A man walks into a bar, takes out his laptop, switches it on and connects to the internet to download his mail while surfing and calmly having his breakfast. And all this with not a single cable in sight. This scene which seems to have come straight out of a science fiction film is nowadays a reality. Responsible for this is Wireless High Fidelity (Wi-Fi): a local communication protocol whose technical name is IEE.802.11b, and that enables interconnection between a maximum of 10 systems and wireless internet connection at a speed of up to 11 Mbps.

This means that with just one Wi-Fi connection in the room, up to 10 computers within a radius of 100 metres can connect to the net at a speed far higher than that offered by such well known technology as ADSL. All without the need to use a single cable.

These enormous advantages mean that Wi-Fi connections are multiplying the world over, not only in company offices but in public spaces too. In Europe, there are now 40,000 Wi-Fi connections located in airports, hotels, libraries, restaurants and caf�s, a figure that should reach 90,000 by 2005.

In the U.S. they are already part of daily life in public spaces and businesses. On the island of Manhattan, in New York, for example, many bars, restaurants and caf�s offer free access to the internet through Wi-Fi, for the price of a drink. In Spain, the VIP room of Madrid's Barajas airport has a connection that allows first-class travellers to connect their laptops or PDAs to the internet.

Operation
Wi-Fi connection terminals create a wireless network known as WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network): a wireless data transmission system that allows a certain number of independent devices to communicate with each other.
The way WLAN is very simple and is based on two elements: access terminals and user devices. The former send information via radio to the latter and vice-versa. The user devices range from laptops or desktops to printers, scanners or PDAs that must be equipped with a wireless network card that acts like a modem and makes it possible for the device to recognise the connection.

The employment prospects of wireless technology, with Wi-Fi leading the way, are considerable and increasing, given the commitment of the IT and telecommunications industries. It is thus no surprise that companies such as Symbol Technologies estimate that in 2010 around 50% of the global population will be using some form of wireless technology. A future in which the air we breathe will be the best form of transmission in the world of information.

Bluetooth, the little brother
The current rise of the Wi-Fi protocol has put Bluetooth, an earlier model of wireless technology, in the shade. In fact, Wi-Fi was developed in the U.S. as a direct reply to Bluetooth, created in Europe by Ericsson in the mid-1990s. Wi-Fi is thus a more mature technology, with a data transfer speed that is seven to eleven times faster, which has led to it taking over from Bluetooth. It also enables the connection of up to seven devices (mobile telephones, computers, scanners, printers, PDAs) to the same receiver with a bandwidth that allows a transmission of up to two Mbps. The performance of Bluetooth, meanwhile, limited when compared to Wi-Fi, has meant that this device has not yet taken off. When it does, it will probably be confined to domestic use.

The latest in technology
LCD Television LE-15A15 manufactured by LG
LCD technology-based TVs are becoming a serious alternative to the traditional cathode ray tube. Their only drawback is the price, yet in quality and performance they easily match other technologies such as plasma or tube. The model launched by the South Korean company is a good example of this. With a 15 inch screen, a resolution of 1.024 x 768 pixels, a contrast of 350:1 and a brightness of 400 cd/m3, this TV can just as easily be placed on a table as hung on a wall like a picture. It only needs 50W of power and has at its disposal 100 programmable channels, videotext and two stereo speakers.