Wi-fi

Overheard - Real-time location system (RTLS)

“A lot of healthcare equipment is starting to come with Wi-Fi radios already installed. If it’s not there, they add a Wi-Fi tag. It broadcasts and contacts the closest … access points.  Such tags retail for about $50 and can last for months, emitting ‘chirps’ to update any listening Wi-Fi access points about their current position and condition.” Stan Schatt, Wi-Fi-based real-time location systems primed to grow market share

Today’s WhatIs.com Word of the Day is real-time location system.

Overheard - Wi-Fi Direct

“In theory, Wi-Fi Direct takes personal area networks (PANs) from short distances using cables or Bluetooth to full Wi-Fi range and speed.” Eric Griffith, New ‘Wi-Fi Direct’ Spec Revamps Device Networks

Today’s WhatIs.com Word of the Day is Wi-Fi Direct.

Overheard - MiFi personal cloud

Novatel might be on to something with its MiFi device. It’s basically a rechargeable, portable wireless router that ingests mobile data signals and spits them back out as standard Wi-Fi. The company is calling the technology an “Intelligent Mobile Hotspot,” in case you were longing for some industry jargon. Doug Aamoth, Novatel intros ‘MiFi’ mobile broadband router

A  lot of the blog buzz about MiFi pitches the idea that with your handy-dandy portable router, you’ll be carrying around a personal cloud of high-speed Internet connectivity that can be shared between multiple users and Wi-Fi devices. I can see it being useful to share connectivity, but I’m a little pessimistic about how the pricing structure for service will pan out.  The label “personal cloud” sounds pricey.

Overheard: Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) QoS

To really solve these VoIP problem, Wi-Fi systems must be able to constantly choose transmission paths between the AP and voice device that deliver the strongest signal, fewest delays and lowest packet error rates, while simultaneously attenuating any interference or noise. David Callisch, Minding the VoIP…

Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) is four traffic queues (voice, video, data and background) that are shared among all users. The problem is if one VoFi device is lost (for whatever reason) the AP typically retransmits to that device before servicing other devices. The solution is to have a wireless LAN system that uses a per-client, per-traffic class QoS scheme so every client and traffic flow is fairly serviced.

Overheard: Municipal wireless and privacy

While some cities have seen their dreams of providing wireless Internet access for all fade, others have forged ahead with wireless networks for an altogether different purpose: surveillance. Joshua Brockman, Cities Gone Wireless: Safety Or Surveillance?

Today, public safety is the “largest and most successful sector” in the municipal wireless market, according to MuniWireless.com, a Web site devoted to tracking wireless broadband projects and technologies.