Parents of students who attend an Illinois school district are suing over the use of Wi-Fi technology in classrooms, alleging that exposure to the low-level radio waves may be damaging to students' health. Via [zdnet.com.com]

Firms that are unconvinced about the wisdom of installing an 802.11b network may find their employees decide to rectify the situation with a trip to Dixons. Via [news.zdnet.co.uk]

Wireless LAN chips will show up in mobile phones and start embracing smart antenna technology in 2004, according to a panel of wireless chip experts at the Communications Design Conference in the US. Via [itnews.com.au]

A new wireless local area network standard is being developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers—the 802.11n protocol. According to the standards body, the new 802.11n protocol will raise the effective throughput for wireless LAN to at least 100 megabits per second, three times the existing speed of 30 Mbps. Via [rcrnews.com]

In three events to be held simultaneously on Sept. 25, a number of hardware and service providers will fete consumers with "One Unwired Day", combining Lollapalooza with the Internet café. Consumers will be able to choose from a list of Wi-Fi public hotspots offering free service, while listening to a free concert. Via [extremetech.com]

For a network administrator or curious end-user looking to do basic sniffing of the airwaves for WLAN traffic and locations, Kismet, NetStumbler and AirSnort have a price that's hard to beat. Via [newsfactor.com]

Have a functional home wireless network? Maybe it's time to take your show on the road. Via [newsday.com]

A UK researcher has developed a sniffing tool to demonstrate security holes in the wireless technology. Via [zdnet.com.com]

Presently, Wi-Fi comes in three flavors: 802.11A, 802.11B, and 802.11G. To help you decide which version will work best with your network, here is a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of each of these standards. Via [techrepublic.com.com]

Rogue access points present a huge risk to network security. Here are several methods for minimizing the risks associated with rogue access points and a few products that can help detect them. Via [techrepublic.com.com]

With commercial rollouts of Wi-Fi technology in planes fast approaching, users of laptops in cabins--as well as other public places--have been warned about an easy-to-overlook security threat: shoulder surfing. Via [zdnet.com.com]

Security weaknesses of 802.11 LANs will be addressed in three separate sessions, and include ways to defeat wireless encryption protocol (WEP), detecting attacks against 802.11 networks, and installing rogue access points in existing LANs. Via [newsfactor.com]

Sprint Corp. plans to offer high-speed wireless Internet access in the U.S. for laptops equipped with WiFi by the end of summer, joining a growing number of major phone companies that have embraced the hot technology. Via [globetechnology.com]

Early last spring, NYCWireless co-founder Anthony Townsend got a note in the mail saying that someone on his network had been violating copyright laws. Via [news.com.com]

Over the years, I've seen a handful of news items and at least one documentary on water divining. Usually the practice proliferates during droughts. It involves a tool such as a forked or Y-shaped stick and someone—a dowser—who can use the tool to find water underground. The tail end of the Y bends down when...