One of the most convenient things about connecting to the Internet through your computer, tablet, or smartphone is being able to tap into public Wi-Fi from pretty much anywhere. These days, there are hotspots available all across the country, so you’re practically never without Internet access. However, it’s a smart move to be cautious when it comes to connecting to public Wi-Fi.

When you’re tapping in to an unfamiliar hotspot, you could potentially be putting your personal data -- and the security of things like your bank accounts, your passwords, and your identity -- at risk. Even if a public WiFi hotspot looks secure, you might still miss the small red flags that signal trouble. Let’s take a look at how public WiFi works to connect you to the Internet, some risks that come with it, and how to ensure you’re keeping your data safe while you’re on a hotspot.

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Most smartphones can double as Wi-Fi hotspots nowadays -- depending on your cellular plan, of course. For instance, I have an unlimited data plan from Verizon that prevents me from using the hotspot functionality of my iPhone. In order to get that feature working, I'd have to move to a tiered plan -- they'd have to pry my unlimited plan from my cold, dead hands. A dedicated hotspot device is my best option.

Even if you can use the hotspot feature on your phone, you may still want to opt for a dedicated device. Why? It won't drain your phone's battery and might offer better performance. Today, AT&T announces a hardcore and rugged hotspot called the Unite Explore. It even doubles as a battery pack to charge your devices!

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There are hundreds of thousands of free public Wi-Fi spots throughout the UK. Widespread connectivity and free accessibility are two appealing features that tempt users to open up their devices for on-the-go convenience.

However, uncontrolled access to public Wi-Fi hotspots and robust mobile security often conflict with one another. Cyber-criminals now find it increasingly easy to attack public Wi-Fi networks using Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) techniques which allow the attacker to clearly view all information transmitted across networks.

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If you live in the suburbs, such as on Long Island, you pretty much have to own a car. Without a vehicle, getting around in a reasonable amount of time can be downright impossible. Sure, taxis are available, but that is way too expensive.

City dwellers, however, can get by without owning a car. Quite frankly, having a vehicle can be more trouble than it's worth, with hard-to-find parking and frequent dents and dings. Instead, public transportation is the wiser choice -- it is fairly affordable and dependable. Unfortunately, buses and trains are not always modern -- especially in NYC. Luckily, this is changing a bit, as NY Governor Cuomo announces an initiative to introduce free Wi-Fi and USB charging to 2,042 new buses.

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For many people, walking around with a water bottle all day is a way of life. Not only is it reassuring that your thirst can always be quenched, but it is very healthy too. Once you get away from all of the sugar-filled drinks, and even worse, the artificially sweetened beverages, you may feel much healthier.

Unfortunately, water bottles can be very bad for the environment. While some can be recycled, a good amount of them can end up in landfills. Not to mention, the process of making the plastic can have a large carbon footprint. A good solution is opting for an in-home water filter and carrying reusable bottles. Today, Amazon announces a very high-tech filtration pitcher -- the Wi-Fi-enabled Brita Infinity. Yes, it connects to the Internet. Why? To re-order filters through Amazon Dash, of course!

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Four years ago today, on 29 February 2012, the Raspberry Pi Foundation launched the original Raspberry Pi. Conceived as an ultra-cheap way to encourage kids to code as they had back in the 1980s and 90s, the uncased credit card sized computer quickly found an appreciative audience outside of the education system, with over a million Pis sold in the first year alone. Since then the firm has released several new versions, including the Raspberry Pi 2 (launched a year ago), and most recently the ultra-elusive $5 Raspberry Pi Zero.

Today, to celebrate the Pi’s 4th birthday, a new member joins the family. The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B is significantly more powerful than its predecessors and yet is priced at just $35, the same price as the Raspberry Pi 2.

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Researchers at the University of Washington have found a way to lower the power consumption of Wi-Fi significantly. They have dubbed the new form of low power wireless internet "passive W-Fi". It could be harnessed to power IoT devices or to help improve battery life in mobile phones.

Passive Wi-Fi will require just 59 microwatts to transmit data between devices which is 10,000 times less than the power used by traditional Wi-Fi chips in personal computers and mobile phones.

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Among the downsides of traveling, is limited access to Wi-Fi. Finding hotspots becomes a priority, leaving travelers scrambling for places like Starbucks and various other cafes, libraries and, well...any port in a storm. Wi-Fi is becoming more ubiquitous, though.

Now HP is looking to help out those using its devices, including both tablets and laptops. The company is extending its partnership with iPass Inc to bring connectivity to what it terms "select devices". Previously this was only available in the Asia-Pacific region, but it is now expanding worldwide.

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Etwok LLC has launched NetSpot 1.0 on the Windows platform, joining the existing Mac tool. The initial release of the Windows version has been made free for both personal and commercial use, and contains a subset of the features found in the Mac build.

The tool is designed to help troubleshoot problematic Wi-Fi network connections by revealing overall reception strength, and includes a mapping tool to help identify 'dead' zones where reception is poor or non-existent.

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When friends or family ask me to help with their Wi-Fi woes, I often discover the same thing -- low-cost and aging routers. Understandably, people are always looking to save a buck, but a router is not the place to do so. A quality router is worth the money -- dropped connections and necessary reboots are a scourge.

Today, Linksys announces that its EA7500 MAX-STREAM AC1900 MU-MIMO 802.11ac gigabit router is available for pre-order. Not only is it fast and chock-full of features, but it is reasonably priced too.

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Would you be willing to share your Wi-Fi router so that everyone around you could use it as a public hotspot? Your Internet connection would stay secured behind a firewall.

This is actually not a rhetorical question, but an inevitability, according to a recent Juniper Research report. According to the market analysts, by 2017, one in three home routers will be used as a public Wi-Fi hotspot, and by 2020 there will be a total of 366 million of these units worldwide.

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Law enforcement agencies are missing out on a vast amount of valuable data that could be used to convict criminals, or prove innocence. Dan Blackman from Edith Cowan University, Australia says that police are missing out on swathes of data that could be gathered from Wi-Fi devices.

For privacy advocates it's a suggestion that is likely to make the gag reflex kick in, but Blackman says that router data could be a valuable tool in fighting crime. Information such as device MAC addresses, coupled with data about connections to routers can be used to place individuals at the scene of a crime -- or away from it -- but timeliness is the key to success.

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While Wi-Fi is ubiquitous nowadays, it is still a miraculous technology. If you grew up with it, you may take it for granted. Me? My early computing involved chatting on IRC using unreliable dial-up connections. Connecting to the Internet without wires is magic as far as I am concerned.

The technologies behind Wi-Fi and networking has improved dramatically throughout the years -- faster, longer range and, more reliable. If you just bought an 802.11ac router, please know that it is no longer cutting-edge. Why? Well, today, TP-LINK announces the Talon AD7200 -- the world's first 802.11ad Multi-band Wi-Fi Router, and with eight antennas, it looks absolutely wild. It offers a mind-boggling 4.6Gbps using 60GHz bands!

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As the Internet of Things starts to gather momentum, the Wi-Fi Alliance today announces Wi-Fi HaLow. The latest wireless standard is touted as being ideal for the IoT thanks to its lower power requirements and greater range when compared to current offerings.

Wi-Fi HaLow is an extension of the existing 802.11ah standard, and occupies the frequency bands below one gigahertz. The Wi-Fi Alliance says it is perfect for use in connected cars, smart homes and a number of different industries, but there will be some of a wait before the technology is available -- it's not due for certification until 2018.

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So many stores, service stations, coffee shops, pubs and so on offer free Wi-Fi that you probably have countless networks saved on your phone or laptop. Having a password saved on your computer is great, but how can you get the password so you can use it on your phone as well?

Rather than trying to hunt down a member of staff to ask, or hunting high and low for that tiny sign that shares the password, you can instead view the wireless passwords you have saved. Read on to find out how to retrieve these passwords in both Windows 10 and Android.

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