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It's been said that the promise of Wi-Fi will only be fulfilled when vendors start rolling out the applications that make the technology worth using. E-mail in a coffee shop is nice, but isn't there something more? Slowly but surely, that 'something more' is coming to market.

Take for instance the EasySwipe Wi-Fi based credit card terminal from Santa Barbara, Calif.-based PayJunction . Starting with PalmOne's Tungsten C Wi-Fi unit, PayJunction outfits these devices with backup batteries, thermal printers, magnetic card readers and software that allows for real-time credit card transactions, digital signature storage and transaction history.

The net result is a unit that can process credit card transactions in real time, anywhere within range of a hotspot.

Company President Randy Modos envisions a range of uses, for instance in settings such as flea markets and open-air street markets. The venue's operator could set up a hotspot, lease out the credit card devices to vendors and enable real-time credit card verification. This makes the market a more attractive destination for vendors, while at the same time providing a new revenue stream for the site operator through the lease of the devices.

"This is something people have talked about for a long time, being able to do point-of-purchase transactions in environments such as these," says Ben Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies in Campbell, Calif. "Will it take Wi-Fi to the next level? We don't know. But it certainly will help. It's an interesting application that would not necessarily have been possible without Wi-Fi."

In another possible use, Modos has been working with a shuttle service at New York's La Guardia Airport, where terminals are outfitted for Wi-Fi. He has built a custom application that calculates a flat rate for each ride. This application then processes the payment transactions via a Wi-Fi link.

Using existing technology, he says, "the drivers would have to have a box the size of luggage, accessing splotchy radio networks."