If you’re not familiar with “netbooks”, you’re missing out on a potentially great little web-working tool. And I do mean little as these are small, fully-functional notebooks that are easy to use on the go. They tend to offer long battery life as well, due to low-voltage processors and small, LED backlit displays.
There’s a new functional trend emerging with these portable productivity tools now that Asus is starting to offer integrated wireless broadband in the product line.
But that begs a question about wireless connectivity: do you go with integrated or opt for a plug-in solution?
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If you find yourself using Wi-Fi more and more frequently, you’re not alone. As the numbers here show, business use of hotspots is growing very rapidly, and home Wi-Fi networks are key tools for many web workers. Do you monitor the Wi-Fi performance you’re getting, though?
If you tend to “set it and forget it,” it’s worth checking in on your actual Wi-Fi performance whether you’re in public or using your own network. Here are a couple of free tools that make this easy.
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As reported by the New York Times, it looks like Chrysler is gearing up to offer you cars with the internet built right in. The technology was actually announced in late June, and will hook up cellular web access to a rolling WiFi hotspot. The Times is not keen on this idea, citing studies that show more distractions lead to more accidents.
Personally, I think web workers are probably smart enough to not be driving with a laptop in their lap (though, after watching some Blackberry and iPhone users, I may be too optimistic there). More to the point, those of us who need traveling connectivity already have it, via EVDO modems and the like. The Chrysler UConnect system may some day make connectivity from taxicabs and limousines simpler, but for now, it looks like just another status-generating toy.
Would you pay an extra $450 for an internet-enabled car?
Only the FON-ely...FON-liness Of The Long Distance Runner. Yes, I had a whole bank of puns to title this post. They’ll all aptly tragic in telling the tale of a promising piece of web worker infrastructure that has in essence become a network of very lonely and isolated hotspots…
I first came across FON at O’Reilly’s Emerging Telephony 2006 conference, as then company evangelist Ejovi Nuwere outlined a vision of a global wifi network built from the grassroots, owned and operated by its users. Ejovi explained that users installing a FON hotspot would be able to earn revenue from its use or, if they agreed to charge no access fee, use every other FON hotspot at no cost when travelling away from home.
A few months later I recieved a complimentary La Fonera router, becoming the 4089th ‘Fonero’ (currently there are 671′363 users). A few days ago, I switched off my La Fonera, packaging it for an eBay bidder that paid just $17. Now the thing is, none of those 671′362 other Fonero’s hotspots were in places I where I needed connectivity…
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If you’re not familiar with “netbooks”, you’re missing out on a potentially great little web-working tool. And I do mean little as these are small, fully-functional notebooks that are easy to use on the go. They tend to offer long battery life as well, due to low-voltage processors and small, LED backlit displays.
