What’s the Frequency?
If you’re hearing a buzzing in your ear, it may be all the wifi radiation out there. A simple in-office networking technology has morphed into a low-cost wireless ISP technology that’s spreading pretty fast.WiFi Metro.com shows you one example. (Though I’m told there are other options in the NY area that are a little more streamlined for sending mail.
The basic idea is to use 802.11b (aka “wifi”) to do something it wasn’t intended to do. Basically, it’s like using cordless phones outside of your house. By putting repeaters all over the place, it’s possible to paste together a wireless network that truly works.
So, here’s the question: what happens in two years when every single device can cheaply and easily be hooked up with a pretty wide and fast connection to the Net? Brand new world, a lot faster than some people expected.