP to public Wi-Fi networks.
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8:07:26 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
BT Drives Rural Broadband with Wireless
British Telecom is testing long-haul wireless for broadband in more rural areas: BT has committed to making broadband available everywhere it serves by 2006, but ADSL won't cut it in all markets....
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8:07:25 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
STSN Adds La Quinta
STSN to install service in La Quinta hotels: Wired broadband in the rooms, Wi-Fi in the public areas. The service will be free, but meeting room use will be at a fee. The Wi-Fi offering will include both 802.11a and 802.11b. STSN will install the service during first quarter 2004. STSN provides service to about 700 hotels....
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8:07:23 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
MCI Expands with Boingo
MCI's Wi-Fi network includes 2,000 more locations via Boingo: The press release and this article from News.com don't clarify precisely what's going on here. I was unaware MCI even had a Wi-Fi option, and its 600 locations sound very much like Wayport, a fact the News.com article confirms (sort of: the current version says WavePort is the partner, but I assume this is Wayport). Boingo already includes the Wayport locations in its total, so if MCI adds Boingo, does that mean that its customers will have double access to Wayport? And I've never heard of MCI's client software, either. More clarification's probably necessary to understand this deal....
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8:07:16 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Planet
A Look Behind Wi-FiRates.com
A one man company in Syracuse, NY, has decided to take on the challenge of listing all the pricing information from all the hotspot providers in the world.
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8:07:15 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Fatport Offers VOIP
New FatPort division called mobitus has developed and offers a VOIP service: Users must get the mobitus software phone for their laptops and a headset. The service costs $16.95 (CDN) a month which includes unlimited calls to other mobitus customers. Long distance rates apply to long-distance calls to non-mobitus users. Mobitus is one of the few VOIP offerings that encourages customers to use public hotspots. Other folks like TeleSym that offer voice over Wi-Fi are more focused on enterprise customers using the offering on a corporate WLAN. Other VOIP offerings, like Vonage, tell people that using the service in a public hotspot is complicated....
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8:07:13 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Netopia Aims to Ease Security Use
Netopia is offering a new gateway, PC card and configuration wizard all aimed at making it easier for consumers to use WEP: The gateway ships with WEP turned on and the set-up wizard makes it easy to configure the gateway and WEP....
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8:07:12 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Even Small Airports Get Wi-Fi
The Evansville, Ind. Regional airport is hoping to build a Wi-Fi network: The airport managers have spoken with different companies about building the network and may go with SBC, which would build the network for free and offer the airport a cut of profits. The airport would then partner with one of the larger hotspot providers to market and bill the service. If you read the article, you'll also learn about other exciting changes at the airport, like a new restaurant....
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8:07:11 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Navy Tries Out Vocera
Crew on the USS Coronado are trialing Vocera's Wi-Fi badges: I know that hospitals and other organizations are already using the system from Vocera but I just don't see it. Depending on what the Navy wants to use them for, this sounds like a recipe for disaster. What if it's noisy and the badge can't pick up the user's command to dial someone? I'm still very cautious about anything that uses voice recognition because I've yet to see anything that works well....
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8:07:09 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Planet
Roaming Comes to Starbucks
After months of speculation and waiting, T-Mobile has announced a partnership with hotspot aggregator iPass to let subscribing mobile professionals get full access to the T-Mobile network in the US.
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8:07:08 PM
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Source: Wired.com
Wi-Fi Grows, but Profits Don't
As wireless Internet access becomes available in more and more places, businesses struggle to squeeze money from their networks. By Elizabeth Biddlecombe.
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8:07:06 PM
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Source: Computer World
Security predictions for 2004
More creative forms of spam, more desktop management controls and a major incident involving disclosure of confidential corporate information through instant messaging or a Wi-Fi breach are among Peter H. Gregory's predictions for the new year.
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8:07:05 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Planet
Home Network DVR Will Use Wi-Fi
The second generation of the PRISMIQ Media Player -- one of the first media adapter products that used 802.11 to transmit video -- will be a full-fledged digital video recorder.
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8:07:04 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Interoperability is Troublesome
">Despite best efforts from industry standard groups, interoperability among Wi-Fi products is hit or miss these days: Not all products are certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance and some vendors are cutting corners. For example, they may not do a great job of implementing the mechanism that asks an 802.11g chip to fall back to 802.11b. New security features and the plethora of chips available increase the complications in making all devices compatible. I don't imagine the compatibility issue will get any better as we move into the future because more upgrades to the standard continue to be developed....
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8:07:02 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
St. Petersburg Backs Out on Wi-Fi Plans
The Florida city had planned to launch a Wi-Fi network covering down town on New Year's Eve but decided to put off the project: The nonprofit group that had planned to build the network suddenly got concerned about not being able to financially support it....
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8:07:01 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Wi-Fi Bikes Worked
The art students in New York successfully pulled off their Wi-Fi bike stunt, but apparently just barely: They've built access points into bikes and planned to send an email to the mayor from a subway platform. They used two bikes: one above the stairs which used a cell phone network for backhaul and a second below on the subway platform which delivered the signal to a nearby laptop. They apparently just got the network working in time to send an email before the laptop's battery died....
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8:07:00 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Chinese Wi-Fi Security Concerns
Reuters offers more insight into Chinese WAPI standard, to which only 11 Chinese companies have access: The Chinese government started requiring new Wi-Fi equipment to fully support the WAPI standard Dec. 1, with a grace period for existing devices and contracts until June, even though the standard is entirely confidential and only 11 Chinese companies are permitted to incorporate it. This is definitely a protectionist move to make sure that Chinese firms have a role in the growing Wi-Fi market. And, of course, the standard almost certainly has a backdoor of some kind to allow government monitoring of Wi-Fi traffic; otherwise, why go to these lengths to essentially ban or disallow WPA?...
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8:06:59 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
WNN's New Location
We're now cooking with T3s: Wi-Fi Networking News's virtual home moved from a 768 Kbps SDSL line, which had served it nicely, up to a co-location facility that has dual T3s and several 10s of Mbps available on demand. If anyone notices a significant difference in speed, performance, or other details (for better or worse), please let us know. Because our site is designed to be mostly text-heavy, not graphics intensive, its more likely that during busy times, you'll get the site right away instead of waiting moments for a page load....
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8:06:57 PM
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Source: InfoWorld
Wi-Fi buyer beware - Infoworld Staff
Wi-Fi technology is steadily expanding: IEEE 802.11a and 802.11g are now firmly entrenched alongside 802.11b, and WPA (Wi-Fi
Protected Access) security is now accepted as a standard. Yet Wi-Fi compatibility between devices is still at an all-time
low.
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8:06:56 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Planet
A More Secure Orinoco
The latest firmware for Proxim's enterprise access points adds security and compatibility features to existing products.
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8:06:54 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Free Times for Wayport Users
Wayport subscribers get full downloads of the electronic edition of The New York Times: This partnership with NewsStand provides Wayporters with the all-in-one edition, which is essentially the print version as an electronic document. Folks who subscribe to the electronic Times get a $25 Wayport prepaid card, which is probably three sessions....
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8:06:50 PM
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Source: InfoWorld
Intel to target 802.11g, mobile consumers next year
BANGALORE, INDIA - Intel Corp.'s Centrino platform with 802.11g wireless LAN support will not be available for Christmas holiday
sales, but this situation will not significantly impact Centrino notebooks sales, according to a company executive.
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8:06:48 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Taking Wi-Fi to the Streets
You know Wi-Fi has really hit the mainstream when art students use it in their performance art pieces: Students from New York's Parsons Design and Technology have built access points into bicycles and will use them to send emails from New York subways. The architects of this idea seem a bit torn between regarding it as performance art and pointing to its utility. There's not a very detailed techincal explanation for how this works, but it appears that the APs use cell networks for backhaul or are used as repeaters to extend signals from other hotspots. It's kind of a cool idea for delivering Wi-Fi connections on short notice or for a temporary reason. Or, wouldn't it just be cool to have so that you could be sure of having a connection--and be able to share it with pals--anywhere?...
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8:06:45 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
New Chip Competitor
Just what the market needs, another chip maker: Cambridge Silicon Radio, traditionally a Bluetooth chip maker, said it will soon ship a combined 802.11a/b/g chip. The company is apparently trying to leave us in suspense by saying it will offer improvements in speed, size, "or" cost....
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8:06:44 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Value of Standalone Voice-Over-Wi-Fi?
There are some good points here: A standalone voice-over-Wi-Fi phone is only marginally useful to consumers unless they just want to use it in their homes. Although this writer notes that VOIP offerings from the likes of Vonage enable cordless phone use, which pretty much defeats the purpose of the Wi-Fi phone. Outside of the home, the phone is only usable in hotspots, where are few and far between these days....
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8:06:43 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Wireles for the Masses
Tim Pozar has set up a network in San Francisco that delivers free Wi-Fi to neighborhoods: He beams the signals from the top of a hill down to houses, including his, that receive the signals and distribute them through the neighborhood. He's offering access for free to anyone who can reach it. His next stop is Marin County....
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8:06:42 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Confused CNET Article
This article is theoretically about combo Wi-Fi chips but really is filled with a bunch of misguided jargon: For instance, the writer comments that VCs have soured on putting money into Wi-Fi startups. I suppose it's all relative but I continue to see investors put money into Wi-Fi startups. In fact, some investors worry that too much money is flowing into the sector. He also refers to the "growing multiplicity of wireless frequencies." Huh? The 5 GHz band just got an additional 255 MHz, but it's part of the overall U-NII band, which 802.11a and some proprietary and new standards use, including 802.16a....
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8:06:41 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Update on SanDisk for Palm
From the horse's mouth, an explanation for the delay: Palm users have been anxiously awaiting software drivers that will support SanDisk's SD Wi-Fi card. SanDisk released a pretty detailed explanation for the repeated delays. It looks like some people think there are deeper problems at Palm causing delays in the Wi-Fi enablement of Palm devices. You may want to read some of this with a grain of salt seeing as the site is dedicated to Microsoft platforms, but MSMobiles, has done some digging around problems with the Palm platform....
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8:06:40 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Planet
Older Palms Won't Get Wi-Fi
The makers of a Secure Digital (SD) Wi-Fi card for PDAs says it will still support Palm OS 5.x sometime in 2004, but users of older Palm-based products will have to go without.
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8:06:38 PM
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Source: Computer World
Wi-Fi gets more secure
Products designed to make wireless networks safer and more stable take center stage at conference.
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8:06:35 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Moskowitz on Hiding SSIDs
The latest security white paper from Robert Moskowitz explains clearly why hiding Wi-Fi network SSIDs is futile and counter-productive: Moskowitz, the fellow who wrote a month ago about how poor key choices with WPA allows cracking, provides more analysis on the Wi-Fi security front. His WPA paper is also available at that link....
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8:06:33 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Too Much Investment, Yet Opportunity
Investors are worried about how much money is being funneled into Wi-Fi, but say there's still plenty of opportunity: About $2.5 billion has been invested in emerging wireless technologies but the sector has only produced $2 billion in revenue. Still, investors see opportunity in a long list of technologies including WiMAX, Zigbee, software defined radios and Wi-Fi/cellular roaming....
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8:06:31 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Wi-Fi Shoots for the Moon
NASA has tested Wi-Fi gear from Tropos for potential use on the moon or planets: NASA used the Tropos gear in Arizona in a simulated area of an interplanetary exploration mission, connecting a base camp with a mobile computer. NASA wants to be able to connect various pieces of gear including laptops embedded in space suits, vehicles, cameras and microphones....
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8:06:30 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Wi-Fi May Chase Bluetooth Market
National Semiconductor is touting a low power Wi-Fi chip in the works: The company says the chip, because of its low power requirements, could eat into Bluetooth's market. It makes more sense to me that the chips will instead be ideal for use in cell phones or other devices that need low-powered components. Several other chipmakers have announced a variety of low-powered 802.11b chip designs, most of them due early in 2004....
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8:06:29 PM
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Source: InfoWorld
Controversy over Chinese WLAN standard deepens
Licensing requirements at the heart of a Chinese standard for wireless LANs (WLANs) threaten to disrupt the ability of networking
equipment vendors to do business in China, according to a U.S. technology trade group.
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8:06:28 PM
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Source: DevX
Wireless Data Shot: Security and Development
DevX has teamed up with the Evans Data Corp. to bring you the results of their comprehensive Wireless Developer Survey. In this installment, learn what security method is most commonly used with WLANs. Also, what's the most challenging aspect to wireless development? Find out what your colleagues say and vote on the issue yourself!
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8:06:24 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Atheros IPO Super Heated
Om Malik reports on Atheros's upcoming IPO: It's not hot, it's superheated, with a sixfold oversubscription to the number of shares potentially available at the initial public offering. Before the recent surge in IPOs, Atheros would have been a takeover target; now it's valuing itself in the open market, which could dramatically raise its asking price for a company trying to get a wedge into manufacturing 802.11a and a/g chipsets. This should also, by the way, be an interested test of the post-dotcom IPO market in which shares were distributed to favored parties who would turn them quickly, and those who bought in on day one were disappointed on day two through infinity. With new rules and watchdogs watching, I'll be curious to see if Atheros's price rises. A good IPO should see the stock priced correctly: its opening price shouldn't be too much higher than the IPO price, or the company left money on the table....
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8:06:23 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Vague Story on VodaFone 3G Launch
VodaFone launches 3G data service in Germany and Italy, but at what speed and cost?: This article describes how 3G services could challenge Wi-Fi, but fails to mention the speed or price offered by VodaFone....
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8:06:16 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Wi-Fi Record Over Salt Lake
Weber State University students may have set a record for the longest unamplified Wi-Fi link: They reached 72 miles, across the Great Salt Lake. Some other experiments have reached farther, but with amplifiers, they say....
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8:06:15 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Voice Over Wi-Fi Can Cut Costs
Telesym's CEO argues that enterprises that employ voice over Wi-Fi can save by cutting back on cellular calls made on campus: His numbers look great in this story, however, he's missing some major expenses. Most observers agree that the voice over Wi-Fi system is going to require a lot of support by IT folks. Also, the network has to cover just about everywhere. Since current Wi-Fi networks don't, an enterprise would have to invest in building out the network. And finally, right now the technology isn't there yet--there aren't yet good mechanisms for quality of service and fast handoffs....
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8:06:13 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Ubiquity is the Answer
A Cisco exec says that once Wi-Fi is available in more places, usage will take off: With so many laptops being sold with built-in Wi-Fi, users will have to feel like they can open their laptops anywhere and get online. Once that happens, he expects a major change in the way people think about work because we'll be able to work anywhere. I'm not sure that's a good thing…...
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8:06:12 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
WLAN Switches Target Remote Offices
Few of the WLAN switch vendors initially had support for remote offices in the first versions of their products: It looks like they are addressing that market in upgrades and new releases. Last week, ReefEdge introduced its first WLAN switch product specifically geared toward organizations with 100 or more remote offices. Yesterday, Airespace introduced an AP designed to be located in remote offices. The AP communicates with a switch at headquarters via the wide area network. The downside to this approach is that usually it means that absolutely everything including authentication and all traffic must travel back through the switch, which could be located far away. New Airespace software provides location tracking for improved security. With the tool, IT managers can better find rogue APs and locate the source of attacks....
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8:06:11 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
NYC Hotels Get Wi-Fi Everywhere
RoomLinx is building Wi-Fi networks in six hotels owned by Affinia: Five of the hotels will get Wi-Fi everywhere, including guest rooms. The hotels in Manhattan should all be complete early next year....
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8:06:10 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
France Falls Far Behind Neighbors
France has far fewer hotspots than any of its European neighbors: In fact, it's on par with Slovenia in terms of number of hotspots. It seems mostly the government is to blame. One conspiracy theory is that the government stands to benefit from the success of 3G networks so it wants to prevent Wi-Fi from becoming a competitor to those mobile networks. Government mandates, such as one that held until last November that prevented any Wi-Fi coverage outdoors for fear of interference with military operations, surely slowed down build out. Just last summer the government dropped to demand that municipalities get federal permission to hang APs....
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8:06:09 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
More Wi-Fi at Marinas
Beacon Wi-Fi has built hotspots at 10 more marinas, mostly in Florida: The company now operates networks in 50 marinas. I imagine the networks are warmly received, especially by live aboards....
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8:06:07 PM
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Source: InfoWorld
IEEE: Chinese security standard could fracture Wi-Fi
The implementation of a Chinese security standard for wireless networking could undermine efforts to develop a global standard
for wireless LANs (WLANs) and drive up the cost of networking equipment for end users, warned a senior executive at the Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. (IEEE) in a recent letter to Chinese government officials.
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8:06:06 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Propogate Puts Squeeze on WLAN Switches
NetGear and Bluesocket are both building Propogate's AutoCell technology into their gear: Propogate's software adds some RF management capabilities to APs and, in Bluesocket's case, to gateways so that APs don't interfere with each other and thus offer better performance. Some say that with Propogate's software and products like Bluesocket's gateway, enterprises won't need to invest in WLAN switch gear. Some also say that Propogate's software may allow some companies to get out of the proprietary AP business. The WLAN switch vendors are seeing a lot of pressure from products like Propogate's that may be built into low-cost APs. If all the functionality is built into APs, the need for the switches is reduced....
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8:05:58 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
The "Why" of Wi-Fi Changes
Wi-Fi hotspots aren't about Interent access any more: Starbucks says that competition from free hotspots means it must offer unique services that will make customers want to use its hotspot. For now, those services are free even to non-subscribers but seem to be designed to encourage people to subscribe--or at least stick around for another coffee. The offerings have included an audio interview with Cheryl Crow and a video about blues musicians. Starbucks says it has a lot of "supersecret" plans for offerings over the network in the future. This trend is very true. Hotspot operators who charge are going to have to offer something unique beside Internet access if they want to attract customers. Higher bandwidth than business-DSL or T-1 may have to be part of it....
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8:05:57 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Wi-Fi'd Blackberry in the Works
RIM, the maker of the Blackberry, is working on a version that will enable Wi-Fi and cellular access: The company won't say when the devices will be available but said it won't be before the spring. I was just talking to a friend yesterday who just bought a Blackberry that runs on T-Mobile's network. He was complaining about how slow the connection speed is. I bet he'd love the chance to use Wi-Fi when it's available....
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8:05:56 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Music Museum to Get Wi-Fi
I wrote a story for the Seattle Times about a planned wireless network at the Experience Music Project: The rock museum, built by Paul Allen, plans to offer the network to visitors but also use it for a variety of internal functions. One plan is to use the network to stream audio and video to handheld devices that visitors can carry around through the exhibits. I'm not sure I did a very good job of conveying how interesting this project is. For those of you who aren't familiar with the EMP or haven't seen pictures, it's a Frank Gehry building that looks like a bunch of colorful lumps glued together. I would imagine that building a wireless network there would be a nightmare, given the structure doesn't have a single right angle. I'll be interested to check back with the folks at EMP in a couple of months when more of the network should be in place to hear about the experience. Then I'd like to check in again next summer to see how many of the ambitious applications are actually in place....
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8:05:54 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
SmartWorlds Offers Free Book Shopping Software
SmartWorlds software lets PDA users shop and learn more about books while they're in a bookstore: The service is already in use in Boston at Trident Booksellers on Newbury Street, with access provided by Michael Oh's NewburyOpen.net Wi-Fi network. SmartWorlds is now offering the software free to anyone. Users can punch in the ISBN number of a book while they're standing in a bookstore. Users are connected to Amazon.com's site where they can read reviews of the book, check pricing, and see other books recommended by readers. In Boston, Trident is considered an affiliate of Amazon so if users of this service later buy one of the books they browsed for on Amazon, Trident earns a commission. I'd love to see people use this in the big chain bookshops which probably wouldn't want people to use it for fear of losing business....
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8:05:53 PM
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Source: eWEEK Technology News
Avaya Rolls Out Grab Bag of IP Gear
The company is releasing a variety of hardware and software, including media gateways, servers, applications, upgraded management software and two new wireless IP phones.
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8:05:51 PM
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Source: eWEEK Technology News
VCs Debate Wi-Fi's Future
The wireless market is significantly overfunded, venture capitalists said last week, portending a shakeout. Still, they couldn't help but list a number of new sectors that will need additional capital.
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8:05:50 PM
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Source: eWEEK Technology News
Wi-Fi Blackberry in Works
Research in Motion Ltd. is building BlackBerry messaging devices that run over wireless LANs, company officials confirmed last week.
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8:05:46 PM
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Source: eWEEK Technology News
NTT DoCoMo Tests Superfast Mobile Phone
Japan's top mobile carrier has developed a test model of a cell phone that offers both its superfast third-generation mobile service and a wireless local area network Internet phone service.
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8:05:42 PM
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Source: Userland.com
Serenading a Tree via AT&T
Wondering about that enchanting snatch of music in the TV commercial for AT&T Wireless? The music comes from a Handel opera.
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8:05:41 PM
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Source: Userland.com
Cutting the Cord
Wi-Fi means travelers can plan their getaways to stay connected to the Web or e-mail.
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8:05:39 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Planet
Wireless Mesh Standard Coming
Intel and Cisco say they'll throw their weight behind a new criterion to make sure cellular and 802.11 network equipment can talk to each other.
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8:05:34 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Disagreement Over Security Status
Speakers at Wi-Fi Planet alternately bashed and then praised Wi-Fi security: That's to be expected as the bashers are folks like Intel who don't have a stake in the security game and the defenders are vendors like Cisco that do. Security is getting better but it's not yet simple or good enough yet to spur a massive uptake in the enterprise market....
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8:05:33 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Mesh Standards Effort May Soon be Underway
Leaders from Intel and Cisco are trying to start up an effort to standardize 802.11 mesh networking : This is a great idea, but one that not surprisingly isn't supported by current developers of mesh networks. Those companies, including Strix, Firetide, and BelAir argue such an effort would be too difficult. They might prefer not to have standards so that customers must buy entire networks from one vendor. Intel apparently is working on a mesh standard that could span 802.11 and ultrawideband networks. That sounds like quite a challenge....
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8:05:31 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Intel Pushes Consumer Electronics Angle
Leaders from Intel have been talking a lot lately about wanting to embed Intel's Wi-Fi chips into consumer electronics other than computers: I'll be glad to see that happen. Intel hopes to have its 802.11a/b/g product shipping early next year. This writer wonders why anyone would want the throughput offered by 802.11g. People want to do exactly what Intel hopes they'll do once 802.11g chips are embedded inside TVs and stereos--stream audio and video....
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8:05:30 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Roaming is Hot Topic of the Day
">Roaming is a key requirement for Wi-Fi to take off but this writer is clueless: She seems to think that Intel's Centrino marketing program has something to do with roaming when really it's just an advertising push. The focus of this story is on technical challenges to roaming but she's missing the main issue. The technical challenges are small compared to the need for service providers to make agreements with each other so that a subscription to one service lets users access virtually any available hot spot. With those deals in place, more customers are likely to sign up for susbscriptions. She also includes some shameless promotion of a company that does business with her publisher. She cites Zinio as a "chief" player in marketing value-added Wi-Fi services. It looks to me like Zinio reformats magazines so that they look nice on handheld devices. What on earth does that have to do with roaming?? What a poor example of journalism....
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8:05:28 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Wi-Fi Card for Smart Phones
SyChip is coming out with software that will support its WLAN card in smart phones: The capability will let smart phone users access data services over the WLAN and make voice calls using voice over the WLAN. Initially, customers will have to download drivers to the smart phones but analysts say that eventually the capability should be built into the phone. Analysts are also concerned about the battery life on smart phones that are using WLANs....
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8:05:27 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
My Book as a PDF
The Wireless Networking Starter Kit, 2nd Edition, is now available as a downloadable electronic book (in PDF): We've launched our new Web site for the second edition of our book (co-written by Adam Engst and myself), and we now also have available an electronic edition, which can be purchased and downloaded worldwide from our Web site. The second edition covers all the issues associated with buying, configuring, and running Wi-Fi networks at home and in small offices, thoroughly revised for 802.11g and WPA, with new chapters on cellular data, Bluetooth, wireless ISP software, and many other wireless topics....
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8:05:25 PM
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Source: Computer World
Former Intel exec sets Wi-Fi crowd straight
Les Vadasz, who retired from Intel earlier this year, told the Wi-Fi Planet Conference & Expo that much remains to be done before wireless LANs are considered secure and easy to use.
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8:05:23 PM
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Source: Computer World
Former Intel exec sets Wi-Fi crowd straight
Les Vadasz, who retired from Intel earlier this year, told the Wi-Fi Planet Conference & Expo that much remains to be done before wireless LANs are considered secure and easy to use.
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8:05:21 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Planet
Dine and Dash Courtesy of IBM
Big Blue's current Wi-Fi plans include using its pervasive computing
strategy to power more wireless transactions in some interesting
applications.
Source Link
8:05:20 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Planet
Intel: Hazards Ahead For Wi-Fi
Former Intel Capital front man Les Vadasz warns customer confusion,
excessive fragmentation and regulation of VoIP over Wi-Fi could cripple the sector.
Source Link
8:05:18 PM
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Source: eWEEK Technology News
China Pushes Network Encryption Standards
China has ordered equipment makers to use
the country's own encryption standards for wireless networks, ensuring stronger government control and giving domestic manufacturers a slight respite from some foreign competition.
Source Link
8:05:15 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Planet
Fall Wi-Fi Planet Best of Show Awards
This week's Wi-Fi Planet Conference & Expo features over 100 vendors displaying the latest in wireless networking technology but only a select few could be Best of Show. Here are our picks.
Source Link
8:05:09 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Interoperability, Compliance to be Challenging
The 802.11 standards groups have full plates and they will struggle to ensure that all their efforts interoperate: The development of 802.11e, the quality of service mechanism, seems to be the trickiest and will require repeated upgrades. Problems are already surfacing. Vendors are adding their own bells and whistles, like higher speed offerings, as a way to differentiate or to speed up the upgrade process. Those extras create interoperability problems. Even without the extras, vendors struggle to comply with the standards. Frank Hanzlik, the managing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance, told me recently that about one quarter of all 802.11b products--the most mature of the standards--submitted for approval fail certification initially. Products going through certification of the newer standard fail at an even higher rate....
Source Link
8:05:07 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
BT One-Ups Intel
">Who wants free Wi-Fi for just one day--BT Openzone is offering a free week of Wi-Fi.: Apparently the move is aimed at increasing exposure of its hot spot offering. BT is also planning to launch a pay-as-you-go plan to also encourage more users....
Source Link
8:05:06 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Columbitech SDK Helps Integration
Columbitech, developer of a VPN solution designed for wireless networks, is making it easier for customers to integrate security with third party applications: With the SDK, a developer can manage the Columbitech client so that users just sign in once to use an application that may, for example, remotely tap into a corporate database. I talked to the folks from Columbitech a couple months ago and they were really focused on vertical markets like retail where customers have a variety of custom applications. Columbitech is working hard to provide a flexible security solution that can fit into legacy gear. Yesterday Columbitech's CEO Pontus Bergdahl quit and was replaced by a co-founder and CTO, Lars Resenius....
Source Link
8:05:04 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
DoCoMo to Intro Combo 3G/Voice Over Wi-Fi
DoCoMo is planning to roll out a dual-mode 3G and voice over WLAN service in the spring: Apparently DoCoMo is working on some tricks to try to extend battery life as 802.11 tends to eat up power. DoCoMo is always on the cutting edge of wireless technology. The company has also asked its handset makers to come out with models based on Linux....
Source Link
8:05:02 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
England Libraries May All Get Wi-Fi
The majority of libraries in England already have broadband access but now the government is working on adding Wi-Fi: Most of the libraries in King County, outside of Seattle, have Wi-Fi. It's a great, low-cost way for libraries to offer Internet access without having to provide computers for everyone. My library always has a line of people waiting to get on its computers so perhaps with Wi-Fi some people could come in with their own computers to use the Internet. But I wonder how many of the people I see waiting in line there actually have laptops that they could bring with them instead....
Source Link
8:05:01 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
MapInfo Maps Hot Spots
A tool built by MapInfo with hot spot data from Jupitermedia maps where hot spots are across the country: The tool is not meant to be used by customers but by hot spot providers who can use it to look at market penetration....
Source Link
8:04:59 PM
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Source: Wi-Fi Networking News
Cisco's Small Security Hole
Cisco access points can send WEP keys in the clear, but not by default: A security flaw means that if an administrator enables a very specific SNMP monitoring option, an access point can send WEP keys across unencrypted links. However, because this must be enabled, and because it doesn't affect dynamic WEP, it's not a big deal....
Source Link
8:04:56 PM
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Source: eWEEK Technology News
Wi-Fi to Face Interoperability Challenges
Interoperability among the various IEEE 802.11 technologies will become "a real challenge" as the industry moves into a phased program for deploying multimedia services over Wi-Fi next year, industry executives said.
Source Link
8:04:53 PM
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Source: Wired.com
TunA Lets Users Fish for Music
Media Lab Europe is on to the next wave of peer-to-peer music sharing. TunA software for mobile devices turns everyone into a mobile radio station, ready for wireless jacking on the street. By Kari L. Dean.
Source Link
8:04:51 PM
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© 2004 [OCCalWUG]
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