Some people give their WiFi network wacky ironic names to discourage neighbors from using it, like "Free Viruses" and "We_Can_Hear_You_Having_Sex." Over in Teaneck, N.J., they push the envelope a little bit, at least at the local recreation center, where someone gave the WiFi network at the Richard Rodda Community Center a very offensive name. "When I first saw it, I said, 'Did that say what I thought it said?," a local woman tells the Daily News. "I was shocked, hurt. I felt harassed." Which is understandable, because the WiFi in question was named "F--- All Jews And N----." more ›

NJ authorities say that they arrested a man who forced a woman into prostitution—and they found out because the woman was able to send a Facebook message to her brother for help. The Record reports, "The victim’s smart phone did not have service to call out when she was being held, but she was able to access Facebook and contact her brother when she was in a Wi-Fi hotspot...The brother, who lives in Florida, contacted an agency in Little Egg Harbor, where his family lives." more ›

Gentlemen, perhaps it's time to lay off the laptops for a a bit, or at least, laptops on your...laps, if you have any hopes of going forth and multiplying in this life. A new study found that semen placed under a WiFi-enabled laptop doesn't exactly swim fast and furious after exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by wireless signals. more ›

While you've been busy yapping away on your cell phone along the 14th Street corridor, a group of techno wizards have been working to set up a free wifi network on the L train, from Morgan Avenue to 8th Avenue. But don't expect to simply browse through your morning blogs—"The L Train Notwork" isn't exactly an online free-for-all. more ›

Vagina tree may be dead, but McCarren Park now has an amenity that will allow parkgoers to gape at genitals anywhere they please: Wi-Fi. The Brooklyn Paper called it "glitch-free" on Friday, so that means less time nursing your $4 cup of coffee and getting the stink eye from your barista when "Congratulations, you've won!" randomly blares out of your laptop. more ›

Is your local Starbucks a hotbed of criminal activity? Senator Chuck Schumer sent letters to websites like Twitter and Yahoo to switch their websites from standard HTTP protocol to the secure HTTPS protocol, because hackers have it way too easy finding your information off the WiFi networks in coffee shops and bookstores. He said in a statement, "It is scary how easy it is. Free WiFi networks provide hackers, identity thieves and spammers alike with a smorgasbord of opportunities to steal private user information like passwords, usernames, and credit card information." Otherwise, they'd just come to steal your stuff in person after finding out where you checked in on Facebook. more ›

Worried that you won't be able to text your pals a photo of Snooki being dropped in a ball onto Times Square this New Year's Eve? Fear not, the one of you who is actually worried about that, because AT&T has announced they're expanding the capacity of their WiFi in hotzones like Times Square "in order to support its growing number of iPhone customers who cram the place New Year’s Eve." more ›

We know they're sketchy, but by the end of the year there may be a reason to hail a gypsy cab instead of a yellow one. Alex Mashinsky, who is also helping to bring internet to the subways, wants to equip at least 1,000 LimoRes Car & Limo, UTOG Corporate Car Service Inc. and Velocity Limo Inc. cars with Wi-Fi by fall. Once those are up and running, he wants to blanket the city with "tens of thousands of vehicles." The service would provide free internet access to anyone in or running down the street within a 400 foot radius of the cars. more ›

When it was announced earlier this week that the long-delayed subway cell phone project was lurching forward, some of you were upset that the signal would not extend into the subway tunnels, thereby depriving you of priceless "Overheard in NY" material. But don't worry; one of the companies that won the contract, Q-Wireless, says cell phone users with vital information to impart will be able to get a signal in most subway tunnels. And it'll work for Nextel chirp phones, too! more ›

Wireless internet may soon be a reality for our city’s trains. The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 predicted it, and now the MTA says it wants Metro North and LIRR to be connected by the end of the year. According the Post officials have issued a call for ideas on how best to float internet on the trains coming and going from the city. Also to be wired: Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station. But considering the budget crunch, how does the authority plan to pay for its hook-up? more ›

Bread Stuy, a Bed-Stuy purveyor of lattes, Panini and time-wasting WiFi came this close to closing recently (the place was saved grace of three customer-run fundraisers), but does that really mean that gentrification in the neighborhood is failing? In an area that houses a good number of cafes, but also its fair share of bodegas and bullet-proof Chinese, Bread Stuy somehow became the ultimate symbol of the neighborhood’s efforts to nice-up. “It’s no longer just a place for people to go in and drink their coffee — it’s part of the fabric of the community,” said Crystal Bobb-Semple, whose own a nearby store, Brownstone Books. “It’s all about creating a better neighborhood.” more ›

Brooklyn's first ever Arby's is thisclose to opening. The fast food chain has taken over the landmark Gage and Tollner building on Fulton Street — where a classy eatery once operated, even serving starlets like Mae West. But those days are over, and the roast beef peddler will be filling bellies in the borough starting tomorrow. Lost City got a sneak peek; check out more photos here. The historic gas light fixtures have been kept intact, so this isn't a complete sacrilege. more ›

Check out the lipstick on this pig factory farm cow: McDonald's Corp. spokeswoman Danya Proud says this McDonald's location on Sixth Avenue between 14th and 15th streets is the first in the nation to get a so-called "urban redesign." It has free Wi-Fi and laptop outlets, upholstered vinyl chairs instead of seats bolted to the floor, subdued lighting, and all-black uniforms for employees. The metrosexual look is, naturally, de rigueur in Europe, but like something out of another world for us boorish Americans. One customer tells the Associated Press it's "beautiful" and more "like a lounge"—but with the same revolting "food." more ›

How come Times Square gets all of the perks? First it got all of those free chairs, then it got free bathrooms, now it gets free WiFi! From now through next year, Yahoo will provide free wireless internet service to those who visit the pedestrian island on Broadway between 43rd and 44th streets. Passersby who aren't carrying their computers can even borrow laptops on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the Daily News. Two years ago, CBS launched a similar promotion in a wider swath of Midtown — minus the free computers.
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Officials in Babylon have announced that the town will become the first on the Atlantic seaboard to offer free WiFi at beaches, parks and pools. The Suffolk County town will be opening four separate internet cafes at its various beaches over the next few weeks, the first one debuting this weekend at Overlook Beach. The cafes will also offer three free laptops as loaners and the signal will be strong enough to reach nearby boaters. Babylon Supervisor Steve Bellone told the Post, "For the first time you'll be able to surf the Internet. It is very cool. We're very excited. You can take it down to the water, you can go into the water, if you want to." Less cool news recently came out of nearby Robert Moses State Park, where the only signal beach goers were getting was from Park officials telling them to head elsewhere since large portions of the shore had to be closed off due to erosion. more ›

Seems like just yesterday that the Parks Department was compiling a map of all the free WiFi spots in the city parks—but now CityRoom is reporting that "the long-troubled arrangement to install wireless Internet networks in Central Park and other New York City parks has quietly collapsed after the contractor, Wi-Fi Salon, ran out of money." The company has been removing equipment from Central Park, Prospect Park, Washington Square, Battery, Riverside, Van Cortlandt, Pelham Bay, and Flushing Meadows-Corona Parks, annnd Orchard Beach. However, since Bryant Park's WiFi is provided privately, you'll still be able to log on there. The Parks Department confirmed the termination, but also that they will "soon unveil a series of digital inclusion initiatives focused on expanding access to, and adoption of, broadband technology, including service in parks across the city." more ›

Might as well check your trenchcoat with the Skycap, fellas; American Airlines has reversed course and decided to filter pornographic content on its in-flight Internet service. You'll recall that flight attendants had been pressuring the airline to block porn because they didn't want to police pervs who can't go a couple hours without pleasuring themselves to Edward Penishands or Sex Trek: The Next Penetration. Wired reports that Girls Against Porn has also been lobbying American to install filters, citing a lawsuit against American over a particularly nauseating masturbatory incident that, incidentally, occurred without pornographic inspiration. Of course privacy rights advocates are alarmed that once airlines take away the pornos, they'll start blocking other sites like maybe all the ones trashing American Airlines. more ›

Since equipping its aircraft with in-flight WiFi, American Airlines has gotten "a lot of complaints" about passengers using the Internets to enjoy adult entertainment, presumably joining the Mile High Club with a little help from Rosy Palmer and Handjela . Ah, but ain't that American? The airline started offering the service in August for $12.95, but unlike Jet Blue, didn't install Internet filters to block porn. And despite pressure from flight attendants, they have no plans to do so. An American spokesman tells the Post: "Customers viewing inappropriate material on board a flight is not a new scenario for our crews, who have always managed this issue with great success." Besides, passengers who can't bear to be separated from their precious porno for the duration of a flight have always been allowed to bring adult magazines and DVDs on board, so why deprive them now? more ›

In an attempt to pump up its shrinking customer base, starting today Starbucks will offer two hours of free Wi-Fi per day. Well, free for anyone who puts at least $5 onto a reloadable Starbucks Card and registers online for the Starbucks Rewards Card program. Rewards program members get other perks too: free syrup and milk options with drinks, free refills on coffee and one free beverage with the purchase of a pound of coffee beans. more ›

Grand Central Terminal will now feature its own Wi-Fi Internet access to those waiting in the Station Masters Office, one of the few places one is still allowed to sit down at the terminal without being told to get up and move along. The new wireless service will allow as many as 60 users online at a time and should prove an invaluable amenity for commuters to check or send off emails before and after getting off trains. The Station Masters Office is restricted to ticket-holding passengers. more ›

The NYC-DC bus fare wars have a new player: Greyhound division BoltBus will be launching service on March 27 and has started to sell tickets for as low as $1 (plus a 50 cent booking fee). more ›

Jaunted took a jaunt over to the new Terminal 5 (not the music venue) at JFK. The terminal, with design by Gensler, will house JetBlue and is set to open in September of this year. more ›

Could Apple be planting a seed on a location near Lincoln Center? The Meatpacking district Apple store still has that new-store smell as Apple fever extends north. According to the Post, Apple is looking to take over space at the northwest corner of Broadway and West 67th, where there's currently a two-story Victoria's Secret store. more ›

If you've been paying for Wifi at coffee shops between 42nd Street and Central Park South and between 8th and 6th Avenues, you can start saving up for more grande mocha lattes. CBS will be creating a "CBS Mobile Zone" with free wifi in midtown. In turn, CBS will lead users to an ad-supported homepage. CenterNetworks says that Citi and Salesgenie.com have already signed up. CBS, which owns CBS Outdoor, will wire billbards, MTA displays... more ›

When it comes to driving routes for a JFK airport pickup, George Costanza advocates taking the Grand Central to the Van Wyck, deriding Kramer’s L.I.E. route as a “suicide mission.” In the current New York Magazine cover story, “How to Escape Airport Hell”, the editors invited chauffeur Kevin Sullivan to weigh in. While he comes down squarely on Costanza’s side, he also shares some invaluable alternative routes to all three airports in the unlikely... more ›

In his latest installment, Jordan headed to Wi-Fi hotzone Bryant Park to see what people were using the Internet for in a completely public place. The results are interesting: a religious study group, marketing Mandy Moore's new album, yoga, an online opera audition, and managing a business where giant rats are used to detect explosive land mines. We'll have to pay more attention to what people are working on the next time we're in Bryant Park. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a bank robbery at Union Turnpike in Queens, a fatal fall victim on Union St. in Brooklyn, and an infant water rescue at Mallow St. on Staten Island.
• What loud-mouthed inflammatory interrogator could MSNBC get to stand in for Chris Matthews? Tonight it will be Al Sharpton interviewing former DNC head Terry McAuliffe and one-time Presidential candidate Howard Dean. Set your VCRs, DVRs, Tivos, or whatever.
• A swimming pool in Hells' Kitchen is sprouting weeds as more than $3 million of private funds sits in the bank, waiting to be used. We imagine it will get sorted out around January.
• A self-described pacifist wrestled a shovel away from an attacker and started hitting the thief with it after the man went after his wife. The whole exchange occurred in a Queens cemetary and cops eventually arrested the initial shovel-wielding thief.
• The enforcement of a new city noise code is unsurprisingly lax.
• For the 130th year, the Fresh Air Fund is sending NYC kids upstate and further north for some summer recreation.
• Bookmark it: a GoogleMap of open WiFi spots around the nation.
• A downtown Manhattan pizzeria offers lapdances with its lunches. Employees must wash their . . . everything, before returning to work.