Going Wireless Book

A surprising array of sophisticated electronic applications that have no need for a tethering umbilical cord are already transforming the way we live, work, and play. Going Wireless analyzes many of these personal, professional, and leisure-time operations now in use by organizations ranging from Sears to the Dave Matthews Band to the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, and projects ways their descendants could become even more ubiquitous. Jaclyn Easton, a Los Angeles Times columnist who profiled e-commerce pioneers in StrikingItRich.com, looks here at how the Internet revolution is evolving into a wireless reality. "Have you ever waved a Speedpass wand to buy gas at a Mobil station? That's wireless," she writes. "Did you ever rent a car with a global positioning system giving you directions as you drove? Did you know that clothing manufacturers are now sewing wireless technology into garments to track the item through both the supply chain and the retail chain?" In a manner that allows her to address weighty concepts without losing those of us who admit to being challenged by technology, Easton examines ways companies are using wireless technology externally to serve their customers and clients and internally to support their employees and suppliers. She additionally devotes a section to new businesses ("tracking what matters to you most"), markets ("Generation Y-erless"), and challenges (including privacy and security). The result is both provocative and enlightening. --Howard Rothman Read More