NOW THIS IS SMART: Eat lunch at McDonald’s and get free Wi-Fi internet. And McDonald’s isn’t the only one:

Besides McDonald’s, Internet surfers will also be able to tote their laptops to 400 U.S. Borders book stores, hundreds of hotels and a pair of U.S. airports where WiFi access will be available by summer, companies announced Monday.

And computer maker Toshiba and chipmaker Intel say they’ll set up wireless “hot spots” in coffee shops, hotels and convenience stores across the United States.

As I’ve said before, this is the wave of the future.

UPDATE: Nick Schulz emails:

You know, if McDonald’s were smart, they’d do more of that kind of thing – making themselves a destination, ‘third place’ kind of institution. They need to change their image, since, as Virginia Postrel will point out in her forthcoming book Look and Feel, in an age of abundance and convenience, what people are looking for – and willing to pay for – are interesting experiences and aesthetics (two things not traditionally associated with Mickey D’s).

Yep. Next they need some comfy chairs.