September 22, 2004
Here's how to find wi-fi hotspots wherever you go in the country
I was just reading Google's blog — Yes, they have their own blog. You may know that Google has a "Local" service for finding various kinds of businesses and services in cities and areas of the cities that you select. Well, the September 14 blog told how you can use the "Local" service to find wi-fi coffee shop hotspots in your area.
To find all local hotspots, go to the Local page and you will see two search bars. Type wi-fi in the What bar and, in the Where bar, type the city you're interested in.
You will not only see a listing of the spots, you will also see a map of your area that shows where the various spots are located. Thus, you will not only see where the spots are, but you can also go to the map, click on the location that is closest to you and find information about that spot. You will even be able to see a more detailed map showing the location of the spot.
You may also limit your search area to a one, five, 15 or 45-mile area.
Some of the spots you find may require Boingo, Surf and Sip, or Trustive. You can add "free" to your What search bar and eliminate some or all of the fee-related locations.
Interestingly, the Google list also includes links to other sources, including The Wi-Fi Freespot Directory, which, not surprisingly, includes a list of free hotspots by state and then by city.
Links:
Google's blog: http://www.google.com/googleblog
Google's posting on searching for wi-fi hotspots: http://www.google.com/googleblog/2004/09/journey-may-be-reward-but-so-is.html
Google's Local: http://local.google.com/ (Note, there is no www.)
The Wi-Fi Freespot Directory http://www.wififreespot.com
If you forget the address of the "Local" url, you can go to google.com, click on "more," and then click on "Google Local."