Wi-Fi mesh lights up Mecca for Hajj
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A temporary Wi-Fi mesh netowrk is enabling pilgrims to Mecca to stay in touch.
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The millions of pilgrims in Mecca this week for the Hajj, an annual gathering of Muslims, can stay connected thanks to a temporary Wi-Fi mesh network covering a large part of the city.Hajjis, as the pilgrims are called, come to the city in Saudi Arabia from around the world for several days of religious rituals. More than 2 million gather each year. A network of about 70 meshed routers from Tropos Networks has been set up to provide free Internet connectivity, according to Denise Barton, director of marketing at Tropos. Users only have to register before using it. Barton believes it is the first public Wi-Fi network set up for the Hajj.Mesh networks are well-suited to temporary deployments because they need fewer fixed-line connections than do traditional Wi-Fi systems. Packets can hop from one router to another until they reach one that&#39;s connected to a landline. The technology has also been used for permanent municipal Wi-Fi networks, including the one Google had built with Tropos equipment in its hometown of Mountain View, California.Saudi Arabia&#39;s Communications and Information Technology Commission appointed an Internet service provider, Bayanat Al-Oula, to provide the temporary network. It was rolled out in less than 60 days with no help from Tropos personnel, Barton said. Aptilo Networks, a wireless-management software and services company based in Stockholm, is running the network as a managed service from its offices in Malaysia. This also helped Bayanat get the infrastructure up and running quickly, said Per Knutsson, Aptilo&#39;s co-founder and director of product development. Aptilo is handling user authentication, security, customer-support calls and other features, as well as setting up the portal visitors use to register for the network.Aptilo and Tropos are no strangers to temporary Wi-Fi networks. Aptilo has managed systems for large sporting events, and in 2004 Tropos built a network in downtown Redwood City, California, for a high-profile murder case. The trial of Scott Peterson, who was convicted of killing his wife and their unborn child, drew massive public and media attention. The county court where the trial took place set up a temporary network with five surveillance cameras and five meshed routers for its own security needs and for reporters who descended on the area for several months.The Mecca network is made up of Tropos 5210 mesh routers, which use IEEE 802.11a for mesh connections and can support users with 802.11a, b and g devices, Barton said. Such networks typically require between 20 and 40 routers per square mile, she said.
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MECCA, Saudi Arabia  - Saudi Arabia says it is  ready to host more than two million pilgrims at this year's haj  after tightening security and safety to ensure the annual  Muslim rite passes without incident.
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Switching on lightbulbs from a distance Researchers in the US have demonstrated an experimental wireless energy transfer system that could pave the way for truly wireless computing. The team has already successfully made a 60W light bulb light up from a distance of 2 metres.â¦
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WiMax technology, including a module that goes inside a wiring closet and work alongside cellular, Wi-Fi and public safety networks, will be shown at this week's WiMax World conference in Chicago.
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The wireless revolution is here and has the potential to leapfrog the  struggling wired world and take full advantage of innovative new Wifi,  WiMAX and other pervasive technologies and applications.  Don't Miss the Opportunity at this Year's  ITEXPO East 2007 in FT.
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AUSTIN, Texas, June 25  /PRNewswire/ -- Interoperability certification for high-performance Wi-Fi gear is now underway.
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The globe is not covered in a seamless wireless network just yet, but the building blocks are being put in place.
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New technologies wirelessly transmit high-definition video.
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Amimon gets its chips out for wireless high dev
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More and more venues are becoming hotspots. Using the wireless 802.11x protocol better known as Wi-Fi, these hotspots can be found in airports, libraries, coffeehouses, restaurants, shopping
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Blog: JiWire says it has the right model to make advertising on citywide Wi-Fi networks really work.
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Dual-mode handsets will be able to connect to the company's worldwide Wi-Fi network on the cheap.
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JiWire's service now lets iPhone users locate nearby public Wi-Fi networks.
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The flat-panel Atigo T/HB, designed for use in bright outdoor lighting, works as a wearable computer or as a wireless display.
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T-Mobile Hotspot&#39;s network of public venues with Wi-Fi is extensive and its partners are big names you&#39;ve heard of(Starbucks, FedEx Kinko&#39;s, Borders Books).
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Mobile phones could be used as concert tickets, money and car keys using new wireless technologies.