Dial-uppers have a high-speed option: Half the U.S. online population still gets on the Internet with a dial-up modem. Those slow-speed souls now have a way to do e-mail while lounging on the back porch at home or reclining on a hotel room bed.
A Wi-Fi access point for dial-up connections is the answer. Offered by a Houston startup, Always On Wireless Inc., it goes on sale next month for $150.
The 6-ounce WiFlyer base station ships with the dial-up numbers of America Online, Microsoft’s MSN and EarthLink pre-configured. You’ll need a Wi-Fi adapter in the computer that you use to access it, but most laptops ship with built-in wireless these days.
The WiFlyer includes a standard V.92 modem and serves as a router for the network it creates. It also includes incoming and outgoing Ethernet ports for connecting to cable and DSL modems and sharing that connection.
Brits cry foul over Apple iTunes pricing: A British consumers group is complaining about Apple Computer Inc.’s policy of varying the prices of iTunes songs for different countries.
The Consumers’ Association asked the Office of Fair Trading to investigate whether Apple was violating European Union competition rules. U.K. consumers are supposed to enjoy the same benefits as citizens in other member states.
British buyers are charged $1.41 to download each song, while customers in France and Germany pay $1.21. The U.S. price is 99 cents.
Apple defended its prices, saying in a statement that “the underlying economic model in each country has an impact on how we price our track downloads.” The company noted that variable pricing is common – CDs cost more in Britain than in the United States.
Microsoft’s anti-spam proposal rejected: Engineers in charge of setting technical standards for the Internet have rejected a preliminary spam-fighting proposal from Microsoft Corp. because of its patent claims.
Instead, a working group of the Internet Engineering Task Force will look into letting software developers decide whether to opt for a non-patented alternative.
Several members, including open-source proponents like the Apache Software Foundation, had objected to Microsoft’s plans for licensing the so-called Sender ID technology. Those plans would prohibit software developers from further licensing the technology to others though the initial license would be free.
Objecting parties say Microsoft’s scheme runs counter to open-source licensing terms. Microsoft spokesman Sean Sundwall said the company considers its terms generous and satisfactory to all but a vocal minority.
The proposal in question calls for Internet service providers to submit lists of their mail servers’ unique numeric addresses.
On the receiving end, software would poll a database to verify that a message was actually processed by one of those servers. The method to make that check is the patent for which Microsoft has applied. The nonproprietary alternative would use a different check.
We look great on the small screen: The maker of the No. 3 Web browser for Windows computers says it has developed technology to make sites appear as clearly on normal television sets as they do on computer monitors.
Opera Software says sites designed for high-resolution monitors often don’t appear as well on low-resolution TV screens. The Oslo company’s new TV Rendering program adjusts any Web page for a sharp display on any television screen of any size.
Jon S. von Tetzchner, Opera’s chief executive, said he expects consumers to begin demanding full Web access on their televisions.
“The broadcasting industry can finally incorporate the full Web into TVs and set-top boxes,” he said. “After all, if you would go to a store today and choose between a TV set that offered Web and TV or one that just had TV, which one would you choose?”
Associated Press
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