Q. I really don’t want to order my new mouse from Tiger Direct. When will other retailers offer it for purchase?

A. NOW!

The x54 is now widely available from several US retailers. A quick Google search reveals the many options you have for ordering.

For those who swear by their BT model, rest assured that product is still in production. I’ve become so enamored of mine that I rarely use the ‘full sized’ one any more, even at home.

And remember, we are here and listening. If you have any feedback or comments about your ordering experience, please let us know.

Q. I was at SkyMall site and I think I saw the MoGo mouse for sale there. Are they selling it?

A. SkyMall is indeed featuring the MoGo products; as a catalog that features items geared towards the mobile traveler, it is a perfect fit for them.

Please note, though, that SkyMall features items from other companies gathered under the umbrella of their catalog and website. Thus, buying a MoGo mouse from them is really a purchase through Tiger Direct - which was the first US retailer of the new x54’s.

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.

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It’s already landed here, to huge commercial success, and I’m sure on November 10th, the same thing will most likely be said in Great Britain.  That’s right my friends, the iPhone is coming to the British, and on November 9th, it will be widely available.

Despite quite a few critiques on the phone here in the U.S., predictions are already pouring in about just how many units will sell.  What I wonder about, is if any extra features will be made available on the British iPhone that we were not privy to.  What I wonder about is this:  After the debacle unfortunate  price drop only a month after the iPhone’s launch, will British customers wait a bit longer after the November 9 launch, or will they buy it up just as fast as their long queue line dissipates?

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it 100 times, time will tell.  Get ready for the contract with British mobile provider 02, and get ready for a whole lot of marketing Great Britain.  Welcome to our world.

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Are you ready for the mobile web to look almost exactly like the real one?  Are you ready to be looking at ads all over your cell phone, and not just your home computer?  If not, get ready because Google just added Adsense to mobile phones.

That’s right kids, you can now make, and make other people, money by viewing these mobile banners.  The article I just read at MobileCrunch, “the availability of AdSense for Mobile, a program that contextually targets ads to mobile Web site content. And there is money for those who serve up the ads too. The service allows ad partners to earn revenue from their mobile sites by placing the ads. AdSense for Mobile will be available to mobile Web site publishers in 13 countries including the United States, England, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Russia, The Netherlands, Australia, India, China and Japan.”

The article was right in mentioning that this very well might not work, as mobile web surfers are generally hunting for very, very specific information and not merely browsing around aimlessly, viewing tons of ads and banners at random.  Once again, time will tell.

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Last weekend, Yahoo picked up on the decline of free WiFi as we posted here.

The largest current roadblock is the financial problems facing Earthlink. It is Earthlink that originally sponsored many urban plans for WiFi infrastructure that would be free to citizens. Confirming this, Yahoo reported;

“Earthlink, a partner for a number of cities, has begun a reorganization that will limit new projects.”

But Earthlink wouldn’t be pulling out if these projects made sense on the bottom line. The problem is? They don’t.

Like clean running water and garbage pickups, WiFi is becoming a true ‘utility’ for most Americans. Internet connectivity is rapidly becoming a key necessity. So critical, in fact, that UNICEF uses it as one of the indicators of how healthy and equipped a child is in their development.

Even so, the piper that must be paid.

“The problem is finding a business model that really works,” said Stan Schatt, analyst with ABI Research.

“Originally the municipalities came into this by saying they would offer Wi-Fi and get a free ride for their internal networks, and it turns out it doesn’t work that way.”

In San Francisco, Google was preparing to back a citywide Wi-Fi program with Earthlink that would be free for users who agree to view online ads, with paying customers getting an ad-free version. But the city was unable to come to terms with Earthlink before the firm pulled out and announced a massive reorganization on August 28.

Chicago officials announced August 31 they would “re-evaluate” their plan after two potential partners failed to come up with a suitable plan because a network required “extraordinary financial support” from the city.

“In Chicago and in many other cities, a municipal Wi-Fi network was initially envisioned as a way to provide cheaper, high-speed access to consumers,” said Hardik Bhatt, the city’s chief information officer.

“But given the rapid pace of changing technology, in just two short years, the marketplace has altered significantly.”

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How long have you been sick of having to sign a lengthy one or TWO year contract whenever you decided you want mobile phone service?  How sick of paying early termination fees when you want to switch companies or get a new phone?  Yeah, me too, and yeah, join the club.

Apparently, however, that’s a club you might be able to drop out of pretty soon if you’re a Sprint Nextel customer.  According to Sprint’s chief executive Gary Forsee, “Sprint is thinking about expanding the test area for an unlimited calling plan that doesn’t require customers to sign a contract. Customers pay a monthly fee for as long as the service is required or affordable. Rivals Leap Wireless and MetroPCS already offer commitment free unlimited calling plans.”  Wow, how cool would THAT be?!

What I wonder, is how many customers that are, rightfully, shy about signing 12 to 24 month contracts would absolutely jump at this prospect.  Whether or not this is a gimmick remains to be seen, but I guess time will tell.

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Q. I’ve had quite a few questions about the new Sprint ‘BaseStation’ and Femto technology - how does it work? Will it be the ‘New Standard’ for home lines, etc. 

A. Although I started my technology career at a local phone company, it has been 15 years since I was in the trenches with  telephony.  I, too, have long wondered whether the cell phone wouldn’t become the core of the residential phone system.

As more and more of the poeple I know have abandoned land lines in favor of a combination of broadband and cell phone, it doesn’t take a visionary to know that with the home base-station based on femto technology - the land line is poised to lose entire sections of their customer demographics.

For more information, let me point you at the sources I use to gather data. First, the Femto Forum, which is tech-savvy and often reads like an industry white paper. Second, Martin Sauter has published a series of posts about femto that while somewhat techie are very accessible and honest in both language and approach.

As for the question - is it time to give up my landline?For many people, the reliability and freedom of the landline has still not been outweighed by the mobile offerings.

But as for me? Well, I canceled my landline today.

Q. I ordered my new MoGo XXX weeks ago, and still no delivery, can you help?

A. Delivery times are based on where your order was in the queue as the new MoGo products went into production. There was a backorder list that was the first addressed.

As the weeks have progressed, production is meeting the orders with quicker and quicker turnarounds.

However, if you feel there is a problem with your order and you haven’t had a proper response from the retailer, PLEASE feel  free to contact either customer  support for MoGo or even to email me directly.

We are here for you.

Q. …Additionally, regarding the x54 Pro: What is being sent to the computer?(leftarrow, right arrow, B, ., +, etc.) Are the commands sent if powerpoint is not running or not in the foreground?

A. As I said last week, I am researching this. In fact, I am one of the ones waiting for my own x54 Pro so I can road test your questions for myself.

Stay tuned!

On Fridays, MoGo Mobility’s Elizabeth will seek to answer your MoGo (and non-MoGo) technical questions.
Elizabeth is an IT Geek who has worked every job in the industry from hooking up ISDN lines to managing high-end SAN builds. Thousands have attended her seminars in the US & Canada on subjects ranging from basic PC maintenance to data storage solutions. To answer your questions over the years, Elizabeth has gladly put herself and her own equipment to the test: she’s washed keyboards in the dishwasher, installed spyware on her own systems, and MacGyvered every bit and bob in between in the search for real-life solutions to IT problems.

Got a question? Ask Elizabeth.

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Ahh the age old debate…do mobile phones hurt your brain?  Do they cause the rumored brain tumors, the cancer, the premature death?  In short, does your brain LIKE your mobile phone, or does it secretly loathe it, and try to put an end to it with powerful brain waves.

The latest belief is there is a good change that long term use of mobile phones might actually slow your brain’s functioning.  Wow.  The strange thing is, the same study also showed that frequent mobile phone users also showed better focused attention.  Hmm, so where do you turn?  Which do you believe?

The bottom line is, we may never know what to Truly believe…the article I read at MobileCrunch summed it up pretty darn sweetly:  “…all these studies about the effects on the health of mobile phone users may be meaningless. Remember how a few months ago mobile devices were being blamed for the disappearance of honey bees? It turns out they caught a virus. It is too early to panic about the dangers, or brag about the benefits, of the effects of mobile phone use. That’s what a brain is to think. “

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As we wait for MoGo’s headset rollout, Sprint rolled out the next generation of cell phone usage in parts of Denver and Indianapolis with little fanfare.

It’s a small cellular base station they’re calling “Sprint Airave” (warning: link launches a talkative video) and it provides service specifically to a customer’s home.

The way it works is fairly simple. The base station is plugged into a broadband Internet connection and works with any Sprint handset. When the subscriber leaves home, a call shifts over to the outside cellular network.

The initial purchase price is US$49.99. So low that many industry analysts postulate that Sprint is subsidizing the expense. The monthly usage rates are similarly priced at $15 for an individual and $30 for a family for unlimited local and nationwide long-distance calls while at home.

The key to the base system is something called a “Femtocell”. The word comes from physics, and means ‘on a small order of size’. The technology has been around a long times to solve the problem of weak cellular signals in homes, which is common in the U.S. but the cost of making them portable was considered prohibitive.

The base stations work not only to extend the functionality of the cell phone the customer already has but also as an alternative to Wi-Fi phones in the home.

Sprint is the first to enter the market with femtocell technology for their domestic customers. The corporation has announced that they will be in wide distribution in 2008.

According to Yahoo!;

“…one  question yet to be answered about femtocells is whether they will interfere with the existing outdoor cellular network. That can only be answered through real-world deployments, analysts say.”

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What do you get when you merge a ridiculously hot and popular wireless platform with a ridiculously hot and insanely NOW phenomenon like social networking?  Yeah, a pretty darn sweet merger, that’s what.

Basically what we’re talking about is taking the ease, comfort and convenience of personal data transfer in the social networking world (think how easy it is to flirt, open lines of communication, or even profess your undying love for someone on Facebook or MySpace, the fear of rejection is just not there!) and manifesting it in the actual physical world.  Say what?

That’s right, according to the article at TechCrunch:

“UK based First Move is a dating site where you create a private profile then buy black or pink credit-card sized cards that have your First Move user code on them, costing about £1 each. When you see someone that takes your fancy you hand over the card with your anonymised profile on it, they view your profile and contact you. “You Caught My Eye!” is printed on the back of each card.”

Wow, smooth.  The fact is, the idea is catching resistance from various sides, stating that if people have the courage to slide them the pink card, they’d have the courage to talk to them, but this is not always the case.  I guess time will tell…well, time, and the success rate of lonely computer guys across the planet.

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Q. I looked at the 54x & the 54x Pro. They physically look exactly the same. I wonder why you create 2 products where instead you could create a product for all the following functions. Maybe add a small switch to the Mouse or the Software on the machine to change modes… You can kill every other Presentation / Media Remote control out there.

A. This is a great suggestion. We’ve heard from several other customers that they would like to see more features in one mouse, as well.

Since I don’t build ‘em, I don’t know what it would take to keep the product as small as possible while packing in even more features.

So I asked a VP, who tells me that, indeed - MoGo’s R&D is hard at work at the next generation of gadget. These engineers like to bust the envelope when it comes to what can be done, as evidenced by all the added features in this latest release.

Q. Is there is a MoGo Mouse BT (PC Card type) with scroll capability coming out any time soon? I would buy it immediately. Please let me know.

A. Unfortunately, no. Right now, MoGo has no plans to offer a standard PC Card type mouse with additional features from the original.

BTW, if you’re interested - I posted how you can get a non-scroll mouse to scroll back in May, based on instructions from Carlton Bale.

Q. …Additionally, regarding the x54 Pro: What is being sent to the computer?(leftarrow, right arrow, B, ., +, etc.) Are the commands sent if powerpoint is not running or not in the foreground?

A. A great question. I am wondering if any of our readers has tried this with their new MoGo’s - trying to use presentation mode if PowerPoint isn’t the active window?

I’ll see what answers I can get this week.

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.

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