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All posts tagged "internet"


Monday, May 30, 2011

abroadband: Data Access for Travellers

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Windows Phone Talk" @ 09:00 AM

http://www.abroadband.com/

My friend Rafe Blanford pointed out this service, which I hadn't heard of until now. It looks interesting - at current rates, it's about 86 cents USD/CAD per MB, and they support SIMs, microSIMs, and USB sticks. That's not "I'm going to order a TV season on iTunes and download it all" cheap, but if you were careful about not downloading email attachments and were sparing with your Internet access, you could make a $40 investment last a week or two. While you can check your online balance easily, it seems this isn't a true pre-pay solution...the metre keeps running without stopping, so be careful what you decide to download.

Note that this is for data only: this is for your laptop, tablet, or I-only-want-Internet-phone. If you want to use your phone abroad and do voice calls, text, etc. you'll need to get a SIM from a wireless carrier. Anyone know of a service similar to this but for full phone service?


Tuesday, January 18, 2011

And When The Cloud Breaks, Your Data Will Fall...

Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home Talk" @ 08:00 AM

It's all about The Cloud these days - your data, you entertainment, your everything - stored on a service that you can access with any online connection. The benefits are many, but what you don't always hear about are the down-sides of everything being cloud-based. What if you get locked out of your account? I've heard of more than a few people that get locked out of their Gmail account or who can't access their Gmail calendar. It happens to Hotmail and Yahoo users as well. What if the company hosting your information deletes it, either accidentally or not, or goes out of business? That's not an uncommon problem. In terms of uptime most cloud services are fairly robust, when things go wrong, they can really ruin your day. Read more...


Thursday, December 9, 2010

Cut the Cord: Living in a Wireless World

Posted by Hooch Tan in "Digital Home News" @ 03:30 PM

http://blog.laptopmag.com/is-4g-goo...t#axzz17WpJKXFt

"What if all you needed to do was pick up a wireless modem and plug it in to the wall? Clear, the company behind Sprint’s 4G WiMax network, actually offers a $44.99 unlimited 4G home Internet plan today with a special home modem that doubles as an 802.11n router. And even though neither company offers a 4G plan designed for home users, the speed of T-Mobile’s 4G HSPA+ network and Verizon’s brand new 4G LTE network could make them home or small business options now or in the future."

Wireless Internet access in North America has seen an explosion of late. Gone are the days of poker 2G or even 2.5G connections where it takes longer to load up a webpage than it does to pass a bill through Congress. Granted, some areas in North America have access to Internet speeds in the double digits to transfer speeds, many still plod along with DSL and older Cable Internet connections. Wireless connections seem to have reached that level and in some ways even exceed those speeds. Laptop Magazine's test should be taken with a grain of salt though, as it can vary wildly from region to region, but going wireless is possible without any real sacrifice in the quality of conneciton that you get.

However, I think to truly take off, a few things do need to change. It is still more expensive to go fully wireless through a 3G or 4G connection, and the data caps are a lot lower. One thing that I am waiting to see is the bonding of multiple 3G/4G data connections into one plan. Up in the cold barren of Canada, Rogers does offer some plans where you can share certain devices, but it is not all inclusive. I have a 6GB bucket, which is adequate for a lot of use, however, it all has to go through my smartphone. As hard working as my Android is, I'd like to be able to split that bucket between my smartphone, a USB stick, a netbook with built in 4G and maybe a home router.

Has anyone already made the transition? Any suggestions you would make to those considering going wireless only? What challenges did you face? What quests did you have to undertake to reach the holy grail of cable free Internet?


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