Boingo, the popular wireless hotspot provider, has released a lightweight application for Macbooks running OS X 10.4 and later. According to internal usage reports from airport Wi-Fi networks operated by Boingo,   Wi-Fi connections from MacBooks and PowerBooks have been increasing steadily. As of January 2008, nearly 20 percent of airport usage comes from Mac laptops, an increase of 30 percent since January 2007.

“With our GoBoingo! software for MacBooks, you are now just one click away from enjoying Wi-Fi service at hotspots around the world,” said Dawn Callahan, vice president, consumer marketing, Boingo Wireless.

The lightweight authentication tool automatically determines whether a hotspot belongs to a Boingo roaming partner and helps users log on to the Internet with their Boingo accounts in a single click. Less than 1 MB, the tool installs quickly and stays in the background until the Boingo member needs to log into a Wi-Fi network.