Intel announces draft 11n chipset

Intel also announced a "Connect with Centrino" certification program

aimed at getting consumers to look past 802.11n’s draft status and the interoperability and "bad neighbor" problems shown by products to date. The company said that it has worked with Asus, Belkin, Buffalo, D-Link and Netgear "to better ensure compatibility and performance" with those companies’ "access points". Companies that pass Intel’s certification exam will earn the right to display a "Connect with Centrino" identifier on their product packaging.

Buffalo Technology issued a related announcement that said its WZR-AG300NH AirStation Wireless–N Nfiniti Dual Band Router & AP has earned the "Connect with Centrino" certification. Netgear also announced that its WNR834B and WNR854T RangeMax Wireless-N Routers have successfully passed the certification process.

Intel said the new chipset will first be in new Microsoft Vista notebook computers powered by Intel Centrino Duo mobile technology from OEMs such as Acer, Asus, Gateway and Toshiba beginning in late January.

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MIC WiFi

Japan to leave Wi-Fi gear untaxed for now

Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has decided to leave unlicensed radio devices free of the taxman's reach for now.

As previously reported, the MIC was considering imposing a “Radio Utilization Fee” that would apply to devices that operate in license-free spectrum, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, UWB and similar technologies.