Wireless Over on Wes Flynn's blog, there have been many posts about wireless access to the internet for rural areas and small towns being the greatest thing since sliced bread. I don't disagree, but I have always had trouble explaining why I worry that poorly planned projects will saddle small towns with antiquated infrastructure if the deal is not done smartly and with Big Brother's guarantee to keep the information pipe modern and open, even if the corporate providers try to red-line these communities because it is unprofitable.

I have begun to believe that the radio waves, along the lines of cellular, will make the need for static local wireless networks obsolete in the very near future.

This guy, Andrew Lippman of MIT, does a much better job of explaining why the current four year old fad of 802.11 WiFi-as-we-know-it is about to become a story we tell our grandkids.

Before 1968 no one in the U.S. could connect anything to the AT&T telephone system unless Western Electric, AT&T's manufacturing arm, provided it. The Federal Communication Commission's landmark "Carterfone" decision erased that policy and ignited an explosion of communications innovations, including faxes, fast modems, PBXs, burglar alarms, answering machines and phone mobility. Although AT&T no longer owned the whole pie, the slice that it kept became part of a far larger industry.


That same explosive growth is beginning in wireless mobile. Microprocessors are now so fast that they can synthesize and handle directly both sound-and-image data and radio signals. Meanwhile the emergence of agile, end-to-end networks is creating unprecedented opportunities in what for 100 years have been staid communications structures. No matter what you think of the wireless devices you have today, you ain't seen nothing yet. Radio is just getting interesting.

"Back in the good old days, we used to have to use a thing called a computer to access the......"  ¶ 9:46 PM 0 comments

  Running Congrats to my nephew, Drake Ballew of Grinnell College, for his third place finish in the Midwest Regional of the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships.

Next week he lines up at the National Championships in Ohio. Of particular interest to his aunt and uncle is how he fares against the winners of the team and indiviual competitions from the New England Regional, Williams College. Small world.  ¶ 9:05 PM 0 comments

  Comments I have pulled the comments for a little while. If you read last night's thread, you'll understand.

Please email me directly - greg@gregoryroach.com if you have anything I need to know.

Clark - please drop me an email. I do not have your address or I would write you first.  ¶ 10:09 PM 0 comments

  More Sad Days For the second time in as many months, my family has suffered some very depressing events.

I am not into sharing the intimate details, but please understand if I take a few days to get back to you.  ¶ 7:45 PM 7 comments

  The Nature of Blogging This space is my little journal. I share thoughts and things that I find interesting. Not everyone will agree with what I post, just like folks don't always like what I get into print. This tends to be the nature of most blogs.

Others, like Andy Etman, have a very different take on national politics than I do. If I disagree to the point where I have something to say, I give him my opinion in his comments. Usually it is a friendly relationship.

However, it seems we've had some (self?)important visitors who actually hold positions of stature.

You know who you are. Hi!

If you don't like what you see, leave a comment, email (greg@gregoryroach.com) or call *me*. Don't bitch to people who you think have influence over me. Complaining behind people's backs is cowardly and it tends to come back to bite you in the ass.

Glass houses and stones.... you get the picture.  ¶ 7:31 PM 3 comments