Mobile Broadband Gets Boost

16 leading tech firms including Dell, Asus, Lenovo, Vodafone and 3 have announced a collaboration which will see mobile broadband chips embedded in notebooks and other other devices from this Christmas. In the same way that Wifi users had to buy external cards before being built in as standard, it is hoped that mobile broadband - which is already proving to be very popular - will be boosted by being embedded in the machines.

The initiative, led by the GSM Association, has seen the creation of a new Mobile Broadband service mark (seen left) which will indentify the computers with the new connectivity option. Buying a computer with this symbol should mean being able to take it out of the box and start surfing straight away, depending on network coverage.

Network coverage will most likely be critical to this. I use high speed internet through 3 on my mobile phone. In London, it works brilliantly but on a recent trip to Liverpool, the service was very patchy. Buyers in rural areas may also find it a challenge to get internet access at useful speeds.

Free Nokia Handset With Mobile Broadband from Vodafone

Vodafone are giving away a free pay as you talk Nokia 1208 handset to customers who take up their mobile broadband offering on a 12, 18 or 24 month contract. To benefit from the offer, just sign up for mobile broadband use the voucher code mobilebb01 during checkout.

Click here to visit the Vodafone Mobile Broadband page.

Offer available whilst stock lasts.

Free Elonex Webbook with Orange Mobile Broadband

Carphone Warehouse have come up with a stonking deal to give you a free ultra portable Windows XP notebook when you opt for mobile broadband from Orange.

The Elonex Webbook is one of the new breed of ultra portable notebook computers, weighing only 1.3kg and offering a 10.2" widescreen display. It has an 80gb hard drive and 512mb Ram, and comes pre loaded with Windows XP, Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, making it the perfect internet and email device.

This tasty bit of gadgetry comes free of charge thanks to Carphone Warehouse when you take out mobile broadband from Orange, on a 3gb download limit per month, for £25/month for 24 months.

This is a great solution for a student, or just anybody that wants an affordable way to access the internet on the move. For more information, visit the Carphone Warehouse website.

Demonstrating Mobile Broadband From 3

I put this video together to show easy it is to setup and use mobile broadband from 3. In the example, I am using their cool new modem stick, the Huawei E169G.

Find out more information about mobile broadband internet options.

Asus Eee PC Discount Code @ Dixons

The Eee PC is our new favourite gadget, and perfect for mobile computing. Dixons are selling the 4gb model for £249.99 which isn't particularly cheap as we've seen better deals elsewhere, but they have just released some 10% discount codes on the Blue, Pink and Green models which takes the price down to a more attractive £225.


Click here, select Blue Eee PC and enter the discount code EEEPCBLUE to get 10% off.

Click here, select Pink Eee PC and enter the discount code EEEPCPINK to get 10% off.


Click here, select Green Eee PC and enter the discount code EEEPCGREEN to get 10% off.

No news on when the code expires, but we will update this blog post when the offer ends.

Using Sony Ericsson K850i as Modem With Asus Eee PC

I got my Eee PC on Monday (see my Eee PC Review) and to be honest, I imagined that connecting it to the internet with my Sony Ericsson K850i would be a major pain, whilst still using the supplied Xandros Linux distribution. Connecting using my Windows laptop and Sony software isn't always that reliable anyway, so I had very low expectations and was fully expecting to have to install XP to be able to get my phone recognised.

I was wrong, it's easy.

I was looking at the EeeUser forum and took heart from a couple of threads so just gave it a go. I connected my K850i to the USB port, went into Connections, added a dial up connection, selected my phone as the modem and entered *99# as the phone number number with "username" and "password" for the password. At this point, the instructions I saw for other handsets implied I'd have to change some other config files but being the impatient type, I just tried connecting. I couldn't quite believe it when it promptly connected up with no problems at all, and I was surfing the web using my phone as the modem. This thing is so cool, and makes mobile computing a lot more mobile than it has been previously.

And not only is it possible to connect with the supplied Linux, it is actually better than doing the same thing in Windows and using the awful clunky Sony software.

Asus Eee PC Review

You might well have seen the Asus Eee PC featured elsewhere, as this cool bit of kit is garnering positive headlines and reviews all over the place. Basically, it's an ultra mobile notebook computer which is very light and very portable. It doesn't have an optical media drive, and it doesn't have a hard drive - opting instead for some solid state memory - which means there's no moving parts and it's really light.

I took delivery of my Eee PC (4GB Black) this morning and you can see from this video how small it is - about the size of an A5 flyer - and quick it is to setup and get working.



First thoughts are that it really is very simple to use. It comes pre loaded with a Linux distribution and probably all the applications most people will need - a web browser (Firefox), OpenOffice, some games as well a multimedia applications and Skype. It's all very straightforward to use and intuitive too. Extending it beyond the default setup by installing new applications is probably a bit trickier than anyone from a Windows background will be used to though.

On most models there is a webcam built in ("Surf" models don't have this) and the quality is good although the Instant Messenger client it comes with, Pidgin, doesn't support its use at the current time. It does work with Skype, however.

As a mobile PC, I love it. It's small, rugged and easy to throw in a bag and take anywhere. It's cheap enough to not care too much if it gets the occasional knock or scratch. My existing Sony Vaio laptop is in theory a portable computer but generally I find that its great for moving around the house but actually taking it out with me is an arduous task as it requires its own bag and its kind of heavy. Not with the Eee Pc. I can seriously imagine taking this almost anywhere and it will be great for a traveller. I'm going to France this weekend and I specifically ordered this before I go because it's just perfect for that kind of thing. It has Wifi and ethernet connectivity options so you should have no problems getting it online wherever you go.

It's also possible to get Win XP on there which I am going to attempt at some point so I can link up my Sony Ericsson 3G phone using one of the three USB 2.0 ports and enjoy truly mobile working. Using one of these with a USB dongle would also be a great mobile solution.

Eee PC is definitely recommend by myHotspots.

UPDATE: Where can you get it? (01/04/08)

I got an email asking where I got my Eee PC, as it does seem to sell out very quickly or some retailers or putting the price up when they do get limited stock. I got mine from BT Shop for about £228, with black being the only colour in stock at time of writing but other colours due back soon.

They are also available from Marshall Ward for about the same price and available in all colours.

Mobile Broadband Spells End Of Wifi Hotspots?

Johan Bergendahl, Chief Marketing Officer at Ericcson, has used his keynote speech at the European Computer Audit, Control and Security Conference to predict that mobile broadband will consign wifi hotspots to the dustbin of history.

He told his audience that Wifi hotspots would soon become outdated, adding: "Hot spots at places like are becoming the telephone boxes of the broadband era". He also pointed out that the best selling phone in Sweden is in fact a USB Modem.

It's hard to argue with his analysis. Wifi Hotspots continue to serve a purpose, but they are often expensive and unarguably less convenient than having mobile broadband wherever you are, though a USB dongle or by using your phone.

For more information on mobile broadband in the UK, check out our dedicated mobile broadband internet page.

For more reaction to Bergendahl's speech, check out these links.

• Computer World
• Tech.co.uk
  

What do you think? Do you see a future for the Wifi Hotspot?

Pay As You Go Mobile Broadband

If you want internet wherever you are and don't want to tie yourself into a lengthy contract of between 12 and 24 months, 3 have launched a Pay As You Go (PAYG) Mobile Broadband service.

You buy a USB modem from 3 from £49.99 and then simply buy top ups like you would for a pre-pay, pay as you go mobile phone.

Find out more by going to the 3 website.

Update: See our demonstration of mobile broadband from 3

Mobile Broadband Deals Compared

We've put together a comparison of the various mobile broadband deals being offered by the main network operators - 3, T-Mobile and Vodafone. We've shown the various pricings and speeds for services on 12, 18 and 24 Month contracts.

Vodafone Cuts Cost Of Mobile Broadband

In response to the very good deals being offered by 3 and T-Mobile, Vodafone has cut the cost of their mobile broadband service from £30 a month to £15 a month. They offer blistering download speeds of up to 7.2mbps and a choice of contract lengths - 12, 18 and 24 months. At 12 months, you pay £99 for your modem - at 24 months you get it for free.

If you don't fancy an ongoing contract, they also have a "30 day" option which is similar really to a pay as you go scheme. That option is £20 a month, and again you pay £99 for the modem.

Find out more about Vodafone's new competitive price plans for mobile broadband.

T-Mobile's Mobile Broadband Gets Better

T-Mobile has improved it's mobile broadband internet offering. Firstly, all new customers also willr receive free access to T-Mobile's network of wifi hotspots, often placed in Starbucks. They have also introduced packages which means you can get mobile broadband through a dongle at speeds of 1.8mbps from only £20 per month.

Check out the latest deals from T-Mobile for their mobile internet access.

Joikuspot Turns Your Nokia Smartphone Into a Wifi Hotspot

Joikuspot is a new piece of sofware that you can download and install on your Nokia Smartphone which will turn it into a wifi hotspot. Perfect for sharing one mobile broadband connection between multiple computers, PDAs or iPod Touch simaltaneously.

Find out more by checking out their website: Joikuspot

3 Launch Mobile Internet with USB Dongle

We've blogged before about T-Mobile's mobile broadband service, and now 3 have a high speed offering too. Actually, there service is slightly quicker because it works at 3.5g using HSDPA.

Like T-Mobile, you get a small, simple USB dongle that you plug into your laptop or PC. Before you know it, you have blistering broadband without the need for a fixed telephone line.

3 have decided not to offer unlimited access but have three different packages at cheaper prices: Broadband Lite (1gb), Broadband Plus (3gb) and Broadband Max (7gb).

Prices vary depending on the package and the duration of the contract - visit 3's site for full tariff details or to sign up.

Mobile Internet with Web 'n' Walk

If you regularly use wifi hotspots or need internet access on the move, you might want to check out T-Mobile's Web 'n' Walk packages. From £29 a month (inc VAT), you can get unlimited internet access on the move -just sign up, and receive a USB dongle data card.

Using a BT Openzone hotspot can be expensive. A 1hr voucher is £6 and a £24 hour is £10. Compared with those prices, £29 for unlimited access - wherever you are - certainly seems favourable.

Broadband is delivered via 3g and speeds of upto 1.8mbs and offered. Devices like this previously were promoted only to the business sector, but with prices coming down and new consumer packages available, will 3G data cards spell the end for wireless hotspots?

Visit T-Mobile's website for more information.