Tether -- Engadget Mobile

tether posts

DROID tethering? It's coming early 2010, says Verizon

by Ross Miller posted Nov 4th 2009 @ 2:47AM

When the Motorola DROID debuts in Verizon Wireless stores bright and early this Friday, one nice little feature that won't be making an appearance yet is tethering, for computing with your laptop on-the-go when that Android 2.0 interface just won't cut it. We're pretty sure that missing functionality won't be lessening the early adopter crowds too much, but if you are so inclined, Gearlog's confirmed with VZW that its "Broadband Access Connect" tethering plan is indeed coming to the device, but not until sometime early 2010. Now, how about muscling Motorola and / or Google for some of that double-finger pointing our fine European friends get to indulge in?

MMS for iPhone 2G and tethering on OS 3.1.2 explained, not for the faint of heart

by Ross Miller posted Oct 19th 2009 @ 9:49PM

Let's be clear upfront that this isn't for the casual iPhone jailbreaker, but if you feeling like living on the edge, you can give your original model an added boost of MMS capability, or any device with OS 3.1.2 the power to tether. Highlighted in a series of tweets today by iPhone dev team lead MuscleNerd, whiterat (for MMS) and two-bit (for tethering) will get the job done, but both require tinkering with the baseband, which is exponentially more advanced and brick-inducing than, say, installing Cydia. Venture forth with the instructions beyond the read links below.

[Via 9 to 5 Mac]

Read - iPhone 2G MMS
Read - OS 3.1.2 tethering

PSA: tethering your iPhone on Rogers doesn't cost extra

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 19th 2009 @ 7:31PM

Hey, AT&T, Rogers stole your extended subsidy idea, so why not return the favor and copy some of this when you roll out iPhone tethering later this year? Canada's GSM giant is charging precisely nil for the pleasure of connecting your iPhone to a computer and using it as a modem, instead merely deducting bytes from your data bucket just as though you were consuming them on the iPhone itself -- as long as you have at least 1GB of data in your plan, otherwise tethering's not available. That works especially well in concert with those who have Rogers' sweet 6GB-for-$30 data add-on, but otherwise, many users (especially those with meager 1GB accounts) will have to be careful not to overrun their monthly limits. At any rate, the takeaway here is that if AT&T comes out with a $50-plus tethering add-on with a 5GB bucket at this point, there'll be riots, bloodied bodies, overturned cars, the whole nine yards.

[Thanks, Rod]

Update: Michael Bettiol points out that Rogers is ominously saying this pricing structure is good through December 31st, so it's anyone's guess what happens after that. Odds are Rogers is giving itself an out in case data usage is totally off the chain.

AT&T: we'll offer tethering on the iPhone

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 8th 2009 @ 5:24PM

It's been known since day one that iPhone OS 3.0 would support data tethering, and Apple took the opportunity at WWDC today to drive the point home by saying that it'd be launching the service with 22 carrier partners in 44 countries. Of course, it's easy to have assumed that AT&T wouldn't be one of those partners, but we've been told today by a company spokesman that it will be offering tethering on the device -- it just doesn't have any announcements to make at this time. Whether that means availability will be delayed (perhaps until the 7.2Mbps upgrade is built out) or they're just trying to hammer out pricing, we don't know, but it's a promising sign.

iPhone 3GS: Apple's codename for tomorrow's unveiling?

by Ross Miller posted Jun 7th 2009 @ 6:15PM

It's pretty much the eve of Apple's big WWDC press conference, and Daring Fireball's John Gruber is back at the eleventh hour to chime in some more on his previous (and perhaps well-informed) iPhone predictions. He sticks to his previous wagers -- twice the CPU speed, twice the RAM, a heavy emphasis on a new video camera (no word on if there's an additional front-facing one), and $199 / $299 for the 16GB and 32GB models, respectively -- but additionally chimes in that the new device's codename is... drumroll, please... the iPhone 3GS, which he surmises is probably going to be the final product name, as well. Kind of a yawner, if you ask us, but it'd sell like gangbusters no matter what it was called. As for that lowered-tiered iPhone, he's expecting it to be the current 3G model with a price drop to $99. Also on the table is iPhone tethering, which we already know was built into OS 3.0, likely for a fee chosen by each carrier. Teasing farther into the future, he suggests "Marble," codename for an OS X visual overhaul, and the tablet are very much real projects but that there's little to no chance it'll be at WWDC. No clue what the "S" stands for (speed, perhaps?), but at this point we're pretty much counting the minutes to tomrorow's keynote, and our clocks can't tick much faster.

Atheros AR6002 makes NEC's N-06A dual-mode handset a WiFi access point

by Darren Murph posted May 19th 2009 @ 8:00AM

We've seen oodles of dual-mode handsets, but none quite like this. Rather than boasting two radios, two keyboards or two faces, NEC's N-06A -- which is gearing up to debut on NTT DoCoMo over in Japan -- actually has two purposes. Aside from making calls on the carrier's FOMA network, the phone can actually double as a wireless access point when AP Mode is enabled. The handset packs a cutting-edge Atheros AR6002 module, which enables handsets to operate in infrastructure mode, the primary wireless connectivity framework employed in access points, routers, laptops and other WLAN devices. In other words, your netbook (and seven other WiFi-enabled devices) can hop online via your handset, and it's far easier than the wacky tethering methods we deal with today. Other specs include an 8.1 megapixel camera, HSDPA / WLAN models and a miraculous 3.2-inch touchscreen with an 854 x 480 resolution. There's no mention of a price or ship date for the handset, but more than that, we're thirsty for details on when this chipset will be featured in a handset that's headed to US soil. Check the full release after the break.

Gallery: NEC's N-06A dual-mode handset acts like a WiFi access point

Continue reading Atheros AR6002 makes NEC's N-06A dual-mode handset a WiFi access point

Is Google pulling tethering apps from the Android Market?

by Joshua Topolsky posted Mar 31st 2009 @ 9:55AM

According to folks over at Android Community, Google has begun to pull tethering applications from the G1's Market. One of the contributors to the "WiFi Tether for Root Users" app claims that the company is citing distribution agreements with carriers as the cause of the takedowns. In their words:

Google enters into distribution agreements with device manufacturers and Authorized Carriers to place the Market software client application for the Market on Devices. These distribution agreements may require the involuntary removal of Products in violation of the Device manufacturer's or Authorized Carrier's terms of service" Google Developer Distribution Agreement

Of course, this should come as quite a surprise, given statements T-Mobile's Cole Brodman made to us during the G1 launch last year, and Google's seemingly rampant interest in being the de facto open source mobile OS. It's not clear at this point if this is an isolated incident (possibly related to the root nature of the app), or just the beginning of a more widespread move. Google (and T-Mobile to some extent) -- we await your response.

[Thanks, Chris]

USB tethering, Publish Video and Find my iPhone found in OS 3.0

by Ross Miller posted Mar 18th 2009 @ 6:04PM

Apple touted quite a few new iPhone features at yesterday's OS 3.0 event, but now that the beta build is trickling out, there's been a bevy of unearthed discoveries to further pique our interests. First up, the gang at Boy Genius Report found an option to enable the "Find My iPhone" service in the MobileMe settings. Unfortunately, that's all we've got, but we wouldn't put it past Cupertino to build some me.com-linked location tracker that'd be the envy of Orwell himself -- hey, that'd be pretty useful if you accidentally left the mobile in a taxi. Also in the MobileMe section, it now says Publish Video when you go to publish an image. It's an odd typo, to be sure, and while video recording has been near the top of our wishlist for some time, we're not about to get our hopes up. Finally, Mac Rumors is reporting that a hacker has dug up and successfully activated the USB tethering capabilities. Apple's Scott Forstall had mentioned the devs were building it in, but were still in talks with the carriers. As to whether any or all of these functions will actually end up in the final OS 3.0 build, your guess is a good as ours. For now, check out more pics of the MobileMe additions after the break.

[Thanks everyone who sent this in!]

Read - Find My iPhone
Read - USB Tethering

Continue reading USB tethering, Publish Video and Find my iPhone found in OS 3.0

First T-Mobile G1 tethering "solution" comes to light

by Darren Murph posted Nov 4th 2008 @ 2:42PM

Are you excited? Giddy? You should be. The inevitable has occurred, and even though it's far from elegant (and far from guaranteed-to-work), tethering on the T-Mobile G1 is a go. According to a few users over at TmoNews, this particular solution enables owners to share the G1's data connection via USB, which -- for all intents and purposes -- is tethering. You're going to have to put in some serious ~~days~~ minutes to get everything up and running properly, but trust us, it'll be worth it. Navigate down to the links below for all the instructions you could ever need... hopefully.

[Via AndroidGuys]

Read - G1 tethering instructions
Read - TmoNews discussion

WalkingHotSpot software morphs your smartphone into WiFi router

by Sean Cooper posted Sep 11th 2008 @ 4:55PM

TapRoot system's WalkingHotSpot seems to deliver the cure for what ails many would-be tetherers by get the job done in a snap. For just $24.99 a year -- we do miss the free JoikuSpot days -- your Symbian S60 or UIQ phone, and Windows Mobile 6 device can be setup to act as a WiFi hotspot for you or anybody around you. Start the software, connect your laptop of what have you via WiFi -- which authenticates against the TapRoot servers -- and you are free to surf. Why the yearly fee and authentication via the WalkingHotSpot servers, you ask? Well, likely because they can, it helps curb piracy, or simply because it seems the software's original home was going to be carrier-based, and the infrastructure was planned that way. Not surprisingly, CEO Sean O'Leary was quoted as saying "Their first impression is cautiousness," of the carriers, as tethering has always been a bit of a gray -- and at times black -- area. They do offer a six day demo, so if you're curious, give it a whirl.

Sprint drops Phone-as-Modem plan to $15 per month, adds stipulations

by Darren Murph posted Aug 21st 2008 @ 4:58PM

So there's good news and bad news, and we're not even giving you the option of choosing which you'd prefer to hear first (hint: it's the good). Sprint has dropped the price of its Phone-as-Modem plan (capped at 5GB monthly) to just $15 per month. Now, the rest of the story. First off, you must own a Power Vision phone with connection capabilities to a laptop. Next -- unlike the old PAM plan which ran $49.99 / month all by itself -- this "attachable plan" requires you to have another data plan already on your account. For instance, the BlackBerry Personal Pack ($30 / month) or the Worldwide Data Plan ($70 / month). In the end, it looks as if tethering in and of itself got cheaper, but those newfound strings that are reportedly attached will likely cause some frustration.

[Via phonescoop]

Nope, no AT&T iPhone tethering plan (yet)

by Joshua Topolsky posted Feb 13th 2008 @ 9:08PM

So there's a rumor floating around the internets concerning AT&T, iPhones, and tethering. The story goes something like this: the word tether is mentioned in an AT&T notice about users upgrading to a new iPhone and being forced into another two-year agreement. Apparently, some folks who've only quickly browsed the document made the mistake of assuming that AT&T used the word "tether" the way we all know it best: computer-to-phone, modem-style tethering. Unfortunately, this is a semantic problem -- what AT&T's talking about is using the dock connector to activate the phone, and sync with your computer... not the other way around. So next time you hear someone talk about AT&T's "tethering" plan feel free to set 'em straight.

Rogers breaks out new data plans, Canadian jaws drop

by Sean Cooper posted Jan 20th 2008 @ 3:35AM

Rogers' Flex Rate Plan for PC Cards seem set to offer heavy data consumers a much needed break in the sometimes staggering world of wireless data prices. Plans range from $65 a month for 1 GB -- tethering is a go, of course -- to $100 a month for 5 GB of data. The surprising part of the plan is that it is tiered, so if you sign up on a 1 GB plan but use 1.2, you'll simply be bumped up to the tier 2 $75 a month plan, and not charged overages by the KB. Pretty grand news for the data greedy, thank you Rogers, job well done. Now, how about some smaller tiers for the light users?

[Thanks, Treatz]

Use your Windows Mobile 6 device as a cheapo wireless router

by Sean Cooper posted Jan 6th 2008 @ 9:19AM

The Internet brings us yet another use for a Windows Mobile 6 device to amaze your friends and confound your enemies, a wireless router on the cheap. Simply install the freeware / donation-ware WMWifiRouter software on your Windows handset and you -- plus friends and family -- will be surfing with it as your new router in minutes. Of course, as with any semi hack, a bit of reading is required, but if you hit up XDA Developers forums you're sure to glean all the knowledge required to get this working. We've not had a chance to check this out so feel free to drop us a line with your mileage. Oh, and if your mobile data plan isn't of the unlimited variety and doesn't include tethering, you may want to pass on this.

[Via JKOnTheRun]

Pulse for BlackBerry cuts the tethering cable

by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 4th 2006 @ 11:01PM

Sure, tethering 8700s to Macs is a neat trick -- but how about cutting the cable entirely? "Pulse" by Brain Murmurs aims to do exactly that, trading that pesky USB cable for the more convenient Bluetooth connection (and yeah, it's Mac compatible, to boot). Pearl users might have no concept of what we're talking about (on account of RIM's latest goodness coming with DUN in the box) but Pulse should be big news for 7130, 7290, and 8700 owners looking for a moderately less conspicuous way to pipe hot data from their phones into their PCs. Be sure to give us the down-low in comments if you get the chance to give this a whirl, eh?