Wireless

The head of a new Wi-Fi standard known as WiGig, which offers data speeds of 7 gigabits per second and aims to replace high definition video cables, has implied that Apple could adopt the technology in the future.

WiGig and the Wi-Fi Alliance will attempt to persuade networking hardware manufacturers like Linksys and D-Link to include the new format in their upcoming products. WiGig is said to be up to 10 times faster than the current 802.11N speeds, allowing the wireless transfer of high-definition video and potentially replacing wired connections such as HDMI.

Combating wireless LAN security risks can be tricky and stressful enough even for a veteran networking pro, but the stakes get even higher when a slip-up could cost millions in non-compliance fees and stolen credit card data. Although the PCI DSS wireless guidelines released last year sought to dispel any confusion about wireless LAN security risks, enterprises are still neglecting security requirements and falling prey to old WLAN wives' tales.

Every rose has its thorns, and every useful technology has its vulnerabilities. Cutting the wires to let employees work anywhere and connect remotely to information resources from increasingly powerful mobile devices can provide an attractive work environment and increase productivity. But it does not come free.

Picture this: You're at a café with your laptop and latte in hand, getting ready to review new sales leads and the quarterly financial projections. First you hop on the free Wi-Fi that the shop's management provides. Then you connect your laptop to a projector so that the entire café can take a look, and finally you hand out some printed copies of your confidential product specifications to the other patrons so that they can follow along.

The 4G revolution in wireless won't just make Web surfing on your mobile phone faster; it could help you say good-bye to traditional cable and DSL broadband.

Clearwire's 4G WiMax service, currently the only 4G wireless service on the market, offers average download speeds between 3Mbps and 6Mbps, which are comparable with many DSL and cable modem services on the market.

Fluke Networks Corp. has announced AirCheck Wi-Fi Tester, a handheld device designed to troubleshoot corporate wireless networks and detect unauthorized access points.

Everett, Wash.-based Fluke said it will start shipping AirCheck Wi-Fi Tester during the second quarter. It works on networks meeting the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a, b, g and n standards.

Ford is making its cars into mobile Wi-Fi hot spots. The next generation of the Sync in-car entertainment and information system will use a USB mobile broadband modem to establish a secure wireless connection capable of supporting several devices simultaneously.

The system will be available next year on selected models -- no word yet which ones -- and you won't need a subscription or hardware beyond the modem.

For US$34, a new cloud-based hacking service can crack a WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) network password in just 20 minutes, its creator says. Launched Monday, the WPA Cracker service bills itself as a useful tool for security auditors and penetration testers who want to know if they could break into certain types of WPA networks. It works because of a known vulnerability in Pre-shared Key (PSK) networks, usually used by home and small-business users.

Service providers that offer public Internet access, including retail outlets such as Starbucks or McDonald's, will not be legally liable if malicious hackers ride on their Wi-Fi hotspot to download illegal content or conduct other cybercrimes, according to a lawyer specializing in intellectual property (IP). This week, a U.K. pub was fined after someone unlawfully downloaded copyrighted material over their open Wi-Fi network.

A pub owner in the U.K. has been fined £8,000 (about $13,183) because someone unlawfully downloaded copyrighted material over its open Wi-Fi hotspot, according to the managing director of hotspot provider The Cloud.

Graham Cove told CNET sister site ZDNet UK on Friday he believes the case to be the first of its kind in the U.K. However, he would not identify the pub concerned, because its owner--a pub that is a client of The Cloud's--had not yet given their permission for the case to be publicized.