Archos 704 WiFi Is An Impressive Gadget With Some Shortcomings

Among the most fascinating new types of gadgets on the market are portable multimedia devices. These devices take advantage of computer technology in order to provide you with a complete entertainment experience that you can take with you just about anywhere. These devices are also called portable video devices and portable media devices. They allow you to listen to digital music, view digital photographs, and watch video all on a built in color LCD screen or on a full sized TV screen if one is available. These devices include the video iPod from Apple, the Zune from Microsoft, and the PocketDish from Dish Network among other lesser known brands. Now there's a new type of gadget of this ilk called the Archos 704 WiFi. Archos is a French company that has always produced innovative new portable media products, and this latest iteration definitely upholds that tradition. The Archos 704 WiFi is the size of a slim paperback book and dominated by a (relatively) huge LCD screen. This LCD screen produces rich colors and is sensitive to touch, which goes a long way toward offsetting the fact that the huge screen doesn't leave room on the face of the unit for much in the way of buttons or other controls.

Like other models of these gadgets, the Archos 704 WiFi can play video, play digital music, and be used to view digital photos, but the inclusion of wireless capabilities (as the name implies) takes it far beyond those simple entertainment options. Because Archos has chosen to include that kind of connectivity the Archos 704 WiFi is also capable of surfing the Internet and checking email. This is made easier by the inclusion of the touch screen feature in order to perform both functions.

The fact that the unit contains a large 80 gigabyte hard drive allows it to hold plenty of media which can be downloaded easily from a computer. With the purchase of a docking station for an extra one hundred dollars the Archos 704 WiFi can also be used as a digital video recorder that can either play the recorded video back on your full sized TV set or on its own screen.

While a lot of video will fit on an 80 gigabyte hard drive, the Archos 704 WiFi can't really do justice to all of that storage capacity because of the fact that its battery only supplies enough juice for about an hour of video. (Depending on how the video is stored eighty gigabytes of hard drive space should translate into at least seventy hours of video!) This limited battery life puts the Archos 704 WiFi at a major disadvantage when compared to other portable video devices which have batteries that will last several hours while playing video. In fact, greater battery life is one of the things that theoretically should give portable media devices an advantage over laptop computers which perform many of the same functions, albeit on a bigger screen and in a bulkier casing. But with plenty of laptop computers on the market that have greater battery lives for playing video, the Archos 704 WiFi definitely isn't a better by than they are according to that standard.

Another advantage that portable media devices have had over laptop computers is price. Most portable media devices are significantly cheaper than laptop computers, but with a price tag of almost five hundred and fifty dollars, the Archos 704 WiFi definitely doesn't fit into that category. Especially when you consider the fact that the docking station that allows digital video recording costs an extra one hundred dollars, and software that facilitates digital video recording will be included on just about any new laptop computer (that will cost around six hundred dollars) the Archos 704 WiFi really doesn't look like a good deal by comparison.

These shortcomings and the high price largely negate a lot of the advantages of portable devices in general, but the Archos 704 WiFi still has the advantage of more compact size when compared to laptop computers.

This article is for consumers looking for information on new technology. It provides a resource for finding Direct TV Specials, and any great Direct TV offers that are currently available.

VoIP Over WiFi for Businesses: Sending Voice Over the Wireless LAN

The convergence of data and voice networks in the business environment takes on a new twist with the emergence of wireless networking. The freedom of mobility offered to users in a wireless LAN has proven to provide a noticeable boost in productivity, efficiency, and. employee morale. No longer is the work force tied to their desk when on the job. Workers can access company files and receive important communications from anywhere on the company campus that is in range of a wireless access point.

With voice communications thrown into the mix, mobile users can stay in touch while roaming the property inside or out, and even on the road. The acceptance of the fixed to mobile convergence concept by the telecommunications industry only promises to fuel the fire for the adoption of VoIP over WiFi.

The Challenges of Implementing VoIP over WiFi Networks

As with any emerging technology, there are challenges to overcome. The development of the converged network, i.e. data and voice on the same IP based LAN, while yet to be an established norm, is proving to be beneficial for businesses from both a cost and productivity perspective. Adding the prospect of VoIP over a wireless network brings up a whole new set of issues.

VoIP is a time sensitive technology. Calls must be set up and authenticated, and voice packets must arrive at their destination without interruption and on time. This requires a near continuous network stream, uninterrupted by less sensitive data transmissions. The implementation of Quality of Service techniques on wired LANs assure that these voice packets receive priority, and call quality issues such as latency, jitter, and packet loss have been sufficiently addressed.

Enter the standards based wireless network, a technology in an earlier stage of development, and more challenges occur. While today's wired network provides plenty of bandwidth for both voice and data to coexist, WLANs provide less bandwidth, and Quality of Service issues must be revisited. Security measures such as authentication and encryption must be implemented and can add to the problem by increasing the size of the voice packet. Additionally, users on the move will traverse wireless access points where handoffs must be quick and smooth.

The IEEE 802 standards governing wireless technology are evolving rapidly and promise to deal with a broad spectrum of WiFi issues. Increasing the bandwidth available, prioritizing voice packets for QoS, authentication and encryption protocols for security, and enhanced roaming techniques are all being addressed.

Also in development is the wireless technology commonly known as WiMax, providing for the implementation of high bandwidth wireless communications covering distances of up to 30 miles. The evolution of WiMax could prove of great consequence to developing countries, as well as Metropolitan LANs.

Security in a VoIP/WiFi Network

Companies wishing to implement wVoIP must take security issues into consideration from the start. As in any IP network, the dangers of hackers, denial of service, highjacking and spam, all lurk in the shadows.

Because a wireless network uses radio frequencies as its transmission media, the security normally provided by a firewall in a wired network is not sufficient, simply because of the physics. Whereas to break into a wired LAN requires hackers to either physically be inside the network or to hack in through the Internet, in a WLAN they can grab network transmissions from the air while parked across the street. The security issues that network managers must consider in a VoWLAN are the privacy of conversations, and the protection of the network infrastructure.

For WiFi networks, security has had a shaky start with the implementation of WEP as its security mechanism. WEP provides for authentication and encryption between the user and the access point, and was found to be easily hacked. The 802.11i standard, adopted as WPA2 (Wireless Protected Access), provides for more robust security by requiring two way authentication between the user and the network, and uses AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) as its encryption engine.

As network managers plan the rollout of a wireless VoIP network, the greatest security threat they face is improper implementation. Building security into the design of the initial deployment can, and should affect the network topology, as well as material costs. Failure to do so could lead to further expenses in loss of services and network redesigns in the event of compromise.

WiFi, VoIP, and the Cellular Networks

Manufacturers of cellular devices are incorporating WiFi radios into their handsets at an ever increasing rate. New versions of mobile operating systems are coming out complete with a built in VoIP stack, inviting carriers and manufacturers to add VoIP functionality to their devices. Dual and Quad band cell phones can choose between the strongest network available, cellular or WiFi, and place a call accordingly.

As cell phones become more like mobile offices, the benefits of a mobile work force become apparent. In the case of the road warrior, the ability to communicate via email, text messaging, video or voice, allows them to stay on the road longer without losing touch. In the age of instant information, mobile office applications allow files to be downloaded, edited, and uploaded, increasing the productivity of the traveler to the point where just about anything that can be done in the office can be done on the road.

A cell phone that can switch between cellular and WiFi networks can significantly reduce telecommunications costs at the corporate office. With WiFi hotspots popping up at hotels, cafes, and corporate LANs across the globe, mobile workers can stay in touch with office and family both on and off the job. With the addition of a VoIP service provider, cheaper VoIP calls can be made from any WiFi network at the push of a button.

Imagine, if you will, a future where one phone, with one phone number, can seamlessly traverse cellular networks, WiFi networks, cable and PSTN landlines. Where roaming and switching between disparate networks occur without interruption or loss of call quality. Fixed Mobile Convergence is the buzzword of the decade, and the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture is the standard that promises to get us there.

The goal of IMS is to provide all the services and applications that the Internet provides, both current, and as of yet unimagined. IP based services such as VoIP, Push to talk cellular (POC), videoconferencing, text messaging, community services, presence information and file sharing, are just some of the possibilities. Designed to work with any fixed, mobile or wireless packet switched network, backwards compatibility for the legacy circuit switched phone system is provided through the use of gateways.

Although still in its infancy, IMS is already being implemented by AT&T as the platform in it's newly acquired Cingular cellular network. Interest in investing in a new infrastructure by mobile and fixed operators has been up and down, as they weigh the costs and benefits of the new technology.

As the technology of VoIP over WiFi networks continues to develop, businesses of all sizes can reap the benefits of increased mobility, productivity, and significant cost savings. Standards committees are constantly working on ways to increase security and quality of service, and as fixed mobile convergence gains acceptance in the telecommunications industry, more choices in the services offered and the IP applications available to businesses are sure to follow. What will also be interesting to watch, is how these very bandwidth intensive applications will be priced by the carrier networks, and how it will affect the neutrality of the Internet.

Author Michael Talbert is a certified systems engineer and web designer with over 7 years experience in the industry. For more information on VoIP and WiFi technologies, visit the website VoIP-Facts.net, or the VoIP Facts Blog for up to date industry news and commentary.

Wifi Hotspot Locations for Sale - is That a Good Thing?

Recent companies have been advertising wifi hotspot locations that are 'turnkey' (they can run themselves), and only cost between $13,000 and $20,000 to start. Is that good?

First of all, if it's so turnkey then why aren't they just popping off wifi hotspot locations left and right for themselves, is it their newfound generosity that has them 'sharing' the opportunities they have available. I'm not knocking the possibility of some companies to provide a business model, like in the restaurant business where they allow you to own a branded franchise for an initial investment in order to spread out locations in a more easier return on investment. However, wifi locations normally have an additional service or product that acts as an anchor for customers to come in and use the benefit of wi-fi to connect to the Internet thru broadband high speed access. Starbucks and Hilton Hotels are prime examples of a business model that has customers coming in for a service or product and then using wifi access as a secondary product/service.

Secondly, the potential for wifi hotspots cannot be limited to a cookie-cutter system that will fit everyone, after all if that were the case the other auto makers wouldn't be in business and we would still be driving 'Model T' Fords. Not to mention the fact that if you open a business with only wifi access as the only product/service available and then the community, town or city where your business is located decides to wirelessly enable the public transportation system like in the southern California city of Cerritos; guess what - your business just got knocked the flip out.

African American small business people have resources, and some may believe those resources are unlimited. But if you shell out $20,000 for a new business and after 6 months get locked out of your client base by a larger business or business model, you have lost more than your investment. A wifi business is not something that can be advanced as able to stand on it's own in the present day. In the example above the city of Cerritos is delivering wifi along with it's transportation system, which should probably increase ridership as people will opt to ride and check their email or just finish up a project as they go to work or to shop.

Look carefully at starting to use wifi in your business, research and see if there is a potential for competition to knock you client base out of the ballpark. Even then, when is your competition going to implement their wifi access and see if you have time to enhance your wifi service with coupons or other attractive services that may not be available to your competition. Wifi access will become a very powerful business asset in the coming year and more so in the future. Now is the time to get your feet wet, just check out your options in order not to get drowned out of business.

We can help give you your freedom back...and a whole lot more. M.D.T.G.

Daviyd Peterson: 12-year consultant, instructor, trainer of digital divide solutions for both home and business. Helps African American and minority Small Business Enterprises bridge the digital divide by becoming wireless Small Office Digital Offices (SODO).

daviyd@bluebottle.com

Telecom Industry Transition: WiFi, VoIP, WiMax - The Wireless Age is Already Here

VoIP on WiMax will make the latest 3G technologies obsolete before they are completely installed. The reason is because 3G cell phone technology is capable of 2Mbs while WiFi is at 11Mbs in bursts and WiMax will be even greater therefore 3G is not needed as VoIP over WiMax is going to provide more data, faster speeds and greater numbers of users. WiFi and WiMax may actually solve the goals of conquering the digital divide. There will be a small price for this disruptive technology. There will be small legal battles fought such as this one over territory with government agencies and private sector. In the WiFi Online Newsletter commenting on a Wall Street Journal Article we saw Verizon fighting with the City of Philadelphia over their city wide WiFi and if you think about it they do potentially have quite a bit to lose don't they?

There will also be issues with frequency pollution from other uses in close proximity of the frequency band being sent out. There will be issues with the human biological system, birds, animals and pets. There will also layoffs caused by such disruption and some bluff layoffs to sway political intervention thru careful manipulation of “K-Street” style guerilla lobbying. There will also be issues with first to market and frequency allocations from the FCC. There will be consumer complaints due to bandwidth being used up and services too slow for users.

There are already some heated battles going on with the use of power lines to deliver Internet to the home because it will disrupt Ham Operators. The layoffs in Telecom have been astronomical in recent years. New technologies while they give the industry new life, new directions to grow they also provide for some fierce competition between players. One of the most recent issues was the VoIP FCC ruling, which said that VoIP couldn’t be taxed by states, as it is an Internet Service not a phone service. This was a major ruling for the VoIP Industry and will add billions of dollars in capital from investment banks and venture capital firms.

http://www.commweb.com/53700703

Recently I was at a WiFi Verizon Hot Spot and there were six people with computers there, two playing video games on the Internet, One using VoIP another downloading a big file, needless to say surfing at any acceptable speed or collecting 1000 emails (most 90% SPAM) was out of the question. Although patrons have paid $19.95 per month for internet access there will be issues with speed and bandwidth as the Internet is soaked up by VoIP and excessive emails. WiMax promises to solve this problem with speeds of 75MB per second as opposed to the WiFi burst speeds of 11MB or the mobile satellite solutions at 1-2 MB per second. Still all of these solutions blow out of the water the old dial up speeds. 3G Wireless was thought to be the savior, yet with speeds on the very lowest end of the spectrum, even devices like the Blackberry (RIMM), or the AT & T iGO do not stand a chance on such services.

Right now 3G network is nearly complete and works good for phone calls and instant messaging, but is quite lacking for video or picture emailing. As new devices come out such as movie watching, music downloads, projection video, hologram messages, 3G, 4G even 5G and what some in the industry call 6G will not be able to use with the current 3G towers across the nation. Even with 1000:1 algorithm compression there is a limit on the devices and system. The Telecom Industry has taken a huge hit in the last five years with massive layoffs, accounting irregularities and overpriced bidding for frequency allocation, which amounted to investments based on pie in the sky wishful thinking potential consumer numbers even from a monopolistic standpoint, it was simply not possible. The frenzy to over pay for these frequencies was out of control and we saw the fallout occur as predicted by many an insider.

So how does the future look now? Well, all in all things are looking good, we have capital flows to new entrants, large corporations finding partners and re-investing profits in an industry which seems to have new life blood and can be called anything but static.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

WiFi Spying

Our CIA needs to develop fold out WiFi Spy devices for the field, this will enable them to track international terrorists, hack into Blackberry Type portable devices and monitor computer surfing when an Internet Service Provider cannot be trusted, as in foreign operations. I believe we should hire the Defcon Convention Hackers who were able to receive a signal over 125 miles away without amplification to help us design a system which can easily fit into a small space for easy transport. The previous World Record for an un-amplified WiFi connection was just over 55-miles. To learn more as to how this is done go to this website:

http://www.wifi-shootout.com/

We know that the International Terrorists and insurgents use personal computers and when they travel they use Internet WiFi systems to send and receive and communicate with their cells. If we can track them and pick up their signals this will in fact give us clues to who they are talking with, what they are surfing for and perhaps the potential dates and places of their next targets against humanity. The Internet Hackers as bad as they are, seem to be able to provide us with their down and dirty prototypes and they assure us, underneath it all they are still Patriots at Heart.

http://wifi.weblogsinc.com/entry/1234000407052562/

We can design a system based on their prototypes out of light-weight materials. Once this is done we can use NASA technologies for the unfolding of systems, similar to their Mars Lander deployments for fast and easy set-up in the field, thus enabling our CIA in-country assets to quickly deploy and fold-up these units for transport. Think on this.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

WiFi Vs. WiMax

Wi Fi Fo Fum, I think I smell the blood…oops wrong tale. This story doesn’t involve giants, but it does involve giant leaps forward in technology that will affect us all.

The other day I was watching two kids play. Each had a tin can up to their ear and they were speaking to each other on the ‘phone’. Talk about technological leaps. Yes, the string that I used as a kid to hook up this intricate communication system had disappeared, and they were now wireless!

When I was Batman back then, the string always kept me close enough to Robin so we could hear each other, even around the corner of a cinder block wall. Unrestricted by ‘the magic string’ these kids tended to drift out of range from time to time. Showing true genius, they engaged Billy’s little brother to position himself on middle ground, and he relayed wireless messages back and forth. They called him ‘tower’. I laughed.

It really is a reflection of a changing world. We’ve gone from HiFi to Wi-Fi, and next on the endless chain is WiMax. The transition from ‘High Fidelity’, which simply related to sound quality, to ‘Wireless Fidelity’ or Wi-Fi, took about thirty-eleven years. The transition to WiMax is already in play, yet most of us haven’t figured out what Wi-Fi is really all about.

According to the ‘Webopedia’, the term is promulgated by the Wi-Fi Alliance, and is short for Wireless Fidelity as I indicated above. What it means is that you can access the Internet from a laptop computer with the right stuff (wireless card) in various locations without the burden of a physical wire.

Hold it – Webopedia? Yikes! Yes, it’s real, and it defines and explains web ‘stuff’. I guess Babe Ruth probably thought that Encyclopedias were on the bleeding edge, yet I wrote my 7th grade essay all about him using that standard, great source of knowledge. Makes you wonder what ‘pedia’ is next doesn’t it?

It goes on to say that any products tested and approved as Wi-Fi certified (a registered trademark) by the Wi-Fi Alliance are certified as interoperable with each other, even if from different manufacturers.

That’s kind of like Fords & Toyotas use the same gas to make them go, and their owners use the same ramps and highways to pick up milk, or go to the cottage. Even Hudson Hornets used a leaded version of the same fuel.

An example where this wasn’t so well planned is the access to the electricity grids in Europe as opposed to North America. The same plugs don’t work in both places.

Rather than making that mistake, the Alliance has created an accepted standard so that manufacturers create equipment, and the like, that can be used in a similar fashion to access the web. That means that your laptop, regardless of brand, will use the same ‘hot-spots’ to get access. Hot-spots are areas where the facility, like Starbucks or the hotel that owns the lobby, has put in the proper equipment to provide access from your wireless card to the great big cloud called the Internet. The wireless card is the gas for the Fords & Toyotas, and the hot-spot is the on ramp.

And therein lie both the beauty and the problem. The beauty is that I can access the web from Starbucks in Atlanta, as well as a hotel lobby in Vancouver. If you’ve ever seen someone doing the hippy-hippy shake with their computer in their hands, you’re probably witnessing the problem. Wi-Fi access is limited in both speed and distance. The twisting person was probably trying to get a more consistent signal in the ‘hot-spot’.

Enter WiMax. That’s not Max Smart and his wireless shoe communications, but it is the next generation of Wi-Fi. According to WiMaxxed.com it “will connect you to the Internet at faster speeds and from much longer ranges than current wireless technology allows.” They go on to say “WiMax promises up to a ten mile range without wires, and broadband speeds without cable or T1.”

The result – we are absolved from the penance of viewing way too many hippy-hippy shakes. Well, not so fast, don’t throw out your dancin’ shoes quite yet. It’s not on the Wal-Mart shelves for next Christmas, but there are a lot of indicators that it’s real, and it’s just around the corner.

First of all, it is an acronym for Worldwide Interoperability For Microwave Access, and it has actually been in the works for quite a while now. An article titled ‘FCC Move Could Boost WiMax’, states “A number of vendors and carriers have announced products, testing, or support for the standard in the last month, including Intel, Nokia, AT&T, BellSouth, Sprint, and Motorola.” These companies aren’t akin to Duke’s Pool Room – these are the big boys.

The article continues to say, “Congress has been lobbied for months now to free more frequencies for wireless broadband.”

AlcaTel states that WiMax will “bridge the digital divide by delivering broadband in low-density areas.” If you really study that statement, you can see where we are in the world today. Where governments once ensured that all residents were able to receive phone service in the Ma Bell days, that lingo is now being used in relation to broadband access to the Internet. May everybody have equal access is the refrain, but only if it’s high speed!

So instead of hot-spot hopping, WiMax will provide true wireless mobility. And there’s more. In an article by Al Senia of America’s Network, he states that ‘Phone manufacturers such as Samsung and LG are expected to introduce Wi-Fi handsets compatible with this service by year’s end.”

O.K., so that’s VoIP, except it’s wireless VoIP in hot-spots. Next is WiMax, with wide-area wireless VoIP.

To be sure, there are quality and security issues to be resolved, whether that’s for surfing, voice applications, or a gazillion other Internet applications, before wider market acceptance is achieved. However, I attended a recent presentation by the Gartner Group, where the presenter stated emphatically that security is not an ‘if’ but rather ‘how much’. His meaning was clearly that the level of security required for business applications will be achieved, and that commercial providers will find the economic model that works. Ditto for quality.

We used to trade information at the speed of the Pony Express, when the air was just filled with farm smells. Now when the air is filled with zeros and ones, information is transferred at speeds faster than Clark Kent. If we’re to remain on competitive even ground, we had better pay attention to these applications that are on the horizon. We have to assume that our competitors are paying attention.

It took a century to transform from Alexander Bell’s basic invention to wireless phones. However, in the last decade alone, the Internet has met with wide acceptance by business, VoIP has become more common, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi VoIP is now a reality, and WiMax and wide area wireless VoIP is very nearly on the market.

In the past, I’ve often used an example of future possibilities by alluding to a chip in our eyebrows that can transmit holographic images around the globe. That’s not even that far-fetched anymore, so I guess I’ll have to come up with a better example. I’m going to have to track down the Jetsons and Star Trek reruns.

“Grandpa, why is the sky blue?” That’s always been a puzzler. What on earth are you going to say when the question is “Grandpa, why is the sky zeros and ones?” That’s when you ask yourself, “Wi me?”

That begs another question. Where do all the zeros and ones go when they’re used up? Is there a big Z&O dump somewhere? Or should that be backwards – OZ. Oh, that Wizard, I knew he was up to something.

Dennis Schooley is the Founder of Schooley Mitchell Telecom Consultants, a Professional Services Franchise Company. He writes for publication, as well as for schooleymitchell.blogging.com and franchises.blogging.com, in the subject areas of Franchising, and Technology for the Layman. http://www.schooleymitchell.com, 888-311-6477, dschooley@schooleymitchell.com

JunxionBox -- WiFi Access Everywhere

Now you can more easily access the Internet wherever mobile phone carriers offer high-speed data service coverage.

The JunxionBox enables multiple computing devices with Ethernet or Wi-Fi (like laptops, desktops, handhelds and remote computers) to connect with the web through your mobile phone service provider's wireless PC Card modem.

You can also use the Junxion Box to share the Internet connection, files or printers among multiple devices.

Mobile work groups, landline back-up, event connectivity, vehicles, telemetry, home or business landline replacement...with Junxion, it's easy to stay connected.

The JunxionBox (www.junxionbox.com) is a unique device that combines a cellular data card with a Wi-Fi router and runs on both 12 volts and 110 volts. This combination of features lets you establish a hotspot nearly anywhere you go and even while you're on your way there.

THE BOX The JunxionBox is pleasingly simple. It has one PCMCIA slot for your cellular data card, a connector for power (both 110 volt and cigarette lighter plugs are included), and two Ethernet ports (one for connecting directly to a computer, and another to connect to an Ethernet LAN). In addition, there are two LEDs, one power indicator, and one cellular connection status indicator.

Even that short list makes the box sound harder than it is. To use the unit, simply plug it in to a power outlet with an activated cellular data card installed. The power LED turns red, and then the connection light changes from blinking to solid green. At that point the unit is active and you're good to go.

USAGE The JunxionBox's $500 - $700 price tag is overkill for a single-user environment where you could just as easily slide the air card into your laptop. But for corporate environments there are several uses that could easily justify the cost of the unit, even for a single-user connection.

Conventions and trade shows are natural targets for the JunxionBox, where the cost of a single dialup line for a three-day show is likely to cost more than the acquisition price of the JunxionBox. Not only would you get the better connection speed to the booth, but you can have multiple connections for the same price.

OTHER APPLICATIONS:

• VEHICLE

   

  cars, trucks, RV’s

  mobile command units

  commercial service/fleet vehicles

  shuttles, carpool/vanpool

  transit (busses, trains, ferries)

  taxis/limos

  private/commercial vessels

   

• PORTABLE

   

  landline data/voice service back-up

  mobile work teams

  events, trade shows, conferences

  visitor mobile hotspot

  incident response

  vacation

   

• FIXED

   

  landline data/voice service back-up

  broadband alternative (w/3G service)

  dial-up alternative

  telemetry

   

• TEMPORARY

   

  interim (waiting for landline)

  seasonal hotspots

  trial hotspots

  kiosks

 

I'm certain there are more uses that make sense for the JunxionBox, such as providing a backup Internet connection for critical environments like retail stores.

This category of device is still just beginning, and hot spots are likely to emerge wherever user demand and financial incentives exist.

For example, Google Inc. has setup JunxionBoxes in its shuttle buses so its employees can be productive while commuting from the parking lot to the office.

SERVICE The box will accept any air card from any wireless service provider using any connectivity technology such as CDMA, UMTS, EDGE, etc. Travelers needing guaranteed connections can carry a variety of different cards with them and simply slide the appropriate card into the JunxionBox depending on their location and service area.

Most cellular carriers have unlimited data plans for $80 per month. These generally assume single device connections, so it's possible that as this market matures, carriers will begin to offer premium plans that recognize multi-user cellular connections.

Next time you're riding the commuter bus or train, check your laptop for a WiFi connection. You may be able to connect through a JunxionBox riding along with you on the same vehicle.

Visit The JunxionBox Website

Discuss The JunxionBox On The PDA and Mobile Today Forum

Steve Bralovich runs a Pocket PC and Smartphone development company. Visit the weblog at:http://pdatoday.blogspot.com for lots of information on PDAs, Notebooks and SmartPhones

WiFi Hackers and Net-centric Battlespace Security Discussed

Recently we read about the Hackers annual convention this year in Las Vegas, DEFCON. Indeed there were many people in attendance, including military onlookers who were both concerned about the future and intrigued by the hacking ability and skills of these brilliant and borderline criminals.

In fact the military learned that it was possible to receive a WiFi signal and that someone built a device that could read a signal 125 miles away. This means in wireless technology of this sort is used, whether encrypted or not, the enemy can sense us and locate our transmissions. It is like homing beacon. And before we know they are there they could fire first and we end up with casualties. In the new type of warfare, early detection and accurate firing will win. Just like our Apaches can see those Enemy Tanks and fire on them and they never even saw them?

One interesting issue would be that we could pre-plant WiFi systems in the sand, they think we are there, they fire on a Bluff of a "Mirage Blue Force" MBF, and we see the firing launch locations and shoot them first. Your basic Decoy city, you see sometimes having extra decoy networks can catch the hackers first, detect, track, identify, capture. So, sometimes having a duplication decoy system, you can use the system to catch the bad guys early on. We could deliver these devices and drop them in the sand via homing pigeon, which cannot be detected and they would turn on, on impact.

Hackers are an interesting group, interesting psychological study. Curiosity seems to be an innate human trait, these hackers are not DUMB PEOPLE. In fact they rank extremely high on IQ tests despite their Hollywood Stereotypes and persona. We can learn a lot from the Hackers, if we will listen and it appears they have everyone’s attention at the Pentagon right about now. Think on this.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

WiMAx VS Wifi

WiMax (802.16) is is a newer standard of wireless networking designed to provide the last mile of high speed internet access to the end user. Some people would call Wimax WiFi on steroids but this would be to broad of an assessment. Wifi was and still will be used in LAN environments for the foreseeable future. WiMax was designed to provide (MAN) Metropolitan Area Access, to homes and businesses.

WiMax base stations will have the ability to provide approximately 60 businesses with T1 access and hundreds of homes with DSL/Cable speed access…in theory. Engineers are stating that WiMax has the capability of reaching 30 Miles but real world testing has shown 4-8 mile working radius.

WiMax (MAN) deployments are similar to a WiFi network. First the ISP would have their T3 or higher access. The ISP would then use line of sight antennas (Bridges) to connect to towers that would distribute the non line of sight signal to (MAN) residential/business clients.

WiMax line of sight antennas operate at a higher Frequency up to 60mhz. Distribution antennas do not have to be in the line of sight with their clients. Non – line of sight towers operate on a range similar to WiFi . WiMax can operate right next to cell phone towers with no interference.

WiMax networks are similar to Wifi in deployment. The Wimax Base station/Tower will beam a signal to a WiMax Receiver. Similar to a WiFi access point sending a signal to a laptop. As far as I can tell laptops will be shipping with Wimax receivers in 2006.

QOS (Quality of Service) is an major issue with WiMax because of the number of people accessing a tower at once. Some would think that a tower could be easily overloaded with a lot of people accessing it at once. Built into the WiMax standard is an algorithm that when the tower/base station is nearing capacity then it automatically will transfer the user to another WiMax tower or cell. Unlike a Wifi clients who have to kind of fight to stay associated with a given access point; WiMax will only have to perform this hand shake at the MAC level the first time they access the network.

WiMax is designed for building a network infrastructure when the environment or distance is not favorable to a wired network. Also, WiMax is a cheaper and quicker alternative than having to lay wire. Third world countries will greatly benefit from deploying WiMax networks. WiMax can handle virtually all the same protocols Wifi can including VOIP. African countries are now going to start deploying WiMax networks instead of cell phone networks. Disaster zones can also utilize WiMax giving them the ability to distribute crisis information quickly and cheaply.

Militaries are already using wireless technology to connect remote sites. Logistics will be simplified with the ease of tracking with RF technologies. WiMax can also handle Webcams and streaming video which would give commanders eyes on target capability. Just imagine if planes were able to drop preconfigured self deploying WiMax antennas in strategic areas giving troops real time battlefield intel. Armed with wireless cameras, drones and a GPS one soldier would truly be an Army of One.

As WiMax is deployed in more areas theory and real life capabilities of WiMax will come to light. The differences between WiMax and Wifi are simple. Think of a WiMax network as an ISP with out wires, with the signal providing your internet access to your business/ home. Wifi will be used within in your LAN for the near future.

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WiFi Security

One of the biggest concerns as the wireless world grows is that of security of data; especially personal data. Many people do what they call war-driving to find an open WiFi network to get their emails while traveling, although this is a common practice, it is against the law. There are hacker groups and IT security conferences that people go to, where the retailer type IT people also show up and discuss these issues. The ramifications of company data falling in the hands of a competitor or snooping opportunist hacker are extremely great. Many of us take several Wireless Online Newsletters and read the white papers on the security issues as well. Indeed this is a problematic issue for companies.

I seem to recall sitting in a Wal-Mart parking lot with a Starbucks next door in a strip center in my motor home and getting the Grocery Store Across the street, the gas station and a Mail Boxes Etc. Indeed I got a couple of others too, which seem to be encoded, but most were completely open, meaning I could begin surfing anytime I had felt like it. Having T-Mobile Service I logged on legally to the system as usual, but I could have easily took up free bandwidth elsewhere that day.

I believe that many people buy these OTC peripherals and Linksys type systems and then simply put them in and turn them on. I understand that one large Home Improvement Sore did this and has fixed their units, but they were wide open. Many small businesses all around are open, but probably do not care. Some purposely blast WiFi to increase customer base and do so on different separate air-gapped systems from their store operations, if you take Bitpipe online you can get the latest white papers on these things. You should sign up for online security white papers.

The FCW.com White Paper Library is powered by Bitpipe, Inc., the leading syndicator of in-depth Information Technology Literature.

http://www.bitpipe.com

There was recently a case in Florida where someone was "War Driving" to pick up WiFi signals and stopped in front of someone's house turns out he inadvertently loaded some programs and the icons ended up on the host computer as well. The police came and arrested him. In Silicon Valley this went on quite a bit, two-guys who kind of invented the idea went from company to company and did just that and then went into the company to pitch their services. Although this was good and a win/win, today the FBI High-Tech Crimes Division is all over it.

In fact one recent GAO report and several articles in Federal Computer Weekly, GovExec.com and other oversight newsletters are quite worried as over 1/3 of all government wireless networks are somewhat unsecured. I have discussed this and had a conversation with a hacker turned security computer consultant. Apparently WEP or other such encryption is not even close to secure.

My theory on all of this is to catch the International Terrorists Cells in the United States is that we get full time WiMax in every city and have an algorithm which looks for anomalies to see if you can catch those who surf all day Jihad websites, and see who they are? Now there is a thought “Reverse WiFi Hacking” to catch International Terrorists, why didn’t I think of that? Think on it.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

WiFi Wireless Systems in Robotic Factories Case Study

With all the WiFi hacking going on these days and the widespread use of wireless systems, is it wise for Factories to run al their robotic equipment off WiFi systems? Sure encryption would prevent most problems, but materials and parts are expensive and one robotic mess up is a real problem. You have a complete assembly line shut down, because of some two-bit hacker.

Did you know that there are some WiFi security analysts, which purposely “war drive” to find holes in systems in corporations and then use this knowledge to go to the company and sell them Wireless Computer Security Services? Can you imagine if you did this type of sales technique you might find your self explaining what you are doing to the police when the company called them for fear you were a hacker rather than a IT Security Solutions Provider.

In a Robotic Manufacturing Plant it is of concern that such people are out there, even if semi-good intentions. It might be smart to scramble signals leaving the building and watch out for insiders with hand helds. Indeed, even with a WEP setup, you might find yourself in a problematic situation from a hacker or electronics guy who is getting laid off and losing their job in the factory to a robot and completely disgruntled. (see movie; iRobot, A.I. and read Issac Asimov).

Human nature, revenge is a powerful motivation of humans, watch out on that one, Unions can do some pretty criminally irresponsible things. A factory of this type could use a scrambler system between walls, and windows or double paned with air or music running thru them. Still there are many pointer type units you can buy for direction sound attainment and you know the hackers have those too, if they do not make them just to test the range like they did recently at Defcon Hacker Convention in Las Vegas. This is something to think of too and a robotic factory electronic computer IT engineer must be thinking here. Are you? WiFi security is not a luxury it is a necessity, think on this.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

WiFi Security Consultant Sales Techniques Watch out

Some WiFi professional folks are considering becoming wireless security consultants and start their own businesses. The business idea itself is a good one because it solves a problem for the company. What they do is find open wireless networks by war driving and then go show the company that vulnerability, easy sale right? Wait one minute there, it maybe a good sales technique granted, but is a disaster on the other hand because you are running on fine line of legality.

Intent is the issues, but one could say you are intentionally stealing a signal with the intent of using the information for financial gain. What is interesting is that Lawyers do this all the time, search records to find people with issues or companies and then contact them to fix it. Silly double standards really, but these are the laws we all agree to.

Let me give all you IT Wireless Security Consultants and easier way to do it and one which will not get you into any trouble; How about this, "Dear Store Manager" would you like a free systems security test? There are many new tactics being used by hackers these days. If so, I will give you a complimentary test and print out the results. If you come up flying colors, I will print you a certificate for your store.

"Signed; Bob Smith - Wireless Security Solutions Provider" yes, advertising indeed, and hanging on the wall for all to see.

Mr. Store Manager - "You can do what ever you want with the results, it will remain confidential" If you send the information to Corporate, I am willing to make a bid out to fix it on a Per Store basis? Then fix their store branch at no charge, everyone wins. Think on this.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington