Nokia wants more of the pie

According to Reuters, Nokia's per-user revenues is about $55. Nextel's $70 per user. So, Nokia says
it'll borrow Nextel's walkie-talkie feature and provide faster internet by installing EDGE and 3G technology on its mobile network network. When? Possibly mid 2004.  Big deal. 
(News)

Microsoft fights spammers

Fifteen lawsuits, two billion spams.  Microsoft, Yahoo, EarthLink and
America Online agreed to cooperate to solve some of the technical issues
associated with spam.  (News)

802.11g wins 'official' approval

Yahoo News

Techweb is reporting the IEEE approved 802.11g, the newest wireless
networking standard.

The Standards Board of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE), established the standards for wireless hardware capable of transmitting
data at speeds up to 54Mbps while maintaining backwards compatibility with the
ultra-popular 802.11b gear that runs at a much slower 11 Mbps. Both
specifications use the 2.4GHz band of the radio spectrum.

The report says 802.11g's ability to co-exist on the same network as 802.11b
has been the long-touted key to the standard's acceptance in the corporate
world. Wireless LAN (WLAN) hardware certified under the new specification can
initially be used with an 802.11b infrastructure -- access points, wireless
networking cards, and so on -- and then as a corporation requires fatter
wireless pipes, serve as the foundation for a mixed, or 802.11g-only, WLAN.

This three-year process opened the door for labeling 802.11g-certified
equipment.

You've probably been able to see the 54-G spec on store shelves already, and
much to the shagrin of the steering committees, the products used draft specs
and not the certified specs for the protocols, meaning the products may not have
worked right on Wireless LANs. But Broadcom, a chipset manufacturer with 90% of
the marketshare, says as it happened, the final, ratified standard is the same
standard tey used to make their chipset, so all is well.



Broadcom makes silicon for Linksys, Apple, Dell and Gateway.

Helpline: Modem Problem

Rob Cook writes: "Before assuming that it wasn't installed correctly you need to consider two things. 1) Is there a surge protector and if so is the phone line plugged into it? If yes bypass the surge protector (SP) and see if the modem works when plugged in directly to the wall. If it does replace the SP as it is broke; and 2) If after bypassing the SP the modem still dosent work plugged in directly to the wall then the phone line itself needs to be checked by the phone company. If there is no dial tone the modem will never work. Software will not matter one bit. I spent over a year working for an ISP in tech support, this was a very common problem espicaly after a T-storm."

Danny writes: "Excellent point, Rob! Thanks for the input"

To Build or Update: Clayton Computers

Lynda Clayton (Email, call 515-727-4978, or visit ClayonComputers.com) talks about the upgrade special we've been advertising -- and sticks around for the help line. Have a computer question or problem you can't handle? Give Lynda a call; there's no charge.

Events: Tractor Ride, Taste of Des Moines

WHO Radio events guru Molly Pins (call 515-242-3669 or email MollyPins@ClearChannel.com) checks in and gives last-minute rundown and details on Mark & Gary's Great Iowa Tractor Ride; also previews this year's Taste fo Des Moines for us, the music, the food & the fun, July 18 & 19.

Who are "The Wise Guys"

A "panel of experts" would best describe our show.  Not so much us, but
the guests we invite to be on the show.  The hosts are actually several
people, although you most often hear from the three of us: web guy Danny Bishop,
FM radio disk jockey and home entertainment guru Corey Allen and Mac network
administrator Dan Adams (in order of studio seating).  Other wise guys you
hear on the show from time to time are WHO Historian, Attorney and Sunday news
anchor George Davison and staff IT manager Jeff Hansen.

Call us at 284-1040 or 800-469-4295. Or email us!

Geocaching to the Buddy Holly Shrine

Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valenz and "The Big Bopper" performed their last show at
the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake on February 2, 1959. Following the show, the
three rock & rollers boarded a four-seat airplane in a light snow at the Mason
City airport -- the plane being piloted by 22-year-old Roger Peterson. Five
minutes into their fateful flight, the plane was observed (from the airport)
drifting downward when the tail light went dark. In the early morning light, a
search revealed that indeed the plane had crashed and all aboard killed. I've
placed a virtual cache in memory of the four young men -- and to all who follow
to pay their respects and remember them fondly through the monuments built.

To find the shrine, plug the coordinated below into your GPS.  

N 43° 13.2223 W 093° 22.8853 (WGS-84) 

MapQwest

Hoaxes and Urban Legends?

Will Bill Gates really pay you $500 for every email you forward to your
friends?  Does little Michelle in Kenya really need a new liver?  Should you
really delete that file on your computer if someone emails you & says it's a
virus?  You probaby get all these claims in your inbox and wonder if you should
alert your friends and collegues about it.  Fact is, it's probably just a hoax. 
You can check to make sure by visiting Snope2.com or the Symantec web site. 
www.snopes2.com

Real Estate Expert

Robin Polder is a walking FAQ on Real Estate.  From learning how to avoid PMI
(primary Mortgage Insurance) to deciding how much to ask for your home, she'll
have some tried & true advise for you.  Feel free to contact her direct at
robinpolder@dsmhomes.com or see
her web site: http://www.robinpolder.com.

Online Dating Expert

Ever wonder what kinds of people really get into online dating? Does it work? Are there horror stories? Ask Brenda Ross, our online dating expert from www.About.com and www.GeekCheck.com.