wi-fi hotspots

For frequent and infrequent travelers alike, nothing beats the convenience of a mobile hot spot.

Folks who travel a lot will probably want something with unlimited data and 4G service, but occasional users may want to consider a more affordable solution.

Here's one: DataJack has the MiFi 2200 mobile hot spot for $49.99, plus around $10 for shipping, when you use coupon code DEALNEWS1.

That purchase also entitles you to a free month of service, albeit with DataJack's low-end, 200MB data plan. Thankfully, there's no contract here, so you can let your service expire if you … Read more

Today only, Newegg has a killer deal on an 8GB flash drive... (Kidding! Just a little joke for anyone who was following yesterday's comment thread).

In case you missed it, CNET's Dong Ngo recently reported on a new 4G broadband service from NetZero.

I thought I'd revisit this from the Cheapskate perspective, as it's kind of an unprecedented deal. For $99.95, you get the NetZero 4G Hotspot, which can share your 4G connection with up to eight devices. (You can also get a USB stick for $49.95, but I honestly don't see the … 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

Joining a carrier Wi-Fi hot spot on your smartphone or tablet will soon be as simple as turning on your device. That means no more scrolling through lists of available Wi-Fi networks, and no more typing passwords to join networks.

Wireless carriers all over the world have been turning to Wi-Fi to alleviate network congestion, but the onus of actually getting on those networks has been on individual subscribers. A set of new standards being developed will soon change that.

The IEEE technical standards body is developing 802.11u and the Wi-Fi Alliance has developed its Hotspot 2.0 initiative … Read more

Carriers love to make sure their preloaded applications are jammed into our smartphones--a source of frustration to many of you, I know, and something that's enough to put you off the idea of any carrier app whatsoever. Still, every once in a while a company gets one of these little programs right.

Take AT&T's Smart Wi-Fi app, which is available today for free on the Android Marketplace (unlike other carrier apps, this one does not come preloaded). The app lives up to its name in finding Wi-Fi hot spots. It also has a number of nifty … Read more

Hey, want to meet me in person? (I know, it's been a lifelong dream.) I'll be appearing tonight at 7 p.m. at the Ypsilanti District Library (in Ypsilanti, Mich.) for a free presentation on--you guessed it--cheap tech. Specifically, how to save boatloads of money on gadgets, gear, software, and more. I'll be demoing a few products, too. Hope you can make it!

Now, on to business. I'm a longtime fan of the Novatel Wireless MiFi card, a portable Wi-Fi hot spot that serves up 3G Internet to as many as five nearby devices. Just one … Read more

Connecting to public Wi-Fi hot spots can be a challenge, but the Wi-Fi Alliance is hoping to ease some of the pain.

Responsible for certifying Wi-Fi products and technology, the Wi-Fi Alliance said yesterday that it's working on a new certification program that should make it easier to access and use public hot spots. Various members of the alliance, including service providers and device makers, have already formalized the requirements needed to test such a certification program.

Once in place, the new hot spot program would offer several benefits to Wi-Fi users.

Computers, phones, and other connected gadgets would … Read more

I've long been a drooling, slobbering fan of the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200, a credit card-size 3G router that was first available from Verizon, then picked up by Sprint.

This amazing little device creates a broadband-powered Wi-Fi hot spot for up to five devices. The only sucky part: buying one meant buying into another two-year contract and paying anywhere from $40-60 per month for service.

What is it with the carriers and their damn contracts?

Anyway, when Virgin Mobile (now owned by Sprint) started offering the MiFi last year, it did something incredible: it took away the contract. Suddenly … Read more

Places like Starbucks, neighborhood cafes, Barnes&Noble, and universities are all jumping on the "free Wi-Fi" bandwagon--hey, it's trendy. As a result, more of us are connecting to these networks without realizing the security risks.

But did you read the fine print? Wi-Fi hot spots are unsecured networks that hackers like to take advantage of. Everything--including your data, account information and passwords, Google searches, and finances--can become available to the hacker who wants it badly enough.

So before you pay your bills or write your genius business plan at the local cafe, get to know these … Read more