Wireless Trends for 2008

How will the wireless world impact upon you and your technology this year? Fortune magazine has put together a (US centric) list of its predicted top 10 wireless trends for 2008.

Mobile Internet with Web 'n' Walk

If you regularly use wifi hotspots or need internet access on the move, you might want to check out T-Mobile's Web 'n' Walk packages. From £29 a month (inc VAT), you can get unlimited internet access on the move -just sign up, and receive a USB dongle data card.

Using a BT Openzone hotspot can be expensive. A 1hr voucher is £6 and a £24 hour is £10. Compared with those prices, £29 for unlimited access - wherever you are - certainly seems favourable.

Broadband is delivered via 3g and speeds of upto 1.8mbs and offered. Devices like this previously were promoted only to the business sector, but with prices coming down and new consumer packages available, will 3G data cards spell the end for wireless hotspots?

Visit T-Mobile's website for more information.

Wireless Electricity

I remember hearing a while back about networks over power cables. And then we had wireless networking. I thought I was being funny when I asked if wireless power would be next.

Turns out that exactly what scientists have been working on. They think they've come up with a way that our small devices like MP3 players, phones and laptops can be charged without cables from some base station.

It sounds a little scary to me, and if people are worried about the health effects of wireless internet, wait they get a load of people charing their laptops through the air.

What do you think?

Ditch WEP, use WPA

ComputerWorld.com has reported on a German research piece which has found that the time taken to break a 104 bit WEP key has come down to mere minutes.

This means that basic WEP can no longer be relied upon and if you have WPA as an option on your wireless network, you need to look at switching over.

See Article

Review: Kensington Wifi Finder Plus

We were previously a big fan of the original Kensington Wifi Finder, so were definitely keen to check out its latest incarnation: The Wifi Finder Plus.

It retains the essential functionality - press the button and wait for a reading on the LEDs to tell you if you are in range of a wireless hotspot. There's five LEDs which indicate the strength of the signal you are receiving.

Plus what?

So what are the extra features on this new Wifi Finder? Firstly, it has more LEDs so you can get better indication of the signal strength. Another addition is that you can now detect Bluetooth networks (where there is sufficient network activity to be detected). And to top it off, they've added a handy little flashlight. And I do actually mean handy because whilst I was writing this review, someone just asked me to if I had a torch and I was ready and able with my little wifi finder plus!

The Plus sports a slick new look: solid black rubberised exterior with silver detailing. It feels surprisingly sturdy in your hand and it's obviously been built to survive the rough and tumble of life on a keyring.

The Wifi Finder Plus can detect 802.11b and 802.11g networks, and also has a search mode that helps you determine the direction of a hotspot.

If you use wireless networks, you'll find that after five minutes of having this, you won't want to be without it as it's just so useful for quickly finding out if you're in range of a hotspot.

myHotspots Verdict: Recommended!

Prices for the Wifi Finder Plus vary online:
PC World - £19.99
Amazon - £14.05