Wireless / Networking

Do you use Wi-Fi Internet at hotels around the world? A note this month from the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) suggests you may be a prime target for hackers. Specifically, the IC3 is tracking claims that hotel travelers have had their computers infected with virus software that they unknowingly downloaded. This attack is sneaky in that people are apparently tricked to make the download by generating a pop-up window in the browser as soon as they initiate their Internet connection. While there are several ways to avoid falling into this trap, one good solution is to avoid downloading any software updates to your computers when traveling.
→ See also - 9 Tips To Block Hotel Wi-Fi Malware (informationweek.com)

Starting May 18th (2012), the Sierra Wireless 4G LTE Tri-Fi Hotspot will be available for purchase by subscribers to Sprint's cell data service in the U.S. The term "Tri-Fi" comes from the device's capability to support any of three different types of connections - LTE, WiMax, and Sprint's version of so-called "3G" cellular networking. Like other kinds of Wi-Fi wireless hotspots, multiple nearby devices can hook to this device and share an Internet connection or computer resources with each other.

The name sounds cool, but is this gadget really anything special? Read More...

The Mexican Internet site Terra is currently running a free Wi-Fi hotspot promotion in Mexico City. This hardly sounds like interesting news, but it's the unique way these hotspots work that has gotten people's interest. Terra has installed their metered hotspots in public park areas, attached to waste bins that weigh the amount of incoming... trash and add a corresponding number of free minutes onto the hotspot's clock. The system isn't smart enough to know what kind of waste it is weighing, but Terra's concept is to market it toward dog owners who should be cleaning up the droppings of their pets. Will Poo Wi-Fi be coming to your town? Unlikely.
→ More - Dog Owner? Turn Poo into Free Wi-Fi (time.com)

RouterPassView is a Windows utility program designed to help you uncover the administrator password of a router if it's forgotten. This sounds like a great tool for hackers, but anyone who downloads this free software for unethical reasons will surely be disappointed. Even regular users might find RouterPassView to be only marginally useful. The program works by scanning a router's configuration files created during a backup procedure. To use RouterPassView, a person must have a router that supports configuration backup (not all routers do), the router administrator must have actually made a backup file (many admins do not) and have access to it, and the program must support scanning that particular file format. Finally, there's no guarantee the password listed in the backup file matches the password currently active on the router, as that depends on timing of the backups taken. On the other hand, if you have a computer running Windows and your network fits the above profile, RouterPassView could save you a lot of grief someday.
→ See also - What To Do If You Forget Your Router's Password
→ See also - Essential Configuration Settings for Home Network Routers
→ See also - Ways to Reset a Home Network Router

Koss Corporation has a long history in the headphone business going back to the beginning of "Hi-Fi" stereo headphones in the 1950s. It seems fitting, then, that Koss announced this week availability of the world's first Wi-Fi headphones with built-in Internet connectivity. The Koss Striva products feature both in-ear and over-the-ear models that connect via Wi-Fi to a local network. Through a local access point, the headphones receive audio programming as configured by users via accounts they set up on the www.mykoss.com online portal. A small bridge device Koss calls a Content Access Point can also be connected to devices like phones or MP3 players for offline streaming.

The price tag for Koss Striva runs between USD $450 and USD $500. As cool as this technology is, that's a very high price to pay for headphones. Is "cutting the cord" worth it?

→ See also - Going Wireless - Headphones (2009)
→ See also - Ways to Reset a Home Network Router

Koss STRIVA - Photo: www.koss.com

Did you know that the Internet has its own hall of fame? The Internet Society (ISOC) established its new Internet Hall of Fame and announced its first set of inductees on Monday. The group of 33 individuals reflected nomination choices ranging from questionable (Al Gore) to awesome (Jon Postel, for his work on network protocols, and Raymond Tomlinson, the man who decided email addresses should use '@'). Congratulations to all the winners.

Do you know someone who belongs in the Internet Hall of Fame Class of 2013? In the spirit of an open Internet, anyone can be nominated (except people cannot nominate themselves).

→ More - 2012 Internet Hall of Fame Inductees (internethalloffame.org)

PCWorld recently surveyed mobile broadband speeds across 13 major U.S. cities. It was a bit surprising to see how respectable both the 3G and 4G networks performed, with downloads running up to 9 Mbps. Of course, performance varies greatly depending on location and choice of provider. One carrier in particular gets low mark here. Even worse, though, coverage areas can be limited. People outside U.S. metropolitan areas often can't get anything close to the numbers quoted in this survey from these "nationwide" services. Does your mobile connection perform to the level PCWorld saw?
→ More - 3G and 4G Wireless Speed Showdown: Which Networks Are Fastest? (pcworld.com)

In the past it was with tubes, then wires, then with wireless radio signals or pulses of light: Transmitting computer network data traditionally has involved the encoding and decoding of a series of '1's and '0's (bits) on a digital communication link. The ultimate concept in computer communications, though, is sending subatomic particles from source to destination, and having those particles carry digital information. That's the essence of quantum networking, an exciting if not mind-bending idea for how to build super fast and efficient networks of the future.

This week, scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Germany announced their breakthrough demonstration of a quantum computer network, generating new excitement in the field.

→ See also - Breakthrough in Quantum Communication (sciencedaily.com)

Quantum Network Demonstration - Max Planck Institute - Graphic: http://www.mpq.mpg.de

Those who thought that Mac computers were immune to trojans and other computer malware got a surprise last week. Apple provided patches for the Flashback Trojan, but by that time more than half a million Macs around the world are estimated to have been infected. This trojan infected computers that visited certain malicious Web site, installing dangerous software designed to steal personal information and sent it out across the Internet. It is difficult to guard against programs like this that install themselves silently, but monitoring your computers and routers for suspicious network activity is always recommended.
→ More - Getting Rid of the Flashback Trojan

The Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) holds a patent in wireless local area networking that has turned out to be extremely valuable. In 2009, CSIRO reached a legal settlement with various manufacturers of Wi-Fi networking equipment, receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in payments. This week, the agency has reached a settlement in its latest patent infringement case, this time with some additional companies including phone vendors AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. The new settlement is also expected to exceed USD $200 million. Patents in computer networking can be controversial; at least one blogger considers CSIRO to be a patent troll, while others believe patents are essential to rewarding good ideas and industry innovation.
→ More - Wi-Fi Patent Case Results in $229M Payment to Australian Government (arstechnica.com)
→ See also -How To Earn Millions From Wi-Fi (2009)