Low powered wireless networks and sensors running on batteries and solar power will be the main focus of the Hurricane Preparedness Expo at John's Pass Village this June in Madeira Beach Florida. SmarTown will be demonstrating wireless based technologies that have been designed to not only survive hurricanes but be able to send critical data before, during and after a direct hit.

SmarTown will be joined by a group of technology partners which will be demonstrating everything from live video streaming to detecting potential toxins released in the Tampa Bay aftera hurricane. This event will be combined with the fun of John Leviques Pirate Days at John's Pass Village. With the theme of don't be scared be prepared the Hurricane Preparedness Expo will be demonstrating low and high tech technologies that will save lives in catastrophic events.

Thirty years ago Vint Cerf and a colleague developed the TCP/IP communication protocols that form the foundation for the Internet. Today, Cerf is vice president and chief Internet evangelist for Google, where part of his job is to identify new Internet applications and technologies.

Cerf recently spoke with Government Technology at Google's Washington DC offices. During the course of an hour-long conversation, Cerf spoke about Internet opportunities and challenges. He also gave his views on net neutrality, municipal wireless projects, mobile connectivity and other critical issues.

What does the man widely considered to be the father of the Internet predict for future? Cerf sees a handful of clear trends over the next five years.

Mobile Wireless and Location Based Services

Location Based Services Are Now

WIRELESS INTERNET COVERAGE EXPANDS DOWNTOWN
[EAST Edition]
St. Petersburg Times - St. Petersburg, Fla.
Date:	Jan 28, 2007

Citi WiFi is expanding its wireless Internet coverage in St. Petersburg's downtown by providing the bandwidth for free access at BayWalk through the SmarTown portal.

SmarTown is a location-based content provider that lets users of the free BayWalk wifi service tap into information, video and special offers from and about BayWalk businesses. Citi said the partnership with SmarTown will continue as the wifi provider expands operations in Treasure Island and Dunedin and elsewhere in Florida.

"This will bring tourists to the beaches from downtown and downtown from the beaches," said Citi Wifi president Frank McCarthy. SmarTown has been operating at BayWalk for almost three years and was the first in the country to offer real-time ads and video blogging as a local advertising medium.

St. Pete SmarTown just got smarter

What if you could get free WiFi access, free remote access your office computer, make a 5 minute call for free all while you eating your lunch at BayWalk. Well you can with the new additions we have put in at BayWalk Blogger. These new free applications added to a variety of existing services such as free flash games, online newspaper, online radio, online TV and much more are making BayWalk the hot spot to be in St. Petersburg. The best just got better so get smart and get hooked up to St. Pete SmarTown at BayWalk.

More than just free WiFi at BayWalk

See what you get when you register for free WiFi access at BayWalk in St. Petersburg Florida

What is SmarTown?

What is so smart about SmarTown.

Real time advertising starts at BayWalk

Don't miss the real time specials from BayWalk businesses. St Pete SmaTown now has the ability of offering real time business information through its free WiFi location based portal. Whether it’s a video blog talking about what's hot at BayWalk or a blog roll giving you the first shot at daily specials, bring your laptop or PDA to BayWalk and save some money while enjoying free WiFi access.

15,000 hits and 400 WiFi registered users

Without an official opening, St. Pete SmarTown's BayWalk WiFi Blogger is sure getting noticed. Blogs are talking about the unique use of vblogging (video blogging) by BayWalk businesses with major media networks calling vblogging the hottest application on the Internet. New Internet video technologies will soon be tested to improve the quality of the vblogs while still offering theses services to small businesses easily and economically. More to come....

St. Pete SmarTown get's the Picture

St. Pete SmarTown has tested and will soon release its text, audio and video offering at BayWalk. This service allows small business the ability of sending real time information to their customers in multimedia formats. Special location based portals have been designed to promote area specific information with can be easily update by simply calling a telephone number or uploading a video file from a standard digital camera. Never before could business promote their services so quickly and economically, including full motion video.

The Walled Garden is growing at BayWalk

BayWalk will soon be offering free WiFi services which is just the start of the fun. They will also be offering services from St. Pete SmarTown including streaming webcasts from Tampa Bay's 10, BayWalk only text, voice and video instant message service, animation vobots offering on the spot specials and flash multi-player games. An announcement on the start of these exciting services will be made soon.

Can you see me now?

BayWalk's SmarTown hot zone just got hotter. You can now come to BayWalk with any wireless 802.11 devise and find out who is in the BayWalk zone. A special BayWalk only chat, text and video instant message service can be accessed when you enter the WiFi zone. Let them know you are there and join the fun.

Did you bring your TV to work today?

What! TV is coming back. It never left it is now just available on a wireless devises. St Pete SmarTown will be offering live streaming from Tampa Bay's 10 starting with a daily sunrise and special live newscasts. Access to real time doppler radar weather, traffic reports and special interest stories right from you laptop or pda. Come join the fun at BayWalk. Tampa Bay's first SmarTown.