aircard

Get a T-Mobile prepaid 4G USB aircard for $19.99

Mobile hot spots are popular items these days, but there's something to be said for the plug-and-play simplicity of a USB aircard. Pop it into your laptop and presto, you've got broadband. And because it draws on your laptop's beefy battery, it's one less thing to keep charged (and one less charger to bring along).

For a limited time, T-Mobile has the refurbished Rocket 3.0 4G Laptop Stick for $19.99 shipped, plus a $15 prepaid data refill card. Regular price: $79.99 (plus $15, natch).

The Rocket measures 1.1 inches x 3.4 … Read more

Get a Virgin Mobile Prepaid 3G Modem for $59.88

Looking for cheap 3G service for your laptop? It doesn't get much cheaper than this: Walmart has the Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go Ovation MC760 for $59.88 shipped (plus sales tax).

As recently as a year ago, this USB modem sold for $149.99.

What I like, and have always liked, about Virgin's 3G options is the lack of contracts and monthly minimums. You pay for airtime as you need it.

That's a huge plus over modems from the likes of Sprint and Verizon, which typically lock you into two-year contracts. (As it happens, Virgin Mobile is actually … Read more

Get a CradlePoint mobile Wi-Fi hot spot for $49.99

This is an update of a deal I wrote about last year.

I'm a longtime fan of the Verizon MiFi 2200, a pocket-size 3G modem that doubles as a Wi-Fi hot spot. Just one problem: it costs $269 and locks you into a two-year contract with Verizon. Service starts at $35 per month (for a mere 3GB of data).

You can accomplish much of the same thing with the CradlePoint PHS300, currently on sale at UnlockedCellPhoneKings via Amazon for $49.99 shipped. The only difference is, it's BYO cell phone or wireless card.

In other words, you have … Read more

Get a Virgin Mobile Prepaid 3G Modem for $78.54

One of my all-time favorite products is also one of the most underrated and overlooked. It's the Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go Ovation MC760, a 3G broadband modem for laptops. It originally sold for $149.99, but now you can get one for just $78.54 shipped (plus sales tax in some states).

What separates the MC760 from other "aircard" modems? The biggie: it requires no two-year contract (no contract at all, in fact) and no monthly minimum. You pay for airtime as you need it.

That's a huge plus over modems from the likes of Sprint and … Read more

Get a CradlePoint mobile Wi-Fi hot spot for $99.99

I'm a huge fan of the Verizon MiFi 2200, a pocket-friendly 3G modem that doubles as a Wi-Fi hot spot. Just one problem: it locks you into a two-year contract with Verizon and costs a minimum of $40 per month--$60 if you opt for the unlimited-data 5GB data plan.

You can accomplish much of the same thing with the CradlePoint PHS300, currently on sale at Buy.com for $99.99 shipped. The only difference is, it's BYO wireless card.

In other words, you have to supply the modem; the PHS300 turns it into a secure Wi-Fi hot … Read more

Samsung Omnia 2 coming August 23?

Since we posted a First Take of Samsung's Omnia 2 back in June, a lot of readers have been asking when Verizon would actually begin selling it. Well, according to the good folks over at the Boy Genius Report (who have a "trusted mole" at Best Buy Mobile), the much-anticipated iPhone pretender will be launching August 23, along with several other phones from different carriers.

Here's the complete list that leaked:

Omnia 2 (Verizon) Global AirCard G2 (Verizon) Samsung Rogue (Verizon) LG Chocolate Touch (Verizon) Samsung u450 Intensity (Verizon) Samsung Gravity 2 (T-Mobile) Samsung Solstice (AT&… Read more

The Gizmo Report: Option's GT Max 3.6 Express for AT&T

You might wonder why I'm posting again so soon after that twelve-post blogging marathon at Hot Chips. Well, I got a new gizmo last night and I just had to write about it.

Two years ago yesterday, I bought a Sierra Wireless AirCard 860 (a PCMCIA cellular modem card) from Cingular for my Apple PowerBook G4. I also… Read more