Wireless Bandit

Europe's Airports Lose Wires

IHT Article on WiFi in Europe

Anyone been to Europe recently? They seem to know what they are doing in the airports...

Typical Wardrive Story with Details

Yahoo! News - 'War Drive' Reveals Ease Of Wi-Fi Snooping

This is a fairly typical war drive story except it goes into some gory details about how NetStumbler works. Anyways there's nothing new about hits, but maybe you all would be interested in some of the prices and technologies that are described.

MioFrio - Forest Hill Village - RIP?

UPDATE MAR 11: Looks like Edo-Ko is now hosting the antenna and things are back to normal. The CAP entry has new pictures of the lovely antenna serving Forest Hill Village once again.

This comes from a dedicated Wireless Bandit reader and it is very disappointing:

"Mio Frio on Spadina Road closed February 19th, 2004. The owner of Mio Frio
took the computer and the antenna system that fed the village. The repeater
signal still exists but without the main dsl internet and router working
from inside Mio Frio, it broadcasts a non internet signal. I haven't had a
chance to contact the Forest Hill Village BIA to find out what they expect
to do. In the meantime, if March's monthly WiFi meetup has destination
idea's, Mio Frio should be removed from the list. Will put something in the
feedback for locations in a day or so. Mio Frio in the beaches is the only
location in the chain currently open."

This is indeed sad, but I was wondering whether a monthly meetup of WiFi people would help this lonely little shop in an oasis of Toronto. We should now start having the meetup at the Beach one lest it close as as well. The coffee shop competition in the Beach is shall we say, brutal.

This is just another point for location, location, location. Even free WiFi can't help struggling areas, it seems.

Wi-Fi Planet

Wi-Fi Planet Conference & Expo, Toronto, Canada - March 16-18, 2004

Here's another show coming to Toronto. One is this coming week and then another one a few weeks later....

GTABloggers Find WiFi

Greater Toronto Area Bloggers :: Jumping on the Wifi Bandwagon

Hey photojunkie at GTABloggers finally found the WiFi religion. Welcome -- I hope you find the blog useful. Please let us know of new hotspots by emailing us

Pearson (Terminal 3) No-WiFi Rant

Proxy for a WB reader:

Greetings.

Last Monday I was flying out of Pearson (Terminal 3) when my 7AM flight was cancelled - the next flight was at 12:30AM. Instead of driving back home, I figured that I'd boot up my laptop and get some work done. I really wanted to get online - even if I had to pay for it - five hours' worth of uninterrupted connectivity would be useful.

So I started looking for nodes. I discovered that Terminal 3 has several AP's but they're not for public use (they've disabled the SSID's and are using WEP). I went over to the Sheraton (where an AP is listed on the WB site) but discovered that they're set up (pipe via Allstream) - intended for guests of the hotel and there was no way to "buy airtime" through a credit card.

How can it be at this stage of the game there's not even one measly provider in YYZ terminal 3? I always figured that airports were a no-brainer for wifi access. At Newark Liberty Airport there are different vendors depending on what terminal you're in. That day I would have gladly paid say, 20 bucks for five hours' worth of access - but I didn't even have the option.

EWS - eldons at esentire full-stop com

WiFi on VIA 1

VIA Rail Canada / Wireless Internet

Interesting that only first class have access to this service. Still, Toronto Pearson is still wifi-less while trains (a definite more appropriate spot since you're sitting there for hours) has decent service.

I especially like their marketing on wifi. It's a terrific description of wireless internet verbage:

Wireless Internet frees up your time and increases your productivity. No need to wait until your destination: Access your E-mails, communicate with colleagues, do last-minute research for that business meeting, all while you travel... You'll have the world at your fingertips, whether for business or pleasure.

Those crazy, hazy consumers

The Globe and Mail

Some stats from the US about wireless awareness. It's nowhere close to crossing the chasm. Early adopters still reign. Really early.

I really wish we just started talking about WiFi as simply as Internet without cables or something straight forward. It's 2004 and we're still in jargon ville. Centrino? What the heck is that? On the other hand if Intel just called the next Pentium chip Pentium WiFi or something crazy like that I bet it would generate a lot of interest in this type of connectivity.

Go Spotnik Go!

The Globe and Mail

Spotnik is available on VIA trains. Read the text and you may become confused like me. "wireless Internet service on some trains travelling between Montreal and Quebec." Sorry is Quebec a city or Province? Or do they mean Quebec City? Free WiFi service between Toronto and Montreal would be quite nice too.

Nokia Tries to Sell a WiFi Phone

Wi-Fi phones lack carrier support

I had no idea that wifi cell phones are a reality soon. Gotta get one of these puppies...