rgmussel's blog

We are happy to announce that for a second straight year the CUWiN Foundation plans to take part in Google's Summer of Code. Last year we were able to support two successful projects. This year, we hope to mentor several more projects.

For a list of the projects that CUWiN is supporting for Summer of Code 2007, click here.

For more information about the projects or to suggest a project that would further develop our CUWiNware software, please send an email to David Young, our Chief Engineer.

CUWiN has recently finished its new brochure. Click here to download a copy today.

On Tuesday, January 30, 2007, CUWiN staff gathered to take part in Vision Quest 2007. An off-site location was donated by the the Episcopal Foundation of the University of Illinois. We met in the late afternoon and began with Dutch coffee and double-chocolate brownies.

Spirits were high as the staff took stock of the organization's progress and where we want to be at the end of 2007. Important plans were made to get CUWiNware, our flagship software, to version 1.0. We also agreed on the future of Hack Night, which will take a decidedly technical turn beginning very, very soon (details to be released later today). We also established important goals for our new consulting services and development efforts.

Our day concluded with a fantastic meal at a local establishment. The energy created at Vision Quest bodes well for the future of the CUWiN Foundation, as we build on past successes to promote open, democratic networks and provide better mesh networking products.

CUWiN is pleased to announce that we have successfully ported our flagship software to the Meraki Mini. Documentation on the port can be found at http://cuwin.net/manual/howto/meraki.

Porting CUWiN software to the Meraki Mini makes using CUWiNware even cheaper by dropping the price point of nodes that can run CUWiNware from a few hundred dollars to around $50. The Meraki Mini is perfect for making apartment buildings and office spaces wireless, as the infrastructure costs are significantly cheaper than wired installations.

For more information about CUWiN, contact
Ross Musselman
ross@cuwin.net
Tel: +1 217 278-3933 x. 30, Fax: +1 217 278-7171

August 1, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Daniel Meredith, CUWiN Senior Network Engineer
217-278-3933 x30 daniel@cuwireless.net

Ross Musselman, CUWiN Outreach Coordinator
217-278-3933 x30 ross@cuwireless.net

***

CUWiN PROVIDES FREE PUBLIC ACCESS TERMINALS AT THE URBANA-CHAMPAIGN INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTER AS A PART OF NEW DIGITAL INCLUSION INITIATIVE.

CUWiN has partnered with the Acorn Active Media Foundation (Acorn) and the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center (UCIMC) to provide Internet computers for the public -- the next step in spreading free broadband services throughout the local community.

CUWiN, Acorn, and the UCIMC invite the local residents to try out the new public access computers. The terminals, which use CUWiN's mesh network to provide broadband Internet access, are free and open to anyone who wishes to use them. They will be available during the UCIMC's open hours.

These Internet access terminals are part of an initiative funded by the Threshold Foundation to demonstrate the potential for Internet and multi-media Intranet services utilizing a community-owned wireless mesh network. CUWiN will also be providing free wireless hotspots in Lincoln Square Mall, the Urbana Free Library, and other public areas.

Community and municipal wireless networks have gained tremendous attention in recent years. CUWiN's software incorporates research from partnering laboratories, companies, and open source projects from around the globe with the goal of creating low-cost turn-key wireless networking solutions.

CUWiN's mission is to help bridge the digital divide by developing low-cost, open source, wireless technologies and making them available to community and municipal networks. CUWiN networks have been established in urban settings like Chicago, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., as well as rural places like the Mesa Grande Indian Reservation near San Diego, California, and Apirede, Ghana.

"The wireless technologies being developed and deployed by CUWiN as a part of this initiative hearken back to the innovation and vibrancy of early Internet development." stated Ross Musselman, CUWiN Outreach Coordinator. "With a focus on maintaining Internet freedom, these new technologies support digital inclusion around the globe."

For more information on this initiative, contact the CUWiN team at:

E-mail: cu-wireless-support@cuwireless.net
Phone: +1 217 278-3933 x31.

Sign up for the once-a-month CUWiN e-mail news list at:

http://lists.chambana.net/cgi-bin/listinfo/cu-wireless-announce

About the UCIMC: The Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center is a grassroots organization committed to using media production and distribution as tools for promoting social and economic justice in the urbana Area. We are dedicated to addressing issues that the mainstream media neglects and we do not conceal our politics behind a false objectivity. We will empower people to "become the media" by providing democratic access to available technologies and information.

About the Acorn Active Media Foundation: Acorn engages in software, website, and technical development in support of the global justice movement. The Acorn Active Media Foundation is an employee-run tech collective whose members are themselves activists; the projects Acorn staff work on are chosen based on members' interest in working on them.