Focus On: Wireless

Despite the constant drumbeat of bad security news, many users believe it's all a bunch of bunk designed to panic them into buying stuff they don't need. They're right. But that doesn't explain why so few protect themselves by encrypting their wireless access points... especially since it costs them nothing at all. After seeing a wardriving report on my community, I'm depressed.

By digging on the vastly improved US Census Bureau site, I found that there really isn't much poverty in my small midwestern city. Can local geeks use this knowledge to close the portion of the digital divide that's due to income? My plan's designed to satisfy Conservatives, Moderates, Liberals and Greens. If it doesn't please you, let's hear yours.

Should a small town offer free mobile municipal wireless? A midwestern city confronted with the question digs through the possibilities. The second meeting of our Wireless Task Force reveals that robust private efforts are already under way. A question is emerging: How far should a city go to bridge the digital divide?

Once again, everyone's talking about the patents aimed at Blackberry's heart. But this time, it's not just about Blackberry. Nearly everyone in the mobile industry is at risk from a slew of much tougher software patents, served up by Visto. When you see the patents, and compare them to the earlier patents that caused RIM to cave, you'll see why the cost of mobile email's on its way up.

We owe it all to HDTV. Home and small office wiring options just got a boost with this week's announcement by the Multimedia over Coax Alliance of its new coax spec of 270 megabits per second. But that spec may already be on its way to the dustbin of history as the HomePNA Alliance led by Cisco's Scientific Atlanta polishes up a 320Mbs standard for both phone lines and coax. Email Battles compares the major standards, and tells you what you can do with them.