No, I’m not talking about stealing your neighbors Wi-Fi or draining the bandwith from one of the seven Starbucks within twenty feet of your house. There are actually many spots in your neighborhood that offer free Wi-Fi service. There is no need to pay overpriced, monthly charges to use your local bookstore’s wireless internet. You simply need to know where to look.

One of the best ways to find out where these free Wi-Fi “hot spots” are located is in a new service called MetroFreeFi.com. The site allows you to enter your zip code and search locally for free wireless internet access. Not only will it catalog what stores near you offer wi-fi, but it will also give you store hours, website information, and driving directions so that you don’t get lost on your way there.

With the introduction of OS X Tiger, many developers have created easier ways for you to keep track of these free internet spots. JiWire WiFi Hotspot Finder and Air Traffic Control are two widgets that I use to monitor the internet activity around me.

While on the topic of widgets, have a look at the Creative Bits Widget Pageant 2005. They have gathered seventeen popular widgets and are having users vote on which they find most useful. Currently, in the lead is the ShortStat Widget which offers quick access to Shaun Inman’s ShortStat on your web server. As a web developer, this widget has proved to be an invaluable resource for me. Simply launch your widgets and get a snapshot of the recent activity on your site(s). This application is very well-thoughtout, and it’s successor Mint looks like it won’t disappoint.