See other Science/Tech Articles
Title: New Wi-fone service from T-Mobile: Hotspot @ Home
Source:
Boing Boing
URL Source: http://www.boingboing.net/
Published: Jul 6, 2007
Author: Boing Boing
Post Date: 2007-07-06 19:45:29 by Zipporah
Keywords: None
Views: 53
Comments: 4
New Wi-fone service from T-Mobile: Hotspot @ Home Snip from NYT piece by David Pogue about "T-Mobile HotSpot @Home" -- which could save you a bundle But when it’s in a Wi-Fi wireless Internet hot spot, this phone offers a huge bargain: all your calls are free. You use it and dial it the same as always — you still get call hold, caller ID, three-way calling and all the other features — but now your voice is carried by the Internet rather than the cellular airwaves. Link to the NYT review, and here's the dedicated T-Mobile website for this product. Here's another (positive) review at ZDNet, and another at BusinessWeek. Want! (via NYCwireless) One bummer: they're only offering two phones with this service right now -- the Nokia 6086 and Samsung t409, both clunky flipphones, $50 with 2-year contract. Apparently, the sound quality is terrific (particularly over 802.11) but they look and feel kind of lame, don't include a huge set of features, and the display kind of sucks. Still, man, what a good landline-replacement deal this sounds like if you just want a basic phone for lots of voice and txt, and you like to hold on to those small pieces of paper with presidents' faces in green ink. Reader comment: Alta says, Carl Pappenheim says, Which works really well on any wifi network although it doesn't do that slick 802 to GSM switching for obvious reasons. I foresee this being the conspiracy theorist's choice however as it's pretty much untraceable if you're just on some random wifi point and, unlike the AT&T version, you're guaranteed not to switch to the (readily-triangulated) cell network. I guarantee this will be a plot device in a Hollywood movie by late 2015. Thomas Valley says,
, but is only available in small test markets so far:
If you’re willing to pay $10 a month on top of a regular T-Mobile voice plan, you get a special cellphone. When you’re out and about, it works like any other phone; calls eat up your monthly minutes as usual. Just wanted to let you know Hotspot at home is now nationwide. Link to BusinessWeek article.
That AT&T phone sounds fantastic but sadly isn't available, say, in the UK. No matter; a few months ago I bought this: link.
T-Mobile's releasing the Blackberry 8320 in 3 weeks that will be compatible with the Hotspot @ Home service. The 8320 is simply an upgrade of the existing 8300 (or "Curve") model: Link. This hot little number does everything the top model of BB (8830) does except for GPS integration with maps, and it's smaller and lighter, too.
(1 image)
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 4.
#3. To: Zipporah (#0)
The reason I never went with T-Mobile Hotspot internet is because I don't hang out at Border's, Airport's or Starbucks all day long. If you don't either, this is a gotcha' gimmick.
..well I have wireless at home so this may work for me..
There are no replies to Comment # 4. End Trace Mode for Comment # 4.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#4. To: IndieTX (#3)
Replies to Comment # 4.