Your Guide To Wireless

BlackBerry Curve 8300 is Wi-Fi Friendly

First came the trim, consumer-friendly BlackBerry Curve 8300. Then came the Wi-Fi enabled BlackBerry 8820. Now there’s the BlackBerry Curve 8320, an impressive PDA phone that combines the best of the previous two models with an impressive bonus: While the 8820 supports Wi-Fi for data only, the 8320 permits you to make voice calls over Wi-Fi too. The 8320 is smaller, lighter, and curvier than the boxy 8820. Physically, the 8320 is the same as the original Curve. Unlike that device and the 8820, which AT&T offers, the 8320 is available from TMobile; it costs $300 with a two-year contract. The big news, however, is under the hood: In addition to support for GSM and EDGE networks, the 8320 has Wi-Fi with Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA), a technology that lets you make voice calls over Wi-Fi. It works with T-Mobile’s HotSpot@Home service, which allows unlimited calls over Wi-Fi. Though the service is pricey, it could lower your costs by reducing your used cellular voice minutes. Both the phone and the service by using one of T-Mobile’s HotSpot@ Home wireless routers, manufactured by Linksys. But the 8320 will connect to any 802.11b/g wireless network, so you can use your existing router or even a public hotspot to make calls and surf the Web. T-Mobile says that its router is designed to prioritize voice traffic in order to improve call quality. However, there is no significant improvement when using the T-Mobile router instead of your own Linksys wireless router. Call quality over both wireless networks was the same: decent, just as it was when used the phone over a regular cellular connection. Being able to make calls over Wi-Fi is a great option in areas where cellular service is spotty, though. For both voice calls and data usage, the 8320 will default to Wi-Fi. Should you leave the network’s range, the phone will switch your call to the cellular network and vice versa. Like all BlackBerry units, the 8320 is a stellar e-mail device. The 2-megapixel camera (which sports a flash and a 3X digital zoom) took good snapshots. It also has an audio and video player that supports most formats (including MP3, AAC, WMA, WMV, and MP4). The ability to make voice calls over Wi-Fi is very useful. And combined with the 8320’s sleek design and awesome e-mail handling, it makes a winning package.

Nokia’s Next Wi-Fi Internet Tablet

Nokia recently unveiled another Internet tablet to join its 770 model, but this one features faster performance, a full-screen QWERTY keyboard, improved Wi-Fi connections, an integrated Web camera, and a new design. The Nokia N800 Internet Tablet carries an estimated retail price of $399 and allows Internet calling, instant messaging, and, of course, email. The device runs on Nokia’s Linux-based operating system. Nokia also announced a development deal with Skype that will allow Skype users to make Internet t calls from the N800. Weighing a mere 7.27 ounces, the N800 features a high-resolution touchscreen with up to 65,536 colors, stereo speakers, and two internal memory card slots that support SD, miniSD, microSD, MMC, and RS-MMC (Reduced-Size MMC) cards. In addition to the aforementioned applications, the device includes the Opera 8 Web browser with Flash 7, a media player, Internet radio, an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed reader, a PDF viewer, a sketch program, file manager, backup and restore, an image viewer, calculator, and more. For wireless connections, the N800 supports 802.11b/g. [tags]Nokia[/tags]

KYOCERA KPC650

The fastest high-speed cellular card will keep your laptop connected on the road. Surfing at average speeds of 700 Kbps on Verizon’s network, which now covers over 170 major cities in the U.S. and Canada. www.verizonwireless.com [tags]KYOCERA, Mobile Card[/tags]

Go for Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a great technology for connecting wireless headsets and making data transfers. However, while plenty of cell phone and handhelds have Bluetooth built in, most desktop PCs and many notebooks lack support for the technology out of the box. The solution: a USB Bluetooth adapter about the size of a thumb drive that you can plug into your PC when you need it, yet is small enough to throw into a laptop bag. I suggest with D-Link’s DBT-120, which costs about $30, but cheaper models are available online and at your neighborhood computer store. And browse to find here to read about new Wireless technology, which the company claims enhances Bluetooth. [tags]Bluetooth, USB adapter[/tags]

Nokia Testing Wi-Fi Mobile Call

Nokia has started testing in Finland a technology where people can make calls seamlessly between Wi-Fi and phone network using pilot Nokia phones. When these users are within range of a Wi-Fi network, the call would be routed as a VOIP call and the user moves out of range, the call will move seamlessly to a GSM phone network. [tags]Nokia, Wi-Fi Phone[/tags]

Skype WiFi Phone Anytime, Anywhere

Skype is changing the world of communications by allowing users to talk from PC to PC for free using Internet telephony. Skype's limitation is that users needed to be near a PC with an Internet connection. NetGear is taking Skype to the next level with Skype WiFi Phone, which leverage wireless internet networks to allow users to make free calls to other Skype users anywhere in the world, anytime there is WiFi access, without a PC. The phone's display shows all of a user's contacts who are...

No Microphones Needed

Make cheap Internet calls without headphones and microphone's with SMC Network's Wi-Fi Phone for Skype. The WSKP100, a wireless Internet phone, comes with Skype software installed so you can make free call to Skype users anywhere in the world. Just get connected via any Wi-Fi connection whether you are at home or at a cafe, and the phone will automatically register to a Skype account and contacts. The phone can be recharged from any USB socket, and deliverys 3 hour of continuous talk time...