NetStumbler.com

LinuxDevices has discovered that Sprint will be offering an internet tablet similar to Nokia’s N800 next year. This addition to the Mobile WiMAX market will take advantage of Sprint’s 4G wireless services, which may reach more than 100 million people by 2008.

In 2006 Sprint announced their plans to begin the 4G nationwide broadband mobile network and has now made public their plans to use Mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e-2005) to launch this technology.

On the other side, Nokia’s N800 will probably include WiFi and Bluetooth and is moving forward, determined to capture the marketplace.
Via [linuxdevices.com]

San Francisco has spent three long years working toward citywide Wi-Fi and it appears as though a November election will finally settle the debate. The problem is the city’s deal with EarthLink may go south before it is ever implemented.

EarthLink has raised concerns about the citywide Wi-Fi agreements they have signed and are no longer willing to add new buildouts until they can insure the deal will be profitable.

So, it appears as if the city of San Francisco has worked up a deal that the city is content with but the Wi-Fi provider is unable to deliver.
Via [infoworld.com]

Wi-Fi hackers have gotten more advanced and your private information is even more at risk. The recent Black Hat conference in Las Vegas featured a demonstration by Errata Security that detailed how a hacker can use new tools to steal your encrypted cookies and passwords and then control your online sessions.

Errata has combated this new hack threat with their own tools, Hamster and Ferret, which prevent attacks. It appears that the good guys are following closely behind the bad guys but they’re still slightly behind and all Wi-Fi users need to be careful.
Via [securecomputing.net.au]

AirCell and American Airlines have just announced that they will be testing broadband services beginning in 2008. The goal is to enable passengers to use their laptops, PDAs, iPhones and BlackBerrys, and portable gaming systems.

AirCell is the leader in global airborne communications and its products are found in many commercial airplanes. In 2006 AirCell won the FCC’s exclusive broadband frequency license which gives them a unque air-to-ground network, making in-flight high-speed broadband service is possible.

American Airlines is very excited about this possibility and says that its customers list broadband access as one of their top wishes for future flights.

Rural residents may finally get the respect and attention they deserve from the communication giants. AT&T recently purchased Dobson Communications for $2.8 million and created some waves among rivals as they too race to develop this previously ignored market.

Verizon responded by striking a deal to purchase Rural Cellular for an approximate value of $2.67 billion. The deal gives Verizon a slew of benefits including first dibs at 15 rural markets, more than 700,000 new customers, 4.7 million licensed points of presence and a joint venture with Vodafone.

Residents in these areas will finally get a broader range of voice and data services.
Via [internetnews.com]

Mobile WiMax is set to begin a battle with Wi-Fi and 3G networks in the UK. Nortel is pairing with Urban WiMax and Macropolitan to lead the way in this new venture.

The companies recently held a conference between the UK, Canada and the US using this technology on their laptops. Other trials are expected to follow.

In this situation timing is everything as the British Office of Communications is currently planning an auction of spectrum which could be used to convey mobile WiMax and other wireless technologies.

The first products to hit the market may come as early as the end of 2007 but a greater influx is expected by the end of 2008.
Via [computerworlduk.com]

HD television is on the horizon but it’s currently being held down by messy cables. There are two technologies competing to become standard but they’re not quite ready for prime time.

Wireless HDMI (high definition multimedia interface) has come a long way and is actually expected to hit the market in September but the price tag is expected to be a bit high.

The other technology, WirelessHD (WiHD), has gained the support of some big names in the industry but doesn’t currently have a release date in mind although a vague reference was made to 2008.
Via [arstechnica.com]

Dell and Lenovo have just announced the first laptops with embedded Certified Wireless USB chips. This means that all peripherals connected to a USB hub will tie in to your laptop without the use of a cable.

For computer owners who love this idea but aren’t ready for a new computer, D-Link and IOGear have announced an adapter that plugs right into your USB port and gives you the same functionality.
Via [pcworld.com]

Google has a vision of the future and it looks pretty good. Their goal is to make all cellphones compatible with any wireless network and internet access will be sold to customers at deeply discounted prices. In fact, Google is so devoted to this vision that it’s willing to throw $4.6 billion toward transforming prime public airways to a high-speed data freeway.

Google has placed a stipulation on its bid, they want regulators to agree to open access of those airwaves. If the FCC agrees the new spectrum could be revolutionary, giving consumers more choices. This idea is backed wholeheartedly by consumers, public interest groups and a coalition of major technology companies.
Via [latimes.com]

The IEEE 802.20 working group has changed its voting rules after allegations that Qualcomm Inc. was trying to dominate the process.

In the past IEEE members voted as individuals no matter what company they were affiliated with. Now each entity, ie vendors, research groups, universities, etc will have only one vote and thus limit the ability of one company to sway voting results. Paul Nikolich, Chairman of the 802.20 Committee hopes the change will push forward the standard decision.
Via [news.yahoo.com]

Duke University is facing a wireless LAN crisis which seems to be related to the recent release of Apple’s iPhone.

Up to 30 wireless access points can be knocked out at a time as the built-in 802.11b/g adapter on the newly released phone flood the area with MAC address requests. The requests are for an invalid router address, since the iPhone making the request doesn’t get an answer it keeps asking, tying up the system for ten to 15 minutes at a time.

Right now this isn’t a huge problem but school officials are worried that the end of August will bring a huge influx of new iPhone users and more headaches than Duke can handle.
Via [networkworld.com]

It looks like the Wi-Fi Alliance is pushing forward, using the latest draft of the 802.11n standard. This means “Wi-Fi Certified” products should be hitting the shelves this summer.

Eight laboratories around the globe have begun testing pre-standard products to see if they stick to WPA2 protocols and if they are backwards compatible with other 802.11 a/b/g WLAN products that have already earned certification.

Although IEEE’s 802.11n standard isn’t expected to be ratified until early 2009, these pre-certification products are expected to reap this year’s back-to-school dollars.
Via [crn.com]

Imagine a Wi-Fi link between two computers that are 238 miles apart. That is just what Ermanno Pietrosemoli, President of Escuela Latinoamerica de Redes, did in Venezuela.

This apparent record link was created by using some of Intel’s new equipment which can electrically steer signals and some parts that Pietrosemoli picked up at local stores. He then concocted his own long range Wi-Fi system which apparently works incredibly well.

Further research and experiments are being done as long-range Wi-Fi isn’t as reliable as WiMAX but it’s more cost effective.
Via [news.com.com]

AT&T’s President of Government Solutions for Mobility stated LTE will most likely be the path the company takes because there are similar throughputs but they haven’t excluded the possibility of WiMAX technology at this point. He also spent a great deal of time talking about the AT&T Networx’s latest contract win and the future of the $20 billion, 10-year project for the federal government.
Via [wirelessweek.com]

Three years ago Philadelphia Mayor Street announced that he had a dream. He dreamt of a hot city with inexpensive Wi-Fi for everyone whether they were at home or on the go. The city paired up with EarthLink to realize that dream and now, after testing a 15-square-mile area, they say they’re ready to go ahead and tackle the entire 135-square-mile city.

About 385 US cities have announced that they too have similar dreams but Philadelphia is the largest city to attempt the project. And tests so far are good. In the limited region currently covered the promised speed of 1 megabit per second is typically being met and at times it’s even being exceeded.

Naysayers believe that Wi-Fi over such large areas will prove to be much more time consuming and expensive than anticipated and they point to the simplicity of getting Wi-Fi from current cable and phone providers already established in these municipalities as being a better option for consumers. AAA The future is a bit unknown at this juncture but the success or failure of the Philadelphia project should give other cities a glimpse at the possibilities.
Via [philly.com]