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Unfinished Windows 7 Hotspot Feature Exploited
An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from Engadget: "It wasn't all that long ago that Microsoft was talking up the Virtual WiFi feature developed by Microsoft Research and set for inclusion in Windows 7, but something got lost along the road to release day, and the functionality never officially made it into the OS. As you might expect with anything as big and complicated as an operating system though, some of that code did make it into the final release, and there was apparently enough of it for the folks at Nomadio to exploit into a full fledged feature. That's now become Connectify, a free application from the company that effectively turns any Windows 7 computer into a virtual WiFi hotspot — letting you, for instance, wirelessly tether a number of devices to your laptop at location where only an Ethernet jack is available, or even tether a number of laptops together at a coffee shop that charges for WiFi."
Not surprising really. The secret formula for CokeCola is probably hidden in there too.
I wonder how many 'libraries of congress' could fit in the space occupied by unused but deployed windows code.
You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
or even tether a number of laptops together at a coffee shop that charges for WiFi
That coffee shop has to pay for its connection, and bandwidth is a limited resource. Is Engadget going to instruct us on how to distract the employees while you pour free coffee into your thermos too?
Why do you need EVDO Broadband to connect with a guy in the back of the bus?
because you missed it and had to catch the next one?
practically as long as wi-fi cards have been supported.
Which is an old but very short and incomplete list.
Time zone differences?
This is not the funny you're looking for.
you know, when I hear of a windows feature being "exploited" the utilization of a useful feature is not what comes to mind.
Or maybe they're just ahead of their time. This feature is obviously intended for Windows 8 only.
"Virtual" because it's on a computer, duh. "Cyber" would be an acceptable alternative prefix.
"2.0" could be added as a suffix, if it used Javascript.
Uhhh...yes it does, and always has. Sorry you were living in the stone age ;)
I fail to see how this is news, they included it by default in Win 7 and someone accessed it, yay. This has been doable for 4 years...
Someone created a free download that put a GUI on the feature that just about any user can figure out... that makes it news.
Exactly, old macs with and ethernet card plugged in and an airport card. OS 9 stuff. Ages ago.
Online Rich Web Application with Cloud Based Virtual Cyber Hotspot 2.0!
You have to type cryptic commands into a terminal? Windows isn't ready for the desktop.