Networking UPDATE: Mobile & Wireless Edition--September 10, 2003

1. Mobile & Wireless Perspectives - Is Ultra Wideband the Future of Wireless Technology?

2. Announcements - $300 Early Bird Discount Expires Monday - Are You Ready for Exchange 2003?

3. Instant Poll - Results of Previous Poll: PDA Acquisition - New Instant Poll: Ultra Wideband

4. Event - New--Mobile & Wireless Road Show!

5. New and Improved - Enter Data on Your Palm - Receive Driving Directions on Your PDA - Tell Us About a Hot Product and Get a T-Shirt!

6. Contact Us - See this section for a list of ways to contact us.

==== Sponsor: Windows & .NET Magazine Network ====

If You Like This Email Newsletter... Then be sure to check out the Windows & .NET Magazine Network. You'll find page after page of problem-solving, time-saving articles plus other fantastic resources like our forums, Windows IT library, Download Central, and much, much more. Click here now! http://www.winnetmag.com

1. ==== Mobile & Wireless Perspectives ==== (contributed by Steve Milroy, [email protected])

Is Ultra Wideband the Future of Wireless Technology? Several readers recently requested that I talk a little bit about Ultra Wideband (UWB) technologies. So, in this edition of Networking UPDATE: Mobile & Wireless Edition, I want to discuss the history, features, and potential of UWB. The roots of UWB are in the early 1960s, during which time the notion of data transmission by pulse--rather than by the more common frequency transmission (which is popular today)--was born. Since this idea's inception, the technology has grown slowly as techniques and related hardware radio receivers have evolved. The technology didn't even receive its proper name, UWB, until the late 1980s. And prior to 1994, most UWB work was performed under US military classification, However, without classification since 1994, UWB technology has grown to the point at which it's now almost commercially viable. UWB permits the transmission of large amounts of data over multiple frequencies, using very low power, through data pulses. A UWB data pulse is extremely short in duration, but because the data pulses travel over many frequencies, the bandwidth potential is high. Current UWB transmits on frequencies between 3.1GHz and 10.1GHz. UWB devices in a certain area create a piconet (an almost identical approach to that of Bluetooth devices). Each device in the piconet relays UWB signals, thereby extending the range indefinitely. Because of this high-bandwidth pulse-modulation approach, UWB technology could feature data-transfer rates faster than 10GBps--about 1000 times faster than 802.11b. You might be thinking, "If UWB has been around for so long and it seems to be the Holy Grail of wireless connectivity, why don't we have it yet?" Unfortunately, several factors have slowed the adoption of UWB: - As I mentioned earlier, the pre-1994 military classification prevented any third-party development of hardware and components to support UWB. Without sufficient UWB devices deployed over a given area, the UWB range is limited. - Because UWB uses many licensed frequencies, FCC approval of UWB has been slow. Recently, the FCC has approved UWB for use in the United States, but approval is still pending in other countries. - Interference, an obvious concern, has been slowing the progression of UWB. Will data transmission over many frequencies interfere with other wireless technologies? Potentially, yes, but because the duration of transmission is so short, the possibility for interference is low. - UWB can potentially displace every popular wireless technology in use today, including Personal Area Networks (PANs--e.g., Bluetooth), wireless LANs (WLANs--e.g., 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g), and certainly wireless WANs (WWANs--e.g., General Packet Radio Service--GPRS, 1xRTT). So, many companies will resist the commercial adoption of this technology.

As you can see, the promise of UWB looms large, and the technology is gaining visibility and momentum in the market. When and where we'll begin to see commercial use of UWB remains unknown, but I've read some estimates that predict 67 million UWB devices will be in use by 2007. In the next Networking UPDATE: Mobile & Wireless Edition, I'll continue this discussion of UWB.

==== 2. Announcements ==== (from Windows & .NET Magazine and its partners)

$300 Early Bird Discount Expires Monday Don't miss your $300 discount. Register for Windows & .NET Magazine Connections by September 15, 2003. Stay competitive in your job, and invest your time to keep pace with the latest technologies, tips, and tricks. Register now, save $300, and receive access to concurrently running Exchange Connections. http://www.winconnections.com

Are You Ready for Exchange 2003? With enhanced performance and security and an improved infrastructure, Exchange 2003 is poised for takeoff. Join Windows & .NET Magazine and NetIQ for this free Web seminar, and discover which migration method makes the most sense, the best security and management practices, and much more. Register today! http://www.winnetmag.com/seminars/netiqexchange

==== 3. Instant Poll ====

Results of Previous Poll: PDA Acquisition The voting has closed in Windows & .NET Magazine's nonscientific Instant Poll for the question, "How does your company acquire PDAs?" Here are the results (+/-2 percent) from the 34 votes: - 47% IT purchase - 0% Employees purchase them, and we reimburse later - 47% We allow PDA use, but we don't pay for them - 6% We don't permit PDA use

New Instant Poll: Ultra Wideband The next Instant Poll question is, "Is Ultra Wideband the future of wireless technology?" Go to the Windows & .NET Magazine home page and submit your vote for a) Yes or b) No. http://www.mobile-and-wireless.com

==== 4. Event ==== (brought to you by Windows & .NET Magazine)

New--Mobile & Wireless Road Show! Learn more about the wireless and mobility solutions that are available today! Register now for this free event! http://www.winnetmag.com/roadshows/wireless

==== 5. New and Improved ==== by Carolyn Mader, [email protected]

Enter Data on Your Palm Avaion released FatFinger 2.5, data-entry software for Palm PDAs that now features French, Italian, Spanish, and Swedish keyboard layouts. The software is an alternative to Graffiti or mini keyboards and provides backlit, finger-sized onscreen keyboards that you can use with any Palm application. Pricing is $14.95. Contact Avaion at 763-559-7037. http://www.avaion.com

Receive Driving Directions on Your PDA iGolf Technologies released an SD GPS receiver for Palm and Pocket PC devices. The SD GPS receiver comes with two GPS software applications: iGolfgps and Mapopolis. iGolfgps provides golfers with distance measurements to the front, center, and back of the green. Mapopolis provides navigation and driving directions for a specific region. For pricing, contact iGolf Technologies at 805-277-9646. http://www.igolftech.com

Tell Us About a Hot Product and Get a T-Shirt! Have you used a product that changed your IT experience by saving you time or easing your daily burden? Tell us about the product, and we'll send you a Windows & .NET Magazine T-shirt if we write about the product in a future Windows & .NET Magazine What's Hot column. Send your product suggestions with information about how the product has helped you to [email protected].

==== Sponsored Links ====

Aelita Software Free message-level Exchange recovery web seminar October 9th http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;6098474;8214395;v?http://www.aelita.com/090103updatelink

CrossTec Free Download - NEW NetOp 7.6 - faster, more secure, remote support http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;5930423;8214395;j?http://www.crossteccorp.com/tryit/w2k.html

MailFrontier Eliminate spam once and for all. MailFrontier Anti-Spam Gateway. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;6080289;8214395;q?http://altfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/ck/2848-15512-3892-1

==== 6. Contact Us ====

About the newsletter -- [email protected] About technical questions -- http://www.winnetmag.com/forums About product news -- [email protected] About your subscription -- [email protected] About sponsoring UPDATE -- [email protected]

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Windows & .NET Magazine Network http://www.winnetmag.com

1. Mobile & Wireless Perspectives - Is Ultra Wideband the Future of Wireless Technology?

2. Announcements - $300 Early Bird Discount Expires Monday - Are You Ready for Exchange 2003?

3. Instant Poll - Results of Previous Poll: PDA Acquisition - New Instant Poll: Ultra Wideband

4. Event - New--Mobile & Wireless Road Show!

5. New and Improved - Enter Data on Your Palm - Receive Driving Directions on Your PDA - Tell Us About a Hot Product and Get a T-Shirt!

6. Contact Us - See this section for a list of ways to contact us.

==== Sponsor: Windows & .NET Magazine Network ====

If You Like This Email Newsletter... Then be sure to check out the Windows & .NET Magazine Network. You'll find page after page of problem-solving, time-saving articles plus other fantastic resources like our forums, Windows IT library, Download Central, and much, much more. Click here now! http://www.winnetmag.com

1. ==== Mobile & Wireless Perspectives ==== (contributed by Steve Milroy, [email protected])

Is Ultra Wideband the Future of Wireless Technology? Several readers recently requested that I talk a little bit about Ultra Wideband (UWB) technologies. So, in this edition of Networking UPDATE: Mobile & Wireless Edition, I want to discuss the history, features, and potential of UWB. The roots of UWB are in the early 1960s, during which time the notion of data transmission by pulse--rather than by the more common frequency transmission (which is popular today)--was born. Since this idea's inception, the technology has grown slowly as techniques and related hardware radio receivers have evolved. The technology didn't even receive its proper name, UWB, until the late 1980s. And prior to 1994, most UWB work was performed under US military classification, However, without classification since 1994, UWB technology has grown to the point at which it's now almost commercially viable. UWB permits the transmission of large amounts of data over multiple frequencies, using very low power, through data pulses. A UWB data pulse is extremely short in duration, but because the data pulses travel over many frequencies, the bandwidth potential is high. Current UWB transmits on frequencies between 3.1GHz and 10.1GHz. UWB devices in a certain area create a piconet (an almost identical approach to that of Bluetooth devices). Each device in the piconet relays UWB signals, thereby extending the range indefinitely. Because of this high-bandwidth pulse-modulation approach, UWB technology could feature data-transfer rates faster than 10GBps--about 1000 times faster than 802.11b. You might be thinking, "If UWB has been around for so long and it seems to be the Holy Grail of wireless connectivity, why don't we have it yet?" Unfortunately, several factors have slowed the adoption of UWB: - As I mentioned earlier, the pre-1994 military classification prevented any third-party development of hardware and components to support UWB. Without sufficient UWB devices deployed over a given area, the UWB range is limited. - Because UWB uses many licensed frequencies, FCC approval of UWB has been slow. Recently, the FCC has approved UWB for use in the United States, but approval is still pending in other countries. - Interference, an obvious concern, has been slowing the progression of UWB. Will data transmission over many frequencies interfere with other wireless technologies? Potentially, yes, but because the duration of transmission is so short, the possibility for interference is low. - UWB can potentially displace every popular wireless technology in use today, including Personal Area Networks (PANs--e.g., Bluetooth), wireless LANs (WLANs--e.g., 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g), and certainly wireless WANs (WWANs--e.g., General Packet Radio Service--GPRS, 1xRTT). So, many companies will resist the commercial adoption of this technology.

As you can see, the promise of UWB looms large, and the technology is gaining visibility and momentum in the market. When and where we'll begin to see commercial use of UWB remains unknown, but I've read some estimates that predict 67 million UWB devices will be in use by 2007. In the next Networking UPDATE: Mobile & Wireless Edition, I'll continue this discussion of UWB.

==== 2. Announcements ==== (from Windows & .NET Magazine and its partners)

$300 Early Bird Discount Expires Monday Don't miss your $300 discount. Register for Windows & .NET Magazine Connections by September 15, 2003. Stay competitive in your job, and invest your time to keep pace with the latest technologies, tips, and tricks. Register now, save $300, and receive access to concurrently running Exchange Connections. http://www.winconnections.com

Are You Ready for Exchange 2003? With enhanced performance and security and an improved infrastructure, Exchange 2003 is poised for takeoff. Join Windows & .NET Magazine and NetIQ for this free Web seminar, and discover which migration method makes the most sense, the best security and management practices, and much more. Register today! http://www.winnetmag.com/seminars/netiqexchange

==== 3. Instant Poll ====

Results of Previous Poll: PDA Acquisition The voting has closed in Windows & .NET Magazine's nonscientific Instant Poll for the question, "How does your company acquire PDAs?" Here are the results (+/-2 percent) from the 34 votes: - 47% IT purchase - 0% Employees purchase them, and we reimburse later - 47% We allow PDA use, but we don't pay for them - 6% We don't permit PDA use

New Instant Poll: Ultra Wideband The next Instant Poll question is, "Is Ultra Wideband the future of wireless technology?" Go to the Windows & .NET Magazine home page and submit your vote for a) Yes or b) No. http://www.mobile-and-wireless.com

==== 4. Event ==== (brought to you by Windows & .NET Magazine)

New--Mobile & Wireless Road Show! Learn more about the wireless and mobility solutions that are available today! Register now for this free event! http://www.winnetmag.com/roadshows/wireless

==== 5. New and Improved ==== by Carolyn Mader, [email protected]

Enter Data on Your Palm Avaion released FatFinger 2.5, data-entry software for Palm PDAs that now features French, Italian, Spanish, and Swedish keyboard layouts. The software is an alternative to Graffiti or mini keyboards and provides backlit, finger-sized onscreen keyboards that you can use with any Palm application. Pricing is $14.95. Contact Avaion at 763-559-7037. http://www.avaion.com

Receive Driving Directions on Your PDA iGolf Technologies released an SD GPS receiver for Palm and Pocket PC devices. The SD GPS receiver comes with two GPS software applications: iGolfgps and Mapopolis. iGolfgps provides golfers with distance measurements to the front, center, and back of the green. Mapopolis provides navigation and driving directions for a specific region. For pricing, contact iGolf Technologies at 805-277-9646. http://www.igolftech.com

Tell Us About a Hot Product and Get a T-Shirt! Have you used a product that changed your IT experience by saving you time or easing your daily burden? Tell us about the product, and we'll send you a Windows & .NET Magazine T-shirt if we write about the product in a future Windows & .NET Magazine What's Hot column. Send your product suggestions with information about how the product has helped you to [email protected].

==== Sponsored Links ====

Aelita Software Free message-level Exchange recovery web seminar October 9th http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;6098474;8214395;v?http://www.aelita.com/090103updatelink

CrossTec Free Download - NEW NetOp 7.6 - faster, more secure, remote support http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;5930423;8214395;j?http://www.crossteccorp.com/tryit/w2k.html

MailFrontier Eliminate spam once and for all. MailFrontier Anti-Spam Gateway. http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;6080289;8214395;q?http://altfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/ck/2848-15512-3892-1

==== 6. Contact Us ====

About the newsletter -- [email protected] About technical questions -- http://www.winnetmag.com/forums About product news -- [email protected] About your subscription -- [email protected] About sponsoring UPDATE -- [email protected]