I’ve also performed some quick testing in a beta version of MS IE and so far everything seems to work just fine, I’ve also performed testing in the last version of firefox 2, Opera 9.0.2 and Konq.

Let me know if there are any bugs I wasn’t able to trigger.

You are also now able to see the age in days of the last time the person was seen (or responded to email pings).

Locations and accounts that used to be more then 90 days old used to be deleted from the system, this caused issues for people that were away for extended periods of time, so now instead the records are marked as deleted in the database and not shown on any maps. If a person logs into their account those locations become enabled again.

The system has also been optimised for the number of nodes in each region. So when you view the world map or view the jump to menu, preference is given to regions with the highest number of locations.

You are now also able to update your contact information and change your email preferences.

Could someone please provide some rough information for new, interested individuals, and how they might connect up and contribute to the network?

Any suggestions or ideas for a product I should look at?
Thanks

Nath

thanks

Below is an example of the difference in image quality as a result:

As a result of the upgrade I started out with example Google code, but this involved xml data files, but due to having arbitary data in the system caused the maps to break, so after much head banging I ended up replacing this code with much simplier HTTP/CSV data that won’t break if there is a stray & or the much more commonly & in html entities for multilingual entries.

Basically AJAX minus the xml is much better imho, it tends to break a whole lot less…

Since the main reason for the change was to integrate google maps, it was thought a whole new approach should be taken with how the rest of the site operated.

Previously there were a number of limitations both due to my design as well as the original design by David and this left things separated into regions, which meant people outside of these regions weren’t able to add themselves until the region was expanded.

However using javascript based technologies has it’s own limitations and the big one is not being able to display all locations at the same time after about 150 to 200 locations browsers tend to run slower and with enough locations can fill the memory of the computer it’s running on and crash. The news isn’t all bad, as the missing locations show up as you zoom and pan across the map, and most likely the missing locations wouldn’t have been clickable in any case as the icons tend to overlap.

Currently only core functionality has been coded (signing up, adding, editing and deleting locations among other simple things) and as time passes more features will be added in.

“We’ll go from the largest to ‘largester,’” jokes John Sidline, the director of corporate communications at iPass. His company also announced this morning that it had 35,000 unique hotspots in its virtual network, a number that will only grow when GoRemote’s partner locations are added. Even though the two companies have extensive overlap (say, for example, with T-Mobile Hotspots), there are some unique customers on GoRemote’s side (like The Cloud in the United Kingdom).

The impetus for the buyout was a desire by iPass to play more heavily in the world of fixed line broadband. GoRemote has been working with companies like AT&T, Covad, Verizon and others to provide circuits like DSL to home offices, branch offices and retail locations. “It might be provisioned by Verizon,” says Sidline, “but GoRemote would aggregate the billing,” just like it does with its worldwide virtual network of hotspots, broadband connections and dial-up service. Sidline says iPass has had this fixed line broadband as part of its vision for years, and worked with some partners on it, but with the GoRemote buyout can actually bring it into the network.

iPass differentiated itself from GoRemote in the announcement of the acquisition by saying it served “roaming mobile users,” and that GoRemote was a leader in other areas, including “teleworkers and employees in home offices, branch offices and retail locations.” The latter is a market IDC says will grow from $78 billion this year to $100 billion by 2009.

The overlap between the companies won’t stop with virtual network locations; as the two companies integrate, there will also be layoffs due to redundant positions.

Once approved by stockholders and regulatory bodies, iPass will pay $1.71 per share in cash for common stock, and $3.37 per share for Series A Preferred Stock — the total should be around $76.5 million.

It’s unknown how this buyout may impact the various services powered by GoRemote, such as the Toshiba MyConnect service, but Sidline says without being specific that “a lot of the GoRemote arrangements will continue and will be ‘powered by iPass’. We’ll begin working on integration even before we complete the acquisition, just to lay out a roadmap.” An integration committee has been formed in the company already, and Sidline hopes things will be moving along by the first quarter of 2006.

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The name stands for Ruckus Interoperability and Open Testing. Callisch says, “we’re basically opening the program up to consumer electronics companies that have an IP enabled capability — mostly set-top boxes and PVR companies that want to add value to products.” That value, of course, is wireless. “Just having any wireless technology inside, relative to video, doesn’t cut it. As most have found out.” Testing is done in a house setup in the San Francisco Bay area.

He’s quick to point out this isn’t interoperability testing like that from the Wi-Fi Alliance, which tests at a much more granule level. Nor to participants get a seal to put on their boxes. “We’re looking at higher level issues… we want to address the collision between consumer electronics and consumer networks.”

Callisch says, “If a vendor wants to tell customers that they work with wireless as it works with video, we can give them a report [on how well they do.]“

Ruckus believes that most people have given up on ever using wireless at home for multimedia distribution due to it’s unpredictability. Callisch says that the company’s technology and now its testing will turn that around.

The first companies to join in the free testing from RIOT include Advanced Digital Broadcast, Amino, i3 micro technology (i3), entone Technologies, Telsey Telecommunications, and Sling Media. It’s open to anyone — the companies don’t have to be Ruckus customers.

Sling Media, makers of the much hyped Slingbox that lets you watch your own TV from anywhere if you have an Internet connection, says that even the slower 802.11b has the capacity to handle the TV stream it uses. “The key thing is reliability — the throughput is there, but we want the reliability so when customers buy it and it detects a signal, there’s no headaches,” says Jeremy Toeman, the vice present of market development for Sling. “Plug in a VCR and it just works — you can’t always say that about wireless.”

“We believe wireless is the distribution of choice in the home — [but only] when we can provide it predictably,” says Callisch. “We think Wi-Fi is the perfect method for delivery.”

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Developed by Motorola (Quote, Chart) and Burton, the Audex jacket sports a built-in control panel located on the left-hand sleeve.

Any Bluetooth-enabled (define) mobile phone can connect wirelessly, and there are wires in the jacket that connect to an iPod. The hood houses speakers and a microphone for talking, making calls or listening to music.

“We see this as the beginning of truly wearable technology,” Bruce Hawver, general manager of companion products in Motorola’s mobile division, told internetnews.com. “We think this is the first truly mass-commercial product to bring music and telephony together, and people won’t even notice you have the phone or iPod on you.”

Of course such activities are a potentially dangerous distraction on the slopes. Hawver said more practical uses for the Audex would be for a skier or snowboarder trying to find a friend after a run downhill, or to listen to music in the lodge or snow village.

“We just had a snowstorm here in Chicago and I used it to listen to music and take calls while I shoveled the driveway.”

All the electronic components are modular and pop out so high-tech fashionistas can wash their jackets. A separate module kit is required for the devices you want to connect to. The Audex jacket is available a Burton’s Web site and specialty shops for $599.95.

This is the first in a series of products the companies are working on.

Audex Protective Gear helmets will be available in 2006 and will include Bluetooth stereo headphones.

“There are other popular sports where it makes sense for professionals and enthusiasts to use this technology,” said Hawver. “We think we can help people with their communications wherever they go.”

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