Hooray for WiFi!!!

[Blazin Bones]

I'm stuck in the aiport with nothing to do. Then it struck me, I have WiFi. Now i have something to do!

Sorry if this seems like nonsense, but this is joy for me.

 

[handy]

No, I can relate. I was just talking with my m-i-l on our new cordless phone (I know, but I actually haven't had a cordless phone yet) and realized that I could put away the groceries AND talk on the phone at the same time. Life can be good!

 

[Dunzo]

Thank god for science!

 

[A-Christian]

Hi-Fi is nice too :-D

 

[Vic C.]

Hi-Fi is nice too :-D

Ye, it is! That is how I spend my time in cases like this; I crank up the MP3 player and put on the Sony headphones. :smt020


Dora, LOL. I've had one for years. It stinks when you misplace it for days while it's on and can't find it because the battery has died! Heh! Fortunately I have two handsets. 8-)

I do have a confession to make though; I just got my first cellphone this Christmas. My sister got me one of them there pay as you go phone plans. She knows I don't like cells and would have NEVER gotten one on my own. She also got our 75 year old dad a refurbed laptop! He's bright, but he's completely PC illiterate.

Thanks sis; next year we are getting you a trip to a shrink! hehehe :-D

 

[stovebolts]

Yeah, WiFi's cool, but an EVDO card really rocks when your not in a Hot Spot! :-D

Goodness Dora! You just got a cordless? Well, are you in for a surprise when all of a sudden, you can't find it or one of your daughters takes it and leaves it somewhere and the battery dies lol! Oh yeah, the adventure has just begun LOL! :

 

[Blazin Bones]

I think any wireless service card would be nice, however, as a poor broke college studnet who could barely afford his laptop, I'll take free airport WiFi.

 

[A-Christian]

She also got our 75 year old dad a refurbed laptop! He's bright, but he's completely PC illiterate.

Internet connection too? If so, that thing will get "hosed up" on a regular basis. Many people don't know all the dangers of the web. Many older people, (not saying your dad) will click on anything, give anyone their info for a "dollar off" coupon and fall for every scam email that hits their inbox.
Good luck Stove :-D

 

[Vic C.]

She also got our 75 year old dad a refurbed laptop! He's bright, but he's completely PC illiterate.

Internet connection too? If so, that thing will get "hosed up" on a regular basis. Many people don't know all the dangers of the web. Many older people, (not saying your dad) will click on anything, give anyone their info for a "dollar off" coupon and fall for every scam email that hits their inbox.
Good luck Stove :-D

So far, he refuses to connect to his phone line. I don't blame him. He's into watching sports on tv anyway. If he does go online and clogs it up with spyware and such, guess who has to play the role of cleanup guy? Yeah, the same person who does it for his nephews. Yeah me... uncle Vic. :-?

8-)

 

[stovebolts]

If he does go online and clogs it up with spyware and such, guess who has to play the role of cleanup guy? Yeah, the same person who does it for his nephews. Yeah me... uncle Vic.

Hey, just put them all on Vista, it's got Defender built in :-D

 

[Vic C.]

Defender is a free download for XP and 2003 Server, but... it's Microsoft! LOL I'd rather install Zone Alarm (free for basic) a some spyware scanners like Ad Aware (free for basic) and Pest Patrol, which deletes cookies it deems a threat, real time.

 

[Vic C.]

Oh yeah, wifi! :-D Don't do anything requiring lots of security, like credit and debit card transactions, online banking or anything requiring you log into something secure; most wifi networks still use WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) which is not very secure. :-?

 

[stovebolts]

Oh yeah, wifi! :-D Don't do anything requiring lots of security, like credit and debit card transactions, online banking or anything requiring you log into something secure; most wifi networks still use WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) which is not very secure. :-?

Yeah that's true. When we implemented a global wireless solution at our company, some of the Executives really got bent out of shape and couldn't understand why our wireless was so complicated when all they had to do was go home and it just worked... What it comes down to, is the easier it is, the less secure it is. That's the nature of security, or the lack there of :

 

[A-Christian]

Yeah that's true. When we implemented a global wireless solution at our company, some of the Executives really got bent out of shape and couldn't understand why our wireless was so complicated when all they had to do was go home and it just worked

Yup, some of these same execs are probably some of the worst offenders when it comes to corporate security with there careless use of sensitive company info over unsecured home wirless networks and USB flash drives etc.....

 

[stovebolts]

Hey A-Christian,
Not really much of a problem with the upper Executives, we saw more of an attitude with the upper level managers. To help with our laptop security, we had a corporate VPN solution that included a corporate managed version of BlackIce and made our VPN software dependent upon it (not much like the personal version of B.I.) and our VPN was set to disconnect from whatever network they were connected to if the routing tables were altered in any way. (denoting a possible security breech).

As far as flash drives, it was corporate policy to encrypt all flash drives that were used to store or transport company documents. In addition, documents that were deemed corporate secret were forbidden to be stored on a users hard drive, let alone a flash drive.

By the time our systems evolved into what it is today, it's almost transparent to the users. But getting there, and what goes on behind the scenes is a whole different subject. That being said, if one's on a personal laptop using a public hot spot, I'd take Vic's advice and just do some simple browsing and posting, and not much more.

 

[stovebolts]

I'm stuck in the aiport with nothing to do. Then it struck me, I have WiFi. Now i have something to do!

Sorry if this seems like nonsense, but this is joy for me.

I'm thinking about your statment, "I'm stuck in the airport"... I got a call late friday from my boss and had to fly to Charlotte NC yesterday (Sunday) where I'll be spending the rest of my week before I fly home Friday evening.

Uuugg, flying is a pain! Chicago had low visability and high winds which set all the flights back almost two hours... Funny though, I didn't even think about firing up the laptop

 

[Blazin Bones]

Well, mine was barely a week old at the time. It was still very fresh in my mind that I had something that may be useful in the oft delyaed Newark Airport. Started with simple freecell, and after I won 8 straight games, I figured I'd preserve that streak and see if my WiFi worked.

 

[stovebolts]

Wow, a week old! That's almost like having a new born babe :-D

Ya know, I don't think I've ever played Freecell, but winning 8 of anything in a row sounds pretty cool.

Thankfully I don't have to fly very often as the last time I flew on work related stuff, I got delayed a day and a half and after the airlines flip flopped my flight the third time, I was duly targeted by Homeland Security. I had to go to Charlotte about a year and a half ago and was gone a week as well (under different circumstances).

When I went to lunch today, (alone : ) I found this little mall with a Boardwalk and quaint little shops with tables just outside their shops for sitting, eating and generally just enjoying the slow paced atmosphere. Of course, the whole area was a hot spot and it was kinda neat watching the people work outside on their laptops since it was a beautiful day with blue sky's and temperatures in the low 70's. Man, what a contrast from Detroit where just last week it was -1 and we got 8" of snow dumped on us!

Hey, let me ask you this if I can. Where you flying back to college for winter break? It must have been nice spending time at home with your family.

Talk to ya later.