mifi

Spycams that can see around corners

Links from Friday's episode of Loaded:

MySpace now lets you sign in with your Facebook account.

We have first impressions and pricing for the Dell Inspiron Duo.

Virgin Mobile USA offers cheap broadband plans for its MiFi at Walmart.

The 10-inch Archos tablet has started to ship.

The TikTok and LunaTik are some of the more stylish iPod Nano watchbands we've seen.

A woman in China is sentenced to a year in labor camp for a retweet that the government said "disturbed social order."

Scientists at MIT have developed a camera that can photograph around corners.… Read more

Digital City 94: Why isn't cable TV dead yet? Plus, laser guns for jails, and a live MIDI guitar demo

This week, a heated argument breaks out over the cable TV regulatory landscape (we're sure you were just thinking about that as well). Plus, check out footage of a new laser weapon ready for use at LA County jails, and groove to some live music on the YouRock MIDI guitar.

More importantly, this may sound a lot like the classic "dog ate my homework" excuse, but it appears that the gremlins in our broadcast facility actually did eat the video version of this week's show (which aired live on Monday at 3 p.m. ET).

While we attempt to recover the video file, this episode is only available as audio at the moment (see the "Listen Now" player at the bottom of the page). If you need some visual stimulation while listening, feel free to flip through this slideshow of Scott and Dan modeling back-to-school backpacks.

Why Hulu Plus is a nifty addition

I am excited about Hulu Plus. I have already requested my invite in earnest!

I've heard some belly-aching about the fact that the service costs $9.99 per month, yet there will still be ads. My take on this: get over it!

We pay a lot of money for cable TV and cable TV does not filter out ads. Why would we expect that $9.99 should buy us commercial-free content? This is expensive premium content that we will be getting with Hulu Plus, and a lot of it. Also consider that you have to pay an extra $9.… Read more

Tweak MiFi to charge over USB

A MiFi is a nifty little device you can get from Sprint or Verizon here in the States. It receives a cellular data signal and then rebroadcasts it as a Wi-Fi connection.

However, one annoying thing is that when you plug it into a USB port, it insists on acting as a modem instead of a Wi-Fi access point. This means that you can't charge it from your laptop and share it the data connection. I ran into this issue at an airport when I wanted to charge the MiFi and share with my colleague, but I couldn't … Read more

Mulling mobile broadband options

I've been thinking about buying a new gizmo, and it turns out I'm not the only one in the family having these thoughts.

My sister sent me an e-mail over the weekend:

I need a 3G card for my laptop and I'm going to get it from Verizon. What should I ask for? I just don't want them to try to sell me more or less than I need.

Coincidentally, I've been looking into the latest options for mobile broadband access for a couple of months now, ever since the two-year contract ran out on … Read more

Get a Novatel MiFi 2200 card free

If there's a single device that's almost as universally adored as the iPhone, it's the Novatel MiFi 2200.

This ingenious gadget puts a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot in your pocket, delivering 3G broadband to up to five nearby devices.

Normally the card costs $99.99, but right now Wirefly is offering the MiFi 2200 for free with a 2-year Verizon contract. Shipping is free, too, though you will have to pay a $35 activation fee.

You'll also have to pay monthly service charges, but, hey, that's the price of doing mobile-broadband business. Verizon charges $39.99/… Read more

The Real Deal 179: Gadget road test

Rafe and Tom talk about the long-term use of gadgets like TiVo, the MiFi, and more. We even get a road test report on FreeNAS from Dave the psychologist!

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video)… Read more

Wrapping up Road Trip 2009

After more than five weeks and 5,765 miles of driving through Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and very, very small parts of Arizona and Nevada, Road Trip 2009 is over.

This was the fourth year I've done this project, and I've now covered a fourth major region of the United States. In 2006, it was the Pacific Northwest; in 2007, the Southwest; in 2008, the deep South; and this year, it was the Rocky Mountain region. All told, my CNET Road Trips have taken me through 21 states and have covered 18,618 miles. And while there … Read more

Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 (Sprint)

Editor's note: The Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 (Sprint) is going through the hands-on testing process and its review will posted soon. In the meantime, you can check out the similar product offered by Verizon, the Verizon Wireless MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot, that has just been reviewed recently.

How I became a walking hot spot

ASPEN, Colo.--One thing I love is finding uses for things that perhaps no one has thought of before.

I'd already been on Road Trip 2009 for several days when I arrived in this tony Colorado mountain town known best as a playground for the rich and famous. I was hoping to go for a walk and find something good to eat.

It had been a long day of driving, starting in Colorado Springs, and traveling over Independence Pass, a 12,095 "Top of the Rockies" spot just on the Continental Divide. I had planned to stroll … Read more