CC PACKET 06272004 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

45 NEWS YOU CAN USE charge supports three hours of active data transmission or 12 hours on the Internet. A new se-ry se w hat Now, the "nearly" part: The Ricochet 1� network is established in only three cit- ies—Seattle,San Francisco,and Washing- ton,D.C.,with extensive suburban cover- m.® ems could be age in each area.(Fora full-service map, plus technical details, see www.ricochet .net.)The system also works at 11 major airports, including LaGuardia, Minne- In a wired age the plugged in will be wireless Chicago's and Los Angeles,but not � Chicago's O'Hare or Atlanta, the world's JEFFREY MACMILLAN FOR USNAM two most visited airports.Expansion BY JAMES FAI.LOWS is planned to Southern California next year; after that, who knows? ersonal technology is charming in "�r, The company's hopes depend on • q` r a its"nearly right"stage.This is when ',� ,,:� � one-by-one contracts with cities and the product is advanced enough to x_ _; utility companies to hang its trans- hint at its ultimate potential but not - ` ?�:`,.�:; ceivers,each the size of a bread loaf, yet so mature as to be truly practical.The at V4-to-Y2-mile intervals. (Metri- {scj5 Compaq computers of the early 1980s, corn's main investor is Paul Allen, "portables"the size and weight of sewing " 'v` America's third-richest man, so in machines, were nightmares to lug theory it can afford the expansion.) around—but '`'' Habit-altering.If you live in one of exciting be- the favored cities or frequent the lagliall3m cause they right airports,is the system worth it? implied the To me,it made enough sense to buy. laptops someday to come.The pioneer E- The Internet connections are slower mail network, MCI Mail, was also nearly than on an ISDN line but faster than right. Cumbersome to operate and lack- via the phone line modems most ing connections with any other system,it people use.Three or four seconds af- still suggested how electronic communi- ter clicking the Ricochet icon,you're cation could revolutionize life. on the World Wide Web. The latest nearly right product is the Dial-up E-mail services take Ricochet wireless modem system, from slightly longer to connect than they publicly traded Metricom of Los Gatos, would on a phone line.But the free- Calif.The right part is its demonstration dom to connect without a wire is as of what truly wireless connections will habit-altering as cellular phones mean. A proprietary Ricochet modem, Ricochet costs less to use than a cellular modem. have been. I now count on being slightly larger than a pack of cards and able to send and receive E-mail weighing 8 ounces,attaches to your com- do banking or other online functions) during the dead time of travel, standing puter's serial port.It bounces radio signals through any standard dial-up network. in a line or riding in a cab.Just to be ob- to a series of small transceivers hung from The modem itself costs $349,plus a$45 noxious,I once did so at a football game. utility poles and street lamps around activation fee. After that the service, in- To my surprise, I find I use the modem town;these,in turn,pass signals to an In- cluding unlimited Internet connection daily at both home and office;it frees up ternet server.The result is to let you make time and an E-mail account,costs$29.95 a telephone line.As with the first ungain- • reliable wireless connections to the Inter- a month.The modem works with Macin- ly Compaq,I feel I've seen a rough sketch net at nearly 40 kbps,or send E-mail(or tosh or Windows machines. One battery of something big. ■ Abridged from U.S.NEwS&WORLD REPORT,APRIL 6, 1998 ® Printed on recycled paper.