For both mobile workers and consumers accessing the mobile internet can be a nightmare: slow speeds, congested networks and a lack of available coverage all combine to make for a disappointing experience.

However, a growing number of projects are coming to the fore that could well end this situation by providing access to several wide-scale Wi-Fi deployments across London and beyond.

Firstly, Transport for London (TfL) confirmed it is on track to roll out Wi-Fi hotspots to 120 of its stations in time for the Olympic Games later this year, with its chosen supplier set to be announced in due course.

"London Underground is continuing with preparations to install the necessary infrastructure and is on schedule to complete the project as planned," said TfL's director of strategy and service development, Gareth Powell, in a widely reported statement.

"An announcement of the chosen service provider will be made in early spring, leaving plenty of time for this to be delivered to customers in time for the 2012 Games."

Secondly, O2 announced on Tuesday that it has signed a deal with restaurant chain owner Tragus to provide free Wi-Fi access to both customers and non-customers in 120 locations, including Cafe Rouge, as well as Strada and Bella Italia restaurants.

"This agreement takes us a step closer towards our vision of changing the public Wi-Fi landscape within three years, by offering people free Wi-Fi connections in the places they want it most," said the managing director of O2 Wi-Fi, Gavin Franks.

"As O2 Wi-Fi's footprint continues to grow, we hope that more people and businesses start to realise the potential of free and fast Wi-Fi."

The rollout comes after O2 announced earlier this month that it will be creating what it claims is the largest free Wi-Fi network in Europe across areas of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, also in time for the Olympics later this year.

The confluence of these projects, which will see smartphone and tablet users across London and the rest of the UK able to access a growing number of Wi-Fi hotspots, is a welcome development for the UK.

Hopefully, it will show visitors to these shores that our nation progressing nicely in the digital era.

Ever since the riots that swept the UK in August there's been much debate and hand-wringing over what should be done with social media sites during times of unrest, with the government even threatening to shut down sites like Twitter.

Thankfully, Thersea May and co. seem to have come to their senses and said they will not be seeking additional powers to block sites. There was a timely reminder that these services can benefit law enforcement agencies on Thursday when it was revealed that over 600 police officers are now on Twitter.

Speaking at a Westminster Forum event, Paul Reilly, a lecturer in media and communications at the University of Leicester, noted that since the riots the number of police officers on Twitter had grown to 632.

"Every territorial force now has a Twitter feed as part of steps being taken to use this tool to engage and provide accurate information and stop rumours circulating," he added.

"Police in Northern Ireland have been particularly proactive in the use of social media and received praise for this and other forces are using these tools more effectively now but there has been a degree of caution among some too."

He added that this number had grown significantly since the riots as more officers out on the streets look for ways to engage with their community.

Furthermore, not only does Twitter offer engagement but it also offers a wealth of information that police forces can access, as Justin Crump, the chief executive of security intelligence consultancy firm Sibylline, explained.

"Social media is open source intelligence on steroids. It moves at a hell of a pace and can be very biased and you have to be very disciplined to deal with it but if you integrate people, processes and technology you can gain benefits," he said.

Indeed, V3 spoke with South Yorkshire Police in October who are using Twitter to increase engagement with the community and track potential disturbances, as police across the land prove that shutting down social media sites would be a disastrous decision.

Down at St Paul's Cathedral there are a few people in tents trying to overturn the capitalist system they hold responsible for all the ills in the world. So far they've managed to get St Paul's itself closed, but the business world hasn't imploded yet.

Nevertheless, the protestors have managed to highlight another important aspect of the modern world: our increasingly unwavering belief that whatever technology does or shows us is unquestionably right.

Several papers (with a certain right-wing appeal) had purported to show thermal images of the camp in which the tents appeared empty overnight. They said this proved the protestors were a risible bunch who disappear back home for their creature comforts at night, and therefore deserve our scorn.

However, in response to this slight, the protestors claim to have rented the same equipment from the same thermal imaging company to show that in reality the cameras are not good enough to see into the tents.

A video on YouTube shows the device failing to pick up a load of protestors emerging from a single tent just a few feet away, which certainly seems to back up their point.

V3 contacted the press arm of the protestors for information on the company they had hired the equipment from, but they said they had not made the video, suggesting it was made by a lone protestor at the camp.

The YouTube uploader, the wonderfully named thermalunderpants, didn't respond to our messages on the site asking for information on which manufacturer they had rented the equipment from, either.

Whenever politics is involved it's hard to know exactly how truthful anyone is being, but the situation certainly shows that, even though we live in a world reliant on the magical forces of technology, we should still question its capabilities.

Apple fans are well-known for their fanatical support for any product the firm unveils, and even the ever-so-slightly underwhelming iPhone 4S has not dampened their enthusiasm, with six people already queuing at the Regent Street store in London.

Five of those in the queue were from iPhone jail breaking group Jailbreak Con who had been in line since Friday last week to ensure they are first to get their hands on what has been described by some as an "iPhone 4 on steroids".

They said they intend to get a 16GB version of the device as Apple's new iCloud service makes any more storage unnecessary. The sixth member of the queue wasn't part of that group but looked content enough enjoying some time with his Macbook.

Meanwhile down at the Covent Garden Apple store, recently the scene of a smash and grab robbery, there were no signs of any queues in progress, just the lone figure of one Robert Shoesmith, who's been camping out for eight days as part of a publicity stunt.

V3 asked Shoesmith if when he first started queueing he had actually been expecting the iPhone 5 to be launched, rather than the subsequently announced iPhone 4S. Shoesmith admitted he had, but added that he intended to get his hands on the new device anyway.

Well, if you've queued for 11 days you need something to show for your efforts. Shoesmith is expecting some company come Wednesday, which will be nice for the poor chap, who was looking a tad sleep deprived and confessed to being a bit bored.

However, he did see some of the excitement of Sunday night when the store was robbed, waking at 1:15am to the sound of bikes buzzing around the area before they zoomed off and the police arriving on the scene. Now that's a jail broken iPhone.

Meanwhile, across town at the Dixons store on Oxford Circus the brand new Kindle 4 was on sale, priced at a low £89 and boasting a new smaller, lighter design as well as a graphical keyboard.

Currys, clearly keen to generate a false buzz of excitement around the launch, breathlessly sent out a press release telling the media it expected to sell of stock within 24 hours.

V3 popped along and spoke with sales staff in the store who looked bemused when asked if they had seen this anticipated rush, saying they didn't think they'd even sold one unit and that there were still 40-odd devices in stock.

When it comes to queues, it appears Apple's got it licked.

Despite all the tough talking rhetoric from the prime minister following the recent UK riots about potentially banning social media in times of unrest, the meeting between the home secretary, police chiefs and social media representatives on Thursday steered well clear of this contentious topic.

It is understood that the issue of restricting services such as Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), all of which were to a lesser or greater extent blamed for the riots, was never a topic for discussion.

This is despite calls from Tottenham MP David Lammy for a ban on BBM at times of social disorder and David Cameron's own admission that the government "is working with the police, the intelligence services and industry to look at whether it would be right to stop people communicating via these web sites and services when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality".

Instead, the meeting is believed to have focused on how the police can build up their skills to monitor social networks more effectively.

"We welcome the fact that this was a dialogue about working together to keep people safe rather than about imposing new restrictions on internet services," said Facebook in a statement.

"We were pleased to highlight our array of effective reporting tools and the relationships we have built with law enforcement to keep the site safe for the 30 million people in the UK use Facebook - especially during times of crisis."

A similarly bland statement came from the Home Office.

"The home secretary, along with the culture secretary and foreign office minister Jeremy Browne, has held a constructive meeting with the Association of Chief Police officers, the police and representatives from the social media industry," it read.

"The discussions looked at how law enforcement and the networks can build on the existing relationships and co-operation to crack down on the networks being used for criminal behaviour."

It's certainly good news that the government apparently understands the good that social networks can do in rallying communities after and during such heinous events and in providing law enforcement with invaluable intelligence in catching those who organised such crimes.

We all suspected the worst when the prime minister came out with his initial statements, but thankfully another knee-jerk reaction from out-of-touch politicians has not reared its head, giving way instead to a more thoughtful and considered approach.

It remains to be seen whether rights campaigners will seek assurances from the social networks that private data is not just being handed over to police in these situations as a matter of course.

While it's good to see co-operation between the tech companies and law enforcement, no-one would want that relationship to begin eroding individual privacy rights online.

The demand for high-speed internet access on the go shows no signs of abating, and Virgin Media has seen that it could capitalise on this market by offering a free Wi-Fi service in London.

Virgin Media chief executive Neil Berkett explained in an earnings call that a free Wi-Fi service is on the company's agenda as part of its work to innovate in the broadband market.

"We continue to run our pilots and trials, and we are in quite advanced conversations with some boroughs and councils in respect to completing a metro rollout in parts of the London area," he said.

"The proposition would be that we would provide free Wi-Fi access for all at 0.5Mbit/s with full access to Virgin Media customers up to 10Mbit/s, and we may consider speaking to mobile network operators about wholesaling that as an activity."

Berkett added that the "punt" is exciting given the demand for better mobile internet speeds. "I think it is a real opportunity if you think about consumers' needs for data outside the home," he said.

The revelation is interesting as it shows how broadband providers are boosting their offerings with better internet access on the go, much as O2 is doing with free Wi-Fi in its stores.

BT, which has held sway in the outdoor public Wi-Fi market through its paid-for Fon and Openzone products, will not doubt be watching with interest to see whether Virgin goes ahead with its plan as the two broadband giants prepare to clash again.

One thing is for certain: visitors to London for the 2012 Olympics will be hoping that the networks are up and running to provide internet access as they cruise the capital looking for information on where to eat, what to see and which tube lines are broken.

The hip young power couple of the Royal Family, Wills and Kate, are to use their winning smiles and dashing good looks to charm former colonial subjects into investing their wealth in the tech start-up hub of Old Street in London.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will big-up the Tech City initiative and London itself as a great investment location at a panel debate on Friday in Beverley Hills to discuss how the UK can emulate the success of Silicon Valley.

Trade and investment minister Lord Green said he is pleased that such a famous and awe-inspiring couple will talk about the region, as it is vital that the UK's technology sector thrives.

"I am delighted that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are giving their very public support to Tech City and to British business. Tech City is key to Britain's high-tech future," he said.

"The government is committed to bringing innovative investment to east London and to every part of the UK. It is Europe's fastest growing technology hub and so far over 300 organisations have set up there."

It's great that everyone's favourite royal couple is doing its bit for Blighty and encouraging investment but, while Wills and Kate could persuade investors to look at London, it doesn't strike V3.co.uk as enough to convince hard-nosed Silicon Valley venture capital managers.

After all, would you embrace London and its rain and dull grey skies as a better location to set up shop than the endless blue skies and confidence-inspiring warmth of the Californian climate?

No, didn't think so.

As technology continues to advance society faster and faster it's almost inevitable that cash will become a concept that future generations look back on with incredulity: "You had to carry paper and coins with you to pay for stuff?"

The latest move has come from Vodafone. The operator is to trial a system that lets customers in London pay for any of the hundreds of taxis it is putting the streets painted with Union flags (see below), simply by texting the number of the cab to Vodafone which will charge the fare to their bill.

This means any late night revellers, businessmen getting soaked in the rain on the way to important meetings, or tourists who've forgotten to go the cashpoint will always be able to grab a cab as long as their phone is in their pocket (and they're on Vodafone).

Customers wishing to sign up for the pay-by-mobile taxi service need to call 0845 680 3409 to set up the free service. They then text the word 'taxi', the taxi's number and the amount they want to pay to 80010. Not a penny in sight.

The cabs will also contain chargers for devices including BlackBerrys and iPhones, so all mobile users can ensure they have plenty of juice for their journey.

"Now with our fantastic fleet of Union Jack cabs and their onboard chargers which anyone can use, all Londoners will be able to see our continuing commitment to the capital," said Vodafone chief executive Guy Lawrence.

If this catches on you'd expect to see other network operators rolling out similar schemes, something that taxi drivers and forgetful travellers must be looking forward to immensely.

And with near-field communication technology rapidly advancing, it wouldn't be a push to see the major operators wrap these capabilities into this kind of service before too long.

One of the Vodafone branded taxis set to hit the streets of London.