The folks at Canary Wireless captured the interest in 2004 of Wi-Fi spotters–folks trying to find scarcer Wi-Fi hotspots than exist today–with their first Digital Hotspotter. The handheld, battery-powered device went far beyond the other signal detectors of the day when it was introduced in Dec. 2004. The small LCD screen showed channel number, signal strength, network name, and security method, scrolling through the networks found in the area.

Now three years later, Canary twitters again with the HS20 ($60), due out in first quarter 2008. The newer design is more attractive, but more importantly has buttons to allow a quicker scroll through available networks. Today’s problem isn’t finding networks, but rather sorting through the often dozens of networks available in busy public places without firing up a laptop to see what’s around.

For frequent travelers, the HS20 is a great addition to the digital arsenal.