The Pringles Solution

Free networks are in the air, everywhere. You can find them with a laptop and a can of chips

I like to think I'm a pretty neighborly guy. At least I'm always ready with a cup of sugar should someone ask for one--not that anyone ever has. But last week, quite by accident, I started doling out something far sweeter to everyone on my block: free high-speed Internet access.

You see, I just installed a Wi-Fi network in my home. Wi-Fi, known on Apple computers as Airport and to PC geeks as 802.11b, is an increasingly popular way to get online without being tethered to a cable. The connection hangs in the air as a radio signal, ready to be...

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