I am not big at the following of the latest unless it has some dates or a firm timeline associated with it but I will make an exception here.

The new (again) buzz is that Google will be, and some believe are already in the process of, making a mobile operating system. But really, what does this mean for you and me? Should we even care?

To answer the first question – Not Much. I don’t really envision Google doing anything that the current Windows Mobile/PalmOS/Symbian/MacOS operating systems haven’t been doing. They might make the one click and integration a weeee bit more transparent but that’s about it.

Should you care? Not really. At this stage in the game it’s not going to get that much better than what the iPhone is offering and bear in mind that the iPhone apps are built by and integrated with you guessed it – Google. So you can call this their initial foray into the game.

From a news standpoint, the googleOS – which is really the Google Android Project - (oh, it will be Linux-based – big surprise there) is slated to be launched on a mobile near you within the next six (6) months I project. With the Google Android initiative Google is banking on openness for its architecture thereby making it easier for developers to make applications for phones. I support this all the way of course but it’s not really an innovation to get all crazy about.

Over the years we have just been improving on what we normally do and the steps have been rather incremental in the past five plus years (I have been internet browsing on my phone and searching since 2001).

But this is my humble opinion and I am only a demigod so I am fallible. What’s your take?

A WiMax deal gone bad - On Friday, Sprint Nextel and Clearwire mutually agreed to terminate the letter of intent (LOI) to provide a US nationwide high speed wireless WiMax network.  This announcement resulted in the company stock is declining  by approximately 20%. Clearwire is one of the few carriers in the US rolling out this network.

WiMax is a relatively new form of wireless communication that is capable of delivering high-speed Internet access over greater distances at relatively low cost. The technology allows consumers to access the Internet on cell phones, laptops and potentially other devices at high speeds. Sprint Nextel and Clearwire are the only two companies pursuing WiMax technology and controlling complementary swaths of radio spectrum in the U.S.

Without a large network carrier to drive consumer enthusiasm where will WiMax go?

Our Digicel has also invested in WiMax and successfully launched networks in Cayman and Jamaica, will this be short lived?

Boingo picks up seven airport Wi-Fi networks: Boingo bought Concourse Communications last year to conserve revenue, improve their bargaining power with international hotspot network operators, and expand their retail brand. They’ve rolled out a few more airports in the interim, but this Sprint deal lets them pick up seven with one blow. (I wrote a lengthy article on the state of Boingo on 17 Oct 2007.)

The deal allows Sprint Wi-Fi subscribers to retain inclusive access to these airports and gain the 16 that Boingo operates, which includes the big three around New York City (JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia) and Chicago’s two airports.

This acquisition puts Boingo in a position where they will surely be able to work with every airline that offers in-flight Internet access, as those airlines will want to provide some form of seamless access from airport to airport, too.

Boingo charges $22 per month for unlimited access to U.S. hotspots and $39 per month for unlimited access to its worldwide network. A single session costs $8.

The airports are Houston William P Hobby (HOU), Houston George Bush Intercontinental (IAH), Memphis International (MEM), Milwaukee General Mitchell International (MKE), Oakland International (OAK), Louisville International-Standifer Field (SDF), and Salt Lake City International (SLC). These are mostly solid second-tier airports, with the exception of Houston George Bush (No. 4 in the U.S. in 2006 by passenger traffic) and Salt Lake City (No. 23).

By Glenn Fleishman - wifinetnews.com