Mobile Computing News, Reviews, & Tips

Notebook Review: Asus Portable Has Built-In Webcam

Here's a cool notebook feature you don't see every day: a built-in Webcam. The Asus W5A ($1749) lets you record video or take pictures at all angles using the adjustable camera that's mounted just above the top edge of the screen. What's more, the notebook is lightweight (3 pounds) and well equipped, with a DVD burner, a S-Video-out port, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, says PC World reviewer Carla Thornton.

PDA News: Wi-Fi Software for Pocket PCs

The Socket Wi-Fi Companion utility ($25; free 14-day trial) makes it easier for Pocket PC users to find, set up, and monitor Wi-Fi connections, according to Socket Communications. The new utility, for Pocket PCs with integrated 802.11 connectivity, includes tools that let you determine the strength of each wireless network, automatically manage your wireless power settings to maximize battery life, and more, the company says.

Business Travel Review: Room to Work in United Economy Plus

Before boarding a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., I snagged a last-minute free upgrade from Economy to Economy Plus.

So what, you ask? Here's the deal: In United's Economy Plus, passengers traveling coach are treated to 36-inch seat pitch (the distance from one point on a seat to the same point on the seat in front). By comparison, standard coach seats in United's Economy class and many other airlines have a 31-inch seat pitch. Those extra 5 inches made working on my notebook and sitting for hours noticeably more comfortable.

Because I upgraded just moments before boarding, however, the only Economy Plus seat still available was in an exit row facing a bulkhead (row 15 on the Boeing 767-300 aircraft I traveled on). Consequently, I had to place my bags in an overhead compartment. Still, the trade-off was worth it. Economy Plus seats are available only to those paying full fare, elite members of United's Mileage Plus program, and last-minute upgraders like me. For more information about using your notebook in coach class, see my "Computing in Coach Class, Part 1" and "Computing in Coach Class, Part 2."

Business Travel News: Japan Airlines Offering Internet Access

By late June, Japan Airlines will begin offering Internet access on all flights between New York and Tokyo. The Connexion by Boeing service, delivered by satellite, provides typical connection speeds of about 5 megabits per second downstream (from the Internet to the plane) and 1 mbps upstream. Cost: $30 for the full flight or $10 for the first 30 minutes.

Wireless News: Documents To Go on Sony Ericsson Smart Phones

The DataViz Documents To Go suite is now available for the Sony Ericsson P800, P900, and P910 smart phones, the company reports. The software lets you view, edit, and create Microsoft Word and Excel applications on handheld devices; you can view PowerPoint files but not edit or create them. Documents To Go for Symbian UIQ adds DataViz's InTact technology, which promises to eliminate the need to convert files between PCs and handhelds, according to DataViz. The software is $50; a full-featured 30-day trial is available.

Wireless News: Is Wi-Fi on the Way Out?

Is interest in public Wi-Fi access waning? That's the question some pundits are pondering after Verizon announced it is turning off its free Wi-Fi hot spots in New York City.

"This may be the beginning of the end," says Bob Egan, president of consulting firm Mobile Competency. Wi-Fi is "a niche application," he adds, with few companies making money from it.

Plus, Wi-Fi has its security issues, and coverage is much more limited than services such as Verizon's EVDO wireless wide-area-network technology.

Suggestion Box

Is there a particularly cool mobile computing product or service I've missed? Got a spare story idea in your back pocket? Tell me about it. However, I regret that I'm unable to respond to tech-support questions, due to the volume of e-mail I receive.

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