Spectrum of Greed

Craigs List for a cell phone - Coming to Kenya first!

According to FastCompany’s most recent article highlighting wireless innovation beginning on the Serengeti before it does in New York or Boston, trickle up is a new innovation phenomenon that will sweep the planet. Not so fast. The conclusions are incorrect for the wireless marketplace. There is a much more important reason why innovation MUST occur outside the US and then perhaps one day (if we are lucky) find it’s way here. It isn’t user choice as the article hints at with the quick references to two obscure wireless companies, insinuating they just couldn’t get customers interested.

In the US, we have a walled garden where the wireless gatekeepers don’t let innovators in because it would jeopardize a rich revenue stream for them. If they don’t get a significant cut of the pie, you can’t play ball, and they would rather just do it themselves. See a recent article from ARSTechnica on Canadian reaction to these restrictions. (continue reading…)

The future of mobile internet - sucks!

But does it have a Hemi? On the 2009 Dodge Ram, a new feature amongst the other high tech bells and whistles is now available.  A wireless internet access point called Autonet, by Mopar, will allow you to wander up to 100 feet from your trusty pickup and attain speeds of 400-800k!  This will allow one person to watch YouTube video that looks like a flip book silent movie, and two or more people trying to use their laptops will need to go into Dunkin’ Donuts to get breakfast while their internet pages load.  It does looks pretty cool though.  Has that matte black techie appearance. (continue reading…)

Slip slidin' away.... to 19th place now!

A Fast Company blog by Chris Dannon today highlighted the depressing fact that the US has recently dropped to 19th in a recent study on global internet broadband connectivity.  I found it on Digg.  The article was an interview with Emily Green, CEO of the Yankee Group, a Boston-based consultancy that specializes in connectivity.  (continue reading…)

The Aussies will have wifi in cars way before us.

Dedicated Short Range Communications, or DSRC for those who like initials, is a wireless technology hybrid of WIFI and GPS.  This new technology, that will allow any car operating on Australia’s motorways (at least the ones that are not burning) to be a high speed wireless data node on a universal internet network.  This innovative development was the result of a University of Southern Australia think tank called the Institute for Telecommunications Research.  ReadWriteWeb has a great article on it, providing lots of links and detail on how the system will work not only for the sharing of high speed internet data, but also will allow real time communications between vehicles allowing more effective management of congestion, accident avoidance, and numerous other improvements over today’s ‘driving blind’ lack of communications.  (continue reading…)