Unboxing the Vulcan FlipStart

I’ve recently acquired a virtually new-in-the-box and never booted Vulcan FlipStart with Windows XP and EVDO! The only item missing appears to be the recovery disc(s), which I can live without thanks to Acronis True Image.

Take a look at all the pictures!

Yes I know, I’m about a year late to the party, and I’ve been pretty critical about the Flipstart in the past, calling it the ugly duckling and the zombie handtop. So why now?

Well a lot of things have changed in a year:
- I retired my beloved OQO Model 02 with HSDPA, selling it before it lost too much value
- Vulcan lowered the price of the FlipStart to $699, and then stopped selling it altogether

The tipping point was my Vulcan FlipStart HSDPA mod. The brave soul who volunteered his device for the hacking was experiencing some hardware problems which I was only able to resolve thanks to the outstanding assistance I received from Vulcan customer support. Being able to swap EVDO with HSDPA without reaching for my soldering iron was the icing on the cake…

So I started looking for a used FlipStart for further hacking. And for the record, I still think the FlipStart is aesthetically challenged :)

Vulcan Flipstart HSDPA mod

Recently, a member of handtops.com (where I’m a moderator) lent me his Vulcan FlipStart and Fujitsu LifeBook U810 for me play with!

Here’s a video comparing both devices…

Last year I published an HSDPA mod for the OQO Model 02. Today I bring you an HSDPA mod for the Vulcan FlipStart :)

This time, instead of taking pictures, I decided to stream live video:
- Part 1 covers disassembling the FlipStart and replacing EVDO with HSDPA
- Part 2 covers reassembling the FlipStart and testing the result

I used the mini-PCIe card from my Sierra Wireless AirCard 875U together with the Sierra Wireless 3G Watcher.

Other than my connection (apparently) getting throttled by AT&T, everything ended up working pretty well…

I’d like to publicly thank the intrepid member of handtops.com who lent me both devices!

Cradlepoint PHS300 review

A few months ago I wrote about rocking a router in my pocket by running JoikuSpot to share HSDPA over WiFi on my Nokia N95-3…

This solution works well enough, but only provides minimal control over routing and wireless setup. Furthermore, WiFi range is limited and battery drain is significant.

Enter the Cradlepoint PHS300, a battery/AC powered, pocketable, mobile wireless router designed to interface with a variety of USB 3G modems and phones.

The PHS300 is a black box resembling a 2.5″ hard drive enclosure, and is equipped with a USB port, a power connector, and power switch. The top features 3 status LEDs (power, 3G, & WiFi) and the bottom hides a Li-ion battery behind a removable cover (see my unboxing pictures).

Initial setup was as simple as inserting my AT&T SIM (MEdia Net data plan) into my Sierra Wireless AirCard 875U modem, plugging it into the USB port, and turning on the PSH300.

Within seconds, all 3 LEDs turned green and an additional WiFi network appeared. After connecting my computer to this WiFi network and opening my web browser, I was greeted with a login screen.

Once logged in (using the last 6 digits of the MAC address assigned to the PHS300), the web interface is similar to the one featured on most modern cable/DSL wireless routers. So I personalized the configuration, and I was immediately impressed with the routing features offered by the PHS300.

You see, before this review, I was thinking: “Why bother with a dedicated mobile wireless router when there’s software like JoikuSpot and WMWifiRouter?” Well now I know :)

The PHS300 supports PPP, DHCP, NAT with SPI, SSID enable/disable, Internet access control (services, URL, & MAC), 64/128-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK, UPnP, multiple and concurrent VPN pass-through sessions (IPSEC, L2TP, & PPTP)… Hmmm, that’s quite a mouthful!

Performance and stability are top notch. Battery life is about 2 hours, as advertised.

Of course, all this flexibility comes at a cost. The PHS300 is larger and heavier than most mobile devices, and still requires a 3G modem or phone to function. Together with my Sierra Wireless AirCard 875U, it makes for quite a bulky and unwieldy monster beast :)

So, what’s the verdict?

If you need basic mobile routing for personal use, or a truly pocketable solution, I suggest you pick software like JoikuSpot (especially if you own a compatible smartphone).

But if you need advanced mobile routing for a small group, or emergency routing for a small business. I highly recommend the PHS300.

Is that a router in your pocket?

Or are you just happy to see me?

Once upon a time, in a land far away, I used an OQO Model 01+ and Motorola E815 connected via Bluetooth. I hacked the phone and tethered the computer to Verizon’s EVDO network. Every now and then, I’d share the 3G connection over WiFi, turning the computer into a router, and allowing other devices with WiFi around me to access the cloud - all this while walking down the street or driving down the freeway…

But here’s the cool part: the entire setup fit easily, without wires, in the many pockets of my trusty cutoff cargo pants!

The setup evolved over time. I replaced the phone with an LG CU500 on Cingular’s HSDPA network (now AT&T). Then I replaced the computer with an OQO Model 02, which I promptly modded for HSDPA (built-in).

And then, having narrowed things down to a single device, I was rocking a router in my pocket - I was ready for the mobile revolution :)

Eventually, I ended up with a Nokia N95-3 featuring both 3G and WiFi and I started thinking… Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a Symbian application that turned the device into a router in my pocket? Wouldn’t it be great?

Well now you can have your cake an eat it too - you too can be packing a router in your pocket! Say hello to JoikuSpot for Symbian, WMWifiRouter for Windows Mobile, and Cradlepoint for other devices.

I’ve been playing with JoikuSpot on my N95-3 and it’s working like a charm.

My Macworld predictions

I’ll be blogging live from Macworld next week, uploading pictures in real time and broadcasting live videos.

Keep an eye on the following:
- My Twitter account (real-time links to all my Flickr and Qik content)
- My coverage here (articles)
- My Flickr account (pictures)
- My Qik account (live videos)

In the meantime, hot on the heels of TUAW and Gizmodo, here are my Macworld predictions:

New MacBook Pros, with LED backlight, optional flash storage, optional optical drives, optional built-in HSDPA (3G), available now

Ultra-slim. ultra-portable Mac with “touch” features and dock

iTunes 7.6

Movie rentals

iPhone 1.1.3 software with cut & paste

iPhone SDK

New WiFi iTunes store features

New media device, replacing and/or updating Apple TV and/or Mac mini, available Q1

New cinema displays with built-in iSight and LED backlight

“One more thing”: 16 GB iPhone with HSDPA (3G), better camera, and GPS, available Q2

Some people have suggested that Apple will introduce WiMax instead of HSDPA (3G) on the new Mac portables and perhaps on the iPhone…

As much as I’m excited about mobile WiMax (4G), there’s no real coverage in the US yet. Sprint is supposed to introduce its WiMax service (named Xohm) sometime this year - the service is supposed to be contract free, but pricing is still unknown!

Unless Apple becomes an MVNO, why would they deal with another carrier when they already have a relationship with AT&T? Then again, they also have a relationship with Intel, one of the major forces behind WiMax.

Perhaps Apple will introduce a WiMax base station along with WiMax equipped devices. Apple adopting WiMax would definitely tip the scales in favor of the standard (like when Apple pushed USB and WiFi) - so I’m skeptical, but I’m hopeful.

One thing is certain - Macworld promises to be more interesting than ever this year :)

Tasty bits - 35 (holidays edition)

Happy new year :)

Here’s last month’s tasty bits, a little behind once again! I’ve decided to stop numbering the column hereafter…

JKK added HSDPA to the Asus 701 (Eee) - I’m working on a similar mod using a Sierra Wireless AirCard 875U HSDPA modem…

Also I’ve started using Qik to stream live video with my Nokia N95!

I’m keeping an eye on all the CES madness this week and I’ll be at Macworld next week, so stay tuned :)

Asus 701 (Eee):
- WiMax-Enabled Asus Eee PC Confirmed
- How to add internal 3G HSDPA to Asus Eee PC
- How to add touch panel to Asus Eee Pc
- It’s official: upgrading the Asus Eee PC memory keeps warranty intact
- eeeXubuntu: Ubuntu distilled for your Eee
- Ubuntu on the Asus Eee PC: Part 1 (or How to run a functional Ubuntu install off a USB drive)

Nokia N810:
- Nokia N810: unboxing and first impressions
- Canola2 Now Out!

Nokia N95:
- Nokia N95-3 Finally Gets an Update to v 11.2.009
- The N95 classic hits v20 firmware
- The N95’s camera quality? It just got better…
- Hands-on with the Nokia N95 8GB for North America!

Nokia N82:
- Nokia N82: impressions after a week…
- Nokia N82 hands-on
- Nokia N82 preview: First look
- Nokia N95, N95 8 GB and N82: The evolution of the multimedia computer

More Nokia:
- Cellphones: Alleged Nokia N96 Spy Shots Look Yummypianoblacklicious
- New Slider: Nokia’s Patent Reveals Innovative Six- or Eight- Megapixel Slider Phone
- Video streaming from your phone QIK-ly, as in: instantly
- All About N-Gage - Totally CONFIRMED Star Wars N-Gage Video
- emTube - YouTube client for S60 phones
- Nokia Internet Radio
- Clarification: Upcoming Nokia IS a QWERTY Nseries

Apple iPhone:
- Breaking: iPhone Firmware 1.1.3 Video and Evidence Confirms Update Is Real, Breaks Unlock, Third-Party Apps
- How to Install Applications on iPhone 1.1.2 (Video Tutorial)
- Syphon lets you save iPhone text messages
- Control Pro Tools with your iPhone
- Apple doesn’t give us MMS on the iPhone, so the community does
- iPhone gets video recording capabilities
- Not all is lost: partfoundry developing GPS module for iPhone
- Fixing YouTube on your Jailbroken iPhone
- Mobile Safari plug-in downloads files to your iPhone/iPod touch
- Apple relents, sanctions custom ringtones!

OQO Model 02:
- OQO Announces model e2 with Built-In HSDPA Mobile Broadband Capability
- OQO does WiMax and 64GB SSDs

Neonode N2:
- Neonode N2 officially coming to the US
- Review of the unique Neonode N2 multimedia phone

BlackBerry 9000 (aka. BlackBerry 8xxx):
- BlackBerry 9000 specs revealed, our early Christmas present to you
- BlackBerry 8xxx hails from Rogers!
- BlackBerry 9000 series spy shot revealed?

Samsung:
- Hands-on with the Samsung G800
- Hands-on with the Samsung P520 Armani
- Samsung’s P720, F490 make their video debut

Other:
- Google Maps for Mobiles shows your location, even without GPS
- Verizon Wireless will open network for non-Verizon devices, services
- Photo of the Sony Ericsson P5i Leaked
- Wibrain’s B1 UMPC gets showcased on video - Engadget
- Hands-on with the LG KU990 Viewty
- A teaser shot of Motorola’s 5 megapixel multimedia maven?

Unboxing the Nokia N95, US version

The news came right after I returned from playing in the desert with my Nokia N95, right around the time Nokia officially announced the N95, US version (aka. N95-3).

Apparently, I won the Nokia BH-801 contest! I won - wait for the irony of it - an N95… It’s my first time winning anything significant, and it’s a device I already own - oh noes :)

What was I to do? Simple really, I talked the (very accommodating, thank you) contest organizers into giving me an N95-3 instead! I then sold my beloved N95, and picked up my Sony Ericsson K850i to hold me over.

So, after waiting 3 months for it to arrive, I’m finally unboxing my N95-3 - take a look at the pictures…

Sony Ericsson K850i observations

I’ve been using my Sony Ericsson K850i for a few days now and it’s a great device all around. In fact it’s almost as powerful as the Nokia N95 which was my convergence device of choice for several months…

That’s pretty impressive, because it’s not a smartphone and it’s not equipped with WiFi or GPS. Then again, these missing features are somewhat alleviated by solid Java support, tri-band (!) HSDPA and an optional GPS module!

- Hardware:
As I’ve mentioned before, it’s smaller than I expected and it’s a fingerprint magnet. Build quality is very good - no surprise there.

Like most digital cameras and unlike most phones, a hinged door hides a battery slot, a memory card slot (which accepts either micro-SD or Memory Stick Micro M2 cards - very nice), and a SIM slot (hot swappable) all stacked next to each-other.

There’s a strip of black rubber along the edge of the hinged door that prevents the phone from sliding when placed keypad/screen up on a flat surface - smart touch.

Unfortunately, there’s no dedicated play/pause hardware key (see the Sony Ericsson W800i) for the media application. Standard USB and stereo headset connectors are also missing, so proprietary cables are required.

- Software:
The user interface is similar to other recent Sony Ericsson devices. It’s easy to navigate, responsive and quite polished (the fonts in particular). All of the supplied themes are appealing, which is rare on other phones.

The media application automatically switches between portrait and landscape when you tilt the device, just like the iPhone. Unfortunately, it takes incredibly long to index the contents of the memory card upon insertion.

The web browser is pretty basic when compared to the iPhone or the Nokia N95. It supports landscape, but it’s done manually. Java applications like Opera Mini and Google Maps Mobile work well, but strangely, Gmail Mobile is not available.

The phone crashed on me a few times when I was hammering the user interface right after power up - I was forced to remove and re-insert the battery in order to recover.

- Camera:
I’ll be reviewing the camera separately, but I’m pretty sure the K850i is one of the best camera phones on the market today. Overall picture quality and low-light performance are excellent, startup time and auto-focus are significantly faster than other phones.

In short, I feel that the Nokia N95 colors are richer, and that the i-mobile 902 sensor is less noisy, but the K850i is consistently good. The combination of both a xenon flash and an LED flash (to assist the auto-focus) can’t be matched by the other two devices.

The electrically activated lens cover is nice, but strangely there’s also a glass plate over the lens cover which easily becomes soiled with fingerprints - this makes the lens cover somewhat pointless.

- HSPDA/Bluetooth:
With quand-band GPRS/EDGE, tri-band UMTS/HSDPA (US 1900/850 MHz and european 2100 MHz), Bluetooth 2.0 (with A2DP and DUN), and USB 2.0 (with mass storage and DUN), what’s there not to like? It’s a great device for tethering…

- Keypad/screen:
The unusual keypad is surprisingly functional after a brief adaptation period (cutting my nails helped a lot).

The phone uses capacitive sensors just like the iPhone, but only at the bottom edge of the screen where the 3 soft keys are located. As a result I keep trying to tap on other parts of the screen, expecting it to react - doh!

The QVGA screen is excellent (it’s very bright but it could be larger).

The phone resets to using T9 predictive text by default when turned off - this is annoying.

- Audio/RF:
Call quality and reception are very good, as expected. Sound quality is excellent when listening to music with high-end headphones, better than the Nokia N95 (which is noisy at low listening volumes).

- Battery life:
Battery life is great, especially when set to GSM only with Bluetooth disabled.

I last charged it Sunday night and it’s still 3/4 full Tuesday afternoon. I turned it off Monday night for 8 hours. So far on this charge I’ve talked for about 2 hours.

I’m pretty impressed - then again, it’s not a smartphone :)

The great Nokia N95 remix

Yes, it’s definitely odd… But it’s also definitely cool!

Although it’s not unusual for Nokia to release revised or updated products with a different name (e.g. N61, N62, and N61i) it appears that Nokia decided to remix the original N95, european version, into two new products without renaming it.

First, the Nokia N95, US version:
- UMTS/HSDPA on US 1900/850 MHz (no european 2100 MHz)
- Double the RAM (128 MB)
- Better battery capacity (BL6-F, 1200 mAh)
- Revised back casing without camera lens cover
- Revised bumpy multimedia buttons

Second, the Nokla N95, 8 GB european version:
- 8 GB internal flash storage
- No micro-SD card slot
- Black finish
- Larger screen (based on my careful analysis of the FCC documents)
- Revised wider front casing with smaller D-pad area
- Double the RAM (128 MB), to be confirmed
- Better battery capacity (BL-6F, 1200 mAh), to be confirmed
- Revised back casing without camera lens cover
- Revised bumpy multimedia buttons

The verdict: I’m not pleased about losing the camera lens cover, but I’m excited about the additional RAM and the US 3G bands.

Now let’s hope Nokia combines the above two versions and offers an 8 GB US version - I’d take the larger screen and 8 GB internal flash storage even if it resulted in losing the micro-SD card slot.

What about you?

Tasty bits - 23

T-Mobile recently launched HotSpot@Home, a UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) service with seamless hand-off between GSM and WiFi - unfortunately it requires special phones and routers…

Nokia released new firmware for the N95 which includes support for AGPS (to enhance the existing integrated GPS). Also, here’s an aftermarket high-capacity battery (and cover) for the N95!

Here’s a couple of new 5 megapixel camera phones: the Samsung G600 and the LG KU990, a touch-based device with a 3″ screen and HSDPA.

The Neonode N2 is almost ready for release, albeit without EDGE… The Meizu M8 (miniOne) is supposed to be launching in 2008 - $989 for the 16 GB version!

And now for the obligatory iPhone coverage:
- Another Apple iPhone vs. LG KE850 (Prada) comparison…
- Enter field test mode
- Setup custom ring tones
- Looking for music to stream? Here you go! (and BTW, this is not supported on the N95)

And finally, if you don’t think the iPhone changes everything, think again:

They are bringing millions of newbies, and not kicking and screaming, into the smartphone age.

Yes, James Kendrick gets it.