Breaking Technology News
Washington DC	March 23, 2002

in this issue Community Wireless Networks Northern Virginia Wireless Movement Free E-mail May Become Obsolete HP-Compaq Merger is Approved Google Distributed Computer Project Stratford University Our Cisco Classes Are Hands-On Student's Love Our Cisco 7500 Routers and 5503 Switches

Tech Talk Radio Highlights This week Tech Talk interviewed Don Bailey, a network security professional who is setting up his own wireless Internet access service. Other items of interest included community wireless networks, FOSE highlights, HP-Compac merger, driver's license magnetic strip privacy issues, and the Google distributed computing project. Listen to the latest show now in either MP3 or streaming RealAudio formats. Check out all the links referenced during the show. Tech Talk airs each Saturday at Noon on WMAL Radio (AM630) and is sponsored by Stratford University. WMAL is an ABC affiliate and the number one AM radio station in the Washington DC market. Community Wireless Networks    The movement toward community wireless is worldwide. With Europe leading the way, the US is advancing rapidly. Free wireless Internet access points are popping up in most major cities. Many techies are opting to become a wireless Internet Service Provider (ISP) and cost sharing with their neighbors. Cumberland, Maryland, is establishing a city wireless network after becoming frustrated with Verizon's slow response. Check out the Telephony News link Northern Virginia Wireless Movement    The wireless movement in Northern Virginia is lead by the NovaWireless Organization. They have already established seven free access points in the area. Tech Talk interviewed one of their members, Don Bailey. Don is setting up a wireless ISP for his neighborhood. He makes a very compelling case for bypassing your local Baby Bell. Check out Don's Geekspeed Website Free E-mail May Become Obsolete    After spending $400M buying Hotmail.com, Microsoft is trying to generate revenue. They are "sweeping" user accounts and deleting messages. MS indicates that becoming a paying customer would keep the e-mail janitor out of your account. At the same time, Yahoo has begun to charge annual storage and forwarding fees. Check out the CNET Article HP-Compaq Merger is Approved    The deal is complete. Two box makers are joining forces. Many feel the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Tech Talk mourns the loss the Compaq as an excellent hardware company and HP as an excellent innovator. We still contend that HP would have been better served by merging with a professional services operation. Check out the CNET Article Google Distributed Computer Project    Google has launched a distributed computing project, enabled by its browser toolbar. 500 users are currently testing the new toolbar to channel unused processing power to the Folding@home project at Stanford, which seeks to compute the link between genetic codes and protein structure. This project is similar the Seti@home distributed computing project, which is looking for intelligent signaling from outer space. Check out the Zdnet Article

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