Author: Eliza Villarino

A second round of private venture funding yielded $14 million for Amimon Inc., thus bringing the total investment to $21 million to include the sum raised in a previous round that took place in January 2005. Amimon plans to come out with a wireless video modem chipset for high-definition video streaming, which it expects to...

After evaluating other technologies, Sprint Nextel has chosen WiMax as its vehicle technology for the new high-speed wireless network that it plans to roll out in late 2007. According to Sprint chief executive Gary Forsee, Intel will provide the equipment for the network while Samsung and Motorola will develop phones and mobile devices that will...

Ofcom is exploring the possibility of auctioning off radio spectrum that could be utilized for 4G mobile services. At the moment, no one can define 4G and the adoption of 3G in the U.K. remains minimal. Since the £22.5 billion auction in 2000, 3G has only attracted 4.5 million users or equivalent to £5,000 per...

Analysts expect a dip in sales and consolidation of small wireless providers with the proliferation of municipal and citywide Wi-Fi networks, which offer low-cost and even free Internet service. Dan Lowden, vice-president of marketing and business development at Wi-Fi access operator Wayport, dismissed the opinion, saying he does not see "any type of impact from...

Security experts are raising concerns over connectivity to municipal and free public Wi-Fi networks. Brian Hernacki, an architect at security software developer Symantec's research labs, believes the lack of security in muni Wi-Fi networks makes them susceptible to attacks. Hackers could tap such infrastructure to gain access to data that companies have used millions of...

In-Stat sees a "bumpy" transition from IEEE 802.11b/g Wi-Fi to the next-gen 802.11n standard. The analyst firm believes the move to 802.11n will be more difficult than that to 802.11g from 802.11b. Though formal ratification of the IEEE 802.11n wireless Lan standard may not happen until next year, wireless networking firms have already developed products...

Sen. Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, is hoping to bring WiFi broadband service to smaller cities and rural areas. Schumer's plan involves extending tax breaks to companies installing wireline broadband equipment. The Broadband Tax Enhancement Act, S1147, has already been approved by the Senate Finance Committee in early July and is awaiting further...

The second draft of the proposed IEEE standard for 100+Mbps wireless LANs will have to wait until January 2007, months later than many had hoped. The task group responsible for the development of the 802.11n standard is sifting through 12,000 comments to draft 1.0, half of which have already been addressed. Bill McFarland, CTO for...

Google is not planning to provide US-wide WiFi service. It said around 300 contracts are open for competition but Google has not expressed its interest in any of them. It has put up $1 million to build a citywide network in Mountain View, the place Google calls home. As per its agreement with the city,...

The Tibetan Technology Center is set to host the Air Jaldi Summit for wireless community developers from around the globe. Free Software Foundation founder Richard Stallman, Wi-Fi pioneer Vic Hayes as well as representatives from Intel, Cisco and European wireless activists are expected to participate in the event, which will held in October. University of...

The Wi-Fi Alliance has unveiled Wi-Fi Protected Setup to allow for easier installation of safe Wi-Fi. According to the alliance, the program formerly known as "Wi-Fi Simple Config" will be available by the fourth quarter of 2006. WPS, it said, "is planned as an optional certification based on a standardised method for security setup in...

For a week, New Yorkers were able to chat with celebrities like Billy Wagner of the New York Mets and Ms. Universe Zuleyka Rivera over the Internet through the Blogmobile, an oversized van that houses a dozen PCs and acted as a WiFi hotspot. The blogmobile used Telkonet NuVisions technology to enable connection among the...

An appearance on CNN by French entrepreneur Rafi Haladjian last December generated 350,000 online requests from Americans for more information on his invention, Nabaztag. The WiFi-supported 9-inch tall rabbit, which lights up when it talks, wiggles its ears and sings songs, is not yet available in the U.S. European consumers have bought 50,000 units since...

Lycos has created an online database to help people locate Wi-Fi hotspots in the U.K. The database includes details on more than 10,000 connections in 1,500 towns including free-to-access Wi-Fi points and fee-based hotspots provided by such companies like T-Mobile, The Cloud and BT. The downloadable tool also provides information on hotspots in Sweden, Spain,...

Google has blanketed Mountain View, Calfornia, the place it calls home, with WiFi using a mesh of nodes placed on the city's lamp posts. A test of the network -- access to which is not available to the public yet -- showed that reliability, speed and ease of use do not match up with cellular...