Location: Wi-fi - Free
July 05, 2005
WiFi on AC Transit
To a mailing list I'm on, this AP article was sent:
An East Bay transit agency plans to install free wireless Internet
service on select buses beginning this fall.AC Transit expects to equip half its fleet of transbay buses, about 40
that focus on commuters and rush-hour riders, with WiFi access, said
agency spokesman Clarence Thomas.The push came from the Alameda County Congestion Management Agency's
East Bay Smart Corridors program, which coordinates with 25 agencies
to improve transit systems."We want professionals, those with laptops, traveling through the bay
to have better use of their time, rather than looking at traffic,"
said Cyrus Minoofar, the program's project manager.Under the plan, the buses would be equipped with small boxes that
convert existing cellular phone networks into WiFi that riders can
access with their laptops, as if they were sitting at a desk.Users could read e-mail and browse the Internet.
A proposed three-year grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management
District would pay for the service, expected to cost between $60 to
$75 per bus per month. The grant has yet to be finalized.The agency runs 27 lines that cross the bay, with services connecting
Oakland to San Francisco, Hayward and San Mateo, and Fremont and Palo
Alto.
May 01, 2005
A Favorite Nabe: Euclid Street, North of Hearst
There are many classic neighborhood strips in the East Bay -- Telegraph near Campus, Shattuck in the Gourmet Ghetto, Piedmont Ave in Oakland, College going through Rockridge (I prefer south of BART).
But, when I get on my bike on the weekends, and want a restorative and engaging afternoon away from home, I typically head to Euclid Street, just north of Hearst.
Why Euclid? There are four reasons.
1. Brewed Awakening. A coffeehouse, though I never go for the coffee. I go for the smoothies, which are good, and cheaper than Jamba Juice. I also love the wide open interior:
And there's plenty of free wi-fi, and many outlets to plug in.
2. Then a hop across the street to Signal Books. It's a very small independent bookstore that's always worth a browse. They have a great collection of, well, smart books, and also an appreciation for comix and graphic novels. Oh, and good magazines, and an extensive international newspaper selection. And their logo was drawn by Dan Clowes.
3. And then, when I want coffee, wander down the sidewalk to Caffe Nefeli, serving up the what's probably the best cappuccino in the East Bay. All I know is that when I get a double cap, I don't have to tell them to go light on the milk -- most places make what is essentially a latte. Nefeli has a few tables outside that provide a comfortable reading space for nice days.
4. Not photographed, and probably not widely appreciated, but Laval's Northside, the pizzeria, always has a pinball machine in pretty good working order. Today it took $2 from me as I tried to stave off an Attack From Mars.
Do you have a favorite neighborhood that's a bit off the path? Tell us in the comments...
March 27, 2005
Survey on Bay Area WiFi Use
Sean from Cheesebikini is conducting a survey of Bay Area Wi-Fi use for his masters research. It only takes a few minutes to fill out.
September 15, 2004
Yali's Cafe - Free Wi-Fi (and much more room)
Yali's Cafe, at 1920 Oxford Street, has doubled (or so) their seating space, and threw in free wi-fi in the bargain. Menu's the same (sandwiches, salads, etc.).
Spasso Cafe - Free WiFi
Spasso Cafe, at 6021 College Avenue, now has free wi-fi. One catch... you have to purchase something, and then they'll give you the password. But it's awfully pleasant in their big, bright back room, and they have some power outlets under the benches. And fresh-made lemonade, and fresh-baked cookies!
May 24, 2004
Cafe Cacao
Cafe Cacao, the new restaurant at the Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory, offers free wi-fi. Along with some really tasty chocolate baked goods.
February 24, 2004
more free wi-fi!
by googling, i found a fab website: wififreespot.com!!!
i would bookmark this site, since it has a state-by-state directory for frequent travelers (like me!)
here's what i found for beastblog-o-philes-
Berkeley:
Fertile Grounds - 1796 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley Espresso - 1900 Shattuck Ave
Angel Falls Cafe - The Courtyard at Walnut Square - 1510-G Walnut Street
Le Bateau Ivre - Restaurant & Coffee House - 2629 Telegraph Ave
Addison Annex Cafe - 2107 Addison Street
Emeryville:
cuppa cabana - 4125 San Pablo Ave - 510-923-1220
Hayward:
Downtown area within 1/2 mile of City Hall
Oakland:
Rooz Cafe - 4252 Piedmont Avenue
Nomad Cafe - 6500 Shattuck Ave.
Jump'n Java - 6606 Shattuck Ave. - (510) 595-9666
Pacific Coast Brewing - 906 Washington St. - 510/ 836-2739
Cafe Teatro - 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza - 510-267-8970
Richmond:
Cafe Teatro - 2181 Meeker Avenue - 510-236-2752
November 07, 2003
The Drunken Boat Has The Wireless Free
Reports have come in that La Bateau Ivre, on 2629 Telegraph Avenue, has the free wi-fi. (Thanks, Leslie!)
September 19, 2003
Piedmont Ave Loves Free Wi-Fi
Rooz Cafe isn't the only spot with free wireless internet... Beast Blog reader Mike S just wrote in to say that Cato's Ale House is offering the 802.11b goodness as well.
mmmmm.... beer and wireless. A delightful combination!
September 01, 2003
Rooz Cafe -- Free Wifi, Decent Coffee, Salads, etc.
It turns out that whatever kind soul was blessing Gaylord's Cafe on Piedmont with free Wi-fi no longer does so. Laptop-loving Oaklanders fear not, for free connectivity (does "connect" mean the same when it's not physical?) can be found at Rooz Cafe, on Piedmont, a bit beyond 41st.
June 14, 2003
Even More Free Wi-Fi!
On the corner of 65th and Shattuck is the 3-weeks-old Nomad Cafe. It's got great big windows, a range of menu items, good outside seating, and all the wireless you can eat.
Coffee, Ice Cream, and Wi-fi
Chowhound's Chownews alerts us to Angel Falls Cafe, in Walnut Square. With coffee, desserts, and free wireless access.
March 03, 2003
Yet More N. Berkeley Hotspots
Fertile Grounds, at 1796 Shattuck, also has free wifi access. Fertile Grounds has decent food, some live music, and is smaller and quieter than Berkeley Expresso. Unlike Berkeley Expresso, which uses ATT's cable modem service, Fertile Grounds uses SBC/DSL. For people using SBC's outbound SMTP server to send mail from home, this is nice because it means there is no need to change your mail settings.
Brewed Awakenings on Euclid has access via Surfnsip, but this runs about $20 per month.
Free WiFi - Gaylord's
Though not an official Wi-Fi hot spot, I always had good luck getting a connection when sitting at Gaylord's.
Free Wi-Fi - First in a Series
One way that the BeastBlog can be useful is pointing out free Wi-fi access points throughout the Beast.
Here's the first: Jumpin' Java,. It's on Shattuck, across the street from Flint's BBQ.