Hero

"In the end, it takes a federal judge to issue a restraining order...Until that point, if that point ever comes, we'll keep running it. It's a lifeline to these people."

-New Orleans technology chief Greg Meffert on his vow to keep the city's mesh network up-and-running despite its violation of state law.
Source

ITAFE

I've been hired to co-write an article with Stuart Gannes from Stanford's Digital Vision Program. We'll be reporting on the the results of the ITAFE Project, which involved 11 major tech companies building a product to narrow the digi divide in Brazil together. hmmmmm Cisco, AMD, Cisco, Dell and Microsoft working together...should be interesting

GSMA Sponsors Fund to End Digital Divide

The GSM Association (GSMA)'s global development fund explained here.

http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=180200500

"New Technologies and the Rise of Political Liberty"

Ambassador David A. Gross, U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy gives a talk before the Unoversity of Toronto's Law faculty on the role of ICT, specifically cell phones, in expanding global democracy.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0602/S00187.htm

Free Wireless Networking Guide

Written by eight volunteers including community wireless activist Rob Flickenger and co-founders of the nonprofit organization wire.less.dk, Sebastian Büttrich and Tomas Krag, Wireless Networking in the Developing World is a free downloadable guide that instructs people from around the world on how to set up their own wireless networks.
http://dk.wndw.net/download.html

Wardriving in Jeddah

http://www.arabnews.com

Boston Readies for Citywide WiFi

Capacity Building | Community Technology | Wireless

Following in the footsteps of Philly....Early this week, Boston's Mayor, Thomas Menino announced the city's plan to form a 22 person task force to investigate citywide WiFi deployment. Local nonprofit The Boston Foundation is releasing its own report, "Boston Unplugged: Mapping a Wireless Future."

The report states that a Request for Information (RFI) should be issued right away and must include the following:
-An examination of needed technical facilities for a WiFi network
-The creation of a “realistic” timeline for the project
-A review of security and interference issues
-A plan to build off of existing WiFi pilot projects

It also suggests that corporate sponsors should bear the cost of building and maintaining network infrastructure, not taxpayers.

http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=41549