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Happy New Year and peace throughout the world. I would suggest that in our small niche of the world, unlicensed wireless might be one of the tools for individuals to talk to individuals, unmediated by governments or other highly charged entities. But to quote the late, great Douglas Adam, his universe's universal translation fish, by effectively removing all barriers to communication between different races and cultures, has caused more and bloodier wars than anything else in the history of creation. Let's hope in the long run that more communication results in better understanding.

G, it's great to live in the future: Linksys and Buffalo squeak out their New Year's Resolutions by shipping equipment based on the draft of the high-speed 802.11g standard using Broadcom chips.

My 2003 predictions: The Wi-Fi Alliance fast tracks inclusion of 802.11g and possibly 802.11i into the Wi-Fi certification program to avoid consumer confusion. 802.11g equipment becomes the minimum standard by summer, even in draft form. Apple ships AirPort 3.0 by summer incorporating 802.11a and g standards. US hot spot count tops 25,000 by year's end, including 25 of the top 35 metro airports. PC Cards offer GSM and 802.11a/g roaming on a single bill from cell operators by year's end. Equipment prices continue to fall, with a $35 PC Card for 802.11g being a typical price before 2004. More extensive certified antenna options become a standard part of consumer Wi-Fi gear. Limited in-plane Wi-Fi will be approved by the FCC in combination with one or more in-flight data services.