Mystery: What is co-locating WiFi?
- TAGS:cell phone, Palm, Wi-Fi
- IT TOPICS:Mobile & Wireless, Networking
KEY WEST, FL. -- FCC documents reveal that a future Palm phone code-named Zeppelin (as in "Led") sports a feature set described as "co-locating WiFi and radio." Trouble is, nobody's ever heard of it. What the heck is co-locating WiFi?
A Google search for "co-locating WiFi" brings up only links to the un-announced Palm device.
My first guess is that "co-locating WiFi and radio" means that the WiFi and cell phone antennas won't interfere with each other and/or with other nearby devices. That would be not only the most reasonable guess, but also the most mundane.
However, those of us who remember when Palm still knew how to innovate might speculate that "co-locating WiFi and radio" might be something cool. Maybe it's a new kind of loction-aware service that uses both cell tower triangulation (like Google Maps Mobile's new Location service) plus knowledge about the location of a WiFi hotspot to pinpoint your location. Or maybe it's some sophisticated new way for the phone to automatically figure out the best connection, and hand over your connection from one network to another without dropping.
Or maybe it's something else? Any guesses?
In the meantime, "co-locating WiFi and radio" remains a rare mystery in the world of new gadget technology.



