Rumors of Wi-Fi’s death may be greatly exaggerated, but some are speculating that Wi-Fi will exist at higher speeds (802.11n) and in conjunction with wide area networks like 3G EDGE and WiMAX.  People want the speed of a cable modem when they are wireless, and consumer demand coupled with industry forces (e.g., Intel’s push into WiMAX) will reposition Wi-Fi in the long run.  Connected World (p.23) asserts that Wi-Fi gets interesting when it gets viral – federated Wi-Fi’s that create a broader network – so the idea of coupling Wi-Fi with broader coverage makes sense as the technology evolves.  See article. 

You knew it was true but this study confirms it: teens use instant messaging more than adults.  According to this AP-AOL poll, 48 percent of those ages 13-18 use IM, more than twice the percentage of adults.  Most teens use IM more than e-mail, but for most adults who use IM the opposite is true.  Teens take multitasking to new levels with IM, for better or worse, operating numerous chat windows simultaneously.  See article.

Nokia and France Telecom’s Orange mobile unit have inked a deal that will allow Orange customers to access files on their home PCs via their mobile phones.  This includes photos, music, videos and office documents.  The new “Mon PC a distance” service takes time and place shifting, discussed in Connected World (p.52), to new ground and nudges the phone towards the “do-all” phone (see yesterday’s post).  For more on the deal, see article.

We’re continuing to see progression towards the Swiss army knife phone that will be a hand-held computer on the go.  (See Connected World p. 70.) But in an excellent step back to reality, a recent BusinessWeek article looks at the issue relative to network standards, or a lack thereof.  What will the global telecom industry converge on that is both efficient yet fiscally affordable to support these devices?

With mobile phone subscriptions growing and many developing nations jumping into the mix, 3G networks versus WiMAX may be an interesting economic battleground.  As HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized) duke it out with WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), not only telcos and industry but countries are stepping cautiously, as the future is unclear as to where this process will end up.  (See Connected World discussion of WiMAX and cellular beginning on p.24.)

For those with limited hearing, vision or mobility, new products are entering the market as today’s connected world is going where we’ve not gone before.  A sampling:

--the Sendero, a GPS device for the blind with talking menus
--the Ojo from Worldgate Communications, for using American Sign Language over the phone; it can transmit 30 frames per second over the Internet
--Motorola’s Homesight (a Z-Wave product) and Eaton Electrical’s Home Heartbeat (ZigBee compliant), for receiving alerts by e-mail or text message when a wireless sensor in the home is triggered, so you or a caregiver can know if a window or door was left open, for example, or if a loved one made it home safely.  (ZigBee is discussed in Connected World on p.44.)

As chip and device prices come down and connectivity goes up, more innovation can be expected in accessibility technologies like these.  See article.