Barnes & Noble Goes Wi-Fi

Hotspot “wholesaler” Cometa Networks was supposed to have opened up a few thousand hotspots by now. However, with actual numbers falling far short of previously announced plans, the company has adopted a “year-by-year” approach to installing its public access Wi-Fi network. Now, in what the company is touting as the “initiation of its national rolloutContinue Reading

Wireless Powwow Takes Aim At Spectrum

With the boom in Wi-Fi growing by the day, Silicon Valley executives seized the chance on Monday to make sure that Uncle Sam will make the right policy moves for the wireless future. Via [news.com.com]Continue Reading

WLAN Future Lies In 802.11n Kit

Some wireless equipment vendors believe 802.11a has failed and are already looking to a proposed 108Mbit/s standard to take its place. Via [vnunet.com]Continue Reading

Voice On Wi-Fi Advances

Vendors are offering telephone handsets designed for use over corporate wireless LANs. Via [vnunet.com]Continue Reading

Start-up Ups Ante On Wi-Fi Security

AirMagnet is taking intrusion detection and prevention a step further in the wireless local area network market with a new version of its software that can block and disable rogue users. Via [news.com.com]Continue Reading

Wireless Industry Intellectually Challenged

The wireless industry has reached that stage where intellectual property issues threaten to overshadow real technology debates. Too many bright start-ups, many facing shake-out and failing to gain significant market presence through effective sales, are turning instead to their patent portfolios and the ‘Qualcomm model’ of deriving revenue from other companies’ licensing fees. Via [theregister.co.uk]Continue Reading

Wi-Fi And Skateboards Together In LOVE Park? Why Not?

When Mayor Street announced on Friday that he intends to rig LOVE Park up with wireless access to the Internet, he proved he’s thinking along the right lines when it comes to this under-used urban park. Via [philly.com]Continue Reading

Linksys Clarifies Netgear Comms Breakdown

Linksys has hit back at the Computing Which? report suggesting that the company’s Wireless-G router failed to communicate with Netgear’s Wi-Fi bridge during testing at Which? offices. Linksys corporate communications manager, Karen Sohl, says the publication is wrong if it suggests that there’s any standards failure by Linksys. Via [theregister.co.uk]Continue Reading

Free Wi-Fi Access Could Lead To More Business

Looking to drum up more business, ACJ Technology is giving a little in hopes of getting a lot. The wireless networking company is developing a network of free Wi-Fi hot spots for Seattle area businesses. Via [wirelessweek.com]Continue Reading

Calypso Charges On Wi-Fi Patent Enforcement

Shares of Calypso Wireless surged nearly 30 percent following news that the company is planning to enforce its newly awarded patent that covers roaming between cellular and wireless local area networks. The company has begun contacting wireless OEMs. Via [wirelessweek.com]Continue Reading

Free Services Might Cost You

Whenever Dick Tracy checked in with Diet Smith on his two-way wrist radio (and, later, TV), kids everywhere imagined how cool life would be if they could send similar missives. WiFi — wireless fidelity — has been wonderfully pre-sold. When laptops or hand-held computers started linking through local area networks (WLANS) in airports, hotels, conferenceContinue Reading

Linksys Falls Off Wi-Fi Bridge

The Wi-Fi Alliance won’t like this: a simple compatibility test of two mainstream wireless devices by Computing Which? failed to get a Netgear bridge to talk to a Linksys router. Via [theregister.co.uk]Continue Reading

Cometa Has Slight Burp In McDonald’s Test

Cometa Networks has lost AT&T as its service provider for a hot-spot test with McDonald’s in New York City, but prospects may be heating up on the other coast for the Wi-Fi company. Via [news.com.com]Continue Reading

Group Tries To Rally 802.11 Patents

Via Licensing is forming a group devoted to making licensing of 802.11-related patents easier and to increasing the use of wireless networking in a broader array of products. Via [zdnet.com.com]Continue Reading

Experimental Free Wi-Fi LAN Gaining Momentum In SF

San Francisco has made its share of alternative-type news lately. In addition to being the world center for same-sex marriage — at least for a while — it’s also vying to become the center for alternative, independent Wi-Fi Internet service. To that end, say hello to SFLan. Via [newsforge.com]Continue Reading