Tests of early 802.11n products

Tests of early 802.11n products are in. The following shows speed versus distance for three of them:



For unobstructed, short distances, speeds are similar to CAT5 Ethernet.

Mobile connectivity options

We have been talking about options for mobile connectivity, and this notebook has a 3G radio built in. This mobile router combines EVDO with WiFi for an instant mobile hotspot.

China

We spoke of the tension between government fear of the cultural and political impact of the Internet and the necessity of the Internet in a modern economy, and listened to a comparison of Web surfing in China and the US. This article looks at Internet censorship in China in more depth. This editorial also summarizes important issues dividing the US and China. (Students -- if these articles are no longer accessible, contact me for a fair use copy).

WiMax deployment: 3 Mbps for $18.99 per month

We have been talking about portable (not mobile) connectivity and WiMax. An early WiMax deployment has just been announced in Muskegon County Michigan. This will be a public-private partnership, and data rates of 10 Mbps and higher will be available at higher cost.

Ad-supported connectivity

We have been talking about municipal wireless networks, and a coalition between Google and Earthling recently won the bidding for the San Francisco network. Google plans to offer free connecivity by presenting ads to users based on the location of the access point they are connected to, the nature of the establishment with the access point and the personal profile of the user. They have applied for a patent on this form of advertising.

Attend conferences -- virtually

There are many interesting conferences that are relevant to our class. You can "attend" many of them virtually on the Web. For example, there is a very complete Web site for Microsoft's recent MIX Conference. You can see the keynote talks and other sessions, read blogs and comments, see demos and video recaps, download beta software given to attendees, etc. (Atlas, Microsoft's new AJAX development tool was presented and is available for download).

Another excellent source of conference coverage is IT Conversations which posts audio recordings of the sessions at excellent conferences, most of which are relevant to CIS 471. You can listen to these on your PC or download them to an MP3 player for portable listening.