Wi-Fi Is Out There and Spreading Fast
As this new wireless technology spreads to every corner of the
world, it's time that someone ask the burning questions that are
surely on everyone's mind: "How does Wi-Fi work, and can it mess
up the molecular structure of my brain?" Experts say not to
break out the aluminum hats quite yet. But I would keep them
handy because no one's 100 percent sure the low-intensity
microwave radio waves aren't zapping our brains.
The chalkboard at the local Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Woodland
Hills has sported a cryptic message in recent weeks. Under all
the usual promos for double no-foam strawberry-mint Ice Blendeds
was this: "Wi-Fi coming March 7."
Wilfred Finnegan, live in performance?
No. For those of you still clacking away on a Commodore 64,
"Wi-Fi" stands for wireless Latest News about wireless fidelity.
It's the technology that allows people to surf the Internet with
no annoying plug-in phone lines - at much faster speeds.
There's a quiet Wi-Fi Latest News about Wi-Fi revolution going
on in Los Angeles, and across the country. The only indication
for those not in the know are these small signs popping up at
coffeehouses, public libraries, universities, airports and hotel
rooms and even open public spaces advertising "Wi-Fi available."
You may even live in a private Wi-Fi zone, as I do, thanks to an
unknowingly generous neighbor who hasn't secured his or her
Wi-Fi network.
Even the city is getting into the game with a six-month trial of
a free Wi-Fi zone at the Van Nuys Civic Center around the Marvin
Braude San Fernando Valley Constituent Services Center, or the
MBSFVCSC, in conjunction with Woodland Hills company Aiirmesh
Communications. More city-sponsoredhot spots Latest News about
hot spot are planned downtown at Pershing Square and Little
Tokyo.
Los Angeles itself may become one big hot spot one day soon. A
panel of telecommunications experts is expected to report this
spring on the feasibility of the city leading the creation of a
citywide Wi-Fi community network that every citizen in the city
could use for cheap or free.
It's already happening in Philadelphia, which is launching the
largest municipal hot spot in a few weeks, and Chicago is toying
with the Wi-Fi network idea as well.
As this new wireless technology spreads to every corner of the
world, it's time that someone ask the burning questions that are
surely on everyone's mind: "How does Wi-Fi work, and can it mess
up the molecular structure of my brain?"
Experts say not to break out the aluminum hats quite yet. But I
would keep them handy because no one's 100 percent sure the
low-intensity microwave radio waves used by Wi-Fi networks
aren't zapping our brains. If the Wi-Fi technology does turn out
to scramble our memories or make us stupid, then we are already
doomed. Most of us are surrounded every day by things that use
the same technology, most notablycell phones Latest News about
cell phones, cordless phones and medical devices.
As an Angeleno who lives with real threats like smog, gang
warfare, earthquakes, wildfires, landslides and rush-hour
traffic, I decided to fully embrace the Wi-Fi movement. I wanted
to be one of those happy people plucking away on laptops at
Starbucks Latest News about Starbucks or Borders in between sips
of cafe Americanos. So I called up Terry Halberg,
telecommunications planner for the city of Los Angeles, to get
me started with a personal tour of the Van Nuys community Wi-Fi
zone. To prepare, I bought the cheapest wireless modem card I
could find for mylaptop Latest News about laptop - $20 at Fry's.
The city's free Wi-Fi network itself is not much to look at.
It's as visual as radio. There's not much to see other than the
Wi-Fi routers placed strategically inside meeting rooms and out
on utility polls on the streets surrounding the MBSFVCSC. The
routers are no bigger than a hardback Jackie Collins novel, with
two antennas on top and two on the bottom.
"It looks like a little robot guy," Halberg said. They beam the
signal all around the area and into the computers of anyone who
wants to access it.
Anyone with a laptop or PDA Latest News about PDAs with wireless
capability (such as my $20 card) can plop down anywhere around
the Van Nuys Civic Center/ Courthouse complex and log on for
free to the community network. Because the city is providing the
service, users must start at a registration page and agree not
to use the network to do illegal things such as download child
porn or sell unregistered firearms to Third World countries, and
not to sue if you get hacked while online.
Logging into the Wi-Fi Community Network hooks users up not just
to the network but with anyone else using it. This brings up
more disturbing questions such as, if my computer can pick up
data from these Wi-Fi waves, can data be sucked out of it the
same way?
Yes, it can.
According to the nonprofit Wi-Fi Alliance's Web site: "If your
transmissions are not secure, you take the risk of others
intercepting your business e-mails, examining your corporate
files and records, and using your network and Internet
connection to distribute their own messages and communications."
In other words, people can peek on what you're looking at online
as if they were looking over your shoulder. That might not
bother Net surfers who limit their online travels to sites such
as Howtoknit.com or Allaboutmarsupials.net, but most people want
their Internet experiences to be private. If that's the case,
dial-up may still be the way to go until there's improved
security Latest News about Security for Wi-Fi networks. That
probably won't be too long. This revolution is spreading in
months, not years. And though it may not be televised, it is
definitely coming to a screen near you.