Tag: make magazine

  • Geek Tool: Turn your smartphone into a mobile wireless router

    Windows Mobile 6I have an ultra-swanky Smartphone. You know, one of those devices you see people carry around and you think… I’d like to be surfing the internet too!

    It takes 2 megapixel pictures, connects nicely to my Outlook, and a whole bunch of other nice features.

    But there was one thing it didn’t do that I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always wanted to be able to  be able to use my cell phone’s mobile internet connection to hook up my laptop. You know, you’re out on a boat in the middle of the lake and you just can’t browse the internet or post to YouTube or even blog quite like you’d want to. More importantly, I’ve been traveling and needed to do important things on my laptop and not had access to wireless. (Or not wanted to pay $10 for crappy wifi at an airport or conference center.)

    Well, now I can. I just installed a tiny program on my phone which allows me to convert my phone into a mobile wireless router.  This means that for the extra $20/month that I pay AT&T for my mobile internet connection I can now use my laptop too. Sure, it won’t be blazing Wireless N or even Wireless G. But it is basically Wireless B.

    This could even be a fix for folks who live rural and can’t get anything faster than broadband where they live. (Well, satellite… but that’s about the same speed as this for 1/2 the cost.)

    If you have a Windows Mobile 6 equipped Smartphone. Go here and try it for yourself. It’s a free program too.

    So next time you’re somewhere with me and you want to use your laptop to do stuff, just tell me to turn on my mobile router.

    HT to Make Magazine

  • USB Gloves: A gift for Kristen

    USB GlovesKristen suffers from cold hand disease. While not a real disease, it is annoying because Kristen likes to take her frigid fingers and try to touch me. (I am built like a human furnace and rarely get cold.)

    So when Kristen is typing on her computer, the aluminum keyboard gets her fingers extra cold.

    So here is the solution. For $22 she can get a pair of gloves that plugs into the USB of her iMac and warms her hands up! Though 125 degrees F may be a little too toasty.

    HT to Make Magazine