The French company Meccano is developing a robot that communicates through WiFi. You can use this hobby robot as a webcam, manage over the internet, digital camera, alarm/sentry, mp3 player or communicate via phone over the internet. Roughly $375.00? Available Fall 2008 Link
Xirrus offers an excellent sidebar widget. The radar type image presents wireless netwoks in range. Detailed information can be found by clicking on the radar.
From their website:
Xirrus has created a collection of easy-to-use tools to help you more effectively use and manage your Wi-Fi networks. The Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor allows you to monitor the status of your Wi-Fi connection and the surrounding Wi-Fi environment - in real time and directly from your desktop.
The Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor is useful for both IT managers and end users, and is available as a Yahoo! Widget for Windows XP and a Gadget for Windows Vista. A radar-like display graphically shows available Wi-Fi networks and their range. Detailed information is available about your current Wi-Fi connection in addition to surrounding Wi-Fi networks, including SSID, signal strength, IP address, MAC address, security level, vendor, and network type. A Terminology section helps you make sense of all the Wi-Fi terms. Nine different color skins are available to customize the Wi-Fi Monitor’s look for your desktop.
People are looking for ways to boost their wireless signal It can be done effortlessly by using an adapter (cable if needed) and any antenna found at FAB Corp. The higher the db, the stronger the signal. Connect your wireless from your home to your shop or adjoining building. (Make sure you use WPA encryption) These antennas work with any WAP or Wireless Router.
Omindirectional - 360 degree signal
Parabolic - Usually 120 degree signal 
Rubber Duck (indoor) 9db 
Yagi - directional (we use these to shoot 3/4 of a mile. 
Panel - (Indoor) 
I recently discovered iTALC. It’s freeware for Windows that allows you to monitor a classroom full of computers. You can send text messages to the screen, take remote control, take screen shots, shutdown the computers, turn on the computers, etc. With a million computers, thank goodness for two of our best interns Bart and Gary. They installed the software on the instructor’s computer and put a small software client on the other machines and instantly, remote monitoring of a classroom. This is a GREAT idea for parents and grandparents who continually ask me about how they can watch their children on the internet. Link
The Dude network monitor is a new application by MikroTik which can dramatically improve the way you manage your network environment. It will automatically scan all devices within specified subnets, draw and layout a map of your networks, monitor services of your devices and alert you in case some service has problems. You just can’t beat free. Use a jpg or gif background of your facility or a map of your area and let The Dude Network Monitor find and label your computers. Link We ran this on our network and now see all 300+ computers, APs, printers and switches.
ECCouncil has met the curriculum requirements for the National Security Agency. Read More.
The Tennessee Technology Center is now an accredited training center for ECCouncil.
-Steve Mallard
After Chinese hackers broke into the Pentagon, I wasn’t surprised. It has been 8 years and counting since we warned of this. Everyday, we receive hits from southeast Asia and primarily from China.
One of our students, Bart, sent this link to CNN that basically says the hackers are paid by the Chinese government. The Chinese government denies the payoff of course.
Everyday we teach security for computers. Updates, firewalls, limited users, no P2P file sharing, don’t share folders unless absolutly necessary and only to specific users, use WPA, change passwords..the list goes on. I think of small businesses who save a ‘buck’ to get started. They use Windows XP home, share out a folder and put customer data in it. They don’t have good anti-virus, have not installed a hardware firewall, no updates, are on a router with the default admin password and aren’t educated in computer security.
Now think…these hackers broke into the Pentagon…Scary…
Here’s a couple of great links from CIO Magazine for some success tips for IT Professionals.
I’ve never caught Blackberry ‘fever’. However, CIO Magazine offers an article on six Blackberry downloads.
Jon Ward sent this great link to 250 computer tutorials.
Create your own sidebar without Windows Vista. This program works with windows XP and other major MS Operating Systems. Wow, who needs Vista?
This piece of software (freeware) helps you connect to different networks. If you have a static number at home and a dynamic network at work, it allows you two clicks to change your preferred network.
NetsetMan
