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Sarasota News Leader May 3, 2013 Page 30 eration running. But this will entail more than on the digitalsarasota.com website that is the system's backbone. just a large-area wi-fi hotspot. The group plans to install 12 touchscreens downtown to help people find their way to local businesses such as shops and restaurants. The system can guide them to use a web browser that will allow them to see menus or news of special sales, for example, and maybe even download coupons. The wi-fi signal will not penetrate into buildings, so downtown residents will still have to maintain their own paths to the Internet. But they will have access to the wayfinding and special deals via the website. "Imagine the owner of the Epicure sees it is a slow evening," said Moran, operations manager of the Downtown Improvement District. "He can quickly put a coupon on the system: 'First drink is free tonight only.'" The offer would appear on the touchscreens and also "Our best guess is mid-August" for full operation, Moran told members of the Downtown Improvement District this week. "Right now it's a work in progress, an early beta. We're still designing software. Right now it's just a taste of what's to come." % While the transponders are going up, there will be dead zones downtown. Downtown businesses will be able to advertise special deals through the new wi-fi service. Photo by Norman Schimmel