Found this one on Boing Boing and I can just imagine the commercial with the never afraid of crass commercialism William Shatner saying ….“Scotty … Can you hear me now?”

“WiFi Trek Badges” — The Vocera Communications System consists of Vocera Server Software, residing on a customer premise server, and Vocera Communications Badges, which operate over a wireless LAN (802.11b). The badge – which weighs less than 2 ounces – includes a microphone and speaker, LCD readout to display text messages, and an 802.11b wireless radio. It can be clipped to a shirt pocket or collar, or worn on a lanyard."

from the book review on Linux Journal of “Building Wireless Community Networks”

“WiFi is great for setting up a simple office network (see the February 2002 Linux Journal), and much of the information in this book is applicable to such projects. But, Flickenger explains, “It didn’t take long for some sharp hacker types (and, indeed, a few CEO and FCC types) to realize that by using 802.11b client gear in conjunction with standard radio equipment, effective range can extend to more than twenty miles, and potentially provide thousands of people with bandwidth reaching DSL speeds, for minimal hardware cost.”

wow! this market is hugh! keep your eyes on EvolvingEdge

“Analysts see revenue potential in the connectivity. The Strategis Group estimates that revenue from broadband fixed wireless will reach $6.4 billion in 2004; others project about $5 billion that year.” from: Fixed Wireless Increases Broadband Access

new rules for the wireless web … a good report from CNBC