Author: Wayne Slavin

Watching football on TV doesn't cut it anymore for John Furrier and his son, Alec, 8. Broadcasters can't spew enough statistics to satisfy the two. So the Furriers rely on a laptop with wireless Internet, called Wi-Fi, to get the latest data from the living room couch while watching the game. Via [usatoday.com]

As with the iPod, the hot Airport line of wireless-networking gear shows that ease of use and an eye for coming trends bring outsize gains. Via [businessweek.com]

Intel Corp.'s R&D group will push for a hybrid approach to what is expected to be a broad and heated debate on next-generation Wi-Fi standards in the IEEE 802.11n group. The proposed 100 Mbit/second version of 802.11 should embrace smart antennas, wider channels and advances in error correction and power efficiency, said James Wilson, a...

It won't achieve the status it deserves until it overcomes several obstacles -- some doozies -- now keeping it stuck in a techno-limbo. Via [businessweek.com]

Thinking of taking the plunge? BW's Steve Wildstrom has some tips for newbies to the world of the wireless Internet. Via [businessweek.com]

SBC Chief Technology Officer Ross Ireland says the DSL giant is working on ways to switch seamlessly between Wi-Fi and cellular service. Via [businessweek.com]

Wi-Fi continues to be embraced by the wireless industry and its consumers. Looking to garner an even larger piece of the Wi-Fi pie, Sprint and Boingo Wireless have forged separate roaming agreements with new partners. Via [wirelessweek.com]

French mobile phone operator Orange plans to double the number of its WiFi sites in France in 2004 but does not expect strong revenue growth from the technology that allows high speed mobile Internet access in public places. Via [bizreport.com]

Wireless technologies have spread quickly in recent years and are now widely deployed in corporate environments as well as at home. The human dependency on those technologies has increased to the point where one can find wireless devices almost everywhere, from network devices to laptops, cameras, and so on. Via [securityfocus.com]

The expected sale of AT&T Wireless for $35 billion may be a brilliant maneuver for the phone company, as new technologies may make cellular phones obsolete. Via [newsmax.com]

Bluesoft, a maker of wireless security and location systems, has just secured $5.7 million in Series B funding, with part of that investment coming from Intel’s Communications Fund, which invests in developers of innovative networking and communications solutions. The company says it will use the new money to drive sales of its Wi-Fi-based AeroScout location...

The convenience of wireless access typically comes with a high price tag. But that's changing. Some airports and hotels have begun installing 802.11 Wi-Fi networks and letting travelers use them for free. Via [informationweek.com]

The Wi-Fi gear market continued its rapid growth in 2003, led mostly by consumer holiday sales, but companies saw a slight shuffle in their market share rankings. Via [news.com.com]

A couple of days ago the WI-FI Alliance finally announced that after almost one year of detailed testing, more than 175 products from some of the leading wireless manufacturers, received WPA certifications. The majority of wireless users won't immediately buy the new hardware, so they are stuck with the equipment they are currently using. The...

Wi-Fi Internet access may sound like the best thing since sliced bread, but does it yet make mobile working a reality? The Reg went wireless to find out. Here, Nico Macdonald checks out the UK capital's hotspot scene. Next week, we take a trip out of town. Via [theregister.co.uk]