One of the most anticipated features of the new iPhone OS 3.0 has been “tethering,” or the ability to share your iPhone’s 3G Internet connection with your laptop, via Bluetooth or USB.
For web workers — “the great untethered” — iPhone OS 3.0’s tethering represents an opportunity to work with greater freedom, mobility and flexibility. Even for those already using 3G datacards and dongles, the feature means you have one less device to carry. Official tethering has been a long time in coming. Unofficial iPhone apps such as Nullriver’s Netshare and PDANet have provided tethering capability to jailbroken iPhones for some time. Netshare was an official App Store release for a while, until Apple forced its withdrawal due to the lack of tethering rights in AT&T’s terms.
Here in the UK, O2’s tethering support for iPhone launched today, coinciding with the launch of iPhone 3G S. Sadly, despite the fact that O2’s iPhone contracts include “unlimited” data usage, tethering will cost an additional £15-£30 ($25-$50) each month, with no pay-as-you-go option. It’s worth noting that this pricing is identical to O2’s standalone 3G data charges. Read the rest of this entry »
As a full-time technology writer, I repeatedly get the same question: “what’s the most empowering technology you use for your job?” Each and every time I respond the same way. It’s not a particular computer brand, nor is it a specific browser or operating system. For me, it’s a technology I’ve used since 2004: 3G wireless broadband.
I can work on practically any computer and of course, I prefer some browsers, operating environments and applications over others. However the ability to work nearly anywhere thanks to today’s 3G wireless broadband is as much of an enabler today as it was for me in 2004. Along the way these past five years, I’ve learned a few things that might be useful to you.
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For people who work on the web, getting access to the Internet is vital. If we can’t connect to our colleagues and projects online, we can’t earn a living. However, we can’t always stay attached to our home base and therefore we need a way to stay online while we’re on the go. Let’s give you a breakdown of the options for getting online on the go.
Cellular Options:
Mobile phone operators in the United States have been investing billions into building out their mobile broadband networks. Of the four major mobile carriers, three (Sprint/Nextel, Verizon and AT&T) provide high speed mobile broadband to their customers. The little brother of the bunch, T-Mobile, is still only delivering a slow EDGE network to subscribers but are rumored to be rolling out a 3G network soon.
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Typically, there are two ways of getting online when you are traveling: either rely upon Wi-Fi hotspots where you can find them, or pay for a mobile broadband cellular card. However, mobile broadband cards are very expensive when you do a pay-as-you go plan. With these pay-as-you-go options, you pay based on the amount of kilobits you use, which can add up very quickly, causing your pocketbook to become rather thin.
A new option has emerged called RovAir. This service provides users mobile aircards, data cards, and EV-DO card without an extended contract or service agreement. RovAir has cards from AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon Wireless available. Simply rent the mobile broadband card by the day when you need it. The costs start at $5.95 per day with a three day minimum.
Note: Be sure to research the area you’re traveling to. For example, some metropolitan areas are better served by AT&T where others might have broader network access with Verizon Wireless. Look at each service provider’s coverage map for more information.
Last week, AT&T Mobility announced a major expansion of their 3G broadband mobile network (as covered by Om). In summary, they are planning on expanding their 3G network to 80 new cities, are going to a technology called HSUPA this year, and are looking at Long-Term Evolution (LTE) in long term planning for their wireless network.To sort out all this alphabet soup, lets take it one point at a time… Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re a nomadic worker, one of the modern marvels of today’s technology is being able to hop on a wi-fi hotspot and get some work done. This is why having a T-Mobile hotspot account has been so great for coffee-house workers. Starbucks are virtually everywhere, especially in the United States. Since 2001, T-Mobile has been the hotspot provider for Starbucks.
Not any more, as Glen Flieshman has pointed out. T-Mobile has been dropped by Starbucks in favor of AT&T as their wi-fi provider. So now in addition to McDonalds, AT&T subscribers can add thousands of Starbucks to the number of locations they can get online and work.
The good news is that just for having a Starbucks card, you get 2 free hours of wi-fi a day. Presumably this means that for just by making a purchase with your Starbucks card, you get 2 free hours of net access.
Additionally, AT&T lowered the price to $4 a day for a two hours of access, compared to T-Mobile’s $6-10 per hour charge. AT&T is going to charge $20/month for unlimited access to wi-fi, the same as T-Mobile’s rate. If you have AT&T DSL, you receive wi-fi access for free as a part of your monthly DSL rate.
For more info, check out AT&T’s press release.
Update: As Kevin pointed out in the comments, T-Mobile wi-fi customers will still be able to get online in Starbucks, under an agreement between AT&T and T-Mobile. The details can be found in the press release mentioned above.
Web Work 101: How To Escape The Cubicle
