Do you use Wi-Fi Internet at hotels around the world? A note this month from the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) suggests you may be a prime target for hackers. Specifically, the IC3 is tracking claims that hotel travelers have had their computers infected with virus software that they unknowingly downloaded. This attack is sneaky in that people are apparently tricked to make the download by generating a pop-up window in the browser as soon as they initiate their Internet connection. While there are several ways to avoid falling into this trap, one good solution is to avoid downloading any software updates to your computers when traveling.
→ See also - 9 Tips To Block Hotel Wi-Fi Malware (informationweek.com)

Starting May 18th (2012), the Sierra Wireless 4G LTE Tri-Fi Hotspot will be available for purchase by subscribers to Sprint's cell data service in the U.S. The term "Tri-Fi" comes from the device's capability to support any of three different types of connections - LTE, WiMax, and Sprint's version of so-called "3G" cellular networking. Like other kinds of Wi-Fi wireless hotspots, multiple nearby devices can hook to this device and share an Internet connection or computer resources with each other.

The name sounds cool, but is this gadget really anything special? Read More...

The Mexican Internet site Terra is currently running a free Wi-Fi hotspot promotion in Mexico City. This hardly sounds like interesting news, but it's the unique way these hotspots work that has gotten people's interest. Terra has installed their metered hotspots in public park areas, attached to waste bins that weigh the amount of incoming... trash and add a corresponding number of free minutes onto the hotspot's clock. The system isn't smart enough to know what kind of waste it is weighing, but Terra's concept is to market it toward dog owners who should be cleaning up the droppings of their pets. Will Poo Wi-Fi be coming to your town? Unlikely.
→ More - Dog Owner? Turn Poo into Free Wi-Fi (time.com)

RouterPassView is a Windows utility program designed to help you uncover the administrator password of a router if it's forgotten. This sounds like a great tool for hackers, but anyone who downloads this free software for unethical reasons will surely be disappointed. Even regular users might find RouterPassView to be only marginally useful. The program works by scanning a router's configuration files created during a backup procedure. To use RouterPassView, a person must have a router that supports configuration backup (not all routers do), the router administrator must have actually made a backup file (many admins do not) and have access to it, and the program must support scanning that particular file format. Finally, there's no guarantee the password listed in the backup file matches the password currently active on the router, as that depends on timing of the backups taken. On the other hand, if you have a computer running Windows and your network fits the above profile, RouterPassView could save you a lot of grief someday.
→ See also - What To Do If You Forget Your Router's Password
→ See also - Essential Configuration Settings for Home Network Routers
→ See also - Ways to Reset a Home Network Router