hotspots

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

The bottom line: The Internet connection protector Hotspot Shield encrypts your traffic to protect you from all kinds of spying while your computer communicates with the rest of the world. It's a must-have utility for anybody who uses public Wi-Fi networks.

Review: The Internet connection protector Hotspot Shield encrypts your traffic to protect you from all kinds of spying while your computer communicates with the rest of the world. It's a must-have utility for anybody who uses public Wi-Fi networks, but it's also an excellent tool for ensuring on any network connection that you can access sites … Read more

Better site-rendering speeds and an option to ditch ads called Elite have landed in the public Wi-Fi protector Hotspot Shield today. Published by the Mountain View-based AnchorFree, Inc., Hotspot Shield (download for Windows or Mac) claims to be the world's largest Virtual Private Network (VPN) with more than 10 million users. The Elite version gives upgraders multiple ad-free payment methods and plans, and offers site-load times that are "up to 100 percent faster" than the standard flavor of Hotspot Shield.

A version of Hotspot Shield that uses servers based in the United Kingdom, called Expat Shield (download), … Read more

Sprint has become the latest carrier to make changes to its data plans, although they are not as drastic as one might expect. So put the pitch forks away, at least for now.

The carrier isn't following Verizon by getting rid of its unlimited data plan, by come October 2 it will begin capping its mobile hostpot at 5GB per month for both new and existing subscribers.

This change will affect only those customers who pay for the $29.99 add-on plan and will not affect smartphone data use on the carrier's cellular network. Previously, Sprint subscribers were … 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

Need to send some e-mail while trekking in the Australian Outback or dog sledding on the Alaskan tundra? Or maybe you just want to check some game scores while sailing in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Satellite phone provider Iridium Communications introduced a new product today that will allow people traveling in remote parts of the world to access basic Internet functionality, such as e-mail and Web surfing, over its satellite communications network. Today, the company announced its AxcessPoint mobile Wi-Fi hot spot, which provides Web access to select smartphones and tablets via Wi-Fi.

The way it works is … 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

If you read my review of the XCom Global MiFi Hotspot earlier this year, you'll know that I became a big fan while covering the 2011 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Sure, the service is pricey, but the reward was fast Internet wherever I went across the city.

In fact, I was so enamored that I recommended XCom to my colleague Dan Terdiman for his 2011 CNET Road Trip. Yet, in Dan's case, XCom's inability to cover multiple countries with one device proved to be a serious drawback.

Though I only had to take only one MiFi Hotspot to last me in Spain, he had to take a device for each of the seven countries he visited. Not only is that a lot of gear to carry, but also you have to pay for each device separately. … Read more

AT&T is jumping into the actual 4G game with its first two LTE products.

The telecommunications giant plans to show off a laptop card called the USBConnect Momentum 4G and a mobile hot-spot device called the Elevate 4G--the first two devices that are compatible with its upcoming next-generation wireless network. The two products will be on display at an annual company showcase later today.

The two devices shouldn't be confused with AT&T phones and products that currently carry the 4G tag. The two new products will be compatible with a flavor of 4G called Long-Term … Read more