Bundling reaches new heights with plans to add WiFi and VoIP to items such as Apple’s iPod digital media players. A new study suggests that the combination, called “real-time Internet,” will become the preferred way for consumers to access the Internet in the future. 100 million consumer mobile VoIP users are expected by the year… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Commentary
A Cure To Citywide Wi-Fi Woes?
Early attempts to deploy citywide wireless Internet access have run into unforeseen problems. Contractors have been forced to place more access points than planned, and subscribers need to attach signal boosters to their homes in order to receive Internet access. Help may be on the way in the form of Wavion, a San Jose, California-based… Continue Reading
802.11n Likely To Be Delayed Even More
The 802.11n Draft 1.0 — the most recent version of next-generation wireless technology — garnered 12,000 comments from the standards-setting group IEEE according to a WNN report. To be ratified, the draft spec must be approved by 75 percent of the voting membership, and the high volume of comments indicates that a finalized version of… Continue Reading
Vendors Argue WiMax, WiFi, HSDPA
At The Wireless Event in London, the merits of WiFi, HSDPA, and WiMAX — the contenders for wireless technology’s number one position — were debated back and forth, but discussions ended with no real winner. WiFi is predicted to come out on top initially thanks to its early market presence and to the lack of… Continue Reading
3G & Wi-Fi Help Rebuild
When hurricane Katrina made landfall, an unlikely group came to help rebuild. A contingent from the Burning Man festival, who are very familiar with building a community from nothing. Thier efforts were greatly helped with the Kyocera Wireless KR1 Mobile Router that allowed them to share the EV-DO 3G connection that previously was only usable… Continue Reading
The New Wireless Wars
The wireless industry, which was down to just three major players, is on the verge of expanding. The FCC kicks off its wireless spectrum auction in June — now named Auction 66, and worth an estimated $8 billion to $15 billion — and more than the usual suspects are expected to line up for a… Continue Reading
Why Cable Companies, Google Are Eyeing Wireless Spectrum
As companies compete for any advantage, some unlikely names are showing interest in radio spectrum. The FCC is set to auction off 90Mhz pieces of the 1.7GHz to 2.1GHz bands. Names such as Google and Time Warner and Verizon are all being listed as possibly interested in pieces of the spectrum. The theories on what… Continue Reading
Free Wi-Fi in S.F. More Than Flipping A Switch
No one ever said it would be easy. The plan to blanket San Fracisco with wireless is not a matter of flipping a switch. San Francisco is full of hills and tall buildings, things that usually are problems for wireless networks. The network will probobly require $15 million and 36 nodes per square mile. It… Continue Reading
WiFi Is Us
Japanese chip giant Renesas Technology Corp. is cooperating with Israeli company, Metalink, to develop a high-speed video transmission solution for domestic consumers’ wireless networks. Renesas, in control of a 33% share of the global embedded cip market for semiconductors in elecronic entertainment, cellular phones, automotive navigation devices, and more, plans to integrate Metalink’s 802.11n compliant… Continue Reading
Google Won’t Do Silicon Valley Wi-Fi
Google will not join the competition for the establishment of a Wi-Fi Silicon Valley in San Francisco. Google spokeswoman Megan Quinn said the company has no intention to respond to a request for proprosals for the $200 million project, which is due on June 30. The Wireless Silicon Valley Task Force is looking for one… Continue Reading
Consumers Warned Off Pre-Standard 802.11n Purchases
Pre-standard Wi-Fi 802.11n products are entering the marketplace, but consumers are warned to beware before buying. While investment risks for home networking products run fairly low — about $150 or less — users should know that uncertified equipment may not be interoperable with upcoming certified components. Early tests report ‘draft N” performance as less than… Continue Reading
Google Wi-Fi Deal Gains Powerful Critics
The Google/Earthlink plan to unwire San Francisco is meeting with some serious opposition. While groups like the ACLU and the EFF applaud the economic and social benifits of the plan, but also have grave concerns about the privacy of the system. The latest person to step up with concerns is city supervisor Jake McGoldrick. No… Continue Reading
Wireless-N Could Stand For ‘Not Interoperable’
Interoperability is key to the newly-available Wireless-N products using 802.11n draft specifications. Since the standard they’re based on isn’t yet official, users shouldn’t be swayed by promises such as four times the range and 12 times the throughput of current 802.11g standard products. While products based on the final 802.11n standard may meet those speed… Continue Reading
Experts Raise Health Concerns Over WiFi
Headaches, fatigue, irritability and lack of concentration can be caused by many things, but disturbing new evidence points to your Wi-Fi network as a suspect. Studies estimate about two to three percent of the population may be “electrosensitive” to the emissions from wireless access points and other electromagnetic devices. Precautionary advice from the Health Protection… Continue Reading
Protecting The Wired From The Wireless
Identifying rogue accesspoints is not aneasy task. It is easier though when your orginization has a no-wireless policy. Network Chemistry has released a couple new products for rogue hunting. 2 fairly expensivehardware units, but also an opensource tool that analyses the wired network hosts, looking for access points. A fairly useful tool for the wireless… Continue Reading