Coffee shop chain Starbucks said that from tomorrow all wi-fi access in its establishments in Canada and the USA will be free. Or rather at no charge, 'cos you'll still have to buy a smoothie or something.
The move only applies to store owned Starbucks, and not franchisees.
starbucks said if you've a wi-fi laptop, tablet or a mobile phone, you'll have unlimited access to the internet without needing a user name and the like. You'll need a frothy coffee or a smoothie, however.
Starbucks uses AT&T in the USA as the provider of its wi-fi in 6,800 coffee shops. In Canada, its 750 coffee shops have wi-fi provided by Bell.
Starbucks didn't say that it planned to do the same outside North America but it is going to cooperate with Yahoo later this year to create a digital network that will give customers free access to a number of paid sites and services.
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Every time I go past one around here, it's full of sniveling pseudo-academic types, sipping with their pinkies in the air, playing with their sissified fruityco products, and otherwise uselessly occupying themselves.
Now, when I start seeing real people, like myself, people who do honest, hard work, then maybe I'll stop in. Until then, I'll leave it for the congenitally useless.