New Source of WiFi: Japanese Vending Machines

Want some WiFi with that soda? A Japanese soft drink company has unveiled new vending machines that offer a free wireless Internet signal, TechCrunch reports. Users needn't register or even shell out for a drink: They can simply connect to the public signal for 30 minutes, landing on a home screen with information on local attractions. Asahi will install 1,000 of the machines across Japan next year, with hopes of setting up another 9,000 over the next five years. (More Japan stories.)