It’s wireless week here at Web Informant. My article in the New York Times today on new directions for WiFi was a fun article to report and work on, and also fun to get something into my favorite newspaper. One of the interviewees was with Rick MacKinnon, head of the Austin City Wireless project. He told me about an unique phenomena called “drive by WiFi” that has transformed one of the downtown parks that offers free wireless.

He’s seen usage at this particular hotspot rise, since he takes the time to review his usage stats. But when he went to the park he didn’t see anything different and there didn’t seem to be any large population of laptop-totting visitors around. Then he took another look, and figured it out. Given that Texas is usually hot and humid, the people with laptops are often in air-conditioned cars, so they can check their email and surf the Web in comfort. Only in Texas.

I have written before about WiFi as urbane renewal. In New York, having wireless has been one of the many things that has transformed Bryant Park from a drug den into a tremendous urban space, and I’ve noticed this in other cities as well.

The Times piece talks about how the success of WiFi has sown the seeds of its potential demise with new wireless technologies such as Zigbee, Cable-Free USB, and others that can extend its range and functionality.

Also worth reading this week, Glenn Fleishman talks about how wireless is also transforming where you’ll get your Internet access from, and how cable, phone, and broadcast TV providers are changing how they get Internet dial tone to you.