NAVY GOES WIRELESS
The White House has labeled easy-to-access wireless networks a homeland security threat. The Defense Department believes the so-called "wi-fi" connections many interfere with as many as ten different radar systems.
But, apparently, someone forgot to tell the Navy all of this.
The destroyer USS Howard is being fitted with an 802.11b "wi-fi" network. According to Network World, The Navy is hoping it'll let crewmembers check motors and pipes from a single location -- instead of making rounds -- and control heating and air conditioning units, remotely.
Ultimately, the goal is to let the captain command from anywhere on the ship, and to reduce crew size from 300 to 90 through automation.
The Navy may want to think twice before handing sailors their pink slips, however. As several Slashdotters have pointed out, "wi-fi" networks are notoriously hackable. And anything from a cordless phone to a microwave oven has the potential to interfere with the "wi-fi" signal.
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