Tomizone

So, you want to make money from selling your wifi? Not to worry, now you can. Before, setting up a hotspot where users would pay was very difficult and something that only those who had the time and money would do. Today, it isn’t so had to do at all. In fact, there are a few ways that you can.

Firstly, if you are still a little bit more tech savvy, you could set up a linux server and a capture web portal so that you can bring your clients to a splash page for them to pay you. Most probably and the easiest way would be to get them to buy vouchers from you or alternatively by using paypal. This is the hardest of all the solutions

Secondly, you could tone it down and buy a linux based router, some of the linksys ones come to mind, and install DD-wrt or openWRT and then chillispot. Basically, this solution is no different from the last apart from the fact that you don’t have to have a full computer running all the time.

The third method would be to use something like FON or Tomizone. Tomizone allows paid users while FON doesn’t. Tomizone is also available preinstalled on some routers in NZ and Orcon has some sort of partnership with them too. The D-link 300 router is probably the most popular router that comes with Tomizone. Tomizone is also based on Chillispot and the associated customized firmware; however, you don’t have to worry about the billing, marketing or the pricing. It is all done for you. You get put on a map of all the hotspots Tomizone has and mind you they also do the hotspots in all the Esquires and Starbucks coffee shops in NZ. The price is set to $3 an hour or 60mb, $6.5o a day or 160mb or $30 a week for 1.2GB. It’s either data or time whichever comes first. The hotspot provider gets 50% of that amount and tomizone keeps 50% for itself, but at least they save you all the trouble of setting up and managing your own and not to mention handling the billing. You are allowed to give guest access to people you know. The D-Link 300 also has dual SSID, so you can use one of them while the other is for the hotspot.

I have an unlimited data plan, so I have no data cap. My traffic is shaped and prioritized, so VOIP then HTTP and the like then other things and then P2P. So any thing I sell won’t affect won’t really affect me. Plus, you can set a maximum bandwidth for the hotspot side. So far in the last 1.5 weeks I have made $45. This is not bad considering that the connection only costs me $50 a month. I think the reason for my success is that an AUT building is right behind my apartment and someone buys a pass every now and then.

Overall, very good. At least I got some income going. I wish I thought of this earlier. The money from the first two weeks will practically pay for the router.

The Spray Can

The Power of Ebay

Ho Ho Ho.

Merry Christmas.

Yea, Christmas came early for me. I have found the power of ebay.

It is so easy to buy from sellers in Hong Kong who often have some of the coolest gadget and small items on the cheap. The often have pretty good feedback ratings and their items are typically good quality. The whole Ebay system is quite tight nit with Paypal and you are pretty much gonna be protected that way. Buying an item is just a few clicks after the first time where you have to register.

So farI have bought:

• A case for my ipod touch.
• A screen protector
• A keyboard silicone skin
• A charger for my ipod
• A case for PSP
• A charger for PSP
• A case for psp games
• Replacement game cases
• Headset for ipod
• Replacement joystick for psp
• A VOIP adapter

And there are so many other things to buy. Most items cost between $1 and $6 USD around $1.50 – $9NZD.

Items typically arrived with 8 days to NZ.

I would recommend looking on ebay before buying anything now cause you can save a fortune as long as you are willing to wait a week or so.

The Spray Can

Windows 7 – Free for UoA Students

Well well folks. Windows 7 has gone to manufacturing some time this month and has already become available for subscribers to MSDN and to volume license customers. It will be released publically on 22nd October.  Obviously people buying computers with Vista Home premium and above will be eligible to upgrade for free if they purchase a computer after Some time in June.

Why have I said all this?

Well. I have got a copy of the final release and have installed it on my Macbook. Basically, dual booted it.

How have I got a copy?

I got a copy from my university: the university of Auckland. All students doing any of the information systems and operations management courses can get a copy for free along with other software as well. This is the reward for going to one of the leading universities in New Zealand and a top 50 university in the world.

Review

Windows 7 is quite an improvement over its predecessor in quite a few ways. Firstly, it looks and feels slightly better and is move responsive and has a decent boot up speed. It jams well with my mac and all the drivers that Apple included for Windows. I managed to install some games that were meant for XP and Vista without too much trouble and they worked fine. I must say that the annoying UAC thing is much better and overall the system feels much more lightweight and faster.

I really haven’t done much with it yet, but the system is looking hopeful. Commercially, Windows 7 will probably the success that Vista never was. It is good enough to run on a netbook and hat means Buh bye XP. Expect prices of Netbooks to rise as many of them will start to ship with windows 7.

Overall, very pleasing indeed, especially for free!

The Spray Can