Tag: Commentary

They've been called urban races and modern scavenger hunts, but for players of these trendy new outdoor games, one's prowess with wireless technology is just as important as a good pair of shoes. Via [globetechnology.com]

In their haste to kick-start 3G revenues some mobile operators are embarking on risky strategies as they try to compete with public wireless local area network (Lan) services, analysts claim. Via [vnunet.com]

Two years in, and the battle for an Ultra Wideband standard still looms over the semi industry. The technology, a short range wireless form of connectivity often compared to the IEEE's 802.11 family of wireless LAN, has been tossed and twirled about, but has yet to see final standardization. Via [reed-electronics.com]

While Wi-Fi access is becoming almost ubiquitous it seems there are still doubts in users' minds about where they would feel safe getting out their laptop. Via [networks.silicon.com]

Philadelphia is debating making all 134 square miles of the city the world's largest wireless hot spot. Boston, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles and other cities are considering parallel moves. In Europe, the firm HotSpot Amsterdam is set to go citywide in the Dutch capital soon. Via [chron.com]

A report from the University of Georgia's New Media Institute shows that although local government is a major driver of large wireless projects nationwide, its influence is not as pervasive or its reasons as clear as some would think. Via [fcw.com]

Doctors and nurses at Silicon Valley's El Camino Hospital use Wi-Fi not just to send e-mail, but also to talk to each other. Cutting-edge Wi-Fi phones have replaced pagers and intercoms in many parts of the high-tech hospital. The portable phones, which resemble walkie-talkies, run on new technology that may soon become an alternative to...

Take that wireless hot spot in the local java joint, jack it up on steroids and use it to connect an entire city full of computers. That, in short, is WiMax, a cutting-edge wireless technology that's starting to prove its worth as a fast, cheap and easy networking option for businesses. Via [forbes.com]

Chicago commercial real estate developer Tim Donohue no longer pays rent for an office. With so many free Wi-Fi establishments popping up, he can tap into their Internet signals - and his cell phone - to accomplish his daily business needs. Via [usatoday.com]

The first generation of wireless networking equipment was expensive, tricky to configure, slow, and not that reliable. But performance has improved and it is possible now to pick up basic equipment very cheaply. Via [news.independent.co.uk]

A disagreement over public and private wireless networks is stirring up high-tech tension at the University of Texas at Dallas. Via [news.zdnet.com]

There are inconspicuous ethical shades to wardriving that are poorly understood, and to date, no academic literature has analyzed the legality of the activity. This article will argue that the act of wardriving itself is quite innocuous, legal, and can even be quite beneficial to society. It will also highlight the need for wardrivers -...

The Marines and Navy medical staff of the 3rd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, based in Camp Salerno, Afghanistan, built a private, wireless, satellite-based network to support personal e-mail service and Internet-based phone calls to family and friends back home. Via [fcw.com]

A US citizen is thought to have become the first person to be accused of hacking a wireless network in order to send spam. Via [networks.silicon.com]

Throughout the underground internet the last few months, everyone has been whispering the same magic word: ‘wardrive’. No, not warp-drive, like in the Star-Trek series, the ‘engine’ that allows to travel faster than the speed of light. Wardrive. Via [dmeurope.com]