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I own an Archos 43. It has a resistive touch screen, which is good for some applications (the stylus from a Nintendo DS Lite gives more precision than a finger) but not for games that require multitouch. When Archos made it, Google wasn't letting tablets use what is now Google Play Store. Instead, it came with AppsLib (and with the option to install Amazon), but a lot of developers appear unwilling to upload their applications to AppsLib or Amazon, so a lot of people ended up having to pirate the Google Play Store app using ArcTools. And it's still (officially) stuck on ancient Android 2.2, while iPod touch models back to the 4th generation still get updates.

How about Android Market, er, Google Play?

For a long time, Archos devices didn't support Android Market either. A couple years ago, Google refused to license Android Market for use in Android devices with no cellular radio because 3G Internet access and either CDMA or GSM telephony were requirements in the Compatibility Definition Document. That's part of why there wasn't a close substitute for the iPod touch until the fourth quarter of 2011 when Samsung introduced the Galaxy Player. But I don't see how that's "lockdown" any more than what other tablets and phones already impose, seeing as one can turn on Unknown Sources and (presumably) put on other stores like SlideME and AppsLib and F-Droid.

Android as a consumer product is unfortunately usually restricted due to carriers and device manufacturers customising the OS

In the United States market, PeoplePC tried subsidizing PCs about a decade ago until the dot-com crash. But since then, wired carriers (cable, DSL, and fiber) don't subsidize PCs or Wi-Fi-only tablets. So what carrier baggage do Wi-Fi-only tablets carry? This leaves only device manufacturers and Google. Until the Honeycomb era, Google was entirely unsupportive of Wi-Fi-only Android devices, and it took three years after Apple's introduction of the second-generation iPod touch for a Google-blessed comparable pocket tablet (Samsung Galaxy Player) to come out.

Follow the money. Remember how SCO couldn't compete with free linux, and tried to shut it down? Well, the IPTV and cableco and satellite providers are trying to the shut down free OTA TV so they can charge an arm and a leg for their services. Follow the money...
* USA AT&T has Uverse
* USA Verizon has FIOS
* Canada Rogers has Rogers Cable
* Canada BCE has Bell Fibe and Bell satellite

But people like me, in and around major cities, can get 10 to 20 or more channels of free legal OTA TV. And OTA high-definition TV is way better than the compressed crap you get from the cable/satellite/IPTV providers. They hate this for exactly the same reason that SCO hates free linux. Many people won't buy your product if they can get a similar product for free.

No matter how much spectrum they have, they'll always be clamouring for more TV spectrum, until every last free OTA TV station shuts down. Then watch cable/satellite/IPTV rates shoot through the roof. I'm old enough to remember the days of UHF channel 83. Then cellular grabbed the 800 mhz band, and UHF ended at channel 69. Then they grabbed the 700 mhz band and UHF now ends at channel 51. They're trying to shut down free OTA TV, 100 mhz at a time.

According to http://www.dailywireless.org/2010/06/18/phoney-spectrum-scarcity/

> Telcos paid over $15 billion for spectrum they are not using. AT&T is
> the worst offender, sitting on more than $10 billion in spectrum. The
> FCC seems to encourage this kind of speculation, and is doing the
> Telco's bidding by opening more spectrum for corporations to sit on.

This is not about meeting real demand, this is about shutting down free OTA TV.

Uhhh...because Android phones are cheap?

Android phones cheap enough for the prepaid MVNOs didn't exist either for the first two years that the iPod touch was out, at least until Virgin Mobile introduced the Samsung Intercept in the fourth quarter of 2010. I will grant you that this two-year gap is shorter than the three-year gap that I originally mentioned, but what explains this two-year gap of Google just handing the market to Apple by requiring cellular phone functionality in the Android CDD?

And at $45 a month for unlimited everything most folks i know are using it as their PMP, GPS, netbook, etc.

Until you discover that it's still cheaper to have one land line and two $7 per month pay-per-minute dumbphones (source: Virgin Mobile's description of its payLo plan, at $20 per 90 days) for urgent calls on the road than two unlimited-everything smartphones.

Also with regards to SNR you can't increase S, at least not in the US. Power limits are set by the FCC. Never mind any technical problems (and there are many with trying to use powerful transmissions) you just aren't allowed to do so for cell networks.

There is a way to increase apparent S and reduce N simultaneously by using a directional antenna , thus increasing effective cell network capacity several fold by vectoring rf signals.

My dedicated t-mobile hotspot, (like many others), has a provision for an external antenna. I would gladly connect it up to a directional external antenna, increasing my throughput and reducing spectrum utilization. But the current downfall of that solution is that T-mobile charges substantially more for the hotspot service and requires a 2nd monthly subscription, thus negating any advantage for me. Instead, I'll continue to use an ordinary tethered smart phone for most of my data requirements.

If Android tablets and smartphones don't meet certain fairly basic criteria, they don't get to use the Google Market and standard apps.

The problem is that these criteria once included having a GPS receiver and a cellular radio. Apple doesn't include these in the iPod touch, its 3.5" Wi-Fi tablet, yet it still allows the device to access the same App Store as the iPhone. There wasn't an Android-powered close substitute for the iPod touch to until the fourth quarter of 2011 when the Samsung Galaxy Player came out.

Then Google screwed itself by not initially allowing Android Market on devices with no 3G radio, in effect giving the whole market to Apple.

You don't have to be connected to 3G at the moment you connect to the Market, but your device still has to be capable of it. See this article.

Oh I see. Google hasn't done what's necessary to filter out apps that require a phone, so they'd rather not support the Market at all than have users installing apps that won't work. A bit lame, but being fixed RSN as far as I can tell.

On my HTC desire

How much did your HTC Desire cost, and is there a low-end model under $250 for the iPod touch crowd?

Well, it's a phone so it doesn't compare with an iPod Touch. And I got it free on a contract, so it's not really clear how much it "cost". The Wildfire is a lower-end almost-equivalent.

Why would Android Market require 3G data?

Because Google says so, and it's Google's network. You don't have to be connected to 3G at the moment you connect to the Market, but your device still has to be capable of it. See this article.

On my HTC desire

How much did your HTC Desire cost, and is there a low-end model under $250 for the iPod touch crowd?

Google does not vet applications.

I never meant to imply that. Google vets devices. I haven't seen a single Android device that 1. has a size and price similar to that of Apple's iPod touch (like Archos 43) and 2. comes with the Android Market application (unlike Archos 43). See this article citing this article, in which a Google representative claims that Android Market isn't ready for tablets.

I think it has to have 3G in order to qualify for the Android Marketplace.

Here's a citation for this claim. It just goes to boost GordonBX's claim that Android makes Apple look cheap.

Capitalism failed because the Capitalists broke it. It's a false dichotomy. Pure capitalism doesn't work because inherently the only motivation is to make money. When you're willing to do anything to make a profit, including buying politicians who make the laws so that you can have monopoly on the business in that area, then you have effectively broken capitalism.
I really want to start my own municipal cable/internet/telephone service much like the town of Wilson, North Carolina. But I know that would never happen without a really compelling reason. My local town is owned by TW.

Too bad that:

http://lunapark6.com/usb-hdtv-tuner-stick-for-windows-linux-hauppauge-wintv-hvr-950.html

won't be of much use as an off-the-air device (the coax part will still be useful) by the time the government OTA switch-kill happens.

I can't WAIT til Meraki:

http://meraki.com/

http://www.dailywireless.org/2007/03/05/meraki-rocks-the-casbah/

http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/03/meraki-mini-wifi-router-also-does-mesh/

rolls out in SF. I wonder what the consumer-pricing tiers will be, though, when they go full-active instead of technology demonstrator to the Bay Area (or SF).

Honestly, I don't think cable is worth $50+ per month. It's nice enough to be able to go to the library. If SF main cuts off public (2 or 3 hour) internet access, I'll just go to San Jose State/MLK Library. There, they don't even make you get a library card and sign into some lame-ass, per-day, time-restrictive crap that SF does. For such a liberal city, San Fran is trounced by SJ when it comes to allowing the public to surf and download. I downloaded about a GB of upgrades in under 55 minutes at SJSJ/MLK's (DSL?) connection.

The conspiracy-theorist-bug in me makes me think comcast and t-moble have a bug up their asses and don't want SF tampering with their their business models. I think they've paid off somebody to limit patron access. Even if you only go to SF Main 2 times a week, once your day's two or 4 hours is up, that's it, unless someone else with time on that day generously gives you access on their card. Of course, that's risky, sharing time to a stranger.

Does anyone know if SFSU allows the public to come in and surf via one's own laptop? I know SJSJ/MLK is a special case: it's university and county/city sharing, not private like campus-students only.

Sprint has invested heavily in 2.5 GHz spectrum, with 85% coverage of U.S. households. Predicted speeds are 2-4 Mbp/s down and 1 Mbps up. Sprint's partnership with Google was announced in July. Quote: " '[T]his is not a cellular model,' said Atish Gude, Sprint's senior vice president for mobile broadband operations." At about the same time, Sprint announced a partnership with Clearwire, the other big WiMax spectrum-holder.

This could really put competitive pressure on telcos, especially if applications development leads to truly useful products. (Instead of silly little widgets.) Who wants a phone that can do less but costs more?

Here's a roundup of Wimax products featured at Wimax World, where the Sprint demo took place. Scarcity of Wimax products will not be a problem.

I've been intrigued by Eric Schmidt's comment at the keynote introduction of the iPhone. "Wimax is coming," he said, without elaborating. Googling that phrase shows that almost no journalists have considered it an important remark, even though in the next breath he coined the term "applegoog" to describe how closely Google would be collaborating with Apple. "To merge without merging," as he put it. Later, Google announced its 700MHz interests, announced a collaboration with Sprint, which has announced its partnership with Clearwire (the two big Wimax telcos) and journalists still aren't paying attention.

So, yeah, Wimax could become the next munifi. It could also turn into serious headaches for AT&T, Verizon, and any company without a Wimax investment.

Here's a recent chart of broadband speeds and costs around the world.

Google is putting up money, but its proposal to the FCC is backed by Intel, Yahoo!, eBay, Skype, DirecTV, EchoStar, and Access Spectrum (which constitute The Coalition for 4G in America), but there are many other groups also in favor of open access. See this write-up on Daily Wireless for a good overview, and read Google's own explanation on its Public Policy Blog.

I wish Slashdot paid more attention to wireless goings-on. For instance, just this week, Sprint announced it is forming a 20 year alliance with Clearwire. The two companies are rolling out WiMax phone and broadband services, and together spent billions to control spectrum that reaches nearly everyone in the U.S. Wouldn't it be nice if they had to lower their price to consumers because of open-access competition in the 700mhz band?

Robert X. Cringely's latest article is a good read, too. "When Elephants Dance: Get ready (finally) for faster Internet speeds at lower prices"

I live in a rural place that is lucky to have one broadband provider, a cable company. (Nope, no DSL.) If open access succeeds, small wireless ISPs will sprout up in places like this, which big companies always seem to neglect. Those ISPs would be paying wholesale prices for their spectrum, too, so regional monopolies like my cable company will finally face some pressure to lower their prices, or else to compete on speed and service.

Google states its position very clearly in its Public Policy Blog.

People here keep mentioning the cost of broadband, so here's a recent chart comparing costs worldwide. (Example: 34 cents/Mbps in South Korea versus $10/Mbps in the U.S., if it's even available where you live, which is why Open Access really matters.)

I relate the FCC's position to all the news about Dick Cheney a few weeks ago, how he relentlessly pressures political appointees who ought to be impartial. Could it be happening again?

Don't forget to mention the coming possibility of wimax/ voip. It is my opinion that voip over wimax has the potential to replace the existing gsm network with a network built for data and voice. If Google, Intel, Skype, Yahoo, along with DirecTV, and EchoStar get there way regarding what is going to be done with the 700mhz spectum then we may see a national wireless broadband alternative. Check http://www.dailywireless.org/. In the mean time while an open gsm network may be something of dreams, there is at least one truely open gsm phone google: openmoko. One other note ubnt.com sells an atheros chipset based 802.11b/g card that does some majic to use 900MHz instead of 2.4GHz. I have read that people are getting near pico cell type range with these things. But thats not exactly what you want is it.

Broadband over UHF/VHF is covered by the 802.22 specification, and use of white space is an ongoing endeavor. (See dailywireless.org, 2006 and 2007", for example.)

The chief obstacles are political, not technological. The National Association of Broadcasters has tremendous lobbying power and wants to protect its business interests. Most people still get their news from television, and political campaign spending on TV ads is a huge source of revenue for broadcasters. Although they receive their spectrum for free in exchange for public-interest duties, news coverage of political issues is at an all-time low. (Check out this Illinois study.) Broadcasters have discovered that by reducing coverage of political issues, they increase ad revenue while also giving an advantage to whatever candidate has the most money to spend.

The problems are least of all technological. Vecima Networks of Canada, for example, already sells wireless ISP systems that can use the 470 to 862 MHz frequency band. (UHF channels 14 through 79.)

I hope readers here understand that interference is a side-issue. Despite the switch to digital TV, the FCC is still of a mindset that open spectrum should be auctioned to established players, for established uses. The amount of white-space TV spectrum going unused is staggering, even in major metro areas Just imagine how many billions of dollars it is worth to certain companies to maintain the current state of affairs, and that is how much they would be willing to spend on lobbying.

Broadband over UHF/VHF is covered by the 802.22 specification, and use of white space is an ongoing endeavor. (See dailywireless.org, 2006 and 2007", for example.)

The chief obstacles are political, not technological. The National Association of Broadcasters has tremendous lobbying power and wants to protect its business interests. Most people still get their news from television, and political campaign spending on TV ads is a huge source of revenue for broadcasters. Although they receive their spectrum for free in exchange for public-interest duties, news coverage of political issues is at an all-time low. (Check out this Illinois study.) Broadcasters have discovered that by reducing coverage of political issues, they increase ad revenue while also giving an advantage to whatever candidate has the most money to spend.

The problems are least of all technological. Vecima Networks of Canada, for example, already sells wireless ISP systems that can use the 470 to 862 MHz frequency band. (UHF channels 14 through 79.)

I hope readers here understand that interference is a side-issue. Despite the switch to digital TV, the FCC is still of a mindset that open spectrum should be auctioned to established players, for established uses. The amount of white-space TV spectrum going unused is staggering, even in major metro areas Just imagine how many billions of dollars it is worth to certain companies to maintain the current state of affairs, and that is how much they would be willing to spend on lobbying.

We're talking wifi, not wires.

Dvorak was. I don't think you can disassociate municipal WiFi from the broader municipal broadband issue.

There's no possibility of a natural monopoly on wifi.

Sure there is. It's called "interference". IIRC from the last WiFi config I did, you have a choice of a whopping three channels: 1,6,11 (in the US). Just type "wifi interference" into a Google search box and you find many articles discussing the issue. At best you could have two muni-wide WiFi installations, using two channels and leaving the third for citizens to use for their own home networks if they're not using the muni WiFi service.

And, with respect to your "moral responsibility" phrase, municipalities have no "moral responsibility" to provide electricity, telephone, television, water, sewer, garbage/recycling, snow removal, park maintenance, etc. to its citizens either, and one could debate whether the phrase "moral responsibility" would cover such things as police, ambulance, or fire services. In these cases, many municipalities offer some of these services (or centralized rights-of-way for services, such as with telephone and television franchises) due to natural monopolies.

Another thought: I don't know how much of that control equipment is for voltage regulation of the panels or inverters to 120V ..... but if you are using inverters to power your networking equipment, consider replacing it with 12v equipment. You'll use far less power. But don't skimp, and make sure there is some kind of regulator circuit between your transceiver & the battery bank. Here's a couple of relevant links: http://www.dailywireless.org/2006/08/04/solar-roof net-wiki/ http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/wirelesscommnet/ind ex.html?CMP=ILL-4GV796923290 Out of curiosity, can you provide us with more details on the quoted system as well as what you are providing power to? more solar goodness here: http://www.dailywireless.org/2005/08/09/more-solar -wifi/

Another thought: I don't know how much of that control equipment is for voltage regulation of the panels or inverters to 120V ..... but if you are using inverters to power your networking equipment, consider replacing it with 12v equipment. You'll use far less power. But don't skimp, and make sure there is some kind of regulator circuit between your transceiver & the battery bank. Here's a couple of relevant links: http://www.dailywireless.org/2006/08/04/solar-roof net-wiki/ http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/wirelesscommnet/ind ex.html?CMP=ILL-4GV796923290 Out of curiosity, can you provide us with more details on the quoted system as well as what you are providing power to? more solar goodness here: http://www.dailywireless.org/2005/08/09/more-solar -wifi/

Just because you hadn't heard about it, or aren't forward thinking enough to do a search, doesn't mean it's not in the USA. Just because the article said "world's first" didn't make it so.

Business Week:
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug 2006/tc20060814_285305.htm

Wi-Fi Planet
http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/news/article.php/362874 6

Daily Wireless:
http://www.dailywireless.org/modules.php?name=News &file=article&sid=5708

From the Daily Wireless page:
"Indeed, T-Mobile is not the only telco pushing into at-home wireless services. Already, AT&T (T) expects to introduce two new at-home offerings in the coming months."

This page:
http://www.blackberrytoday.com/articles/2006/7/200 6-7-28-Nokia-Takes-Dual.html
Says there's reportadly 20 UMA trials going on right now.

The article seems to be /.'d, so here's some additional information on this.

The submitter of this article said, "I would love to see a free wireless mesh that's not dependent on any government or corporation take over the world."

I'd love to see everyone in their dream house with a luxury car getting 250 MPG that's not dependent on any government or corporation.

I think both those statements have the same likelyhood of coming true.

I'd guess that 98% of Americans consider sewer, water, and electrical essential no matter where they live. I would guess that internet access still falls below those three. Fat-pipe internet access may eventually be a true utility that is natuarlly expected to exist anywhere, but it isn't there yet. Even when it does, why would anyone think it wouldn't depend on any government or corporation? All major utilities require BOTH government and corporations. If anything, it will move further away from small local ISP's (like internet and electricity started with). Huge infrastructure with high reliability and reasonable cost demands this type of change.

Having recently come out of a community planning meeting, our small town of 600+ has determined that wireless internet access for all could be a big another way to try and lure younger folks (like myself) that are choosing between other small towns in the area. I'm in the very first stages of feasabiltiy - looking at all the options. The problems of course come down to who pays for it. In the case of our aging community, a lot of folks don't see the need or even want access. That means they don't want any of their tax dollars going to fund it (never mind that my tax dollars fund their senior center and senior bus). On top of that, the local telco isn't very excited to see their individual DSL subscriptions go away either. Then there is the issue of hardware and support. With a town of this size, it is nearly impossible to have 24x7 support. These are just a few of the things that go into the hopper when you're looking at building the infrastructure of small towns which at the end of the day really are what make up the mesh between the 2-5 metro locations in each state. Doing this without local government or a corporate sponsor will be difficult. If this article has any detail (when it's available again!), I hope I can learn some slick new tricks.

Slashdot has carried very little news on the deluge of WiMax products announced this year, which make Cringely's article look behind the times by at least 5 years. Normally, he's the first to advocate wireless, so I'm puzzled why he'd pitch this idea now. He ought to look into the spectrum federally allocated to schools, which the schools unwisely license to telcos, and how combined with WiMAX that spectrum could truly liberate communities, without a trip to the bank.

Dailywireless.org is the best source for WiMAX news. Every day is an eye-opener. Sometimes every hour.

...it also sounds strangely familiar, somehow...

From TFA (emphasis mine):

"M2Z's goal is ... provide free high speed connections to 95 percent of U.S. consumers without any recurring fees. This is a grand undertaking."

Don't worry, plans are underway.

*Tin Foil Hat*

This supposed 'rural' area of Oregon is home to a huge US military dump of chemical nerve agents. -- over 7.4 million pounds. It is also conveniently located next to the Columbia river and has access to two major interstates and several railway lines that intersect next to the dump.

Now (surprise surprise) there is a huge broad band infrastructure there as well. I'm thinking they didn't do this all for the onion farmers. :-)

"Broadband Reports explains that Texas Representative Pete Sessions is trying to pass the "Preserving Innovation in Telecom Act of 2005" (HR2726), which would ban towns and cities from wiring themselves for broadband.

However Sessions is not only a 16 year ex-SBC employee, his wife works for Cingular, and he holds half a million dollars in SBC stock options, according to an e-mail being circulated today by media reform outfit Free Press.

"Congressman Sessions is the latest poster child for corruption on Capitol Hill," says Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press."

from http://www.dailywireless.org/modules.php?name=News &file=article&sid=4255

The Nikon WiFi support with the D2X does support standards, FTP and PTP/IP, which are both published and supported by Linux.

The ptp/ip protocol:
https://www.fotonation.com/
Linux support for digital cameras and PTP/IP in particular:
http://www.gphoto.org/
Raw image processing, including encrypted Nikon D2X images:
http://www.cybercom.net/~dcoffin/dcraw/
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp? cid=7-6459-7213
http://www.photoreview.com.au/Articlexasp/90c83053 -0a7f-45cc-ba68-9560e9f3c061/Default.htm
http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/336/C3218/
http://dailywireless.org/modules.php?name=News&fil e=article&sid=3061
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jht ml;jsessionid=E0TTJLUSVT5NSQSNDBGCKHSCJUMEKJVN?art icleID=47204433&_requestid=171509

Here's a link from Daily Wireless last Tuesday about the same??? phone, complete with pictures. http://www.dailywireless.org/modules.php?name=News &file=article&sid=4598/

This of course, may or may not be what Apple will unveil, but the information did come from Motorola via the FCC.

Qwest is already doing FTTP (Fiber to the Premises) in Denver for voice, video, and data services to the RidgeGate community.

Any slashdot readers using this?

A must-read overview of WiMax in its present state appears on DailyWireless.org, with a link to Intel's white paper, the state of competition, data on cost and performance, spectrum requirements, the whole ball of Wax.

I assume this is what you're talking about (in Portland)...

http://www.dailywireless.org/modules.php?name=News &file=article&sid=3795

Instead of using taxpayer's money, backers hope to find a telecommunications company willing to build the network in exchange for access to rooftops of city-owned buildings.

Well, according to this article, the internet just turned 20 last year.
Here's one that said it turned 35 last month.
Here's yet another one at a reputable site that has it as 20 years ago, but this was Dec 31, 2002.
Any reason to celebrate, I guess.

Today's Daily Wireless has piece about a chip that can be added to a lop top to give it decent video [I am assuming playback not capture] capability.

DailyWireless has more on Wearable Communicating Costumes and the Adidas Hot Shoe.

"Smart clothing" and wearable computing developers include:

• France Telecom invented a flexible fiber optic system that can be embedded in clothes. Static or animated graphics can be displayed.

• Chipmaker Infineon has created a packaging technology that allows circuitry to be woven into ordinary fabrics, which can then be normally washed or even dry-cleaned. The company created a prototype jacket with an embedded MP3 player.

• Orang-Otang Computers has patented designs for gadgets like a phone that fits under a shirt sleeve, a wrist-mounted audio recorder, a wearable laptop and a wearable camera.

• California's Charmed Technology, an MIT Media Lab spin-off, is poised to be a world leader in affordable, wearable Internet products. Their CharmBadge is designed for aiding the communication and networking.

• Fossil, best known for trendy watches, has created wrist devices that exchange information with handheld computers and Microsoft's Spot.

• The Smart Shirt System uses biological sensors to monitor heart rates or the locations of those wearing the technology, says Jeffrey Wolf, CEO of Sensatex Inc.

• Tactex Controls uses "smart fabric" for a touch-sensitive MIDI controller.

• Zigbee-equipped sneakers might record speed, body telemetry and even external sensors.

• Orientation, communications and geographic positioning electronics can all be incorporated into outdoor clothing. Heat can be transferred through conducting fibres to colder areas of the body

• The SCOTTeVEST shows the way traditional garments may be altered to meet the demanding needs of spies and undercover agents.

DailyWireless has more on Wearable Communicating Costumes and the Adidas Hot Shoe.

"Smart clothing" and wearable computing developers include:

• France Telecom invented a flexible fiber optic system that can be embedded in clothes. Static or animated graphics can be displayed.

• Chipmaker Infineon has created a packaging technology that allows circuitry to be woven into ordinary fabrics, which can then be normally washed or even dry-cleaned. The company created a prototype jacket with an embedded MP3 player.

• Orang-Otang Computers has patented designs for gadgets like a phone that fits under a shirt sleeve, a wrist-mounted audio recorder, a wearable laptop and a wearable camera.

• California's Charmed Technology, an MIT Media Lab spin-off, is poised to be a world leader in affordable, wearable Internet products. Their CharmBadge is designed for aiding the communication and networking.

• Fossil, best known for trendy watches, has created wrist devices that exchange information with handheld computers and Microsoft's Spot.

• The Smart Shirt System uses biological sensors to monitor heart rates or the locations of those wearing the technology, says Jeffrey Wolf, CEO of Sensatex Inc.

• Tactex Controls uses "smart fabric" for a touch-sensitive MIDI controller.

• Zigbee-equipped sneakers might record speed, body telemetry and even external sensors.

• Orientation, communications and geographic positioning electronics can all be incorporated into outdoor clothing. Heat can be transferred through conducting fibres to colder areas of the body

• The SCOTTeVEST shows the way traditional garments may be altered to meet the demanding needs of spies and undercover agents.

DailyWireless has more on Wearable Communicating Costumes and the Adidas Hot Shoe.

"Smart clothing" and wearable computing developers include:

• France Telecom invented a flexible fiber optic system that can be embedded in clothes. Static or animated graphics can be displayed.

• Chipmaker Infineon has created a packaging technology that allows circuitry to be woven into ordinary fabrics, which can then be normally washed or even dry-cleaned. The company created a prototype jacket with an embedded MP3 player.

• Orang-Otang Computers has patented designs for gadgets like a phone that fits under a shirt sleeve, a wrist-mounted audio recorder, a wearable laptop and a wearable camera.

• California's Charmed Technology, an MIT Media Lab spin-off, is poised to be a world leader in affordable, wearable Internet products. Their CharmBadge is designed for aiding the communication and networking.

• Fossil, best known for trendy watches, has created wrist devices that exchange information with handheld computers and Microsoft's Spot.

• The Smart Shirt System uses biological sensors to monitor heart rates or the locations of those wearing the technology, says Jeffrey Wolf, CEO of Sensatex Inc.

• Tactex Controls uses "smart fabric" for a touch-sensitive MIDI controller.

• Zigbee-equipped sneakers might record speed, body telemetry and even external sensors.

• Orientation, communications and geographic positioning electronics can all be incorporated into outdoor clothing. Heat can be transferred through conducting fibres to colder areas of the body

• The SCOTTeVEST shows the way traditional garments may be altered to meet the demanding needs of spies and undercover agents.

DailyWireless has more on Wearable Communicating Costumes and the Adidas Hot Shoe.

"Smart clothing" and wearable computing developers include:

• France Telecom invented a flexible fiber optic system that can be embedded in clothes. Static or animated graphics can be displayed.

• Chipmaker Infineon has created a packaging technology that allows circuitry to be woven into ordinary fabrics, which can then be normally washed or even dry-cleaned. The company created a prototype jacket with an embedded MP3 player.

• Orang-Otang Computers has patented designs for gadgets like a phone that fits under a shirt sleeve, a wrist-mounted audio recorder, a wearable laptop and a wearable camera.

• California's Charmed Technology, an MIT Media Lab spin-off, is poised to be a world leader in affordable, wearable Internet products. Their CharmBadge is designed for aiding the communication and networking.

• Fossil, best known for trendy watches, has created wrist devices that exchange information with handheld computers and Microsoft's Spot.

• The Smart Shirt System uses biological sensors to monitor heart rates or the locations of those wearing the technology, says Jeffrey Wolf, CEO of Sensatex Inc.

• Tactex Controls uses "smart fabric" for a touch-sensitive MIDI controller.

• Zigbee-equipped sneakers might record speed, body telemetry and even external sensors.

• Orientation, communications and geographic positioning electronics can all be incorporated into outdoor clothing. Heat can be transferred through conducting fibres to colder areas of the body

• The SCOTTeVEST shows the way traditional garments may be altered to meet the demanding needs of spies and undercover agents.

DailyWireless has more on Wearable Communicating Costumes and the Adidas Hot Shoe.

"Smart clothing" and wearable computing developers include:

• France Telecom invented a flexible fiber optic system that can be embedded in clothes. Static or animated graphics can be displayed.

• Chipmaker Infineon has created a packaging technology that allows circuitry to be woven into ordinary fabrics, which can then be normally washed or even dry-cleaned. The company created a prototype jacket with an embedded MP3 player.

• Orang-Otang Computers has patented designs for gadgets like a phone that fits under a shirt sleeve, a wrist-mounted audio recorder, a wearable laptop and a wearable camera.

• California's Charmed Technology, an MIT Media Lab spin-off, is poised to be a world leader in affordable, wearable Internet products. Their CharmBadge is designed for aiding the communication and networking.

• Fossil, best known for trendy watches, has created wrist devices that exchange information with handheld computers and Microsoft's Spot.

• The Smart Shirt System uses biological sensors to monitor heart rates or the locations of those wearing the technology, says Jeffrey Wolf, CEO of Sensatex Inc.

• Tactex Controls uses "smart fabric" for a touch-sensitive MIDI controller.

• Zigbee-equipped sneakers might record speed, body telemetry and even external sensors.

• Orientation, communications and geographic positioning electronics can all be incorporated into outdoor clothing. Heat can be transferred through conducting fibres to colder areas of the body

• The SCOTTeVEST shows the way traditional garments may be altered to meet the demanding needs of spies and undercover agents.

DailyWireless reviews the technology of WiFi Trains:

The small Possio AB, a Linux-based access point, can provide local WiFi and connect to the backbone using 3G (EV-DO) mobile backbones for a couple hundred dollars.

Perhaps a load-balancing router would help. The Xincom - XC-DPG402 ($150) a 4-Port 10/100Mbps Twin WAN Router can combine two different backbones into one. P

Bob Cringeley uses the Xincom box. It works with his Vonage (VoIP) adapters, too. That's how WiFi on Trains provide constant connectivity.

How about "unwiring" your transit agency.

Additional DailyWireless.org articles include and WiFi on Mass Transit as well as stories on Wireless Ferries, Wi-Fi Ferry Testing, WiFi on Canadian Trains, Limousine Wi-Fi, Highspeed Mobile Roaming, Internet Rickshaw and Mobile Access Points.

DailyWireless reviews the technology of WiFi Trains:

The small Possio AB, a Linux-based access point, can provide local WiFi and connect to the backbone using 3G (EV-DO) mobile backbones for a couple hundred dollars.

Perhaps a load-balancing router would help. The Xincom - XC-DPG402 ($150) a 4-Port 10/100Mbps Twin WAN Router can combine two different backbones into one. P

Bob Cringeley uses the Xincom box. It works with his Vonage (VoIP) adapters, too. That's how WiFi on Trains provide constant connectivity.

How about "unwiring" your transit agency.

Additional DailyWireless.org articles include and WiFi on Mass Transit as well as stories on Wireless Ferries, Wi-Fi Ferry Testing, WiFi on Canadian Trains, Limousine Wi-Fi, Highspeed Mobile Roaming, Internet Rickshaw and Mobile Access Points.

DailyWireless reviews the technology of WiFi Trains:

The small Possio AB, a Linux-based access point, can provide local WiFi and connect to the backbone using 3G (EV-DO) mobile backbones for a couple hundred dollars.

Perhaps a load-balancing router would help. The Xincom - XC-DPG402 ($150) a 4-Port 10/100Mbps Twin WAN Router can combine two different backbones into one. P

Bob Cringeley uses the Xincom box. It works with his Vonage (VoIP) adapters, too. That's how WiFi on Trains provide constant connectivity.

How about "unwiring" your transit agency.

Additional DailyWireless.org articles include and WiFi on Mass Transit as well as stories on Wireless Ferries, Wi-Fi Ferry Testing, WiFi on Canadian Trains, Limousine Wi-Fi, Highspeed Mobile Roaming, Internet Rickshaw and Mobile Access Points.

DailyWireless reviews the technology of WiFi Trains:

The small Possio AB, a Linux-based access point, can provide local WiFi and connect to the backbone using 3G (EV-DO) mobile backbones for a couple hundred dollars.

Perhaps a load-balancing router would help. The Xincom - XC-DPG402 ($150) a 4-Port 10/100Mbps Twin WAN Router can combine two different backbones into one. P

Bob Cringeley uses the Xincom box. It works with his Vonage (VoIP) adapters, too. That's how WiFi on Trains provide constant connectivity.

How about "unwiring" your transit agency.

Additional DailyWireless.org articles include and WiFi on Mass Transit as well as stories on Wireless Ferries, Wi-Fi Ferry Testing, WiFi on Canadian Trains, Limousine Wi-Fi, Highspeed Mobile Roaming, Internet Rickshaw and Mobile Access Points.

DailyWireless reviews the technology of WiFi Trains:

The small Possio AB, a Linux-based access point, can provide local WiFi and connect to the backbone using 3G (EV-DO) mobile backbones for a couple hundred dollars.

Perhaps a load-balancing router would help. The Xincom - XC-DPG402 ($150) a 4-Port 10/100Mbps Twin WAN Router can combine two different backbones into one. P

Bob Cringeley uses the Xincom box. It works with his Vonage (VoIP) adapters, too. That's how WiFi on Trains provide constant connectivity.

How about "unwiring" your transit agency.

Additional DailyWireless.org articles include and WiFi on Mass Transit as well as stories on Wireless Ferries, Wi-Fi Ferry Testing, WiFi on Canadian Trains, Limousine Wi-Fi, Highspeed Mobile Roaming, Internet Rickshaw and Mobile Access Points.

DailyWireless reviews the technology of WiFi Trains:

The small Possio AB, a Linux-based access point, can provide local WiFi and connect to the backbone using 3G (EV-DO) mobile backbones for a couple hundred dollars.

Perhaps a load-balancing router would help. The Xincom - XC-DPG402 ($150) a 4-Port 10/100Mbps Twin WAN Router can combine two different backbones into one. P

Bob Cringeley uses the Xincom box. It works with his Vonage (VoIP) adapters, too. That's how WiFi on Trains provide constant connectivity.

How about "unwiring" your transit agency.

Additional DailyWireless.org articles include and WiFi on Mass Transit as well as stories on Wireless Ferries, Wi-Fi Ferry Testing, WiFi on Canadian Trains, Limousine Wi-Fi, Highspeed Mobile Roaming, Internet Rickshaw and Mobile Access Points.