technology

What do you get if you cross a games console, TV tuner, a personal video recorder (e.g. TiVo or Sky+) with a recordable DVD player, music player and throw in some Internet connectivity for good measure?

Ask someone how they found out information about their latest holiday and it's increasingly likely they'll have used the Internet. Heck, even my Dad's at it and he only started using a computer in the last couple of years. According to a recent survey by Churchill Insurance, 60% of us depend daily on the Internet.

Some other titbits from the research:

It can be a major test of patience and pocket if you're looking for a wireless hotspot. Even in a teeming metropolis like London there's no guide map, and only persistent online searches reveal the location of the capital's hotspots. Places where you can surf wirefree crop up in the strangest places, for example the BP services on the A4 on the way into London.

Following a previous story about reading email on the toilet, it's been fascinating watching recent stories on The Register.

Until recently Wi-Fi has meant enabling PDAs and laptops to go wirefree. That's all changing with the new breed of home entertainment centres that are using wireless' ability to shift bits without wires to the maximum.