It is that time of year again - the time to reflect on what was, and to look towards the future on what can be. 2007 has been a challenging year for JamaicaFreeWifi and for each and every one of us. At the end of the day, what are we without challenges? Lets us welcome each challenge as they serve to make us better and stronger.

As we go about our daily lives throughout 2008, remember that we don’t have to wait until the end of the year to make our world a better place. It starts with those small actions today. Remember, all great journeys –like the years ahead of us – begin with the thought and that one single step.

Here is hoping that technology makes us better, we get wiser, and richer in every way.

JamaicaFreeWifi would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support and we look forward to seeing you because this exciting journey has only just begun! Remember to look for us in your community in 2008.

Seasons Greetings!

Ok, so this might not be ground breaking news and it seems almost nostalgic – Opera, a small Norwegian maker of Web browsers, backed by an industry coalition, has filed the first complaint against Microsoft to the European Commission since the software giant lost a landmark antitrust case earlier this year.Opera wants Microsoft to stop bundling IE with their operating system. The alternative is to bundle other browsers such as Opera as well. They also claim that Microsoft is also “hindering interoperability by not following accepted Web standards” and makes it difficult for them to compete.

While this is true, it is reminiscent of the Netscape vs. IE battles of a decade ago (damn I feel old). Of course we know where Netscape is now (they aren’t even contenders nowadays) and I don’t foresee Opera getting any further with this complaint either.

Let’s look at the facts. It is stated that Microsoft controls 77% of the browser market and it’s easy to see why:
1. IE is bundled with every Windows desktop and server
2. Why download a new browser when you have a working one already?
3. The newbies that are getting onto the Internet (a consistently ever growing group) are first exposed to IE and there is a high probability they will stick with it due to lack of knowing of alternatives, not knowing what they are missing, and familiarity. (more…)

In a BBC report, it was reported that Wi-Fi creates three times as much radiation as mobile phones. The scare had UK politicians attempting to band Wi-Fi use in schools. There are actually some colleges in Canada who have banned Wi-Fi, equating it to “second hand smoking”.

However the BBC editorial complaints unit (ECU) has accepted that the presentation of the issues about the health risk of wireless networks in the documentary was “misleading”. The ECU found the edition gave a misleading representation of the scientific opinion on the issue. (more…)