The Road Wirer
UPDATE: DECEMBER 2022: The following articles were written and published between January 14, 1999 and October 24, 2008 and almost all of them contain links that no longer work—either the companies described or the products are no longer in business, or the servers have changed, or the people are no longer alive. However, we have retained these articles for the historic value of this nine year period at the dawn of the Internet—RTA Management Group.
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Columns
by Mark Sedenquist
& Guest Contributors
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| October
24, 2008 How to Choose and Mount a CB Radio Antenna |
The most critical component of any CB installation is the CB antenna. It's what allows your radio to send and receive signals so you can communicate on the road. So it's important to understand the different types of antennas and the available mounting options. Andrew Youderian tells you what you need to know. |
| September
26, 2008— How to Pick a CB Radio |
So you're browsing through a number of CB radios online thinking, "Bells on this one, whistles on that one. How in the world do I choose?" Relax. You may be surprised to learn that every one of those radios has exactly the same transmission potential; the rest is just sorting out the options. Andrew Youderian lends a hand. |
| September
5, 2008— CB Radios: The Ideal Traveling Companion |
Extremely popular in the 1970s, CB radios have since slipped from the spotlight and are now regarded by many as antiquated. Nothing could be further from the truth. Despite the emergence and affordability of other high-tech electronics, the classic CB radio remains one of the most useful tools available to travelers wishing to explore America's roadways. Andrew Youderian discusses a number of reasons why you'll want a CB while on the road. |
| January
18, 2008— Wi-Fi on the Highway: Rest Stops Go High-Tech |
Shhhh! Don't tell his editor, but columnist Aaron Reed is finding that "downtime," even when on the road, is quickly becoming a thing of the past. In this story he describes a Texas highway safety initiative that allows travelers to access the Internet for free at stops between major population centers. |
| November
5, 2006— How to Choose a GPS System |
John Booth of TripGadgets.com explains how to choose the right GPS navigation system for your road trip needs |
| May
21, 2006— Secrets of Wi-Fi Email |
Del Albright reveals how to configure email clients to work with Wi-Fi services on a roll. |
| August
14, 2005— How to Choose a Power Inverter |
Chad Whitney of 4lots.com explains the different kinds of inverters available and how to select the right one to suit your dashboarding needs |
| June
20, 2004— Wi-Fi Field Report |
Jon Vermilye updates his Web site while traveling in the summer of 2004 and reports on Wi-Fi access in locations across the U.S. |
| April
18, 2004— DataStorm: New Age of Mobile Connectivity |
Bill Adams, owner of Intenet Anywhere US, reports on the current capabilities and features of 2-way satellite Internet service |
| March
8, 2004— GeoSentry PT-100 |
GeoSentry's amazing new product for tracking individuals, vehicles, shipping containers, rental cars, and just about anything else on the move... |
| January
25, 2004— Datastorm Field Report |
Guest contributor Ron Bunge reports on installation and real-world performance of high-speed mobile satellite Internet access |
| September
28, 2003— Gear Bags Designed With Dashboarders in Mind |
RoadWired's well-designed products lead the pack |
| February
17, 2003— RoadTrip and a Movie |
Netflix and Other DVD Rental Services |
| January
13 , 2003— Dashboarding in the New Millennium |
New gadgets for roadtrippers from the Consumer Electronics Show |
| March
18, 2002— Road Trippin' with Otis |
Audible Otis and Audible.com give dashboarders a host of new options |
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March
11 , 2002— |
The RoadWirer tests GoToMyPC with a correspondent in Canada using two dial-up connections |
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February
4, 2002— |
The Road Wirer reviews GoToMyPC, a new service with great promise for dashboarders |
| February
4, 2002— Gear and Gadget Bags for Dashboarders |
New designs from RoadWired offer the best in functionality and style |
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January
21, 2002— |
News About Safety Warning Systems for Road and Weather Hazards |
| January
7, 2002— Hot Dashboarding News! |
MotoSat, DataStorm, & WhizWireless offer tantalizing new possibilities |
| November
12, 2001— Two-Way Broadband Internet |
Is genuine, high-speed mobile Internet access finally here? |
| November
5 , 2001— SEMA 2001 |
Breaking news for anyone interested in mobile office solutions (Dashboarders!) |
| February
27, 2001— Coming Soon to an Airport Near You... |
Bluetooth technology promises possible interim solutions for Dashboarders |
| February
19, 2001— Blue Teeth in your car? |
Progress report on wireless LANs |
| January
15, 2001— PDAs and Electronic Books |
More new devices from the Consumer Electronics Show |
| January
8, 2001— Your Bagel Toaster is Now Online... |
News for Dashboarders from the Consumer Electronics Show! |
| December
18, 2000— Virtual Reality Offices |
Some of the best things at Comdex were out in the parking lot... |
| November
6, 2000— Computing on a Roll |
The latest in-vehicle equipment! |
| October
30, 2000— Nothing Simple About Wireless Connectivity Solutions! |
The Road Wirer offers practical suggestions to a Dashboarder with professional requirements |
| October
23, 2000— New Perspectives on "The Wireless Web" |
Couterproductive ad campaigns are obscuring genuine progress... |
| August
21, 2000— Dashboarding With Globalstar! |
The Road Wirer takes the new GSP-1600 Portable Satellite phone on the road |
| August
14, 2000— Anything New Up There? |
A The Road Wirer's take on the latest wireless "news" |
| July
17, 2000— Give Me Performance, Not Gizmos! |
A review of VirginConnect's new "Internet appliance" |
| June
12, 2000— You Don't Have To Wait For That Bus (At Least Not In The Rain!) |
Innovative uses for GPS technology |
| June
5, 2000— Nationwide Digital Cellular Service Plans: Some Lessons Learned |
The nitty-gritty on "one-rate" plans |
| May
29, 2000— IRL: Virtual Private Networks |
More trails on the wireless frontier... |
| May
24, 2000— What once was old is new again... |
Accurate GPS for ordinary mortals! |
| May
15, 2000— Checking the "Pulse" at Networld+Interop2000 |
News from the largest networking conference on the planet! |
| March
13, 2000— "MobileDoc" & Dashboarding Insurance Adjusters |
More news from the CTIA Conference in New Orleans |
| March
10, 2000— Dashboarding on Bourbon Street |
The RoadWirer returns from the CTIA Conference in New Orleans with the latest news from the Wireless frontier |
| January
24, 2000— Bridging the Smaller Gaps |
A look at Bluetooth technology and how it might solve some basic challenges for Dashboarding professionals |
| January
17, 2000— The Road to Dynamic Space |
The RoadWirer continues his ruminations on the blizzard of innovations unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas |
| January
10, 2000— Wireless Rat Traps!? |
The RoadWirer, fresh off the endless floors of the Consumer Electronics Show examines the latest gadgets, gizmos, and (sigh) "vaporware" |
| December
13, 1999— Plenty of Bells and Whistles, but Not Many Desks... |
The RoadWirer reports on all the latest RV innovations on display at the RVIA trade show in Louisville, Kentucky |
| November
22, 1999— A Wireless Thanksgiving? |
It's still too soon to throw away that modem cable, but at least there are more places out there to plug it in... |
| September
20, 1999— "The Truth About PING" |
There's nothing new under the sun, especially when it comes to Internet jargon... |
| September
13, 1999— "Bridging the Gap Between Hype & Reality" |
While GlobalStar and Ricochet linger on the horizon, here's a nuts-and-bolts report from the dashboard about PocketMail |
| June
14, 1999— "HAMming It Up" |
Amateur radio in lieu of cellular? Also, another look at PocketMail and MailStation |
| April
19, 1999— "Firestone & Bassman" |
No, not a new Le Carre novel, just more trailblazing on the wireless frontier! |
| March
15, 1999— Beyond the Ides of March |
Great new links as fact, fad and fancy about wireless technology continue to explode on the World Wide Web |
| March
8, 1999— A Huge Success? |
E-mail on the fly, and never miss a message, even with no laptop in sight! |
| March
1, 1999— Not Reinventing the Wheel (At Least This Week) |
C|Net's wireless resource section and his hunt for a 5Db cellular antenna |
| February
22, 1999— My View from a Parachute |
A look at offerings from BlackBerry, Itronix, the CTIA trade show, and more |
| February
15, 1999— News From New Orleans |
Hot off the floor from the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association trade show-- and some great links! |
| February
8, 1999— The Search Continues... |
The Road Wirer reviews the six classifications of wireless service now available |
| February
1, 1999— The Way This Groundhog Sees It |
The Road Wirer takes a look at PocketMail, a new wireless gadget from Pocket Science |
| January
24, 1999— Internet on a Roll |
A look at low-tech solutions to the Dashboarder's dilemma |
