Work and Life in the Mobile Society/Technology/Wireless

Internet, especially wireless internet, has known a tremendous growth during the last decade. Simultaneously, a lot of products and technologies offering additional features appeared. One of these utilities, one that is necessary on every laptop nowadays, is wireless technology.

Advantages
The main purpose of Wi-Fi is to “provide wireless access to digital content. This content may include applications, audio and visual media, Internet connectivity, or other data. Wi-Fi generally makes access to information easier, as it can eliminate some of the physical restraints of wiring; this can be especially true for mobile devices.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi)

One of the most important advantages of Wi-Fi is that “it allows local area networks (LANs) to be deployed without cabling for client devices, typically reducing the costs of network deployment and expansion. Spaces where cables cannot be run, such as outdoor areas and historical buildings, can host wireless LANs.” Because of the comfortable and quick installation people often replace old wired LANs with Wi-Fi. Such connection allows you to move your machine around the place without losing the Internet or other network resources. Working on your laptop you can check your mail from anywhere in your home or office. Some highly attended places like airports, libraries, schools or even coffee bars offer you constant Internet connection using exactly wireless LAN.

Disadvantages
But on the other hand, Wi-Fi presents a serious disadvantage, which is security. In fact, the most common wireless encryption standard, wired equivalent privacy or WEP has been shown to be breakable even when it has been correctly configured. This could be the source of many problems, such as data stealing, personal information stealing …

==Future Implications Another interesting aspect of Wi-Fi maybe the future of Wi-Fi? Some argue that in today’s vast growing world of telecommunications many new products, software and hardware tools, are being developed. Computer engineers are working around the clock just to come up with new ideas that may be accomplished. Until now, with wireless networking the simplicity of placing a computerized device within an access point will allow people to connect to the cyber world. Consequently, the development process is continuing until a certain standard is reached. Even though there is a wide acceptance regarding Wi-Fi, people will still be concerned will things like security and cost. Whenever, a new technology is being sold in the market several buyers thrive to purchase it regardless of its price. But, the problem arises when a certain defect might be seen within the product. That is why people are very demanding they do not want a flawless product to operate with and in situations like these; manufacturers will strive to produce a product that meets their needs. On the other hand some emphasized on the concern of security and complexity of Wi-Fi. In response to concerns over complexity and security, wireless industry experts promised new standards that should begin appearing in products throughout next year. “Wireless technology is gaining ground because of its low cost and ease-of-use. We all are familiar with radio and phones that use wireless technology. There are many more possible practical applications for wireless and the breakthrough developments happening in this field are set to revolutionize the future. Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) will be the next generation of wireless, an improvement over the existing wireless networking that uses a standard called 802.11. It wouldn't be surprising if by the end of the next decade wireless technology would become commonplace.” (Ken Snow, The Future of Wireless Technology)