The NY Times ran a story today discussing the visionary Marshall Brown and his efforts to provide free wireless access in 18 locations in 10 parks in New York City, via his company called Wi-Fi Salon. This will benefit those “prescient enough to pack laptops or other paraphernalia critical to mobile connectivity,” the Times says. It notes that “Mr. Brown’s attempt to plug into what he calls ‘neighborhood hot spots’ has unfolded in fits, starts and setbacks since the city awarded him the parks contract in October 2004 after Verizon withdrew from the project.”

The effort differs, btw, in a lot of ways from wi-fi clouds. The Times writes, “This month Wi-Fi Salon activated the first of its wireless ‘hot spots’ in Battery Park, and Mr. Brown says the portal there will offer a historical slide show, a tour of the Dutch gardens, and a video-cam hookup to the Statue of Liberty. In Mr. Brown’s wireless neighborhoods, connectivity is accompanied by educational content.”

Here’s more detail on the effort, with a surprise kicker in the last sentence:

Mr. Brown and the team of consultants who comprise Wi-Fi Salon — “I love technology, but I know this much about myself: I’m not detail-oriented enough to be a coder or an engineer” — are resigned to running “in the red” for the first half of what is essentially a three-year, $90,000 contract. Meaning, Wi-Fi Salon is paying the city for the right to serve as its wireless conduit, with all 18 locations expected to be functional by the end of August. He admits it helps that his wife, Pauline, “is a high-powered corporate executive” at Avon. She supports his wireless dream so long as he doesn’t bring his gadgets along on vacations. Still, the arrangement with the city was in danger of falling apart after Wi-Fi’s initial sponsor reneged; a pact with Nokia, a Finnish manufacturer, salvaged the situation.

Hm-m. Nokia saves the day. Well, it’s obvious that free and ubiquitous wi-fi hot spots make Nokia 770 Internet Tablets (and UMPCs) loads more practical. Forget the laptops the Times mentions. This is definitely for devices meant for the walkaround web, like the 770 — 800-pixels wide and light enough to carry with you everywhere. Of course, wi-fi outside buildings is the natural benefactor of the walkaround web. I see that it’s Nokia’s multimedia division that stepped into the breach, with specific reference to Nokia’s N-series phones with built-in wireless as well as the 770. I wonder what the precise link between Nokia’s support and its 770 efforts is, or if it’s just a matter of support for wireless across its lines. Whatever, I’m excited to hear about it.

Way to go, Nokia!

• Battery Park (already active)
• 8 locations in Central Park

The Dairy

Boathouse

Summerstage

Sheep Meadow

Delacorte Theatre

The Charles Dana Discovery Center

The Pinetum

Central Park Zoo

• Washington Square Park
• Union Square Park
• Riverside Park (Boat Basin/Cafe at 79th Street)
• Prospect Park (Boathouse, Picnic House)
• USTA Tennis Center at Corona Flushing Meadows park
• Orchard Beach concessions areas
• VanCortlandt Park golf house
• Pelham Bay Park golf house