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modem

Time Warner testing fix to hole in home router

Time Warner has rolled out a temporary patch and is testing a permanent fix for a security hole in a combination cable modem/Wi-Fi router that could allow anyone to access the private network of its customers, snoop on sensitive data, and direct customers to malicious Web sites.

The vulnerability in the SMC8014 cable modem/Wi-Fi router provided to customers was detailed in a blog post written by David Chen, a software engineer and co-founder of the Pip.io social communications platform start-up.

"We are aware of the issue and we are hard at work on a solution and … Read more

Get a Novatel MiFi 2200 card free

If there's a single device that's almost as universally adored as the iPhone, it's the Novatel MiFi 2200.

This ingenious gadget puts a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot in your pocket, delivering 3G broadband to up to five nearby devices.

Normally the card costs $99.99, but right now Wirefly is offering the MiFi 2200 for free with a 2-year Verizon contract. Shipping is free, too, though you will have to pay a $35 activation fee.

You'll also have to pay monthly service charges, but, hey, that's the price of doing mobile-broadband business. Verizon charges $39.99/… Read more

Huawei's wireless modem is really wireless

Aside from its Android smartphone, Huawei also showcased its E583X wireless modem at CommunicAsia 2009. Other HSDPA modems are usually shaped like flash drives that you plug into a free USB port on your computer.

The E583X does it differently because it's able to send out a Wi-Fi signal that you connect to wirelessly (like at a hot spot) from your notebook. This means you can leave the device out of sight and not have something dangling from your slim, fashionable Netbook. A 1,500mAh battery powers the device, giving about five hours of wireless productivity. It charges via … Read more

LevelOne instant hotspot: Just add 3G modem

The $149 LevelOne MobileSpot is really a pretty simple idea. Take a fairly standard portable 802.11b/g wireless router and build in a PC Card slot and USB port that lets you turn a 3G wireless PC Card or USB modem into an instant hotspot. Then basically all you need is a decent signal and you can set up a network just about anywhere.

The MobileSpot (WBR-3800) can also be used with a cable or DSL modem connected by Ethernet allowing you to leave the 3G option as backup, so there's less chance your connection will ever be … Read more

iModem Offers iPhone Tethering Via USB

iModem, one of the few for-purchase applications left that requires an iPhone to be jailbroken, allows users to tether their phones (use them as cellular data modems) via USB cables on Windows systems. Most tethering solutions thus far have required the use of a WiFi connection, requiring sometimes difficult setup.

A new release of iModem claims to do away with the need for proxy settings--a hallmark of tethering solutions--and also purports enhanced stability.

The tool requires Windows 2000, XP, Vista 32/64 bit and is priced at $10.

Apple previously removed NetShare, an originally approved tethering application, from the iPhone … Read more

EchoStar unveils SlingModem, hints at future cable products

EchoStar will be officially unveiling the SlingModem at next week's Cable Show trade event in New Orleans. As the name suggests, the product combines a standard DOCSIS cable modem and a Slingbox media placeshifter--which transmits live TV broadcasts to Windows PCs, Macs, and a variety of smartphones--in one compact housing. If it sounds familiar, it's because the product was soft-launched at January's Consumer Electronics Show (following several online appearances at various enthusiast sites). The SlingModem will be sold directly to cable providers, who will then sell or lease the product to their customers. Exact price and availability weren't disclosed.

Having the SlingModem in the AV rack would be potentially helpful for the increasing number of consumers using network-capable devices for home entertainment (TiVo, Apple TV, and all three game consoles, for instance).… Read more

Toshiba's 4-in-1 device just looks weird

Note to Toshiba: Different doesn't always mean better. Judging from the photos of its G450 phone, we wouldn't be surprised if the company has hired some of NEC's batty designers.

It's got the oddest-looking keys we've seen since the triangles of Nokia's "Prism" line, but not because of their shape--it's their positions, divided into two circular number pads. Then again, maybe it's not really classified as a phone at all; Toshiba is marketing the G450 in the U.K. as a 4-in-1 gadget that performs as an MP3 player, USB … Read more

Own your own cable modem for $19.99 (after rebate)

Most cable companies charge at least $3 per month for your modem, which adds up to $36 per year. But there's no law that says you have to lease their modem; BYO and you can pocket that cash instead.

You'll start recouping your investment around month seven with the D-Link DCM-202 cable modem, currently on sale for $19.99, shipped, after a $20 mail-in rebate.

Before you buy, you should call your cable company to make sure they support the DCM-202. But judging by the roughly 400 Newegg buyers who rated this modem 5 out of 5, compatibility … Read more