London’s financial district will have WiFi web access within six months. The Cloud, a high-speed wireless network provider, will install a network in existing “street furniture” around the City, including lamp posts and signs. The Cloud already runs several WiFi hotspots in London, such as at Canary Wharf, the British Library and Coffee Republic.

Website: The Cloud Wireless Internet

It’s not hard to find a Wi-Fi hotspot. They’re everywhere these days and therein lies the problem. Sure, there are plenty of places for a notebook user to get online wirelessly. But how many of those Wi-Fi networks are truly open, usable by anyone wandering down the street?

That’s what makes Canary Wireless’s Digital Hotspotter more than a cute gadget, it doesn’t just tell you that a Wi-Fi network is in your vicinity, it tells you the network’s SSID, channel number, and signal strength, and whether it requires a password.

When you want to check AirPort Status in your Mac’s menu bar to see what wireless networks are available. But when in a particularly busy place full of wireless hotspots, you can view the list of networks sorted by signal strength.

You can do this with Tiger. First, you need the AirPort Status menu in your menu bar. Go to the Network preference pane. In the Show pop-up menu, select AirPort. Click on the AirPort tab; then select the Show AirPort Status In Menu Bar option at the bottom. An icon resembling a striped pie slice shows up in the menu bar.

When you want to see all the wireless networks available to you sorted by signal strength, from strongest to weakest, simply hold down the option key and click on the AirPort icon on the menu bar.

Nokia has unveiled a pocket-size web browser for wireless broadband networks. This is the Finnish firm’s first Linux-based device and its also the first product without a built-in mobile phone. The new device, dubbed the Nokia 770, has a 4-in horizontal touch screen that can display normal Internet pages and will sell for around $350.

The product marks a significant strategy expansion for Nokia, which is venturing outside its mainstay cellular phone business. Nokia aims to sell the device through broadband home Internet providers and directly to consumers via its Web site. The device is consumer device is targeted for home use that can be used at wireless hot spots. The product will run entirely on open-source software, used in desktop computers, marking more unchartered waters for Nokia.

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Your Guide to Wireless’s reader email to me, asking for help in wireless driver for linux.

One of the main limitations of Linux is the lack of drivers written for Linux. I have two computers, but I’ve installed Linux on only one. The other has a USB wireless adapter that connects to the Internet. It’s a NETGEAR WG121, which doesn’t have a Linux driver. I lack the skill to develop a wrapper, or whatever it’s called, for this driver, so I just have to stick to Windows XP.

There is a workaround that allows you to use Windows drivers to get network cards running under Linux. It is called ndiswrapper and works very well for many cards. Newbies may be intimidated by what it takes to use ndiswrapper, but we plan to do an article on it because it really makes a huge difference in the number of network cards available for Linux.

AirDefense Personal Lite You should never lose sight of the security risks involved in using Wi-Fi. This simple program alerts you whenever you connect to an insecure wireless network or to a hotspot that you haven’t designated as safe.

Features:

• Extends the wireless security perimeter to mobile users: 24×7 protection inside the enterprise & on the road
• Comprehensive detection of wireless misconfigurations for mobile users
• Pro-active protection against all wireless threats
• Threat assessment of wireless network usage of mobile employees
• Ability to define and enforce wireless security policy (corporate or regulatory) on laptops
• Stop probing stations and modem use in a “no wireless” environment

Download from here for free.

Printers, hard drives, and cameras using wireless USB technology should begin appearing on the market in the third quarter of 2006.

Devices with Certified Wireless USB radios can transmit data as quickly as wired USB 2.0 ones up to 480Mbps, within a 10-foot range. They can also transfer data up to a maximum of roughly 30 feet, though at greatly reduced throughput.

Current PCs will need add-in cards or dongles to support Wireless USB. PCs with built-in support should be available by the end of this year.