You Found The WiFi, But Where's The Power?

(Mis)Uses of Technology

from the we-need-more-power... dept

Now that it’s becoming more common for retail establishments to offer either free or paid WiFi, a new problem is showing up: not enough power outlets. Plenty of people know the feeling. You see them sitting in weird spots on the floor next to an outlet, just because that’s where the power is. It’s not just laptops, either. People need to charge up their mobile phones and digital music players, too. A friend of mine once had a few hours to kill in a city he was visiting and needed to charge his phone. He found a hotel, went up to a random floor, and plugged in his phone at an outlet next to a vending machine. Of course, some people wonder whether or not this is “stealing electricity.” Thankfully, most business owners don’t have a problem with it, noting that it barely costs anything, and they’re happier to have the residual business or even just to make their establishments “look busy.” The big problem, still, is that there simply aren’t enough outlets. I know that most of the time I end up using a hotspot, there are no outlets available, and I end up watching whoever is sitting near one, so that I can grab their seat when they leave. Some establishments say they’re going to install more outlets, but so far it appears that not many have followed through. One trick might be to carry around an extension cord that can handle multiple plugs. Of course, when it’s time for you to leave, anyone else plugged into your extension cord may get upset.