The WT Blog

From page 3 of the Toronto section of today’s Globe and Mail:

Pack up your modem in your old kit bag
A local activist’s portable hot spot brings the Internet in a backpack

BERT ARCHER

Wireless Toronto, a volunteer group devoted to providing location-specific Internet content across the city through a series of free Wi-Fi hot spots, has been meeting every month for two years to plan new spots and strategies.

But recently they decided they would like to have more fun in 2007, so starting this month, they’re getting together for something called Hack Nights.

Their first project, which they will be field-testing today, is a spanner in the growing Wi-Fi service-industry works, an ambulatory Internet system they call “the Roach Coach.”

“It comes from the nickname for snack trucks,” group founder Gabe Sawhney says. “It came from wanting to offer Wi-Fi for gatherings at Nathan Phillips Square.”

FULL STORY

Wireless Toronto get a mention in this week’s Now Magazine, in the Best of Toronto: Tech piece.

In July, not-for-profit group Wireless Toronto helped give the public a new reason to visit the square. Over the summer a steady flow of laptop users began occupying tables and other corners of the big granite slab. The free WiFi service is giving people something to do other than stare at the advertising or run through the fountains while they take their lunch break and soak up the summer sun.

It’s really great to get this recognition in Now. And they’re not wrong about the steady flow of laptop users in the Square either. I just checked the stats and 850 people have signed up from Y-D Square since we launched there, under four months ago. That’s pretty impressive.

• get involved, come out to our monthly meetings at¬†6 PM on the third Wednesday of the month at 215 Spadina
• you can work with us to get your favourite publicly accessible spot to have free WiFi
• donate $20, $50 or whatever you can afford to support WT through our PayPal donation button

Don’t have airconditioning? Hate being cooped up at home, tied down by your need for a reliable internet connection, while the city and outdoors beckon?

Well, quit your whining, grab your laptop, and get outside!  As many of you know, you can alreay enjoy free wi-fi at Dufferin Grove Park and St. Lawrence Market. 

There’s now¬†another (somewhat more central) location to choose from – Yonge-Dundas Square!¬† The “official” launch of the hotspot is in July, but the¬†wireless network¬†is up and running (for testing, but it seems fine), as of today.¬†

Cool down at one of the tables by the water fountains,¬† watch the tourists bustle around the Eaton Centre, or bring your laptop to Google factoids about The Blob¬†or The Birds while you take in the Square’s (Tuesday) City Cinema nights.

Just a quick post to say thank you to everyone who came out to the Wireless Toronto first anniversary party this week. It was a great crowd and everyone’s support and interest is really appreciated. There’s a set of photos online here and more photos here.

Conversations were had, beer was drunk, t-shirts were sold. It was all good.

Don’t forget, Wireless Toronto is launching it’s first outdoor hotspot this weekend, at Dufferin Grove Park (map).

A bunch of volunteers will be hanging out in the park Saturday and Sunday, so why not come by for a chat and see what’s going on. More details on upcoming.org.

To find us just look for the orange balloons. Today (Saturday) we’re down near the children’s playground at the south end of the park, Sunday we’ll probably be near the pizza oven at the North end.

As a special bonus offer, Sunday is Pizza Day in the park, so you can drop by, pay a couple of bucks for ingredients and have fresh baked pizza for lunch.

Note: We’re going to set up on Sunday at the south end of the park, near the playground, again. Though I’m sure regular visits to the pizza oven wil be scheduled.

We’ve been working on this for a while, but this is our official announcement. Wireless Toronto are installing a free hotspot in Dufferin Grove Park (map) with the launch scheduled for the weekend of May 27th, 28th

We’ve been working closely the Friends of Dufferin Grove Park and the generous sponsors of the Dufferin Grove hotspot, Kijiji.ca ‘your free, local, community classified ads website’.

There’s going to be lots of fun stuff going on the launch weekend and Wireless Toronto and Kijiji people will be in the park to talk to you about what we’re up to. Hope to see you there.

In a nod to the ever-popular TTC buttons created by Spacing‘s Matt Blackett, WT is staking its own space on the public digital infrastructure… $8/hr for WiFi access? free ‘trial period’s? I think not.

No cost public wireless internet. the better way, indeed.

Designed by Dory, the buttons will be available at our next (May) meeting and 1-year anniversary social.