While Christmas revelers have most likely boxed up their decorations for the year, they might find a bit of information from AirMagnet worth filing away for next winter. A Christmas tree loaded with decorations and other decoration spread throughout the home or office could diminish a Wi-Fi signal by up to 35 percent. According to AirMagnet, the problem isn't just the interference of “clutter” but also the increased amount of reflective surfaces. Placing your Christmas tree and large decorations away from access points can help reduce the problem. There certainly can be other reasons for interference as well, such as microwaves or large metal shelves.

WEBbeams will be at Coffee Fest Chicago February 23-25. Stop by exhibit #17 to say hi and learn more about WEBbeams products. Also, WEBbeams will present a free seminar, “Wireless Internet in Your Café,” on Friday from 8:30 am to 9:50 am. To learn more about Coffee Fest, visit Coffeefest.com. If you’d like free tickets to Coffee Fest, please contact Ericka at erickarodriquez@webbeams.com or 1.888.WEBbeams, ext. 6000. Please allow three weeks notice to ensure you receive your tickets before the event.

Samsung recently announced the upcoming release of a high-definition Wi-Fi plasma TV. The HP-TS064, to be unveiled at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), will have a built-in hard drive and a Wi-Fi receiver, making it able to receive footage streamed from a home PC. The TV will also support digital video recording functions, allowing users to record and pause live TV. While the HP-TS064 is Samsung's first Wi-Fi-enabled TV, the Korean company LG has established itself in the market previously. All high-definition TVs released by LG in the UK this year will have hard drives. The price for Samsung's new TV has not been announced.

USAID, the United States Agency of International Development, has used 5,300 computers donated by the People’s Republic of China to help spread the use of technology in education throughout the country of Macedonia. Using funds from the U.S. and working in cooperation with the Republic of Macedonia, USAID’s e-Schools Project set up 460 computer labs in the country’s primary and secondary schools. According to USAID, “The objective of this project is to improve the quality and relevance of teaching, using ICT applications that facilitate communication, networking and interaction among the teachers and the students.” The e-Schools Project offered a series of training programs for 180 secondary teachers, who are then charged with training the country’s 2,500 additional high school teachers; 120 primary school teachers will also receive training and then train their 5,200 colleagues. USAID notes, “The project is also in a process of developing an education portal that will link the teachers and the students in a virtual working environment. The education portal would provide on-line resources for the school directors, teachers and the students and would enable them to easily share their experiences and practices. The education portal will mark the beginning of a new quality of the education system in Macedonia, thus bringing it closer to the modern education trends and practices in the world.” To read more, check out “Nationwide Wi-Fi a Success in Macedonia."