Mobile Computing News, Reviews, & Tips

Notebook News: Sony's WWAN Notebooks

Sony recently announced plans to release the first mass-market notebook PCs with built-in wireless wide area network connectivity. (Panasonic already offers this feature in some Toughbook models, aimed at commercial and industrial markets.)

With a new VAIO T-Series notebook, users can sign up for Cingular EDGE wireless service for Internet access via cellular network technology. Cingular EDGE coverage is available in 13,000 cities in the U.S. Connectivity speeds should be about 70 to 135 kilobits per second. The new notebooks start at $2200; Cingular EDGE service costs $50 to $80 per month.

PDA News: Microsoft's Latest Mobile OS

Microsoft's update to its PDA and Smartphone operating system promises lots of new improvements and features. Among them, according to Microsoft: support for more high-speed networks, Wi-Fi capability added to devices running Windows Mobile for Smartphones, support for push-to-talk voice communications, support for encryption over VPNs, and better data protection when the device's battery is out of juice. And, at long last, Microsoft says it will include a pocket version of PowerPoint with the new OS. Devices based on Windows Mobile 5 should be available in the next few months.

Wireless Security News: Wi-Fi Phishing Scam Targets Business Travelers

There's a new, more sophisticated version of last January's "Evil Twin" phishing scam, and it targets mobile professionals in hotels and airports. In the new scam, fraudulent Web sites appear to be legitimate log-in sites for Wi-Fi hotspot service providers. When you log in to one of these counterfeits, your computer can be hit with as many as 45 viruses, according to wireless security vendor AirDefense.

How do you avoid being victimized? Log in only to sites that display a Secure Sockets Layer key in the bottom right of the browser window, the company advises. And avoid entering credit card numbers or other personal data when using public Wi-Fi networks.

Internet Telephony News: Will Hackers Target VoIP Users?

Voice over IP phone services, which let you make inexpensive calls over the Internet, could fall victim to hacker attacks, according to the VoIP Security Alliance, a new industry group studying VoIP security.

"Anytime you've got something that's becoming very popular, there's going to be attacks coming," says Rick Kuhn, coauthor of a recent government report analyzing VoIP security flaws.

Notebook Review: Toshiba's Big-Screen Qosmio

Toshiba's Qosmio G15-AV501 is a terrific Windows Media Center portable and stand-alone DVD player, says PC World reviewer Carla Thornton. But at $2999--with no bundled applications--you've got to pay to play with this baby. Among its highlights: two hard drives, the ability to play DVDs and CDs without booting Windows, a Record button that lets you copy the CD you're playing to the hard drive, great built-in sound, and a sharp 17-inch screen. But like most big notebooks, its battery life is brief: just under 2 hours in our tests.

For the latest pricing, go to the PC World Product Finder.

Reader Response: Another Reason to Keep Your Old PDA

In reaction to my April column about the advantages of traditional PDAs (without cell phone capabilities), Adam Coleman of Dayton, Ohio responds with another reason for holding on to "plain-old fashioned PDAs." At the company where he works, Adam writes, cell phones with cameras are banned for security reasons. In addition, some offices that Adam visits for work impose similar bans. For that reason alone, Adam plans to continue using traditional PDAs for a "long, long time."

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