WiMax

Crucial props to Intel. The future in wireless communication is WiMax, or 802.16e. It's a wireless format that will be replacing WiFi, or 802.11x(a, b, g, pre n, and n), in the near future. Intel is the company that made WiFi the standard it is today by putting WiFi cards in practically every laptop and making it easier and cheaper to use. Five years ago WiFi cards costed around 200 bucks, but now you can go to Best Buy and pick one up for 20 bucks.

Now Intel is trying to work the same magic with WiMax that they did with WiFi five years ago. WiMax provides a very wide range of access; we're talking around 10 sq. blocks fully covered with a wireless internet connection. This means miles of straight line coverage. This is a huge advance for the wireless community. If your local city were to invest in a few 802.16e routers your entire area could be covered. Look forward to seeing this technology later this year, but widely integrated in the next five years or so.