Top Mappers data added

Some of our users have been complaining that they’re not able to see the list of top Mappers (other than the top 5 on our maps page). They claim that seeing their top mapper badge on the profile page is not enough. We are happy to tell you guys that we’re now working on it and we’ll launch this fix in a few days. You will be able to see the entire list of all the top Mappers. Those of you who didn’t notice, we now show how many spots you’ve mapped on your profile page along with some useful data: Your rank, how many spots needed to climb up one step and most importantly who’s ahead of you (for those of you that are looking for people to compete with…).

Enjoy! We will keep you posted of new stuff around the maps.

WeFi is one of the top 10 Israeli Web 2.0 companies

We made it to the top 10 list of Israeli Web 2.0 companies on the Alarm Clock blog. Thanks to the team for all their hard work over the past few months.

Om Malik reviews Wefi, says it’s worth trying out

Om Malik reviewed Wefi on his blog, GigaOM: It is a good product, yet it seems WeFi is doing too much. Keeping it simple, and avoiding the social networking features, it can become a handy utility (and must visit destination) for digital nomads. It is worth trying out.

He likes the maps that show where the free Wi-Fi hotspots are located (who doesn’t).

Go to the review here: http://gigaom.com/2007/05/28/meet-wefi/

Wefi launches beta version

Here it is: our beta version, new and shiny for you all to try. Just go to the download page: http://www.wefi.com/download/

Tell us what you think — what you like and don’t like.

Welcome to WeFi

Welcome to WeFi. We make Wi-Fi simple for you. As simple as connecting to mobile phone network. When I use my cell phone I just dial a number and connect, so why is it such a pain with Wi-Fi, an endless trial-and-error process of finding an open spot? Shouldn’t it be done automatically, seamlessly, easily, no sweat? Do I really care if a hotspot is locked or not? Of course not! I just want to connect.

Our new software application, WeFi, makes your life easier because it’s smart. It talks to a centralized server and uses the power of the collective for the benefit of the individual. My co-founder, Shimon likes to say that he came upon the idea watching the Borg on Star Trek. You do remember the cube that floated in space terrorizing entire planets. Why was the Borg so strong? Because they utilized the power of the collective. We do the same by combining every single Wi-Fi sighting and experience, thereby creating a virtual network out of individual users and managed access points.

But there’s more. WeFi allows you to see where other users are located. Is your friend 2 miles away? Has he visited this hotspot in the past? Is there someone else cool nearby? You’ll know all that with WeFi. We have also added a Flickr mash-up, so you can see and upload geo-tagged photos related to a spot. Obviously we will rely on everyone’s feedback to decide what else to add and mash-up: restaurant reviews, twitter or anything else.

Here’s a screenshot of the WeFi website where soon, you will be able to download the beta version of our software.

In the very near future you will be able to share your Wi-Fi network – locked or unlocked – with your friends or even with the whole WeFi community. No need to install another piece of hardware. All you need is your Wi-Fi connection and our application will do the rest.

For all you Mac groupies, we will be introducing a Mac version shortly, so be patient. I often get frustrated on my Mac when I can’t even see if an access point is locked or not, so you will be pleased when you see our solution.

We will be making our software (beta) available for download, so check back regularly. If you want us to contact you when the software is available, send us your email address in the comments section below.