WiFi set to take off

WiFi Alliance industry group co-founder David Cohen predicts that distribution of more powerful networking gear, larger numbers of interoperable devices and better security measures will lead to widespread adoption of the technology.

eWeek reports that Cohen says continued advancement of the 802.11 wireless standard and a range of new products are fuelling a wave of growth in the unwired world, as evidenced by the work of Boeing and others to bring WiFi onto passenger aircraft.

Research by Dallas-based Parks Association shows 52% of all Internet-connected US homes already use some form of WiFi networking technology, and Cohen says that number should increase dramatically over the next three years as speed, reliability and range improves.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is trying to make passports a thing of the past, reports News.com, with Dubai expanding the use of e-gate border control cards that enable holders to swipe the card and give a fingerprint instead of standing in long lines waiting to get a passport stamped.

The system has been used at Dubai International Airport since 2004, but authorities have announced plans to expand the programme to three more airports.

Dubai also plans to begin a trial with the UK, which has begun looking into a similar programme, which means passengers travelling from Heathrow to Dubai will not have to carry a passport at all.

Apple may be about to give in to pressure from music publishers such as Warner Music Group and EMI Music to change to a flexible iTunes pricing structure within 12 months, reports Red Herring.

According to the report, the Wall Street Journal quotes EMI COE Alain Levy as saying he discussed the issue with Apple CEO Steve Jobs and believes Apple plans to change its one-price policy.

In September, Jobs criticised music industry executives, saying the push for an increase in the price of downloaded music was greedy and would encourage piracy.

Sony has joined the growing number of companies getting into voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology this week with the launch of a free videophone service called Instant Video Everywhere.

News.com says the software will ship with the company`s latest version of Vaio BX laptops, which come with built-in video cameras.

The list of VOIP service providers continues to grow, with companies like AOL and Yahoo bundling it with their instant messaging services.

Authorities in Mountain View, California have signed a five-year agreement that enables Google to use city-owned streetlight poles as locations for wireless access points for a city-wide free WiFi service.

Sci Tech Today reports that Mountain View potentially could receive an annual payment of $12 600 for the placement of Google equipment on the light poles.

The deployment in Google`s hometown is considered a test network as the company examines the cost of building and supporting similar networks in other areas.

Microsoft has confirmed a denial-of-service (DoS) flaw in its implementation of the remote procedure call protocol and warned users that a working exploit is already publicly available, reports eWeek.

According to the report, Microsoft has responded to reports of the vulnerability with an advisory that clarifies the scope of the impact and provides a pre-patch workaround for Windows users.

The advisory comes a few days after the proof-of-concept exploit code appeared on several security Web sites, including SecuriTeam.com, FrSIRT.com and Virus.org.