There are plenty of reasons to be cautious when using an unsecured WiFi network, but sooner or later we all need to connect, whether it's a mobile network failure, a lack of credit, or simply a performance issue. The GetWiFi portal is dedicated to identifying public hotspots around the globe, so you never run out of free WiFi.
I admit I have a very particular way of suffering from lack of connectivity. While other people can keep working without major setbacks, when the Internet fails, I have no choice but to grab my laptop and go looking for a reasonably decent WiFi. Starbucks, McDonald's, and Burger King are usually the main destinations, but I'm always fighting with half a dozen laptops, the occasional tablet, and a frightening number of smartphones. Now, what if this connectivity crisis hits me in a place I don't know? I suppose I could ask around, but there's another alternative: planning ahead using the GetWiFi portal.
As its name suggests, the goal of GetWiFi is to provide visitors with data on all the nearest public WiFi hotspots. The database contains more than half a million records, and although it doesn't share any indication of how often it's updated, we can't deny its reference value. Its operation boils down to entering the approximate address of where you are and waiting for the map to associate your location. The map is based on Mapbox and OpenStreetMap, so we shouldn't expect the precision of something like Google Maps; however, the general results are more than satisfactory.
GetWiFi is working on a special version of the maps for offline use, but the project is in alpha, and users must confirm their interest with an email address. While we're all aware of the natural limits that affect WiFi, it's good to see that the number of hotspots keeps growing. The rest is up to us. With basic precautions and a pinch of common sense, we shouldn't run into any trouble.
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