Have you ever been somewhere and wondered how you could find the closest hot spot? Hotspotr gives you a way to find those hotspots. It is a user supported site in that it allows you to add hot spots that you know of.
In addition to the web interface that is available, you can also access the site from your mobile phone or Treo at m.hotspotr.com.
The site can clearly stand to have a few more hot spots added to it. However, it never hurts to have another resource to use to try and find a hotspot.
Via Bonnie Shucha at WisBlawg I discovery another cool new offering from Google: Google Voice Local Search. Dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) from any phone (especially your cell phone). You can then search for any business in the city that you identify. You can search by either the business name or the business category.
As described by Google:
As part of our ongoing effort to make the world’s information universally accessible, we’re testing a free service called Google Voice Local Search. Using this service, you get fast access to the same local information you’d find on Google Maps. But you don’t need a computer, you don’t need an Internet connection, and you don’t even need to use your cell-phone keypad. It’s voice-activated, and you can access it from any phone (mobile or landline), in any location, at any time.
As with Google’s other products, this one is free. Given that this is still in its experimental stage, I am sure that there are some kinks to be worked out. However, this looks like another great, simple and useful idea from Google.
This is the view I had from near the top of Pike’s Peak. At the same time I had this beautiful view, I was able to take a couple of minutes, check my email, and confirm with a potential new client that the client had retained our firm to represent it in a new litigation matter.
The great thing about staying connected with a Treo is that I can spend just a couple of minutes checking my email, putting out any major fires, and addressing any major concerns. Then I can go back to my vacation without having to worry about things at the office.
Additionally, there is just something neat about being able to check my email while at the top of Pike’s Peak.
Here are 20 tips to help secure your computer and protect your information. The tips dealing with email are things that you should be aware of.
FutureLawyer points us toward FON’s celebration of its first anniversary. FON is not something that I am familiar with. However, it looks like they have an interesting concept to try to set up a system of free wireless networks.
Jeff Beard at Law Tech Guru Blog has some good advice about watching out for fake wi-fi hotspots created by computer to computer ad hoc networks. Apparently this scheme is most commonly found at major airports. Jeff gives a great definition of these ad hoc networks as:
“Fake Wi-Fi hotspots and “man in the middle” attacks are nothing new. The key is that they are actually peer-to-peer or “ad hoc” wireless network connections — meaning that your laptop connects directly to someone else’s PC, not a wireless access point. That’s a major security no-no, as they can sniff your logins, passwords, and other confidential data you send through. They can also deposit some nasty items on your PC behind the scenes. Guess what happens when you connect to your company’s or firm’s network when you get back to the office?”
Jeff also points to a great article from Computerworld. In the article, the author provides instructions for users of both Windows XP and Vista on how to keep your computer from connecting to an ad hoc network.
Futurelawyer points us toward a video by Keith from Cool Tools in which he gives a short video demonstration on why the Treo 700p is a great device. In the video, Keith demonstrates using the network dial up and bluetooth capabilities of the 700p to surf the internet completely wirelessly. If you have considered purchasing a smartphone, this is a great video that shows you some of the capabilities.
JiWire.com has a great article on its 25 Wireless Tips & Tricks. JiWire is a great resource for all things Wi-Fi. In this article, they offer great tips on such things as:
There are some great tips to be found in the article. I recommend it to anyone who uses a wireless network.
David Swanner of the South Carolina Trial Law Blog hits the nail on the head with his most recent post.
On the topic of how connected you should be to your clients, David says:
“On Friday afternoon, my wife who is about to have our second child was unexpectedly admitted to the hospital for testing. After the tests, but before the results were in she was reading a book and I logged in to the office network, checked e-mail, checked messages and answered a few questions. Before the age of technology, I would have had to leave either my wife or the office in the lurch. Wi-fi is a good thing.”
David then goes on to conclude, however, that we need not be connected to our clients at all times.
“When I travel, I call clients and check in on them. I sometimes call clients on Sunday afternoon to see how their treatment is doing and to make certain all of their questions have been answered. I appreciate my Treo, GoToMyPC and wireless internet. But I also think it’s important to set boundaries to have a personal and family life.”
As usual, excellent advice from David. Jump over to his blog and read the whole post.