Mike Butcher wrote a piece in today's Irish Times about pubs in the UK going wireless:
Walk in to the Progress pub in Tuffnell Park, North London and you won't find horse brasses on the walls. It's not just pints they're offering here, but plasma screens linked to a wireless network. If the well-named Progress is anything to go by, the wireless internet is poised to take off in all sorts of directions. Progress owner Conrad Palmer rigged up the wireless broadband network inside the pub using a 250 sterling (361 Euro) Meshbox consisting of a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth access point, a Linux server, a Web browser and instant message software.
Not only can passing business people pop in to check their email on a laptop over a quick pint but drinkers can snap each other with camera phones and send the results to big screens positioned around the pub. The bar is also planning to use the screens to let customers know about upcoming events and may send digital vouchers to regulars for discounts. Although unusual at the moment, the Progress is the latest indication that the wireless Net is leaving offices and homes and heading out onto the street.
