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FON ( http://www.fon.com/ ), a Spanish startup that is building an international WiFi community, is selling and organizing WiFi access to anyone who wishes to join and connect to the Internet. According to their website: It all started as a simple idea: enjoy WiFi technology everywhere across a WiFi infrastructure built by same members of the FON Community. Joining us is just as easy. All you need...

In the mid 1990's Oracle and Sun Microsystems developed and promoted the concept for a Network Computer (NC).   Unfortunately, the revolutionary idea did not make sense offering a fraction of the functionality provided by a regular Personal Computer (PC), at a similar purchase price and the networks of the day could not support it. Recent developments, including greater adoption of high-speed inte...

This blogcast discusses low cost computers for emerging markets in developing countries. The term being tossed around by the major manufacturers is  the next billion and refers to the approximate number of low cost computers that will be sold in the next decade in coutries like China, Brazil and Egypt.

On Thursday the U.S. House of Representatives voted 269-152 against the net neutrality amendment, a bill sponsored by Massachusetts Democrat Ed Markey. A yes vote would have required broadband providers (Telco's, Cable Companies, etc) to offer the same service speeds to competitors that they provide to partners. The telcos and cable companies in particular lobbied heavily inside the beltway and it...

Todays gamers are not the gamers of the old pong days. High performance graphics, processors, controllers, I/O and network connectivity make many games appear anything but virtual. This show gives updates on new products from Sony and Nintendo and also discusses Microsoft's Xbox 360.

This show brings technology updates on past shows along with recent news items that affect Information and Communications Technology and Information and Communications Technology enabled industries.

With increasing business and consumer adoption of internet telephony (more commonly called voice over internet protocol or VoIP ) and recent revelations regarding the NSAâ??s domestic spying program, one begins to wonder - how secure are VoIP calls?   In this podcast we discuss the differences between public switched telephone networks (PSTNs) and VoIP, security concerns regarding VoIP traffic, th...

Local governments are looking closely at different technologies and business models in efforts to provide wireless broadband access. The current number of U.S. municipalities sponsoring access is small but growing. In this, our fourteenth podcast, we discuss some of the methods currently being used and considered to provide access.

Organic Light Emitting Diodes and Light Emitting Polymers are set to revolutionize the display industry. They don't require a backlight, and are more energy efficient and offer a higher contrast than traditional LCD displays. This is a relatively new display technology that promises to deliver thin, power efficient and bright displays. These new displays, already popular in MP3 players and cell ph...

A new consumer goods tracking system called Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is poised to enter all of our lives, with profound implications for consumer privacy. RFID couples radio frequency (RF) identification technology with highly miniaturized computers that enable products to be identified and tracked at any point along the supply chain. The system can be applied to virtually any physica...

Technology updates on past shows along with recent news items that affect Information and Communications Technology and Information and Communications Technology enabled industries. We will do these update shows every five weeks, with the next one scheduled for Show 16.

Though not as memorable a question as that faced by Shakespeare's Hamlet, many companies are now confronted with critical decisions regarding adoption of Linux and other open source software. This podcast, the fourth in a 10-part series detailing technologies to watch for 2006, examines Linux and open source software. Though originally developed and used by individual enthusiasts for Intel 386 mic...

How many times have you saved a file on your local machine and, a few days or weeks later wasted time trying to find that file? Modern operating systems have search capabilities but most are not very user friendly and they are typically slow. Today third party desktop search engines are adding new features and functionality, finding their way on to business and personal machines. These tools work...

There's a disruptive new technology on the horizon, and it's called micro-commerce. Microcommerce allows vendors to sell low-ticket items at a profit, changing the way e-business is conducted, allowing for value-added content and providing new business models for online sellers. As we will discuss in this podcast, our second in a 10-part series detailing technologies to watch for 2006, one need on...

Instant Messaging or IM, once the domain of generation X and generation Y is quickly becoming a mainstream business application. While this technology has been a great boon to businesses, increasing productivity and streamlining efficiency there is a darkside. Chief among potential corporate headaches are manageability, security, interoperability and records retention. In this, the first of a 10 p...

Excellent coverage of Information and Communications Technology security issues that everyone should know.

The Telecom Act of 1996 is long overdue for a rewrite and this is the year. Think back to 1996 if you can when the telephone companies sold voice and the cable companies sold video. Things are not the same for the Verizons and the Comcasts of this world as they compete head to head for your business while disruptive companies like Google are nipping at their heels.

This podcast reviews cable and telephone company plans for delivery of voice, video, data amd wireless technologies.

This podcast discusses the Science, Math, Engineering and Technology (SMET) pipline and work being done by the National Academy of Science and the National Science Foundation.

This is the second of a two part podcast looking at Information and Communications Technology predictions for 2006.

This is the first of a two part podcast looking at Information and Communications Technology predictions for 2006.