BLOG: I love wireless!

I hate wires.

I don't use the phone in my house because it ties me to the wall.

I bought a laptop to ensure I could walk around the house without wires.

Even my cell phone headset is wireless thanks to Bluetooth technology.

So would I allow the Internet to keep my free spirit strapped to the desk?

Nope!

I use the Internet wirelessly everyday at my house. But the house is huge and there is no cable big enough to keep me connected to friends across the country without having the dog think the cable is a jump rope or a chew toy.

Although the dog would find a good friend in the wires, they are cumbersome and an eye sore when strewn from the bedroom to the patio.

In fact, I’m using the Internet wirelessly from the patio as a I write this story.

That's why I bought Apple's version of a wireless router, or a device that sends and receives signals that connect computers to the Internet via a wireless card.

The Airport is a bubble-shaped router that acts much the same way as a conventional wireless router but better looking.

I use it for all sorts of surfing from the couch, the garage and even the backyard when I'm looking up something for my dad.

Wireless Internet not only gives me the freedom to roam around the house online but it's easy to set up and when friends come over they can log in and use the Internet, too.

Wireless is the wave of the future. And, even though it's been around for some time and most cable companies offer it for a free, there is no better way to stay connected.

But wireless isn't limited to your Internet alone, there are routers that allow users to print, fax, or even transfer pictures to their computers without wires.

So if you are looking to be the cool cat in your neighborhood check out your local electronics store and hook yourself up.

Not only will your kids or grand kids be proud but there is nothing better than sitting out by the pool and keeping up-to-date with friends, the news or the latest online poker game.

FGCU intern learns the hospitality biz

Residents walking into the Spa at the Bonita Bay Club will see a new face manning the front desk and helping out around the Fitness Center.

Her name is Kylee Snyder, 21, and she is an intern from the Resort and Hospitality Management program at Florida Gulf Coast University.

The internship is part of the required curriculum of the program, which is in its first year of operation.

“They have a new program at FGCU and I thought it was a neat program and I could learn a lot,” said Snyder, of Cape Coral. “I got into the (program) because I knew there was a lot I could do with it here.”

The internship supplements her double major that includes a degree in business management with a focus on entrepreneurship.

“It's so different in Southwest Florida and there are tons of resorts and hotels and I saw how saturated it was with this industry,” she said. “I figured that I could get a feel for what I want to do when I graduate.”

Although graduation is still a year or so away for Snyder and the internship will prepare her for what lies ahead, this isn't the first time Snyder has worked at Bonita Bay.

She began working at the club two years ago to fulfill an FGCU program requirement that has students work 500 hours of service learning in their field of study.

“I think things are really growing here. Even with the Bonita Bay Club and the two years I've been with them they have grown. It's a good experience that you don't get at school,” she said.

Sherie Brezina, director of Resort and Hospitality Management at FGCU, is happy that Snyder is the first of her students to get an internship that will teach her the in's and out's of the business.

“We worked with the club to get her the internship and put together a program that would help her learn what we focus on at FGCU,” said Brezina, who plans to have more students filling in to the club next year. “Their support helps FGCU offer the most comprehensive resort-management program in the country.”

Getting a top-notch education is important to Snyder and that's why her work in marketing, event planning, accounting and the fitness center and spa will prove invaluable in the future.

“I'm planning to keep my options open during the internship,” Snyder said about staying in the hotel and resort side following graduation. “I'm keeping an open mind, you never know what you want to do until you experience it.”

How wireless Internet works

Wireless routers, cables, PC cards and Internet service providers are just a few of the terms you’ll need to learn before you set out and buy equipment to make surfing the Internet by the pool a Sunday afternoon activity.

Too many cables tied up behind the desk or hanging over a coffee table are a hazard if you are walking around and trip, you could break your neck.

Even spilling coffee could cause an electrical fire that can be prevented if you take the time to make your house or business wireless.

Ray Woods, the president of Platinum Coast Technology, installs wireless units in homes and businesses throughout the Bonita Springs, Naples and Fort Myers.

“The set-up is easy because there isn’t very much you need to know. It’s automatic,” said Woods, who opened up his shop at the Riverview Center on U.S. 41 in December.

Wireless technology isn’t new but as time goes on it get’s easy for people to access especially when it comes to printing, faxing or transferring pictures using a wireless router.

The router acts much like a radio signal that is broadcast through the air and picked up by computers or laptops in the area.

The laptops must have a wireless card that come built inside of newer models or purchased separately for older ones.

“They are pretty easy to set-up on their own but you must have an Internet service provider that connects the router to the Internet,” Woods said. “It sends the signal and when you click on a web page, it brings back the site you asked for.”

Routers average in price from about $50 to $150 dollars but some businesses can purchase $700 routers based on their needs.

“It is safe. I use it all the time and also it keeps people connected to their work all the time,” Woods said. “Bonita Springs has a lot of hot spots that offer wireless.”

And, businesses are taking advantage of the extra way to get people in the door because the technology is so easy to use.

Woods recently put a wireless router in at the Naples Bread Company that is next door to his business.

“They got it because there are a lot of business people here and it helps them keep connected to the office,” Woods said. “They know they can work while they have their lunch.”

But he cautions proper use of the routers by protecting them with passwords to keep unwanted users off your computer.

“It’s not common to know that you need to be protected but you can experience the same virus situation as you would if you were wired,” he said. “There are people out there that have nothing better to do so they scan for hot spots to see what they can find.”

The concept is called “war driving” and involves individuals who look for hot spots, or wireless access points, that are free or where private information can be taken without the user knowing.

“Just be secure about it and remember (the signal) does go through walls and you don’t want people on it,” Woods said.

Wireless hot spots bloom in Bonita

Bonita Springs is a hot spot but not in the way of tourist with beach chairs or visitors enjoying local eats.

It’s a city growing with wireless Internet capabilities so much so that it’s possible to have three or four wireless routers broadcasting the Internet all in one location.

Starbucks has long been a place where the hip coffee buffs sip lattes and surf the net, but the technology is now being found in smaller, less popular areas such as CZ’s Coffee and Tea or the Naples Bread Company.

“I had people ask me for wireless. It’s a business park and a lot of people want it,” said Lee Adler, of Bonita Springs. He recently opened the Naples Bread Company at the Riverview Center on U.S. 41. “I have a lot of business clientele but this is totally different, it’s more upscale.”

The difference Adler sees in the crowd is business people that need to stay connected to their offices at all times.

“A lot of people only have 30 minutes for lunch and they take an hour because they can stay connected (with the wireless),” said Adler, who has plans to include computers free of charge to customers.

Wireless Internet access, or hot spots, are becoming the rage with people needing to check their e-mails on the fly.

CZ’s Coffee and Tea was wireless the minute it opened its doors a year ago in Bonita Springs and has since served more than 10 customers a week wirelessly.

“It attracts customers and they can hang out and use the Internet all they want,” said Robby Sherry, 18, of Bonita Springs, an employee at the coffee shop.

The tiny shop that is hidden away off U.S. 41 offers coffee and sandwiches but their wireless is free.

“It’s the same wireless that we use for our computers here so we thought people could use it too,” Sherry said.

But not all the technology in Bonita Springs are being welcome with open arms.
Citrus RV Park offered a wireless version of a cafe for residents but the demand hasn’t been enough.

“We are a transient community and some people don’t want to take their laptops and set up elsewhere,” said Tamara Snow, 32, of Bonita Springs. She works in the main office for the park and has seen demand shift slightly.

The park’s wireless system is privately owned and was being used until a tech problem shut it down.

“People just didn’t show demand and the company wasn’t updating the system,” Snow said.

Despite a few rough spots with wireless, places like Starbucks, continue to attract wireless users, especially younger ones.

Convenience is what brought Blake Elder, 21, to the Starbucks Promenade on U.S. 41 for a cup of coffee and some wireless.

He had a little trouble signing on at first but his laptop picked up the signal easily.

“I don’t use it often but our wireless at our complex isn’t working,” said Elder, who is visiting Bonita Springs from Indianapolis. “I think it’s great. It lets me to do what I need to do.”

Matt Holbrook, 18, spends a few months a year in Bonita Springs from the United Kingdom. He uses his laptop at the Starbucks Promenade.

“We have broadband in the home but it’s not working. So I come here and use it for everything ... e-mail, pleasure and university things,” said Holbrook who added that it’s easy to pick up the signal and sign online. “I like it. It’s very convenient.”