Blog Posts About: wifi

Wow, it looks like Seattle is doing a test of Wi-Fi via Seattle buses.

Beginning today, some riders on two Metro bus routes will be able to turn on and tune in their laptops to the Internet using Wi-Fi wireless connections in a five-month trial that could expand to other routes, if successful.

By mid-October, all 29 buses that run on Route 197 between the University District and Federal Way and Route 48 between Loyal Heights and Rainier Beach should offer their riders the free service, said Metro spokeswoman Rochelle Ogershok.

I've learned that I prefer either good wifi access or no access at all. Having the constant prospect of a page reloading 1 in 5 times is just enough to keep on trying to make it happen. I feel bad for Chris, I know he's doing everything he can. It'll be interesting to see if Bell Harbor gets it figured out for tomorrow...

At first I took offense- like un-wired was a bad thing. Then I figured out that it meant wire-less. Woo hoo. Read the short article.

The Seattle-Bellevue-Everett-Tacoma city narrowly surpassed former unwired leaders San Francisco and Portland, Ore., which finished second and fourth, respectively, in this year's ranking of the top 100 U.S. markets for wireless Internet accessibility.

According to Intel's third annual "Most Unwired Cities" survey, conducted by Bert Sperling of Sperling's Best Places, this year's top 10 "Most Unwired" regions in the USA are:

1. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett-Tacoma, Wash.
2. San Francisco-San Jose-Oakland, Calif.
3. Austin-San Marcos, Texas
4. Portland, Ore.-Vancouver, Wash.
5. Toledo, Ohio
6. Atlanta
7. Denver
8. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.
9. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
10. Orange County, Calif.

Free Wifi Close Up

Originally uploaded by Lee LeFever.

I stumbled upon this in a local neighborhood and was taken aback. It's part of a test being conducted in a couple of places around the city. It is supposed to bring computer users to local businesses like restaurants and laundromats. Very cool to see it happening in my backyard.

More on the project here.

Wired News: Wi-Fi Hits the Road

Being from NC, I was proud to see this story. The general assembly funded the creation of a van that uses a satellite and wi-fi routers to create mobile Internet access. The van shows up at a school, gives out 20 laptop computers and everyone can get online. In rural NC, this is awesome.

"There are students taking classes that would not otherwise take them if it were not for this mobile van," said Dawn Pinkham, an instructor at the college. "The amazing thing about this van is that we can bring it to the population. We can bring it to the people."

I can't help but giggle a little about the redundancy of the "mobile van" comment.

Via: Smart Mobs