NetStumbler.com

The future of WiMax remains in doubt, as per remarks by analysts. Craig Mathias of research firm Farpoint Group said “there’s just no infrastructure supporting WiMAX today.” In addition, “converged Wi-Fi and cellular networks also give the best of both worlds.” Dave Park, BelAir Networks’ vice president of product development, believes the situation is a chicken-and-egg issue. “You have to have a network to get users, but if you have no users then it’s hard to [build] a network,” Park said. Ellen Kirk, vice president of marketing for mesh networking technology provider Tropos Networks, expects 3G companies to fight the deployment of mobile WiMax as the technology, which has the capability to provide a much faster transmission than 3G, will see it as “a direct competitor to mobile cellular.”
Via [internetnews.com]

At the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, two researchers showed how criminals can attack laptops due to a flaw in WiFi card software. David Maynor of SecureWorks and independent researcher Jon Ellch, aka Johnny Cache, opted for a video presentation instead of a live demo so as not to provide too much information that could be taken advantage of by cyber criminals. The video showed how easily Maynor was able to remotely control an Apple Computer MacBook Pro using a Dell laptop due to a flaw in the MacBook’s third-party WiFi card. Maynor clarified that the problem is not unique to Mac units and can also affect those running Windows or Linux.
Via [businessweek.com]