tethering

The capability for a smartphone or tablet to also double as a hot spot has quickly become an expected feature of every new device -- the new iPad included. As you may have read in Jessica Dolcourt's post, Verizon includes the hot-spot feature with the iPad data plans, while AT&T doesn't support it...yet.

Using your iPad as a hot spot will allow you to share the iPad's data connection with up to five devices, including your iPhone (FaceTime over LTE, anyone?).

To set up a hot spot on your iPad, start by opening Settings … Read more

Owners of Nokia's Lumia 610 can use their phone as a hot spot to provide Wi-Fi coverage for up to five different devices.

Nokia's Lumia 610 Web site specifically lists that feature under the Sharing and Internet category. The feature pages for the Lumia 710 and the 800 don't yet make any mention of hot-spot capability.

But sit tight, Lumia owners. A Nokia spokesman confirmed to CNET that the company will add hot-spot functionality to the 710 and 800 in a future software update.

Nokia's Web site doesn't yet provide details on the Lumia 900, … Read more

Despite the overwhelming appeal of being able to tether your iPhone to your laptop via the Personal Hotspot feature included in iOS, the cost of doing so keeps many iPhone owners from getting the most out of their device. Tether, however, has a solution.

Back in November, Tether was able to briefly get an app approved on Apple's App Store. The $14.99 app allowed users to bypass the Personal Hotspot method of setting up a tether for their laptops and instead use a USB cable and Tether's software. The app, iTether, was quickly pulled.… Read more

Phone manufacturers and the aftermarket wage war against crappy battery life and Google does battle with poor app design on this week's episode of Android Atlas Weekly.

NEWS:

-Woz concedes Android advantages over iPhone

-iPhone 4S helps iOS close the gap on Android

-Google evangelists release bible of good Android design

-The Android sloppy interface when guidelines are not enough

-NSA Releases Secure Android Version

-LOL, Seido 3800mah extended battery for Galaxy Nexus

-Galaxy Nexus nfc feature requires original oem battery… Read more

If you've always wanted to use your Android phone as a hot spot, there's a new solution available to you. 

ClockworkMod has created an app that makes your Android and computer work together to share Internet service. This is a great alternative to expensive carrier fees, or tethering apps from the Android Market that simply can't deliver. Tethering used to be a rather painless process, so here's how to bring back that simplicity:

Editors' note: Now that the alpha-testing period is over, the Tether app has a 14 day trial period with unlimited use. … Read more

We say goodbye to HTC's locked bootloaders and hello to Mr. Android and his cadre of Japanese schoolgirls on this week's episode.

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NEWS:

-Verizon ready to discontinue Droid 3, 4G hot spots, and more

-Asus Transformer Prime ICS upgrade, bugfixes announced

-HTC makes locked bootloaders a thing of the past

-Google Moves To Ensure UI Integrity On All Android 4.0 Devices

-Clockwork Mod tether: USB tethering, no root required

-Meet Mr. Android

-Android gets manga treatment

CES … Read more

Tethering application iTether slipped into the iTunes App Store today but has since been pulled.

The $14.99 app allowed iPhone customers to use their smartphone data plan to power the Internet connection for their PC or Mac through a USB cable. The app comes from Tether.

Tether later released a statement confirming that Apple had pulled the aap because of concerns over the potential burden to the carrier networks.

"Our team is very disappointed in Apple's decision; as we strongly believe we help carriers better monetize their data stream by pushing customers into new data tiers further … Read more

Verizon is reportedly preventing jailbreakers from unauthorized tethering, at least according to one account at ReadWriteWeb.

The tech blogging site recently revealed that one of its own employees tried to use a jailbroken Motorola phone without a data plan to tether on Verizon's network. But instead of gaining access, the person was "blocked" by Verizon and redirected to a page describing the carrier's terms and conditions for using a mobile hot spot.

If accurate, this is a new development on the part of Verizon since the employee said she was able to use her jailbroken device … Read more

An advocacy group has filed a complaint with the FCC that argues Verizon Wireless shouldn't be allowed to block tethering apps that let people connect their computers to the Internet through their phones' 4G wireless data network.

"This practice restricts consumer choice and hinders innovation regardless of which carrier adopts such policies, but when Verizon Wireless employs these restrictions in connection with its LTE network, it also violates the Federal Communications Commission's rules," said the advocacy group, Free Press, in its complaint to the FCC yesterday. Those rules say Verizon "shall not deny, limit, or … Read more