Thursday, April 10, 2008

The Hotspots of Flagstaff

Flagstaff has finally hit the big time when it comes to having internet access available to the public. We now have lots of places who are offering either Hotspots or an Internet Café within their business or civic locations. If you are traveling though our town or are a local resident who doesn't want to rush home to get on the internet, you now can.

So, what is a HotSpot? As I was calling places around town I got the most interesting answers. Some coffee shops wanted me to know that their location was truly the hottest spot in Flagstaff. But, that was not what I was aiming for. A "HotSpot" is simply a place that has wireless internet access available to the public.

There are a number of different varieties of wireless internet access. The most common is called WiFi and is what usually comes within a laptop. Another form is called BlueTooth. Both of them are very widely used when it comes to laptops, PDA's, and other portable devices. If neither of these options come with your equipment, it is also usually fairly cheap to purchase a PC Card or adapter to make it "hot".

Through my travels across town, phone calls, and some suggestions from our avid readers, we have found the following locations that you can go to "get on the internet" in Flagstaff. We are sure that there are more places, and would like to encourage you to contact us if you know of a location that we missed.

Food Court at the Flagstaff Mall: Free Wireless

Biff's Bagels/Internet Café: see store for pricing

Late for the Train: Free Wireless (get a password at the counter)

Bookman's Used Books: Free Wireless

Macy's European Coffee: Free Wireless

Campus Coffee Bean: Free Wireless

Pay-N-Take: Free Wireless

Safeway Stores: Free Wireless

Cline Library (NAU): Free Computer Usage - Network Cable Hookup for Laptops

Starbucks (most locations): Signup Online - See website for details

Flagstaff Libraries (both locations): 2x's per day with library card

[Please contact each location for specific details, exact pricing, and instructions on usage.]

If you run a Flagstaff Hotpsot, contact us and we'll add you to our list!