PC Today Volume 6 Issue 1

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by  Sandhills Publishing

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Table Of Contents
Volume 6 • Issue 1
January 2008
www.pctoday.com
Wi-Fi To Go
“Got Wi-Fi?” is the question increasing numbers of peo-
ple ask nowadays when they check into a hotel or enter
a restaurant. With Wi-Fi hotspot providers adding more
and more locations in order to meet the demands of cor-
porate travelers and other mobile-minded customers,
manufacturers are chiming in by adding Wi-Fi capabil-
ities to a wider array of devices. This issue’s featured
articles look at the state of Wi-Fi in smartphones and
consumer electronics.
22
Wi-Fi In Smartphones
The Present & Future
26
Wi-Fi-Friendly Smartphones
Stay Connected No Matter Where You Go
30
Wi-Fi Gets Into Your Gadgets
Get More Than You Expect From
Your Electronic Devices
36
VoWiFi
VoIP Gets Cordless
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85380, Lincoln, NE 68501-5380. Subscriber Services: [phone].
Calling Comfort & Convenience................................42
Use Your Treo’s Hands-Free Features
Web Surfing For Nokia Smartphones..........................44
Put The Web In The Palm Of Your Hand
New & Updated Mobile Software..............................46
Do More With Your Mobile Device
Reviews
Cell Phone Docking Stations....................................48
Never Miss A Call With These Handy Devices
USB Devices For Mobile Pros..................................50
Store, Scan, Connect & More
44 SURF ON HDTV To Go........................................................52
Catch Shows On Your Notebook Without Breaking The Bank
YOUR NOKIA
Com One Bluetooth Accessories...............................55
Set Your Music Free
HP Pavilion dv2500t..............................................56
A Crossover Notebook
Logbook
Toshiba Qosmio G45.............................................57
We’ve Got Your Numbers.........................................5
HD & Then Some
Noteworthy..........................................................6
Tech To Watch......................................................8 NeatReceipts Neat Business Cards............................58
The Next USB CardScan Team...................................................58
Unwired
My Mobile.........................................................14
The Latest Updates & Services For Your Mobile Phone
Improve Your Wi-Fi Connection................................16
Replacement Antennas Boost Signals & Work Areas
Access Your Web Favorites Anywhere........................18
Online Bookmarks Travel With You
Optimize Your Mobile Search...................................20
Choose The Ideal Mobile Search Tool For Your Queries
Multitasking
Use Google On Your BlackBerry................................40
Chat, Check Email & Find Your Way
Tech To Go Special Products Section
Nokia N810 Internet Tablet 10
48
JUST
Barracuda Networks Barracuda Message Archiver 11
MDI kwikSynCh Dual Charger 12 DOCK IT
Ambir Technology Scan2Contacts
& Ambir A6 Card Scanner 13
CCuussttoommeerr SSeerrvviiccee
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Sony Reader Digital Book.......................................59 Lincoln, NE 68521
SSuubbssccrriippttiioonn RReenneewwaallss
Magellan Maestro 4050.........................................59
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The Best New iPod & iPhone Accessories....................60 Fax: [phone]
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Travel 131 W. Grand Drive
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Construction Zone................................................62
EEddiittoorriiaall SSttaaffff:: Ronald D. Kobler / Calvin
The Latest Hotel & Airport News
Clinchard / Raejean Brooks / Nate Hoppe / Corey
Russman / Christopher Trumble / Ashley
Chicago’s O’Hare Airport........................................64
Kumpula / Katie Dolan / Michael Sweet / Sheila
Instant Guide To ORD Allen / Joy Martin / Linné Ourada / Vince Cogley
/ Tara Simmons / Leah Houchin / Patrick Kean /
All Clear............................................................65 Heather Hoffart / Marty Sems / Blaine Flamig /
Kylee Dickey / Josh Gulick / Andrew Leibman /
The Clear Registered Traveler Program Saves You Time
Jennifer Johnson / Nathan Lake / Tessa Breneman
/ Seth Colaner / Lindsy Mercer / Chris Dunker
WWeebb SSttaaffff:: Laura Curry / Kristen Miller / Jessie
Business Travel 911 Danekas
SSuubbssccrriippttiioonn RReenneewwaallss:: Connie Beatty /
Business Travel Emergency?...................................66 Charmaine Vondra / Linda Miner / Miden Ebert /
Kathy DeCoito / Stephanie Contreras
Go To PCToday.com For Answers
AArrtt && DDeessiiggnn:: Lesa Call / Ginger Falldorf / Carrie
Benes / Fred Schneider / Sonja Warner / Aaron D.
Solve Wireless Internet Connection Problems...............68
Clark / Lori Garris / Jason Codr / Andria Cogley /
Deal With A Crashed PDA.......................................70 Lindsay Anker / Andrew Arkwright / Amber
Edwards
Solve Notebook-Projector Setup Problems...................72
MMaarrkkeettiinngg:: Mark Peery / Kelly Richardson / Greg
Krzycki / Chad Hanthorn / Scot Banks / Lindsay
Albers / Jeff Ashelford / Thomas Trumble / Holly
Departures Hopkins / Jacqelle Lane / Brittany Gallagher /
Katie Shanahan / Jaime Link / Carrie Schardt /
The Business End.................................................74 Andrew Kelly
BBuussiinneessss DDeevveellooppmmeenntt:: Bob Chester
Garmin Expands On Mobility
AAddvveerrttiissiinngg SSaalleess:: Susan Miller / Matt Bolling /
Marcy Kremer / Eric Cobb / Jen Clausen /
The Delayed Traveler............................................76
David Bartholomai / Matt Johns / Johanna
Admit It, This Is The First Page You Turned To Bohrer / Jon Sims
Logbook
NuWe’ve mGot Your bersCompiled by Linné Ourada
1
The Apple iPhone has become AT&T’s No. 1 seller, accounting for 13% of the company’s total handset sales. These
numbers have placed the iPhone as the fourth top-selling handset device in the United States.
SOURCE: STRATEGYANALYTICS
24
Although there is a growing interest in mobile banking, consumers are still a little
apprehensive to adopt the idea due to security concerns and lack of awareness.
37% of those surveyed in the Americas would like to use some form of mobile
banking. However, 44% cited security concerns,
while 56% were unaware as to whether their banks For 24% of polled
offered such services. Americans, it ap-
pears that the
SOURCE: SYBASE
Internet could
serve as a replace-
ment for a signifi-
60 cant other . . . for
80
When it comes to mo- better or for worse, in sickness and in health.
bile advertising, U.S.
SOURCE: ZOGBYINTERNATIONAL/463 COMMUNICATIONS
mobile phone users
are downright annoyed. According
Internet users around the world
to a recent survey, 80% of re- 78 Although the idea
are conducting about 1.4 million
spondents said that getting text gained lots of atten-
searches per minute, and nearly
message advertisements from tion this past year, it
60% of it goes through Google,
a company would be “totally looks as though cell phones and
according to August stats from
unacceptable.” airplanes just don’t mix. In a re-
ComScore.
cent survey, 78% of travelers said
SOURCE: INGENIO/HARRISINTERACTIVE
that mobile phones should not be
allowed on flights.
44,,000000
SOURCE: TRIPADVISOR
Britons love to text. In fact, they really
love to text. In September, nearly 4.8
billion SMS messages were sent in the Looks like airports are the main spot for hotspots.
UK, which breaks down to about 1.2 Airports accounted for 46% of the total Wi-Fi hot-
billion texts per week and spot usage worldwide, with 900,399 Wi-Fi sessions
173 million texts per day. recorded for the first half of 2007. The top five air-
That’s approximately ports for Wi-Fi usage were Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-
4,000 text messages Fort Worth, Hartsfield-Jackson, San Francisco, and
every second. London Heathrow.
SOURCE: MOBILEDATAASSOCIATION SOURCE: IPASS
PCToday/January2008 5
Logbook
Noteworthy
Compiled by Kylee Dickey
Sprint BlackBerry Pearl 8130 Supports Sprint TV TSA Makes It Easier To Clear
Security Checkpoints
New to the Sprint lineup is the BlackBerry Pearl 8130, which provides
access to the Sprint Music Store, Sprint TV, and Sprint OnDemand. In
addition to these services, this smartphone has an integrated GPS, a
2MP camera, and Bluetooth. You can also add more memory to this
The TSA (Transportation Security
BlackBerry using the phone’s microSD card slot. The GPS capabilities
Administration) has launched a
include voice navigation, driving directions, 3D animated maps, and
new program called SimpliFLY
traffic alerts. The BlackBerry Pearl 8130 is priced at $499.99.
to educate travelers about security
procedures. At www.tsa.gov/trav
Samsung Announces FlipShot U900 With Business Card Scanner elers/airtravel/simplifly.shtm,
travelers can find information
The Samsung FlipShot U900 is now available exclusively through about how to layer items to make
the Verizon Wireless Web site ($199.99 with a two-year contract; carry-on bag inspections easier and
www.verizonwireless.com). This mobile phone features a 3MP cam- quicker. The site also provides
era and a hinged, rotating display. It incorporates Bluetooth technology for use guidelines for which items must
with Bluetooth headsets, wireless printers, and similar accessories. The most come out of your carry-on bag and
significant feature of the FlipShot U900, though, might be its built-in business which may remain packed when
card scanner, perfect for taking on the road for business meetings. you go through a security check-
point. The TSA also offers links to
information about allowed con-
AT&T Now Offers Mobile Banking
tainers of liquids and gels, medica-
tions, tools, and food. Finally, the
You can now manage your finances directly
SimpliFLY page also has a link to
from your AT&T mobile phone. AT&T’s new
average wait times at security
encrypted mobile banking platform lets users
checkpoints at major airports.
check account balances, transfer funds between
bank accounts, and pay bills online using their
Symantec Secures
mobile phones. The new service is currently
Smartphones
available to Wachovia and SunTrust banking
customers. New AT&T handsets will include
Symantec’s Norton security soft-
the banking features, but customers with older
ware has come to smartphones.
AT&T handsets will be able to download the
The company now offers Norton
banking application.
Smartphone Security for Windows
Mobile 5/6 and Symbian 9 plat-
forms. This product includes not
3G Devices Make Up More Than Half Of Mobile Handset Sales
only virus protection, but also a
set of tools to protect SMS (Short
According to a report issued by Strategy Analytics, 3G Message Service) content. Norton
(third-generation) mobile handsets now consume 55% of Smartphone Security offers a fire-
consumer handset sales in the U.S. In Q3 2007, the most wall and antispam technology for
popular phones, according to sales figures, were Motorola’s SMS. The program is available as a
RAZR V3 and RAZR V3m, LG’s VX8300, Apple’s iPhone, subscription service through www
and LG’s Chocolate VX8550 and Chocolate VX8500. Other .symantecstore.com or as a retail
top mobile handsets included devices by Samsung and product for
Sanyo, as well as other models from Motorola and LG. $29.99.
6 January2008 /www.pctoday.com

Logbook
Tech To Watch
The Next USB
T
he plucky USB has HP, Microsoft, NEC, NXP with USB 3.0 will take about nonprofit organization that
made its way into al- Semiconductors, and Texas 70 seconds. supports all things USB. By
most all aspects of our Instruments have thrown Although details are scant, the end of 2008, we could see
digital lives. The ubiquitous their collective technological the USB 3.0 Promoter Group USB 3.0 chipsets appearing in
interface can transmit power expertise behind the fledg- is designing USB 3.0 to be PCs and notebooks, but most
and data to and from a mul- ling standard to enable ap- backward-compatible with experts anticipate USB 3.0
titude of devices, making it plications not previously older USB ports, but, as you products to start appearing en
the sliced bread of the PC in- possible with current USB, might expect, speeds will de- masse in 2009 and 2010.
dustry. According to recent such as HD media stream- fault to the slowest protocol by Andrew Leibman
figures from In-Stat, 6.2 billion ing, and file transfers of up in the chain. Like USB 1.1 and
USB devices have shipped to and beyond 25GB. Other 2.0 devices, USB 3.0 devices
since 2001, with 2.1 billion applications currently using will be Plug and Play. The Five Reasons
of those shipping in 2006 USB 2.0, such as external new standard will empha- To Watch
alone. The latest revision of hard drives, flash cards, size low power consumption,
the standard, USB 3.0, is on high-capacity thumb drives, reliability, and superior effi-
the horizon, and this is one and camcorders, have the ciency compared to current- 1Just imagine sync-
technology you’re going to potential to greatly benefit gen devices. The current cable ing your PDA, smart-
want to keep your eye on. from the higher bandwidth and interface used to connect phone, or notebook in a
In September 2007, Intel capabilities of USB 3.0. Ac- USB 2.0 devices is composed tenth of the time it cur-
announced the formation of cording to Jeff Ravencraft, of copper, but to achieve the rently takes.
the USB 3.0 Promoter Group, chairman of the USB 3.0 Pro- sky-high data rate of 4.8Gbps,
which hopes to develop a moter Group, downloading USB 3.0 will require an optical 2Expand your PC or
new standard that is 10 times a 27GB HD movie today cable. To retain the standard’s notebook’s storage
faster than the current USB with USB 2.0 takes about 15 backward compatibility, USB with an external hard
2.0 raw data rate of 480Mbps. minutes. That same transfer 3.0 chipsets will still support drive that can outperform
data over copper (at USB 2.0 an internal hard drive.
speeds). The current length
USB 3.0 will take the devices you use today
limit for USB 2.0 cabling is 3It won’t require you
to a whole new level.
about 5 meters, but there’s to toss out your old
no word yet on whether that USB stuff.
length will be possible at USB
3.0’s current proposed speeds. 4It will greatly reduce
As we went to press, USB the slowdown you
3.0 was still in the prototype experience when con-
stages, but the USB 3.0 Pro- necting multiple USB de-
moter Group expects to de- vices to the same hub.
liver the final draft of the
standard in the first half of 5In conjunction with
this year. Following approv- high-capacity por-
al, logo compliance testing table storage, it will en-
and marketing will likely able you to take more
be handed off to the USB data with you wherever
Implementer’s Forum, the you go.
8 January2008 /www.pctoday.com