Q. One of my big problems with all these cords? There aren’t enough outlets to plug in everything when I’m on the road. How do you handle this?

A. Well, I have to start by saying that the MoGo mouse does, of course, charge in the PC card slot.

Have you thought of converting to using a powered USB hub instead of power cords? Obviously, you always have to carry the adapter along with your laptop. But if you buy a portable USB hub, you can use it to recharge your cell phone, your PDA, your iPod, external hard drive or storage… frankly, most every business gadget I can think of.

It’s a little slower than plugging directly into a power outlet, but the cables are much more manageable.

And converting to using USB can be a lifesaver if you are traveling by car a lot and for on-sites where outlets are at a premium.

Just remember that the USB hub you buy should be the kind that needs an outlet. (Yes, a cord.) The non-powered ones aren’t usually strong enough to charge things. And you will want to test it before your next trip.

Good luck.

Q. I want to use my Bluetooth headset on a plane to listen to movies on my laptop. One airline says I can’t, a flight attendant on another said it was fine once in flight. Is it?

A. That’s a great question. The answer is not clearcut. In fact, what devices are legal on commercial flights has been topic of heated debate for years. (Phones, PDA’s, iPod’s, etc.)

My simple response has always been - do what the Flight Attendants tell you.

But if you’re truly curious about the law, then here’s the more complicated response.

The use of electronic devices on planes is actually governed by several organizations, chief among them the FAA (Federal Avaiation Administraion) and the FCC (Federal Communications Commission).

The FAA says, basically, “no portable electronic devices during take-off and landing and at the pilot’s discretion otherwise.”

The FCC restricts what bands can be used (such as those used by Bluetooth ). Unless the FCC has applied restrictions to the band, the decision is back in the hands of the pilot and flight crew.

Bluetooth’s official website doesn’t speak to the issue.

Most people, like the fictional Toby on the West Wing pilot episode, can get pretty frustrated by the seeming inconsistency of the rules and application. “We’re flying in a Lockheed eagle series L-1011. It came off the line 20 months ago and carries a Sim-5 Transponder tracking system. Are you telling me I can still flummox this thing with something I bought at Radio Shack?!”

If you feel that way, too, may I recommend a little light reading? Or: FAA rules regarding electronic devices

Elizabeth is a professional writer & geek with most of the last decade spent in senior management at a leading global IT provider. Thousands have attended her seminars in the US & Canada on subjects ranging from basic TCP/IP networking to high-end data storage solutions.

Got a question? Ask Elizabeth.

Share This

Associated Press is reporting that a Canadian jogger suffered burns, ruptured eardrums and a broken jaw when lightning traveled through his music player’s wires. This isn’t the first time a bolt has traveled along an iPod, creating a conduit for injury.

“Emergency physicians report treating other patients with burns from freak accidents while using personal electronic devices such as beepers, Walkman players and laptop computers outdoors during storms.

Michael Utley, a former stockbroker from West Yarmouth, Mass., who survived being struck by lightning while golfing, has tracked 13 cases since 2004 of people hit while talking on cell phones. They are described on his Web site, http://www.struckbylightning.org.”

Electronic devices do NOT attract lightning the way a tall tree or a lightning rod does. It just gives the electricity a path to follow.

“It’s going to hit where it’s going to hit, but once it contacts metal, the metal conducts the electricity,” said Dr. Mary Ann Cooper of the American College of Emergency Physicians and an ER doctor at University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago.

Remember - get inside, and don’t use electrical gadgets - like Bluetooth devices - in a thunderstorm.

Share This

From the response we’ve had from Microsoft Vista users, it’s clear that there’s a lot of PC readers here. To that audience, we’d like to make sure you’re aware of a ‘Critical’ security update released by Microsoft yesterday.

As part of their regularly scheduled software update, they bundled 6 patched. 3 of them are rated ‘Critical’ by Microsoft - meaning you really should make sure they are installed on your system where applicable.

Of the 3, the one getting most of the noise is an Excel patch that targets a vulnerability in the company’s spreadsheet program that could let hackers break into a PC if its user opened a tainted spreadsheet.

It’s important you contact your System Administrator if you are in a supported situation or follow the instructions if you’re solo to make sure you’re protected by this patch.

Also packaged in this bundle:

• Microsoft also addressed holes in its .NET Framework, the library of computer code that is part of Windows Vista and versions of Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003.
• Microsoft addressed a security vulnerability in Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003.

While you’re at the site, remember you can sign up to have these periodic updates automatically pushed to your system - which is the easiest and smartest approach.

Share This

Alright, show of hands, who has run out of laptop battery life at the absolute WORST time? Was it on a long plane flight, in the middle of the boredom-reducing movie you were playing? Was it during a presentation? Was it during a long email? Whatever the case, the chances are high that at some point, you’ve run out of coveted battery life at the worst time.

Those days could be over! I just found a sweet article over at Lifehacker via FriedBeef.com that has 15 tips on how to suck the most juice out of those little battery bricks. For brevity sake, since you’re a Mobile Warrior and time is of the essence, here are the Top 5 ways to get more battery life, head over and check out the full article for 10 more helpful ways:

“1. Defrag regularly - The faster your hard drive does its work - less demand you are going to put on the hard drive and your battery. Make your hard drive as efficient as possible by defragging it regularly. (but not while it’s on battery of course!) Mac OSX is better built to handle fragmentation so it may not be very applicable for Apple systems.

2. Dim your screen - Most laptops come with the ability to dim your laptop screen. Some even come with ways to modify CPU and cooling performance. Cut them down to the lowest level you can tolerate to squeeze out some extra battery juice.

3. Cut down on programs running in the background. Itunes, Desktop Search, etc. All these add to the CPU load and cut down battery life. Shut down everything that isn’t crucial when you’re on battery.

4. Cut down external devices - USB devices (including your mouse) & WiFi drain down your laptop battery. Remove or shut them down when not in use. It goes without saying that charging other devices (like your iPod) with your laptop when on battery is a surefire way of quickly wiping out the charge on your laptop battery.

5. Add more RAM - This will allow you to process more with the memory your laptop has, rather than relying on virtual memory. Virtual memory results in hard drive use, and is much less power efficient. Note that adding more RAM will consume more energy, so this is most applicable if you do need to run memory intensive programs which actually require heavy usage of virtual memory.”

There you have it! Enjoy the rest of your day, get the most juice you can, and stay mobile!

Share This

Happy Monday everyone! Now, if you’re at all like me, then you’re a large fan of YouTube. I mean, really, who isn’t? Nowhere else, that I know of, can you find a video of a skateboarding dog, a large man karaoke singing to Whitney Houston, and some crazy man wrestling alligators? Yeah, nowhere.

That said, with all the hype and pomp surrounding the iPhone and it’s ability to access YouTube, haven’t you kind of been wanting that same privilege, without dropping the $500 for the iPhone? Yeah, me too. Well rest easy my friends, and get even MORE excited for the soon-to-be-released MoGo Headset, because you are about to be able to access YouTube via new LG cell phones. That’s right, the two companies have signed an agreement to develop these new beauties that will allow users to search and check out YouTube videos in the comfort of their…well, wherever.

Check out the article on this agreement, I think it might just turn some heads. This also brings up an interesting question…now that this news has been announced, does it change your opinion on whether or not to buy an iPhone? Sound off.

Share This

A. Ever since Tyler first posted about his dislike of ‘Bluecasting’ (also known as Bluejacking) , it’s got a lot of people asking me - if it’s so easy to push unwanted information TO a Bluetooth headset, does that mean people can PULL information through my Bluetooth device, too?

The simple answer is yes.

Since almost the very moment Bluetooth was released, hackers have been building ways to crack it.

The first Bluetooth breaches were through an early security hole. Nicknamed “Bluebugging: “, hackers took advantage of this backdoor to eavesdrop as well as access and even overwrite a phone’s address book and text message files. As with any Bluetooth security breach, the hacker had to be within 30 feet of your phone.

Starting in 2005, most new Bluetooth-enabled phones were cured of this, although hackers are always writing new code and new programs to breach security.

As that hole was being plugged, hackers discovered that Bluetooth phones in ‘Discoverable’ mode could be accessed . This is called “Bluesnarfing“.

Unauthorized users ‘pair up’ to your Bluetooth and once linked, can steal the whole of your phone book, that’s your whole contact list, your calendar, your stored pictures, even your ring tones.

There is also something called a ‘DoS’ attack. A Denial-of-Service is a malicious hacker who broadcasts a code that makes your device unavailable to you until it reboots (turned off and then turned on again). There’s usually no breach of your information in a DoS attack, or harm to your headset or phone. It’s just idiocy for idiocy’s sake.

Should these security concerns keep you from buying and using say… a new MoGo headset?No. The good news is that there are things you can do to keep your calls and information safer.

1) Turn off discoverable mode.

Most phones are “visible” (or set to ‘Discoverable mode’) by default when Bluetooth is switched on. The safest mode is ‘Non-discoverable’:

1. Non-discoverable mode: Does not respond to inquiry - highest safety for your phone. .
2. Limited discoverable mode (or ‘Hidden’): Discoverable only for a limited period of time, during temporary conditions or for a specific event - this provides medium safety.
3. General discoverable mode: Discoverable continuously or for no specific condition - no safety from Bluejacking or Bluesnarfing.

2) Use a strong PIN code for you headset.
Not only should you choose a strong PIN, you should also be careful not to use it in public where it can caught by someone watching. If your headset and phone become unpaired, go somewhere private to link them back up .... not standing in the middle of the mall.

3) Never, ever let an unknown device pair to your phone. Periodically watch the Bluetooth symbol on your phone. If it looks different, or you see an unexpected message appear on your device asking to pair up, well, to quote Nancy Reagan - just say NO.

Unsure what the Bluetooth symbol is supposed to look like? Apple has a great article showing all the Bluetooth icons and their meanings here.

4) Keep Moving. PC Today said it well: “Unless your attacker has invested vast amounts of time and money in a long-range Bluetooth transmitter/receiver, chances are great that they will be operating within standard Bluetooth range (within 10 meters [33 feet]). If you notice something wacky happening with your smartphone or PDA and don’t know what else to do, simply get up and move away.

“If you are on a bus, train, airplane, or other confined area, simply power off your device and wait to see who reacts. If you catch them, make sure to give them a dirty look. ”

————————————————————————————————

On Fridays, MoGo Mobility’s Elizabeth will seek to answer your MoGo (and non-MoGo) technical questions.

Elizabeth is a professional writer & geek with most of the last decade spent in senior management at a leading global IT provider. Thousands have attended her seminars in the US & Canada on subjects ranging from basic TCP/IP networking to high-end data storage solutions.

Got a question? Ask Elizabeth.

Share This

Tired of constantly having to charge up your phone and check the signal level?

In Deerfield, a town outside Amherst, Mass., they are using turtles to test a new wireless network that combines solar phone batteries and a new peer-to-peer protocal that may drive breakthroughs in how phones are designed.

Not that the turtles are too excited about it, but what can you do without prehensile thumbs and a phone duct-taped to your back?

The National Science Foundation is sponsoring via grants two groups of scientists from the University of Massachusetts - computer scientists and biologists - launched a joint experiment last month attaching cell phones to snapping turtles from the local swamp.

Jacob Sorber is a doctoral candidate in computer science who designed the network he calls TurtleNet. “The idea behind the technology is to create a network of constantly moving devices that record and store information, transmit data from one device to another, then relay all the saved information to a central location while running on self-charging batteries.”

Using orthodontic cement and duct tape, students risked bite and limb to attach postcard-sized waterproof computer/cell phone to the shells of about 15 of these grumpy turtles found in spots near the swamp. Once activated, the gadgets take periodic readings of the reptiles’ location and body temperature and sends the information as a text message to a base station, which in turn transmits the data to the UMass-Amherst campus about 15 miles away.

The solar-powered computers are light enough so they don’t weigh the turtles down, and they don’t interrupt their mating habits. “We’re trying to get a better idea of their range, the routes they take and where they hibernate,” said Mike Jones, a partner in the experiment who is working on a doctoral degree in biology. “If you have that information for a good number of turtles, you can predict what their patterns will be for the next 50 years or so.”

Why snappers? Local development is driving these turtles to the endangered animals list. “People think they’re a nuisance, they’re aggressive and they’re smelly,” he said. “And you see a lot of dead snappers on the side of the road. But most of the turtles that people are running over are mothers trying to get somewhere to nest.” The hope is that this experiment will generate enough information to help protect turtle habitats.

Meanwhile, the wireless part of the experiment helps drive the technology to a lighter, more flexible footprint. “A lot of the existing technology works great as long as you’re not moving around and you have stable networks and people who could recharge batteries,” says Sorber.

This could be used in the future to allow text messages to be sent even in rural areas that don’t have a cell tower or reliable power for recharging, .

Short-distance transmissions allows for long battery life in each computer, and the solar panels attached to the units are expected to constantly keep the batteries charged.

The experiment is designed so that information automatically swaps as turtles get in range of each other. The turtle-to-turtle relay ends when one of the snappers passes near a single base station that receives all the accumulated information. Although the turtles meander up to 10 miles from the Deerfield swamp they know as home, their nature is to return to the bog where the base station is.

See pictures and catch up on the experiment’s progress at their website.

Share This

Today, my loyal readers, is Independence Day!  That said, I just want to take this moment to wish ALL of you a very, very Happy 4th of July from everyone here at MoGo!  I know I speak for us all when I say I hope you have a safe, happy, relaxed and entertaining holiday!

I won’t suggest this often, so brace yourself:  Immediately after reading this post, turn off your computer, turn off your cell phone, turn off your television, stand up, go outside, play.  When you’re tired of playing, fire up the BBQ, feed the neighborhood, then set off as many fireworks as you can afford.  When that’s over, rest assured we’ll be here Thursday morning, ready to give you the hip, the current and the cool in the wireless and Bluetooth world!

Happy Fourth of July! 

Share This

CNN Money’s website published an article yesterday on the next gen of Bluetooth that highlights the benefits of the low-power direction.

“The ultra-low-power Wibree technology will become part of the low-power Bluetooth spec to extend Bluetooth’s reach into small devices that use button-cell batteries, including wristwatches, toys, healthcare devices, and sensors for sports and gaming activities.”

Implemented, these technologies would allow Bluetooth to deliver data to 3Mbps (& Wibree streaming data at up to 1Mbps) with up to 90 percent less power consumption. Other Bluetooth applications could see power savings of 10 percent to 20 percent.We could see implementation of a single-mode ultra-low-power spec and a dual-mode Wibree/Bluetooth “in the first part of 2008,” said Michael Foley, executive director of the Bluetooth SIG. The spec will be available royalty-free. A “realistic time line” for the first products incorporating the spec is the third quarter of 2008.

Share This

So the iPhone is officially out.  I’m sure you’ve seen the news, the videos and photos of people lined up for days just to get their hands on one.  All that excitement, all that hullabaloo and all those claims that Apple and the iPhone will completely take over the wireless industry.  Wow, that, my friends, is quite a claim.

So, is it possible?  COULD Apple and the iPhone take over the wireless industry?  The article I just read over at LiveDigitally.com thinks not, and I agree, and though it’s possible I just don’t see it happening in the near future.  As the article points out, first and foremost there are just way too many handsets sold worldwide each year made by Other manufacturers.  They go on to mention things like turnover rates of phones and the OS that is on them, even down to the claim that style and experience matters less in the mobile phone world than it does in the portable music player/computer world.  Bottom line, they think that for the iPhone to even have a prayer at taking over the wireless world, Apple would have to consistently design and re-design the iPhone for it to always be ahead of the game.

The point I think they are missing, a point that’s most obvious to me is this:  At this time, the Apple iPhone is ONLY available on the  AT&T/Cingular network.  That leaves a gaping hole for all those who use Verizon, T-Mobile or any of the other, smaller networks.  I am a Verizon user myself, and while I was visually impressed by what I saw with the iPhone, first off, I didn’t want to shell out that kind of dough (another reason it might have trouble), and second off, I was irked that I couldn’t get the phone even if I wanted to.  I’m sure a great deal of Verizon users share the same sentiments.

Sound off:  Do YOU Think the iPhone could be Apple’s first step to taking over the wireless world?  Why?  Why Not?  What would it take for them to achieve this??

Share This