Wi-Fi hot spots make Web more accessible on PCs and it's moving to cellphones

By: Luann Lasalle, THE CANADIAN PRESS MONTREAL - Wi-Fi "hot spots" help make the Web more accessible for laptop users and this wireless technology is moving to smartphones and other consumer devices. There are thousands of these so-called hot spots in North America and Europe, often in airport lounges, fast-food restaurants, coffee shops, malls and hotels. It's either free or there's a user fee. "Wi-Fi helps make the Internet more accessible to people," said Stan Schatt of New York-based ABI Research, which tracks emerging technologies. Virtually every laptop sold in North American is going to be Wi-Fi capable, said Schatt, vice-president and research director of wireless connectivity at ABI. "Certainly on the consumer side, there's terrific growth because people have reached the point where they are familiar with Wi-Fi. They... [read full story]