Coffee and Free WiFi: The Two Don't Always Mix

Just the other day I was at my local coffee shop to have my daily fix of a "triple soy vanilla latte," and decided to finish up responding to some high-priority e-mails for work.

As I started to sip my ambrosia, I noticed that I was unable to catch an automatic signal for the Internet, so I opened up my Internet connection to see what was available. I found the coffee shop's wireless network and clicked connect. It prompted me to enter the WPA Network Key, which I kindly asked the cashier for. She cheerfully informed me that I had to pay $10 per day (but it's unlimited use—ha) to use their wireless service. No way!

I gathered my things and decided to find a FREE WiFi Hot Spot near by. Then zing! I remembered finding a Web site that allows you to search for free WiFi networks in your area. I was also able to download the program for free on my iPod which now seems extremely convenient!

The neat thing about the WiFi locator is that it allows you to search locations by what type of environment or category you want—i.e. cafe, bookstore, airport, etc. So I turned my 30 GB iPod on and found the nearest WiFi location. I would definitely recommend all laptop users to keep this page handy at all times. It's a must-have!