'Most wired school' title comes as result of wireless academia

Above the Norm: Tech Talk

JMU consistently is listed in America's top 100 wired universities by Yahoo Internet Life Magazine. But wires — who needs 'em?

Wireless technology has become a doorway to digital freedom and power. Electronically speaking — due to the popularity of personal computers, Personal Digital Assistants, digital media, etcetera — wires aren't required to enjoy the luxuries that a once wired-only world could provide.

To get started, here is a little high-level background information. The primary wireless world revolves around five numbers and a letter — 802.11a/b/g. 802.11, wireless networking protocals also known as Wi-Fi, a spinoff of the home theatre abbreviation Hi-Fi, for high fidelity.

Technically defined by whatis.com, "802.11 is a family of specifications for wireless local area networks developed by a working group of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers." In other words, 802.11 is the virtual wave permitting you to surf the net, thus allowing users to roam freely on wireless-enabled laptops or PDAs in Zane Showker Hall, Carrier Library, the ISAT/CS building and various other wireless locations on campus.

This wireless technology (802.11) obviously provides wireless network access for those with wireless enabled laptops, desktops or PDAs — but, actually is an incredibly robust technology, and can do much more than just unleash your laptop. Recently released devices are using this technology to broadcast digital media from a home PC to their home entertainment system. Many of these new devices were released at the Consumer Electronics Show held in January.

These wireless media receivers are known as Digital Audio Receivers or Digital Media Receivers. Previously released wired versions were cutting edge a year or two ago, but who wants the clutter and headache of running wires potentially hundreds of feet from the PC to an entertainment center?

These Wireless Multimedia Receivers are the ultimate answer. You simply plug it in, install the software to your PC and, with a remote control, bring any of your digital media files (audio, video, photos) to your home entertainment system — all for around $200 — minus the cost of your entertainment center.

Wi-Fi also is utilized heavily in the surveillance industry. Almost all wireless video cameras are using Wi-Fi to broadcast their captured data back to a computer monitoring station. Wi-Fi is predicted soon to "be imbedded in every electronic product under the sun," according to a CNET.com analyst in a Feb. 4 article, "Why 802.11 is Underhyped." This is a bold prediction, but from a technological perspective, it seems to hit the nail right on the head — why not have wireless capability? It makes perfect sense.

Bluetooth is another wireless technology different from Wi-Fi.

According to whatis.com, Bluetooth is a specification describing how mobile phones, computers and PDAs easily can interconnect with each other and with home and business phones and computers using a short-range wireless connection. This is how things like wireless Internet and Blackberry are possible.

Bluetooth is a much shorter range wireless technology, but also with much more acute uses. While Wi-Fi has roughly a 1,000-foot range, Bluetooth has a functional range along the lines of 10 to 20 feet. Bluetooth technology heavily has permeated the cell phone and mobile computing world recently. This has enabled the use of wireless hands-free headsets, playing games against an opponent utilizing another Bluetooth phone/PDA, transmitting photos, wireless printing and an array of other functions. Because Wi-Fi and Bluetooth serve very different functions, laptop computers and PDAs usually are equipped with both.

Current college students have grown up with telephones, cable television and the Internet. Just recently have we begun the migration toward a wireless world.

Unindustrialized societies have not had these luxuries. Perhaps one of the more overlooked aspects of wireless technologies is that, as one of the more advanced societies in the modern world, we have lived a luxuriously wired life. Undeveloped countries have grown up with pretty much nothing in regards to technologies. Wireless literally can, and will, change the world for unindustrialized societies, should the opportunity present itself.

Many Third World countries do not have developed wired phone systems, for example. The advent of cellular telephones has begun a communication revolution. Now imagine the possibilities when Broadband (high-speed) wireless Internet service reaches these countries. Any place in the world now has the potential to be on the Internet and, after all, information is power.

Whether it be Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, or any wireless technology, the freedom of being able to have information at your fingertips while being untethered from anything and everything is invaluable. Get up, get out, go wireless and be empowered.