Free wi-fi at all Barnes & Noble stores, starting now!

Finding free wi-fi in the city can be surprisingly hard, as I've recently learned. Barnes & Noble just made it a little bit easier, with their announcement this week that they will be providing free wi-fi to anyone who walks in the store, starting now. Their hope is that you'll download their B&N iPhone app or their e-reader, but you don't have to.

There is this slightly irritating paragraph, though (emphasis mine): "The existing AT&T Wi-Fi network at Barnes & Noble has been available to customers since 2005. Now, anybody walking into a Barnes & Noble store anywhere in the country will have complimentary and unlimited access to the network at all store locations." Wait... isn't anyone who walks into a store a customer? Just because you're not buying something at that precise moment doesn't magically make you NOT a customer, or less special.

I was about to feel a bit guilty for diverting all my business to Borders because they're so generous with the coupons and free beverages, but... not now! I will help myself to B&N's free wi-fi from now on, though, even though I'm evidently not a customer.