Minneapolis Wi-Fi network nears completion, but with dead zones: Steve Alexander writes for the Star Tribune that US Internet is nearly done with its city-wide buildout, about four months later than planned, which is a remarkable achievement compared with other city plans, mostly unfinished or never begun. Some "challenge areas" are featured in a map provided by the company that are due to a problem with--wait for it--light poles! Yes, the quotidian strikes again. Alexander writes that 124 poles are troublesome, and the city is working is working with the controlling utility on solving the problem. US Internet told Alexander that 20 percent of the 8,000 people preregistered for interest in subscribing live in one of the biggest dead zones.
Nigerian gang allegedly hijacks neighbor's Wi-Fi for alleged lottery scam in Spain: Allegedly. 10 Nigerians were arrested for their alleged participation in a scam that brought in whoop-de-whoo amount of $28,000 over three months. They used someone else's network to run the operation.
Tempe network's future: ComputerWorld runs down what's happening in Tempe following the collapse of the Kite Network service there. Kite's owner, Gobility, won't talk because of "legal reasons," which could include Tempe's actions against the firm, which apparently hasn't filed for bankruptcy or taken any steps towards resolving situations with the cities involved. The Telscape deal to acquire the network is clearly dead. The city may be able to seize the company's assets or assess them fines, and is thinking about trying to find another network operator.