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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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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Q. Hi - I tried to order from Tigerdirect, but their shipping added around $50 to the price(!) Do you know when you plan having the new products with UK retailers?

A. Even though the world is made border-free in many ways through the Internet, that doesn’t include shipping and handling.

I talked with the marketing team over at MoGo and they said there has been (their words) and OUTRAGEOUS demand for the new x54’s outside the US. They are lining up European retailers right now.

Expect our announcement on a UK distributor SOON. The team wants UK availability within the month.

Q. The (Lenovo) X61 says that it has a Type I / II PC Card slot. Will the Mogo mouse BT fit in that type of slot? Thanks.

A. Yes, We are compatible for PC II Card Slot

Q. Last week, I answered a question about Macs and MoGo. I’ve had some emails asking me to clarify…

A. I forgot to add that the MoGo compatability chart is here.

Sorry about that.

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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Q. I started to order an X54 Pro from TigerDirect, but it said the product would arrive January, 2008!

A. First of all, thank you for letting us know when you have a problem with ordering a MoGo product. MoGo has been in conversations with TigerDirect to identify the issues as we hear about them and respond ASAP with the customers.

When ordering in the next week or so, expect a response of about a 30-day wait time (sometimes the computer will default to reporting 6-8 weeks). This is because the MoGo x54’s are not in stock yet, as production is still filling pre-orders.

Ordering from TigerDirect is your opportunity to be some of the first in line to receive these products!

Q. I have a MacBook and it only has USB. How do I make it work with PC Card stuff like the MoGo mouse and my mobile wireless card?

A. First of all, MoGo doesn’t recommend using adapters.

That said, there are ARE adapters. This is incredibly critical for Mac adherents like you (and me!). Until last year, though, these gadgets would run us $500- $750. Eek, indeed.

But last summer the price finally came down and there are some really good ones available . Although there isn’t one out there that I would personally endorse as standing out from the crowd, . Endgagdet did a review of one I’ve seen used by some of my colleagues.

Q. Ricky asked us a bunch of great questions in a comment on Aug. 14. One of them was when the regular (media) version of the mouse is in the media mode and you press the buttons, does it send the standard global keypresses for mute, vol up/down, play/pause, stop, forward/back or is there special software that just targets certain programs?

A. Ricky, NO special software is required as X54 transforms into true media remote.

BTW, Ricky, you also asked us to add the following applications to the chart at http://www.newtonperipherals.com/mogo_mouseX54.html or at least inform us of the compatibility of them, or as many of them as you can test: Winamp, Foobar2000, VLC, Media Player Classic, Windows Media Center - I’ve asked the guys at MoGo to let me know which ones they will test/add.

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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This past Monday, TigerDirect began taking orders for the new x54 series of the MoGo mouse. There have been many questions, comments, and emails about this long-awaited launch, and we’re here to provide you information and feedback.

For those with specific issues - like an order that was mistakenly canceled by TigerDirect, we will work directly with you to get answers. For the other questions, we will be posting answers and updates here on the blog.

Q. I ordered an x54 mouse and the ship time was 6-8 weeks.

A. Standard policy at TigerDirect as product is not in stock. For orders made right now, they are telling me to expect 30 days delivery.

As production has come online, the factory is currently shipping out the pre-orders.

Q. Will the x54 products be available with other retailers?

A. Yes!

Expect additional retailers to be announced in the next 2 weeks.

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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In the past week, 4 of you have sent variations of the same question:

Q. Will the new X54 work with my Laptop? I have a regular PC Card slot, not one of the new ones thanks.

A. Here’s the word from MoGo:

No, the X54 family is intended for the new ExpressCard/54 slot available on newer laptops.

According to the FAQ: The BT, X54 and X54 PRO mice are not compatible. An ExpressCard/54 slot is needed to charge the MoGo Mouse X54 and X54 PRO and a PC Card (PCMCIA) slot is needed to charge the Mogo Mouse BT.

A quick way to check which slot you have is by taking a credit card, holding it flat, and sliding it into the card slot. If the card slides all the way into the slot you have a PCMCIA slot. If the card only slides about half way into the slot you have an Express/54 slot.

There is a guide available to help you choose the right MoGo mouse for your system here: MoGo Platforms.

Q. According to the Sales Guy at (the place I bought my laptop) - my new laptop has Bluetooth 2.1 and I should check if your equipment will be compatible with that version of Bluetooth.

A. I’m glad he calls himself Sales Guy and not a technical expert.

All Bluetooth releases have been backward compatible. That means that if your new laptop (and congratulations, by the way, on the purchase) was bundled with the recently released Bluetooth 2.1 standard then it should work with all Bluetooth devices.

Rest assured, the MoGo products can be used with either a Bluetooth 1.2 or a Bluetooth 2.1-enabled laptop.

If you’d lke to read more on the topic, C|Net did a great chart outlining Bluetooth compatibility.

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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Q. Hi, I was wondering if there is a 3 button version of the mogo mouse due for release ? Will it have some kind of scroll wheel too ? Can you give me some idea of the release time for this product? - Paul

A. Hi Paul. MoGo hasn’t released news of a 3-button mouse (yet) but the X54 mouse that is rolling out DOES have a scroll wheel as well as some other mighty fine new features Please, take a look and let me know what you think!

Q. My laptop didn’t come with BlueTooth in it but I think that the MoGo mouse would be really usefull for me. I just got a new Kodak Camera that uses BlueTooth, too and I would prefer that to the cables. Do I have to buy a new laptop with Bluetooth in it? Or is there a way to put Bluetooth in an older laptop?

A. Excellent news. If Bluetooth didn’t come bundled with your laptop, then you can buy an adapter.

MoGo is rolling one out in a few months that will make your laptop compatible with their mouse and your camera, too. Some of the currently available adapters are bulky and stick out from the profile of your laptop. This was the problem MoGo wanted to solve with their own version (being the slim, slick gadget compan). Their “Dapter” is the size of a fingernail and will connect into the USB port.

Good luck!

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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Q. have a Dell XPS1210 laptop. It does not come with a PCMCIA card slot - instead, its standard is a PCI Mini Express card slot - can the MoGo line of equipment fit into these card slots? Or is an adapter required, and if so, will MoGo offer an adapter or has it considered partnering
with Dell to make one? - “Fix”

A. This is a great question, and I promptly kicked it over to tour favorites MoGo gurus. They answered by saying that the new X54 mouse that is rolling out in August will be compatible with Express Card slot.

Q. I want to use a MoGo mouse but I have a MAC Laptop with no PC Card slot….is there a way?

A. Bad news. Currently the MoGo mouse products do need a slot for recharging and there are no current plans for changing that. As a fellow MacHead, I feel your pain.

That said, I am a ‘two-platform’ household and do switch using the mouse between the PC and the Mac. I am sure that soon I will find that product that would allow me to take the MoGo mouse on the road with a Mac Laptop - and as soon as I do, you’ll be the first to know.

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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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.

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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.

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