Wireless locators help track down the physical location of people or things. Personal locators, for example, are small devices that plot your position on a map. They are especially useful when lost while driving. Child trackers comprise a wireless transmitter fastened to the child and a receiver carried by the parent. When the child moves outside of a set range from the parent, the transmitter alerts the parent with sound. Other kinds of wireless locators are even designed to help you find missing keys or tools.

Wireless locators generally don't use Wi-Fi. Instead, each one features its own radio communication protocol. Personal locators typically also utilize GPS technology to plot physical coordinates precisely. Although these devices sound cool, research wireless locator products carefully before purchasing. Consumers historically have had many complaints about their reliability, the useful range of signals and alerts, and battery life.

Popular bookstore chains, numerous hotels, and many local businesses have offered free Internet access via Wi-Fi for awhile now. Google has even been providing free Wi-Fi for an entire city (Mountain View, CA) since 2006.

So what's the big deal about Google now offering free Wi-Fi at select U.S. airports until January 15th? Maybe a lot of folks like me suspect this is more likely to become a permanent arrangement and not just a one-time holiday gift? I could be wrong.

→ See also - Free Wi-Fi Wars: Google vs. Microsoft vs. Yahoo (pcworld.about.com)

We and Gizmodo are watching for the official release of Microsoft's new Wi-Fi adapter for the Xbox 360. The new adapter should feature 802.11n support and perhaps a slightly lower price tag than the current 802.11g unit that I and many other gamers around the world have enjoyed for the last few years.

Will it be worth replacing an existing Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter with a new 802.11n model? In a word, probably not. To get maximum benefit from the new adapter, you'll need an 802.11n router. Even then, unless your current wireless connection is very weak, expect the stronger signal and higher network bandwidth 802.11n won't translate into any noticeable stability or performance improvement in your online experience.

→ See also - Top 802.11n Wireless Routers

A spammer on our message board recently posted a set of product advertisements that appeared to include braindumps for computer networking certification exams. What's a braindump? According to O/Siris, braindumps are illegal copies of exam questions. Find out why braindumps are considered unethical at best, and check out his good tips for identifying questionable outfits that peddle these things.
→ Discuss - Braindumps are Illegal
→ See also - What Is a Braindump? (certification.about.com)