The smallest USB 3G modems look like grossly over-sized thumb drives, while the biggest ones sport hinges or fold-out antennas that serve as tripwires for absent-minded businessmen with venti frappuccinos walking by your tiny little coffee shop table. Huawei's E583X detaches all that bother, acquiring a 3G wireless signal and then beaming it out again as WiFi, meaning you can leave it in your pocket and get a double-dose of microwaves. It sports a 1,500mAh battery, giving it five hours of independent living, and in emergencies it can act as a tethered modem as well. Sadly this first version will only accept a single WiFi connection, but future ones will allow four others to mooch your data plan. That it also blinks randomly like a prop out of Star Trek's utopian future is just an added bonus. It's set to light up Europe next month -- likely with some hideous contracts attached.

The promise of global data is finally becoming a reality for modem users on Verizon today with the release of its Novatel-sourced USB1000, a USB stick (hence the "USB" in the name, we're willing to bet) that features EV-DO Rev. A for domestic use plus triband HSPA when you're roaming around the globe. The stick itself runs $149.99 on contract after a $50 rebate, while monthly global data plans run from $129.99 for 100MB of data in 31 countries to $219.99 for 200MB; both plans include 5GB for use in the US and Canada. It'll be available online starting tomorrow.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Leaked carrier roadmap documents of unknown age and origin aren't necessarily the most accurate things in the world, but they are one very awesome, important thing: leaked. Pictured above is a fragment of one such spreadsheet that we've had the good fortune of receiving for T-Mobile USA -- obviously it's a little bit on the small slide, but no sweat, we'll walk you through what it's saying. Again, we wouldn't take these dates as the gospel truth, but we'd venture to say they're a good rough guide for what to expect out of these guys for the next few months. Move along for the full list!

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

We know that HSPA+ (also known as HSPA Evolution, depending on who you ask and which side of the bed they got up on that morning) is in the mix for AT&T ahead of LTE, and in order to make that launch a successful one, good data cards are a must. It looks like two of the cards coming out of the gate later this year will be the Option 393 -- an unassuming USB modem with a retractable plug and integrated microSD reader -- and the Sierra "Triple Lindy," a dual form factor ExpressCard in the same vein as the AirCard 402. The 393 will top out at 14.4Mbps down and 5.76Mbps up, while the Triple Lindy really burns rubber with 21.1Mbps down and 11.5Mbps up. Of course, all those speeds are purely theoretical -- but if we can even average 10 to 15 percent of that in real life, we're in good shape.

Okay, so maybe it's just a microSD-equipped smartphone's best friend, but you get the idea. Unlike traditional [insert flash format here]-to-USB adapters, Elan's Mobidapter provides a direct bridge from your microSD slot to your external USB hard drive. The result? Dead simple phone backups and file transfers, all without the use of a PC in the middle. Elan asserts that the currently unpriced device will begin shipping in mid-June, and if you're still baffled about how this thing operates, check the yawn-inducing demonstration vid after the break.

You might think that everything that could possibly be said or done with USB missile launchers had already been said and done, but you'd be wrong -- dead wrong. The next (final?) frontier for these staples of modern cube warfare has arrived in the form of an iPhone app, iLauncher, that'll allow you to control your PC-connected arsenal from afar over WiFi. It's the coolest use of a phone as a deadly weapon since James Bond ghost rode a Bimmer in Tomorrow Never Dies using some crazy one-off Ericsson, but air / ground supremacy doesn't come cheap: expect to spend $2.99 to nab this off the App Store.

The EU's already given micro-USB its blessing as the preferred charging standard for all things mobile, and now, CTIA has done the same in the States. The move makes perfect sense considering that the OMTP and GSM Association have both endorsed it -- and if there's one thing the entire universe can agree on, it's that proprietary connectors suck. Micro-USB is being lumped together with Energy Star compliance to form the Universal Charging Solution initiative with the goal of getting everyone on the same page by the beginning of 2012. We think that's a pessimistic goal, truth be told; tons of modern phones are already rocking micro-USB, so why can't we make this happen by, say, the beginning of 2010 instead?

[Via Phone Scoop]

What do you call a guy who can charge a Nokia, a Samsung, an LG, and a Sony Ericsson at the same time, all from the comfort of his laptop's USB port? A hero, that's what -- a hero who's purchased Brando's USB Multi-Charge Cable. Actually, we're fairly certain you'd run into a brick wall trying to charge any more than one device at a time, but at least you'll be prepared regardless of what kind of portable device gets thrown your way. At $13, it's going to run you a hell of a lot less than cables for each of those stupid proprietary connectors, too.

"T-Mobile USA" and "3G modem" aren't two things you frequently heard uttered in the same sentence -- but now that the number four carrier's got a budding HSPA network that's all dressed up with no place to go, it's time to start rolling out some serious hardware (G1 aside) to take advantage. On that note, T-Mobile's finally getting serious about laptop data, launching its rumored webConnect USB stick today with an integrated microSDHC slot, HSDPA 1900 / 2100 / AWS for compatibility in the US and abroad, and triband EDGE for those times -- and there will be many at first -- when you're out of 3G coverage. The webConnect launches today for $49.99 on a two-year contract after rebate or $249.99 contract-free.

We've known for some time that Verizon is fixated on dominating the global roaming market in the US -- or, at the very least, catching up to AT&T -- and to do that, they're going to need hardware capable of taking advantage of the very best speeds that those wild and majestic foreign lands have to offer. In other words, no EV-DO-only modem is going to cut it, and an EV-DO modem with a sprinkling of EDGE on the side is a consolation prize that's going to get frequent world travelers irked after a little while. To that end, we just witnessed this brick of a USB modem pass through the FCC bearing Verizon branding, the A3700 from ZTE. Name a frequency or wireless technology, the A3700 probably has it; in addition to EV-DO, it's got GSM / EDGE and HSPA, so your bases are pretty well covered wherever you happen to be (hell, it even has North America-friendly HSPA 850 / 1900 in there, though Verizon wouldn't dream of letting you stray from its own airwaves when you're stateside). Enticing, yes -- but considering that this is one of the ugliest modems we've seen in recent memory, you'd better really need that roaming capability when it gets around to launching.

It's hard to call two incidents of some occurrence around the world a trend, but, when those incidents both involve an electrical device catching fire spontaneously, it creates a situation that's hard to ignore -- especially when that device is the iPhone. On Saturday, Italian blogger Tim Colbourne was charging his 3G handset and, after three hours, it sparked and caught fire at the base. Tim did a little investigation and found a case of a Swedish handset doing the same thing back in 2008, making us a little concerned that there could be more melted chargers out there. Apple replaced that earlier phone after something of a fight, and while we're hoping they'll be a little friendlier here, we're also hoping this gives Cupertino another bit of incentive to go ahead and switch over to micro-USB already. All the cool kids are doing it, and you don't see their cables catching fire -- usually.

[Via Cult of Mac]

By all accounts, it looks like T-Mobile USA will be offering the Huawei-sourced webConnect USB Laptop Stick, starting March 25 -- but there's a catch: according to some internal documentation, it'll only be available to existing customers. In other words, go ahead and get ready to sign up for a T-Mobile phone if you want T-Mobile data, because it looks like they're trying to scam two lines of service out of anyone wanting in on the action. Perhaps more notable is the fact that service will run $59.99 monthly, which will give you the same 5GB AT&T and Verizon give you for the same price. You get HotSpot access for that rate, but still, T-Mobile's historically been known for undercutting the big guys -- wouldn't it have been great to see this go for $49.99 instead?

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Ready for a little AWS 3G action via USB stick? Oh, yeah? Then have a look at what just landed in the FCC's database: Huawei's UMG181. The USB mobile broadband modem should operate just fine on T-Mobile's US network, pulling down gigabyte after gigabyte onto your laptop and / or desktop. Outside of that, details are remarkably scant, but we reckon it won't be long before it's up for sale on the carrier's own site.

Why yes, FastMac -- we want 24 hours of talk time, 72 of audio, 20 of video, and 31 hours of standby on our iPhones and iPhone 3Gs. Throw in a camera flash that doubles as a flashlight, and the ability to charge a USB device like a Bluetooth headset right off the phone, and you've got a deal on this iV charging kit of yours! Oh, there's a catch? It's a wee bit bulky, with an aesthetic similar to that of mophie's Juice Pack? Hey, it could be worse. This largification -- along with $79.50 -- is apparently the price you pay for digital endurance.

[Via Macworld]

Let's be straight: nothing says "I'm a successful businessperson" quite like a dock for your smartphone. You know, smack in the middle of that solid oak desk of yours -- the one in the corner office. What, you say your fancy new BlackBerry Bold doesn't have connections for a proper dock? Well, hell, you've got hair plugs, spray-on tan, and a house in the Hamptons you can't afford, so why not take the charade to the next level? USB Fever's fabulously generic $20 cradle for the Bold will at least charge the thing, but if you want to get all crazy and sync up with your PC, you've got to suffer the indignance of a USB cable (coiled for your convenience) flopping off the side. Should look real professional next to the red Swingline and that stupid "Teamwork" perpetual motion rowing thing of yours, sport. You know what we're talking about.

[Via Gear Diary]