Irish Harp Pub, Berlin

Posted on May 21, 2007

An Irish pub with a T-Mobile/T-Com hotspot. Who could ask for more? And, since this is a Devicescape supported hotspot you don’t even need to be using a laptop. You can get online here with your Nokia 770 or 800 web tablet for a bit of more discrete surfing, or for maximum discreteness how about using that smartphone you’ve got in your pocket?

Einstein Kaffee, Berlin

Posted on May 21, 2007

One of a few locations I’ve found here in Berlin so far with totally open Wi-Fi access. The Einstein Kaffee, located at Kurfürstenstraße 58, provides all the expected coffee drinks and pastries. They have indoor and outdoor seating and a fast internet connection. Next door is Sopranos, and Italian restaurant serving pizza, pasta and salads. They have their own T-Mobile/T-Com hotspot, but you can easily get on the Einstein Kaffee network, even from inside the restaurant, if you don’t have a T-Mobile subscription.

Starbucks: Hotspot Hier

Posted on May 21, 2007

At Starbucks in Germany, as in the US, the wireless service is provided by T-Mobile/T-Com. The network name (SSID) is different here though: T-Mobile_T-Com. Devicescape is able to log you in at these hotspots using a variety of T-Mobile/T-Com/T-Online credentials, but be warned you will be paying roaming fees if you are using ones from outside of Germany. Starbucks in Paris doesn’t have working Wi-Fi yet, though it is clearly on the way. I stopped at two locations near the Les Halles area and both had Wi-Fi hardware running. One had the SSID Starbucks and the other notready – both responded with a page (in English) stating that the wireless network was not available yet.

Caffe Milano, Aachen

Posted on May 20, 2007

The newest hotspot to be supported by Devicescape is the Milano Caffe in Aachen, Germany. In addition to free wireless access, they have very reasonable food and drink and a pleasant location on a busy little square filled with cafes, bars and restaurants. Oh, and McDonalds is next door too. Add Milano Caffe to your Devicescape account and all your devices will be able to get online while you sip on an espresso, a beer or even a cocktail. I’ve been using it to make international VoIP calls from my Nokia N95 (using the VoiceStick account I have), and uploading my photos including this one directly to Flickr from the phone.

Free Internet in Paris

Posted on May 19, 2007

In addition to the commercial hotspots I’ve already mentioned, there are a number of places that I found with free access. The Hotcafé locations all provide free access by means of a code you get from the bartender. There is free wireless access in the Pompidou Centre as well, though you have to register for a free account. That same account appears to work at some of the OzoneParis.net locations as well. Then there are places, like Quigley’s Point in the photo or the Hotel Novotel Paris les Halles, that provide open access to the internet.

Au Rendez Vous Des Belges

Posted on May 19, 2007

Another Hotcafé location, this one directly opposite Gare du Nord, and right next door to the hotel I was staying in while here in Paris. As with the other Hotcafé locations, this one accepts WiFi Smart Pass credentials too.