Author: Wayne Slavin

Chicago Public Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey rolled out free wireless Internet connections at the main Harold Washington Library Center and 76 branches. Via [washingtontimes.com]

Service was halted Tuesday to wireless-fidelity hot spots at more than 500 truck stops nationwide -- including some in Nebraska and Iowa -- disrupting Internet access for thousands of truck drivers. Via [americasnetwork.com]

Wi-Fi, often accused of being dominated by U.S. thinking, is now going global as new wireless standards adapt to the needs of Japan and Europe. They give the original 802.11 standard a facelift, updating the technology in the face of new concerns overseas. Via [wi-fiplanet.com]

The governor of Pennsylvania last week signed into law a controversial bill that includes, among myriad items, a provision giving incumbent carriers the ability to prevent cities from creating and charging for municipal Wi-Fi networks. Via [eweek.com]

Pennsylvania has been hit by a torrent of criticism over a new law restricting cities from offering Internet access. Via [news.com.com]

In general, attacks on wireless networks fall into four basic categories: passive attacks, active attacks, man-in-the middle attacks, and jamming attacks. Lets review what these attacks mean on a wireless network. Via [netsecurity.about.com]

More and more venues are becoming hotspots. Using the wireless 802.11x protocol better known as Wi-Fi, these hotspots can be found in airports, libraries, coffeehouses, restaurants, shopping malls and just about any other public location you can imagine. But unless there's a sign posted somewhere, you may not be able to easily find one. Via...

Netgear has integrated new features into its ProSafe line of wireless networking products that add load-balancing and security capabilities for small-business users. Via [informationweek.mobilepipeline.com]

UK broadband wireless start-up Libera has made a major shift in strategy and will now focus its efforts on creating a national WiMAX network for businesses. This reverses the plan, announced in June, of building its network in licensed 28GHz spectrum. Via [theregister.co.uk]

Wireless software provider Wireless Valley this week announced at the Wi-Fi Planet Conference and Expo its strategic intent to extend its design software offerings to cover such emerging technologies as RFID, ZigBee, and WiMax. Via [wi-fiplanet.com]

Businesses skittish about jumping on the Wi-Fi bandwagon because of security and reliability concerns should stop worrying. Via [eweek.com]

The public wireless local area network (Lan) market is finally taking off, with the combined spend on services in the US and Western Europe forecast to reach around €4.7bn by 2009, newly published market research has found. Via [vnunet.com]

Some companies and industry sectors are finding the use of Wi-Fi to be a helpful way to leap ahead to cutting edge technology while skipping intermediary steps saving time and money. Via [wi-fiplanet.com]

BelAir Networks has released three new products designed to extend the reach, capacity, and security of Wide Area Wi-Fi networks and wireless mesh networks. Via [commsdesign.com]

Federal and state governments usually promote competition for telecom services, but some states are blocking free Wi-Fi access. Via [pcworld.com]