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Over the Airwaves
 Sentinel Sensor and Scout Antenna |
Hacker Alert
Highwall Enterprise Software,
Sentinel Sensor and Scout Antenna
Maker: Highwall Technologies, Sarasota
Working at a wireless laptop is wonderful, but it's not secure. To help manage that problem, a 3-year-old Sarasota company sells a package of sensors and software that can't prevent hackers and other unauthorized users but can identify them in real time and notify the laptop user of a their presence. "We build a fence around a building," says Rich Swier, co-founder and CEO of Highwall Technologies.
The "fence" consists of a wireless sensor, antennas and a centralized server to prevent both inside and outside wireless intruders. Costs for the system average $5,000 per building, Swier says. The system can detect Wi-Fi and is capable of supporting WiMax (long-distance wireless).
 Flexible wristband |
Look Ma, No Wallet
GO Solutions
Maker: Proximities, Melbourne
Standing in line for concessions can put a damper on even the best sporting event, concert or theme park adventure. Two Princeton University students, John Lerch and Josh Girvin, became so frustrated during a day at Hershey Park that they came up with the idea for a wireless payment and ID bracelet. "Basically what it is like is a disposable credit card," says Ron Carney, CEO of Proximities, the Melbourne company that is the outgrowth of Lerch and Girvin's idea.
The company's "GO solutions" revolve around a flexible wristband that uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology for cashless payment, access control and age verification for alcoholic beverage purchases. It is linked to a credit card, and each wristband can be programmed with different spending limits. The bracelet becomes disabled if it is removed from the wrist, preventing a thief from using it or an underage youth from buying alcohol.
Carney, who took AirNet Communications public in 1999 and in 2003 sold Tantivy Communications, says the company is targeting large venues.
Wireless City
St. Cloud is launching one of the most ambitious municipal wireless systems in the nation. Two years in the planning, the city's Cyber Spot system will offer free, high-speed wireless access to its 28,000 residents.
The city has invested $2.8 million and expects annual operating costs of $400,000 to $500,000. Making up for those costs are the $4 million in savings for residents, money the city hopes will be spent locally.
