Originally founded as the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Association (WECA), Wi-Fi stands for "wireless fidelity," a play on "high fidelity" (hi-fi). See 802.11, WiMAX, hotspot and WLIF.
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Additional Resources
- iPhone tethering rumored
- When I travel I carry a second phone alongside my iPhone – for one reason. Tethering. I need to be able to get online wherever I am and Wi-Fi isn't exactly ubiquitous and free Wi-Fi seems to be getting scarcer with each passing day. To make matters...
- Blog posts 2008-08-29
- Palm Treo Pro (unlocked)
- Photo gallery:Palm Treo ProWhile not the best-kept secret in the technology world, with leaked photos and videos all over the Net, we were still amped over Palm's official unveiling of the Palm Treo Pro. And why wouldn't we be? The smartphone looked pretty sharp, both inside and out. However, now...
- Product reviews 2008-08-27
- Palm Treo: The reviews are upbeat; Can a device turn Palm around?
- Palm may have a hit on its hands with the Treo Pro judging from the recent spate of reviews as NDAs ended on Wednesday. The larger question is whether this pricey device can give the company a boost in the bottom line. To wit: ...
- Blog posts 2008-08-27
- Can you trust kids with a Kindle?
- Can you trust kids with a Kindle?Can you trust kids with a Kindle?I agree with you for the most part. An electronic book or ereader would be good for looking up information to reference. The drawback I see is the price tag of the kindle, and if someone...
- Discussion threads 2008-08-27
- Inventor sues Google, Verizon, others on voicemail
- Inventor sues Google, Verizon, others on voicemailNot sure his patents pass the litmus test.Wouldnt star trek and most other sci-fi shows pre-date some of his patents.Just because you come up with an idea doesnt mean you have a patent... you have to establish a process and provide code that does...
- Discussion threads 2008-08-27
- Signs of life emerge on the Vista marketing front
- Signs of life emerge on the Vista marketing frontMarkets are based onDemand and Availability..Nobody needed a new OS at this stage.Nobody still does.. Ads won't change this.Plus for me.. i don't need fancy GUI tricks i could do 8 years ago under Enlightenment with X11 and Linux.There is no added...
- Discussion threads 2008-08-27
- Dell XPS M1330-126B
- Note: This review is part of our Back to School 2008 roundup, covering specific configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores.While 13-inch laptops make up only a small part of the market, Apple's popular MacBook has made this form factor, which we call thin-and-light, a staple...
- Product reviews 2008-08-26
- Loopt: iPhone app keeps track of friends
- I've been playing with a free iPhone application called Loopt (Web site, App Store). It allows you to stay connected to your friends, colleagues and relatives who are also members of the service. Loopt uses the GPS chip in the iPhone 3G and Wi-Fi triangulation in the iPhone 2G to...
- Blog posts 2008-08-26
- AT&T: International iPhone surfing plans start at $120
- If you have an iPhone and are traveling abroad, AT&T is now offering new data plans that should save some money over regular pay-per-use roaming charges. Roughly, a 100 megabyte plan will run $120 per month while a 200-megabyte plan will cost $200. That, of course, is on top of...
- Blog posts 2008-08-26
- New StopBadware guidelines take aim at software update bundling
- If the StopBadware coalition has its way, software updaters from Sun Microsystems see screenshot above and Apple will carry the embarrassing "badware" label. According to a draft of revamped guidelines (.pdf) from the Google-backed computer security consortium, the badware label will expand to...
- Blog posts 2008-08-25
- Google and Sirius XM: Build my "Dream" Handheld
- The current rumor-mongering seems to indicate that HTC's "Dream" will soon be making landfall in the US. Based on the initially leaked specs of this device, it still sounds like it doesn't do what I really would want it to do in order to replace by Blackberry 8820. ...
- Blog posts 2008-08-24
- Red Hat (belatedly) confirms security breach
- Red Hat belatedly confirms security breachthis is the evidence that open source linux security sucks!this is the evidence that open source linux security sucks!RE: Red Hat belatedly confirms security breachLOL!! What have I been saying all along? That linux is NOT secure and is NOT suitable for any purpose....
- Discussion threads 2008-08-22
- Arc Wireless Freedom Blade
- As cell phones become the "everything gadget" for more people, companies have begun to cash in on the need for great reception at all times. Wilson Electronics and Wi-Ex have introduced some of our favorite products, and even Sprint Nextel offers an option of its own. A less successful product,...
- Product reviews 2008-08-21
- Sprint Airave
- Since a cell phone is practically useless without good signal strength, a signal booster is sometimes required to boost it. We've seen plenty signal boosters here at CNET, from the Wi-Ex zBoost YX510-PCS-CEL to the ARC Freedom Antenna. However, Sprint has decided to release device to boost the signal of...
- Product reviews 2008-08-21
- Creative Digital Wireless Gaming Headset HS-1200 - headset
- With so many PC accessories cutting their cords, it's no surprise to see wireless headsets joining the party. To that end, Creative has released the HS-1200 Digital Wireless Gaming Headset. As the name suggests, the unit is targeted at PC gamers who play games that allow you to use voice...
- Product reviews 2008-08-21
- Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q701
- Editors' note: This review is part of our Back-to-School 2008 roundup, covering specific configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores.The Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q701 marks a new look for the Qosmio brand. Gone are the subdued blacks and silvers of years past; in their place come stylized...
- Product reviews 2008-08-21
- Back to school special: Big thanks to our green tech kids
- I have no children so I really can't appreciate the end of August, when the parents I know count down the hours until their offspring heads back to the classroom. But I do remember mourning the bittersweet end of summer in the northeast, when crickets chirp of a summer evening...
- Blog posts 2008-08-21
- The Waltham Pact: Where are the tangibles?
- The Waltham Pact: Where are the tangibles?I don't see it.I don't see where this is helping anyone. It seems like any help MS is giving to Novell is being tied up at Novell. For instance Novell's version of Open Office. I don't really see any of that coming down or...
- Discussion threads 2008-08-20
- The Waltham Pact: Where are the tangibles?
- This week, Microsoft renewed their union with Novell, to the tune of an additional 100 million dollars in commitment to buy more SUSE Linux support certificates that it can sell to its customers. Dang, Ballmer, for that kind of cash, you can get your vows renewed...
- Blog posts 2008-08-20
- HP Pavilion dv5-1015nr
- Editors' note: This review is part of our Back-to-School 2008 roundup, covering specific configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores.As a back-to-school laptop, the HP Pavilion dv5-1015nr is overkill, unless, perhaps, you've managed to squeeze a large LCD in your dorm room or pooled funds with...
- Product reviews 2008-08-20
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