AMD has come under fire for its over-zealous attempt to create a company-branded network of Wi-Fi hotspots that may see the chip maker getting into legal hot water. AMD"s network will comprises a large number of sites offering free wireless Internet access. While the project is expected to be officially launched during Q2, the company already lists several hundred hotspots, each of which features AMD Hotspot branding.
However, not all the sites are happy about the move, it seems. According to a report at web site Wi-Fi Networking News, some businesses listed in the directory claim to have never heard from AMD. Others said they had turned AMD down but were still listed and received the collateral. Wi-Fi Networking News" Glenn Fleischmann spoke to Austin Wireless City Project leader Richard MacKinnon, who claims to have had a casual meeting with an AMD representative late last year at which ideas about how community efforts such as the AWCP could be helped. Nothing more was heard from AMD until Project-supported locations began to receive calls and materials from AMD, and signs started appearing in shops.