Networking Topic Center

The latest news, analysis, opinions and more on computer networking

Printers, routers used as bots in DDoS attacks

Printers, routers, IP cameras, sensors and other Internet-connected devices are increasingly used to launch large distributed denial of service attacks, security firm Prolexic warned in a report this week.
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Obama nominates Wheeler as new FCC chairman

U.S. President Barack Obama has nominated telecom trade group veteran Tom Wheeler to be the next chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

Qualcomm calls for shared in-home cells to handle mobile demand

Consumers will have to share small, inexpensive cells in their homes with nearby mobile users to affordably meet the growing demand for mobile data in the next decade, a Qualcomm executive said Tuesday.

Microsoft previews Skype for Outlook.com

Microsoft is rolling out a preview version of Skype for Outlook.com, allowing users to make calls and send instant messages from within the webmail service using a browser plugin.

Wireless networks may learn to live together by using energy pulses

Researchers at the University of Michigan have invented a way for different wireless networks crammed into the same space to say 'excuse me' to one another.

Verizon posts gains on mobile, Fios growth in Q1

Verizon Communications reported an increase in revenue and a double-digit spike in net income for the first quarter of 2013, compared to a year earlier, driven largely by gains in mobile customers and in revenue from its Fios service.

Popular home routers contain critical security vulnerabilities

Thirteen popular home and small office routers contain security problems that could allow a hacker to snoop or modify network traffic, according to new research.

Google plans to set up gigabit-speed fiber in Provo, Utah

Google is acquiring iProvo, a fiber-optic network owned by the city of Provo, Utah, as part of a plan to introduce its high-speed broadband network called Google Fiber there.

Big-data science requires SDN, Internet2 chief says

Software-defined networking in universities today is like the early Internet decades ago, and big-data researchers in genomics and other fields already need it for their next set of discoveries, according to the head of Internet2.

Intel lays foundations for SDN gear that could shake up networking

If software-defined networking ultimately changes the landscape of networking, Intel could be one of the biggest beneficiaries -- and might be one of the reasons.

Google Fiber divides users into 'the fast' and 'the furious'

Google's Fiber project in in Kanas City, Austin and Provo shows that very high Internet speeds are possible in the U.S., but nobody except Google is working to make it happen.

IoT development needs context and leadership

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a concept first suggested in 1999 by Kevin Ashton, the co-founder of Auto-ID Center at MIT. And it's popular again--thanks to mobility and the maturing of tracking technologies like RFID, NFC, and QR codes, according to Claus Mortensen, principal of emerging technologies at IDC Asia Pacific.

Directly connected to the Internet of Things

Last week here in Backspin I discussed how real-world "things" that aren't easily augmented with digital instrumentation, such as bicycles, cars and even dogs, can be indirectly connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) using physical ID tags and online proxies. This is, as I pointed out, a powerful concept.

Mobile data and messaging exceeds voice revenues for the first time on mobiles: Telsyte

The value of mobile data and messaging revenues has exceeded voice call revenues for the first time in Australia, according to new research from technology analyst firm, Telsyte.

Gauging BYOD acceptance

The debate about the bring-your-own-device movement (BYOD) has quieted down, mostly because, it seems, while IT has been over in the corner arguing the pros and cons, employees have been streaming into office with their shiny new toys and using them to get work done.

BlackBerry fans should like the Z10; not sure about other smartphone fans

Shaw reviews BlackBerry's Z10 smartphone.

Beacon Audio Phoenix is an unimpressive portable Bluetooth speaker

Beacon Audio's $100 Phoenix is a (very) portable Bluetooth speaker: It weighs less than half a pound, and is roughly equivalent in size to a three-inch cube. It's available in pink, yellow, red, blue, and black; my review unit was blue.

BYOL: Bring your own liabilities

What are the legal ramifications of allowing staff to bring their own mobile devices to work and where is the dividing line between organisational and employee risk?

Big Blue Media Tower mostly disappoints

Brookstone's $300 Big Blue Media Tower is an unusual entrant into the world of speaker bars. It's powerful, it offers pretty good audio quality, and it includes Bluetooth connectivity, but the speaker's design seems odd. It's meant to serve as both a music speaker and an entertainment-center audio hub, but it uses a tower design that presents a placement predicament: You don't want to put the Tower smack-dab in front of your TV, but if you place it off to the side instead, won't you be listening to off-center audio?

Zooka wireless speaker bar mostly disappoints

The Carbon Audio's $100 Zooka is a Bluetooth speaker available in black, green, gray, blue, pink, purple, red, or teal. My review unit is a color the company calls black, but it's a decidedly non-black dark gray.