Apple on Friday issued a security update for Mac OS X that plugs a trio of holes in its wireless network subsystem, which could potentially allow an attacker to take control of an affected system. All three of the patches involve Mac OS X version 10.4, while one is also for version 10.3.

"Attackers on the wireless network may cause system crashes, privilege elevation, or arbitrary code execution," Apple says of two of the fixes. One involves a heap overflow the AirPort wireless driver's handling of scan cache updates. The other covers two stack buffer overflows in the AirPort wireless driver's handling of malformed frames.

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Warning labels may soon appear on wireless Internet hardware if the California legislature has its way. Both houses passed a law known as the "Wi-Fi User Protection Bill," which would require makers of Wi-Fi cards and routers to warn users of the dangers of unsecured wireless networks.

Its backers applauded the law as a way to both end unauthorized sharing of wireless networks, and to secure computer users from outside threats. However, its detractors say such a law is unnecessary, with one analyst arguing that the problem is largely caused by "consumer idiocy."

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Microsoft began sending invitations Tuesday for testers to sign up for a beta of a Wi-Fi connection manager that would assist users in finding, registering with and using public wireless hotspots.

Called Windows Live Connection Center Wi-Fi, the service is split into two parts, an application and Web site component.

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Google on Wednesday rolled out its free wireless Internet service in its hometown of Mountain View, Calif., covering 11.5 square miles of the city with some 380 access points. A 1Mbit per second connection would be provided to each user, who would be able to use the network by signing up for a free Google account.

"This network is a way for us to give back to and engage with the community where our headquarters are," product manager Minnie Ingersoll said. "It has been has been tremendously rewarding to partner with the local government, the schools, the library, the neighborhood associations, and all of our trusted testers to introduce the power of free, wireless Internet connectivity to the city."

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A backlog of almost 12,000 comments on the first draft of the proposed 802.11n standard is pushing back the second draft, originally planned for late fall of this year. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) said late last week that it is likely that the second draft would not appear until January 2007.

The delay means that the final standard may not be approved until 2008, industry insiders say. While approximately half of the comments had to do with editorial changes needed in the document, the remaining 6,000 or so comments may lead to changes that put some of the pre-802.11n hardware in danger of being incompatible with the final standard.

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Hoping to take advantage of the growing ubiquity of Wi-Fi, Sony said Tuesday it will be releasing the "mylo" in September. The mylo is a Wi-Fi enabled entertainment device that will be able to perform a wide variety of functions, with a focus on instant messaging.

The device, which name stands for "my life online," will allow the user to instant message, browse the Internet, make broadband calls, listen to music, send emails and view photos. No service contract or computer setup is required, and all it needs to operate is an 802.11b network.

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The city of Pasadena, California said Tuesday that it had selected EarthLink to enter into negotiations to build a 23-square mile wireless network. 1MBps service would be provided at a low cost, with special programs aimed at offering further discounts to low-income residents of the city.

"EarthLink is pleased to have been selected to unwire the City of Pasadena," municipal networks unit president Donald Berryman said in a statement. "Our company has deep ties to the City, and we look forward to building a Wi-Fi network that delivers affordable broadband to its residents, visitors and city workers."

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With municipal wireless networks, most cities have opted to let the private sector build and maintain the system. However, the city of Boston may end up taking a completely different approach: turning the keys over to a non-profit.

That was the recommendation of a task force put together by Mayor Thomas Menino. The group said the best course of action would be to allow a non-profit raise the $16 million to $20 million that it believes would be necessary to build and maintain the network.

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Nokia said Thursday that it had begun a two-month trial of UMA technology in the city of Oulu in west central Finland. The company has recruited 50 families who will test out the technology using the Nokia 6136, a Wi-Fi-equipped phone. The device is one of the first by the company to support UMA.

UMA, short for unlicensed mobile access, allows the user to seamlessly hand off calls between Internet and GSM networks. When in range of a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth hotspot, calls would be placed over the Internet using VoIP. When the user moves out of range, the call hands off to the local GSM, GPRS or UMTS network.

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AT&T joined the municipal Wi-Fi fray Friday by submitting a joint proposal with MetroFi to operate a wireless network in Riverside, Calif. Free access would be provided by MetroFi throughout the city with 500kbps downstream and 256kbps upstream according to the proposal.

To support the network, advertising would be inserted into every Web page that the user visits. Those who wish to have an ad-free service would have an option to subscribe to a 1mbps pay service for USD $19.95 through AT&T.

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D-Link said Monday it would begin shipping its "clamshell" Wi-FI phone, which is compatible with VoIP services like Vonage. Available in two colors, black and silver, the phone operates very much like the cell phones they are patterned after. Included is a color screen, caller ID, polyphonic ringtones, 100 entry address book, and text messaging support.

According to D-Link, the phone is capable of three hours of talk time, and up to 70 hours of standby time, which is about half of the battery life of average cellular phones. It supports three types of Wi-Fi encryption, WEP, WPA, and WPA2, and will support the Public SIP Telephone Network through a future firmware upgrade. Both the D-Link DPH-540 and DPH-541 retail for $249.99 USD.

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The city of Paris is considering a plan that would blanket the city with wireless Internet access by the end of 2007, its Mayor Bertrand Delanoe said Tuesday. Additionally, tax breaks are planned for companies who install fiber-optic cables in the city. Paris hopes to have 80 percent of the city covered by a fiber network by the end of the decade.

Access to the wireless network would be free, and would be maintained by private companies. Access points would be located in public areas and libraries, according to the plan. The final plans will be submitted for approval next week.

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The city of Anaheim officially launched its wireless network on Thursday In cooperation with EarthLink. The ISP has announced two plans for usage, including occasional use and continuous access plans.

To support the Anaheim network and other Wi-Fi projects around the country, EarthLink has added a Wi-Fi option to its line of products, which include a modem, along with eight e-mail accounts and the company's malware protection tools. That package will cost $21.95 USD per month.

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Spanish startup FON, which is aiming to set up a worldwide network of free Wi-Fi hotspots, said Sunday it would sell 1 million routers for $5 or 5 euros, as long as the purchaser promises to use it to share his Internet connection. The program will cost the company some $60 million to undertake.

Either a Linksys WRT54GL or Buffalo WHRG54S would be supplied to the user with the FON software preinstalled. Once a user shares the connection, in return the user would be able to use any FON hotspot for free. If not, a $3 daily access charge would apply.

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AirCell, winner of the recent FCC auction for air-to-ground broadband frequencies, said Monday that it planned to use the spectrum to bring affordable wireless Internet to airplanes. The company expects to roll out the services next year.

Aircraft fitted with AirCell equipment will allow for Wi-Fi access throughout the cabin using 802.11b and g technologies. The frequencies are separate from those of safety equipment, meaning airlines would be able to safely operate the equipment during flight.

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