Bicy Wifi Shanghai   6/1/2004 - 1,207 views, 1 Comment

[*For those of you not familiar with the term, 'war-driving' refers to the act of driving around, wifi-enabled laptop in hand (or on the seat or lap next to you), and finding unsecured wireless access points through which you can send email - usually spam.]

Now cometh Yury Gitman, of the City of New York, with his “Magicbike” - the wifi-enabled bicycle. But this is not, a recent BBC news report tells us, just a nifty alternative to your favourite internet cafe. Oh no.

The Magicbike can, we are told, “fulfill an important function in bringing internet connectivity to areas ignored by the traditional telecommunications industry.”

Like the section of sidewalk beneath the apartment containing that unsecured wireless access point.

But at least Gitman is aware of the issues, as BBC news goes on to explain that “Mr Gitman admits that borrowing bandwidth from nearby open networks is something of a legal grey area.”

In the same way that stealing cable from your neighbour is something of a grey area.

Explained Gitman in the BBC article, “There is not a one world legal answer but it is arguable that it is sometimes illegal.”

That, at least, is true. For certain values of “sometimes”. Like, as in, almost always.