It’s like Science Fiction

I visited New York City recently and was lucky enough to run into a free wifi connection over near Rockefeller Center courtesy of the Scifi (or should I say Syfy) channel.

Syfy will be the new name of the Scifi channel in an attempt to encompass fantasy as well as science fiction into their name. More importantly, as part of their advertising campaign Syfy has set up a bunch of wifi hot spots through out the city, starting with Rockefeller Center.

The spot comes with everything from plastic couches to a computer station (in case you don’t have your laptop on you). There are Televisions, a giant viewmaster (for whatever reason) and it’s all set up on a nice patch of grass. It looks cool, it’s useful, and it’s comfortable. What more could you ask for in the middle of NYC?

Paint with a Purpose

At school we all share the same wireless network.  Our internet can be accessed in dorms and in class (if you have a password that is).  What about the average wi fi user?  How do you protect your investment?

Japan has released wi fi paint, it basically blocks hangers on from accessing the internet you are paying for.  Convenient for honest apartment dwellers who do pay for their own wireless.  It’s an unfortunate development for poor city interns and the like, but it is pretty ingenious.  In this economy I’d hope we could all learn to just share, but I can understand not wanting to.  If only city wide wireless was available for real.

Camera Capability

We hope one day that the country will be completely wireless, wifi everywhere.  First America then the world.  Well Sony’s newest camera is preparing for that particular revolution.

The Cyber Shot G3 is the first digital camera to be wifi enabled.  Basically you can upload photos to the net right from the camera, very much like cell phone shots today, but better image quality.  For now you’ll have to have access to a wifi hot spot, but one day you’ll be able to upload pictures from anywhere.  It kind of kills any chance you have to “sleep on it” before posting a possibly unfortunate picture, but hey, it’s the price we pay.