Newcomers like Sprint PCS and Cometa Networks, backed by Intel, IBM and AT&T, plan to build nationwide networks as well. Wi-Fi equipment maker Nomadix was among the first to announce its support for the new standards. It said Thursday that its equipment, used by several different wireless hot spot networks, already supports many of the Wi-Fi Zone requirements. "As..adoption of the program grows, we anticipate the accelerated expansion of public-access network deployments," said John DiGiovanni, Nomadix marketing director.

The Wi-Fi Alliance's Wi-Fi Certified label is considered essential for any wireless networking product sold in the United States, It's so far certified more than 500 different Wi-Fi products, To earn its new Wi-Fi Zone label, hot spots will have to use Wi-Fi certified products, They will also have to make it possible for someone to connect using a Virtual Private Network, which is used to secure the data over the air, The Alliance, however, isn't requiring hot spots to use any stronger forms of security, including Wi-Fi Protected Access, lets surf iii iphone case a security standard the Alliance proposed in October, Wi-Fi Alliance representative Brian Grimm said Thursday..

"There are not a lot of WPA enabled devices on the market," Grimm said. "It would have been an onerous requirement.". To win certification, hot spots will also have to guarantee that customers will be connected to the Web up to 95 percent of the time they are using the network. Hot spots will also have to make customer support technicians available, either in person or via a 1-800 telephone number, according to the new requirements. Representatives from many of the nation's major WISPs, including Wayport, Surf and Sip, and T-Mobile, either couldn't be reached for comment Thursday or deferred any comment until they had time to digest the newly published set of rules and regulations.

A group whose seal of approval is thought indispensable by wireless-gear makers turns its attention to places where wireless Web access is offered for a fee, Through its new Wi-Fi Zone program, the nonprofit Wi-Fi Alliance aims to bring some law to a varied collection of about 4,000 hot spots in the United States, all offering different experiences for users, Chairman Dennis Eaton said lets surf iii iphone case Thursday, "Our goal is to provide a reliable indicator that will allow customers to identify service providers who are committed to a common standard of quality," Eaton said..

CNET también está disponible en español. Don't show this again. Visit manufacturer site for details. Main contentIf you're hot for Bluetooth technology but don't want to upgrade to a phone that has this capability, Jabra's FreeSpeak wireless headset and multi-adapter might be just the ticket. It turns a basic cell phone with a 2.5mm headset jack into a Bluetooth-ready mobile. And if you eventually upgrade to Bluetooth, this headset will still work just fine. At first glance, with its bright blue MiniGel ear cover and silver styling, the FreeSpeak headset looks like something you'd see a character on Star Trek wearing. But once you place the wraparound headset on your ear, its sci-fi qualities are hidden from view. In terms of ergonomics, we found the lightweight FreeSpeak comfortable to wear and easily adjustable to fit either the left or right ear. We should note that you'll have to play with the headset a little before you get it to sit correctly.Since this headset works with an adapter, you don't have to spend any time pairing up the FreeSpeak to a cell phone. Just place the adapter into a 2.5mm headset jack and turn on the headset; to place or receive a call, press the Talk/End button on the FreeSpeak and start chatting. There's another button on the headset that you can use to adjust the volume. The adapter also doubles as the headset's charging cradle/holster; if you plan on keeping the phone in a pocket, this kind of wireless connectivity can become a bulky load. Like many Bluetooth devices, the Jabra has a blue light that flashes when the headset is on.We tested the FreeSpeak with the Samsung N200 and found call quality to be good. Callers typically couldn't tell we were using a headset. Additionally, we met the 10-meter range of use. As for battery life, we managed to get only two hours of talk time (it's rated at four) and about two days of standby time (vs. Jabra's claims of 100 hours).