CTIA - Cool Tools
Cell phones and other flashy wireless devices took center stage at the CTIA Wireless 2007 show, but there was still plenty of cool stuff for enterprises and business users. Here's
Stories by Keith Shaw
Zing challenges iPod
Even cool guys like me can't get the scoop on everything before a Demo show; there are some latecomers that show up and knock 'em out of the park with the "ooh" factor. That's why we go to the show -- to make sure we find out about them. Here's two more products that impressed me at last week's <a href="http://www.demo.com" target="_blank">DemoFall</a>in San Diego.
The Draft-N controversy
Someone once said the best thing about standards is that there are so many to choose from. But what happens when there's no formal standard, and vendors want to develop products that are compatible with a "work in progress?" Can you claim compliance with a draft standard that's still in development?
Staying happy and cool at CES
A canceled flight, big crowds, long cab lines and even lost luggage couldn't deter my enthusiasm at the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show, the annual trade show that gets bigger each year. Among the large TVs (Samsung was showing the world's first 102-inch TV screen), digital cameras and home theater speakers were some pretty cool network and storage devices. While some of these products might not be out for a few months, the following devices and technologies got me pumped up:
HP launches a pack of new iPaqs
Hewlett-Packard (HP) next week takes the cover off a range of new PDAs and other mobile devices, including a converged device that combines wireless LAN connectivity, wide-area wireless and personal-area networking.
Netgear goes for G
Netgear jumped onto the band of companies announcing 802.11g wireless LAN products Monday. The company said they hoped to have shipping product of the 2.4GHz, up to 54M bit/sec. products out by early Q1 2003.
Look before you leap into 802.11a
If you are looking to boost the speed of your wireless LAN infrastructure, the arrival of 802.11a wireless Ethernet products that use the 5-GHz frequency range should be a good thing. The products provide about five times the speed of current 802.11b (or Wi-Fi) products, and faster speeds make happier end users, right?
RIM in the crosshairs
Two new mobile devices may not knock out Research In Motion Ltd. and its "BlackBerry" devices, but their functionality and features could be a warning shot across the bow of the RIM flagship.
Cell phones and the terrorist attacks
Disclaimer: I began writing this on Wednesday, Sept. 12, so the events from the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. (and the crash in Pennsylvania) were fresh in my memory.
Adventures in home networking
It's just a matter of time. Once you set up a home network to share your broadband connection, you'll want to add a wireless component so you can work from the living room couch, outside on the patio or upstairs in an air conditioned bedroom.
A Palm for the rest of your staff?
Your executives likely own a Palm V. Your sales staff may own a Palm VII or one of those new pocket PCs with wireless features. So why haven't you bought some Palms for the rest of your staff? Now you can.
Palm may be marketing its new m100 for a broader consumer audience, but there's no reason you can't buy a whole bunch of these devices for your employees who don't need the extra memory, titanium casing or wireless access. Be a good boss and let your staff become more organised, and have them join the mobile revolution by purchasing some m100s.
PDA Field Guide
Bob from Sales comes in and says, "Hey Joe, you have to buy me and my staff a bunch of Palm Inc. Pilots. Now. We need them. Really."