Telephony by name, phoney by nature

That not-very-charitable corporation Etisalat has announced we will no longer be able to access wireless internet hotspots for free in Dubai. Expect sales at Starbucks - where almost all the outlets offer free wifi - to drop as soon as this policy is introduced.

None of this impresses me: I already swell the coffers of the UAE's telephony monopoly every month in order to have ADSL high-speed cable at home. Unfortunately, it's about the same speed as dial-up most of the time.