Archive for the ‘Mobile Devices’ category

3 Mi-Fi – should I get it?

February 22nd, 2010

I’m just not sure!

I’ve recently been considering the concept of Hutchinson 3G’s (3 in the UK) mobile wireless broadband service – dubbed “Mi-Fi”. It has really interested me because of it’s convenience. You simply slip in the SIM card and off it goes. It works as a portable wi-fi router, and can connect up to 5 devices at any given time.

On the pay as you go plan (which I’d prefer), you get the device for £49.99, together with all the kit and caboodle you will need to go with. You then pay for bandwidth separately and is priced as follows:

  • £10 for 1GB
  • £15 for 3GB
  • £25 for 7GB

Pretty expensive in my opinion – but that’s mobile broadband for you.

I think it would be really handy for me as I spend a lot of time in cars, on trains and in public places so it would be pretty convenient for me. I just need to justify whether the cost balances out the convenience.

If anyone has Mi-Fi, could they post a comment to let me know how they get on with it? It’d be nice to know what people think of it.

Cloud Unlimted Music review – unlimited public wi-fi for the iPod Touch

February 16th, 2010

Get unlimited wi-fi for your iPod Touch at a tiny price

I recently subscribed to The Cloud’s iPod Touch service, dubbed “Cloud Unlimited Music”. It is a service designed specifically for the iPod Touch and gives unlimited browsing and downloading at The Cloud’s wi-fi hotspots for just £3.99 per month.

I decided it was worth it as it is handy to have instant internet access in many public train station. The company’s hotspots can be found in many public places – such as train stations, pubs, hotels, restaurants and as most O2 stores. Considering the small price, I can head out and just catch my emails or finish a download.

I’m really impressed at how well the system works. I signed up and added my debit card as payment, and then 2 days later (today) headed out to my local town to try it out. I walked into an O2 shop and tried to connect. Straight away I was on the net – no need to log on or anything like that.

You don’t need to log on because the system works by checking your iPod’s MAC address rather than a username or password. When you sign up, you provide your device’s MAC address and your account is locked to that code. By doing this, it means that you no longer have to log on when joining a hotspot.

In addition, I was also really impressed at the speeds. My local O2 store gave me a download speed of over 8 megabits per second (which is more than twice the speed of my home broadband).

So overall, I’m very happy with it. It’s great value and works very efficiently. If you need wi-fi access for your iPod Touch in town – this is for you.

Review: Exspect In-Ear Earphones

January 16th, 2010

I went out today and actually bought my second pair of the Exspect In-Ear earphones. I know, you’re thinking who the hell are Exspect? To be honest, I don’t really know – but I do know that their bargain earphones are fantastic.

They sell in HMV for £6 and to be honest most people – including myself – would think that they are £6 and therefore are probably god-awful. Absolutely not the case.

When I bought them the first time, I was amazed at how amazing the earphones sounded. The sound is extremely crisp, the bass is very well balanced and they are also (importantly) very comfortable. From a set of earphones this cheap, you’d expect a tinny sound with a lack of bass but I have to say I was astonished to find they are much better than you can expect at this price.

I also love the great 3D effect you get from the earphones. Listen to a song like Pink Floyd – On the Run and you’ll see what I mean. It’s as if the music is playing in your head, not your ears.

They are available in two colours – black and white – and having owned both I prefer the black – but that’s just my own preference.

In summary – a definite must if you’re on a budget. There are better earphones around – but there’s no point in buying cheap, tinny earphones when you can get these.