"Sprint reserves the right to limit throughput speeds or amount of data transferred and to deny, terminate, modify, or suspend service if usage exceeds 5GB per month in total or 300MB/month while off-network roaming."

Price: $50 (w/ two-year activation and current Sprint web special — $250 normally)

The Verdict: Like other cards in the Sierra Wireless line, the 597 has a microSD reader, GPS, and 3G data speeds. But the two things worth focusing on are the size and software package. It's about half the size (in length and thickness) than the Sierra 595u, making it easy to carry around and set up. It doesn't fold up like the 595u, but it's unobtrusive enough that it doesn't really matter. It also has a soft orange glow coming from a light at the top, which could either be nice or annoying depending on preference.

The Sprint software works on Mac and PC, and is really worth using on the go. It allows you to tap into the GPS function to display current position, search for streets and locations or display the rate at which your moving. And it shows reception strength in decibels.

Speaking of reception, the 597 antenna is as good as any of the other Sierra products, though we haven't been able to compare reception to the similar Novatel U727 card. But all in all, The Compass 597 is a solid mobile broadband choice. [Sprint]

The problem isn't that the Instinct is necessarily a bad phone, or that Sprint is a worse service than AT&T. It's that Sprint's series of commercials will cost the company $100 million to promote a message that will most probably be a moot point in one month if/when Apple announces their 3G iPhone. Here's their second commercial:

Also, in a more general suggestion to the advertisers of the world, never put a your device side by side against a competitor if the competitor has a higher screen to case ratio. We'll probably be posting the other three spots as they come in...but even if we don't, expect to see the series all over the television soon.

Oh, and to put $100 million into some perspective, that's more money than it would cost to run a 2009 Super Bowl commercial every day for a month. [via Kansas City Star]

UPDATE: Sprint wrote us to clarify that prior to what we'd heard earlier (from an unofficial source within the company), these spots will only be seen online. The major televised marketing campaign will begin in June and Sprint does "not have a final total" for the device's marketing budget.

GSM is the most widely used mobile standard—210 countries—and by AT&T and T-Mobile in the US. What's groovy about GSM is that any device that'll take a SIM card—"subscriber identity module" is a chip that identifies you to the network and allows you to get on—can get you on a local network. Hence the market for "unlocked" phones that aren't tied to any carrier, which you can just pop an AT&T or T-Mobile SIM card in. It's also AT&T's response to Verizon's open initiative: GSM networks are technically already open.

CDMA is a competing voice-and-data standard that is smaller in distribution—but highly prevalent in Korea, Japan, South America and the US, on the networks of Verizon Wireless and Sprint (including MVNOs such as Helio and Virgin Mobile). CDMA is actually more efficient in terms of the way it uses channels, but it doesn't have GSM's "open" advantage of SIM card swapping. (This is why you can't take your iPhone to Verizon.)

2G refers to any second-generation networks—like CDMA and GSM/GPRS—that are digital, and not analog (which would be 1G). It's mostly for voice, but there's some slow data, too. (Remember WAP?)

2.5G are data upgrades to 2G networks that allow for faster data transfer. EDGE is the best known, used by T-Mobile and AT&T (and the bane of iPhone owners everywhere) and a transitional tech to 3G. Still pretty pokey, topping out at 200kbps downstream real world. Verizon and Sprint have a 2.5G technology called 1XRTT.

3G Now we're talkin'. Third generation is what we finally call "mobile broadband," with the potential for early DSL-like speeds. In the US, this involves two standards: the CDMA-based EV-DO for Verizon and Sprint, and HSPA for AT&T (running now) and T-Mobile (coming this year). Japan, parts of Asia and Europe also make use of W-CDMA. Despite the name, it's actually a GSM technology developed by NTT DoCoMo. For Americans this doesn't matter and only confuses things, so forgetaboutit.

HSPA High-Speed Packet Access is the umbrella term for two complementary GSM technologies, HSDPA and HSUPA, with the D and U standing for "downlink" and "uplink" respectively. Currently HSDPA can pull down info at speeds up to 14.4Mbps, but in the US it's more like 3.6, and only under amazing conditions. AT&T plans to hit 7.2 later this year. HSUPA is an add-on to HSDPA, rolling out in the US this year, which can transmit data at up to 5.7 Mbps, up from 384Kbps.

EV-DO is CDMA's 3G data service, used by Sprint and Verizon. There are different revisions, called Revs. The latest, Rev. A, is capable of 3.1Mbps downstream and 1.8Mbps up in ideal conditions. Though its specs are not as hot as HSPA, it is the most robust and widespread 3G network currently in the US.

4G is the near future of wireless data, with download speeds equivalent to or faster than most US broadband networks.

WiMax is 4G ultra-high-speed mobile broadband developed by Intel, Motorola and Samsung. In the US, Sprint is the only carrier planning to deploy it nationwide. WiMax promises incredible long range and connectivity on par with what you can get at home—think of it as Wi-Fi on 'roids. It was supposed to roll out hard this year, but Sprint has been having a lot of internal problems, necessitating cash injections from partners like Intel. Consequently, you probably won't see WiMax till '09 or '10.

LTE Long-Term Evolution is the other major 4G ultra-high-speed mobile data dealio. It's a GSM-based technology, and quickly emerging as the dominant next-gen standard, in part thanks to WiMax's stupor and Verizon's adoption of it. Though Verizon and AT&T have competing formats currently (CDMA and GSM respectively), both pledge to roll out LTE in the US. Verizon will do this as an overlay to its current network, meaning both CDMA phones and new LTE devices will work throughout the footprint. You'll start seeing LTE in the US in 2010 with mass coverage by 2012.

We skipped over some acronyms, and sped past others, but this should be all you really need to know to navigate Giz's mobile device coverage, so do yourself a favor and bookmark it.

Do you want Giz Explains to clear up any areas of overwhelming confusion? If so, fire a message to our Tips line with the subject "Giz Explains," and we'll see what we can do.

Plus, it'll also help the push to next-generation mobile broadband like LTE and WiMax, since carriers' current infrastructure apparently can't meet the exponentially higher bandwidth requirements. Neatly cyclical conclusion: Use more bandwidth, get more bandwidth! [GigaOM]

Virgin America has been retrofitting their entire fleet with the necessary hardware whereas American Airlines is only running a trial on 15 planes. The service will bring a 2Mbps EVDO Rev. A connection and will actually be upgradeable to Rev. B or faster hardware in the future. So what's the fee for this magical in-flight service? Cross-country flights will cost $12.95 and shorter flights of 3 hours or less will be $9.95.

As for what limitations the airlines will set is still not clear, but with a spring launch, 2Mbs connection, and near $10 fee we can't help but be all hyped-up, so much so it's making us scream, "Let's gogo go!"[gogo via gigaom]

Just plug in your Sprint EV-DO card to the USB port (the ones that work on your Mac or Windows laptop, for example), and you can support up to four simultaneous clients over Wi-Fi. There's a 1800 mAH battery in there, which lasts an unspecified amount of time. It's fantastic if you're working in a group of, say, four Macbook Airs, so they can all share one 3G connection and not have to occupy their one USB port. [Thanks tipster!]

Data sheet here.

Cradlepoint

Ryan at Engadget said the discrepancy could be because "he's forcing his in a little further, or his trap door has a little more vertical give," since Ryan tried out a second U727 as well.

According to Om, the bitch w/ the U727 is on the software side, because "some 'genius' at Apple decided to hide the Internet Connect option in the Macbook Air version of Leopard," so it takes some poking to get it going, plus a manual connect each time. Bottom line, though: "Buy this modem to get the most out of your Macbook Air—$279 for a new one, $79 with a 2-year contract from Sprint." Whatever 3G modem you want/have/get, be sure to test it on a real machine first to avoid clenched fists and squeezy eyes. [GigaOM]

SEATTLE—November 19, 2007—Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) today introduced Amazon Kindle, a revolutionary portable reader that wirelessly downloads books, blogs, magazines and newspapers to a crisp, high-resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight. More than 90,000 books are now available in the Kindle Store, including 101 of 112 current New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases, which are $9.99, unless marked otherwise. Kindle is available starting today for $399 at http://cts.vresp.com/c/?OutCastCommunication/4d428ae66c/e900644d0d/ed0a6ed189.

"We've been working on Kindle for more than three years. Our top
design objective was for Kindle to disappear in your hands—to get out
of the way—so you can enjoy your reading," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com
Founder and CEO. "We also wanted to go beyond the physical book.
Kindle is wireless, so whether you're lying in bed or riding a train,
you can think of a book, and have it in less than 60 seconds. No
computer is needed—you do your shopping directly from the device.
We're excited to make Kindle available today."

Downloads Content Wirelessly, No PC Required, No Hunting for Wi-Fi Hot
Spots
The Kindle wireless delivery system, Amazon Whispernet, uses the same
nationwide high-speed data network (EVDO) as advanced cell phones.
Kindle customers can wirelessly shop the Kindle Store, download or
receive new content—all without a PC, Wi-Fi hot spot, or syncing.

No Monthly Wireless Bills or Commitments
Books can be downloaded in less than a minute and magazines,
newspapers, and blogs are delivered to subscribers automatically.
Amazon pays for the wireless connectivity for Kindle so there are no
monthly wireless bills, data plans, or service commitments for
customers.

Reads Like Paper
Kindle uses a high-resolution display technology called electronic
paper that provides a sharp black and white screen that is as easy to
read as printed paper. The screen works using ink, just like books
and newspapers, but displays the ink particles electronically. It
reflects light like ordinary paper and uses no backlight, eliminating
the eyestrain and glare associated with other electronic displays such
as computer monitors or PDA screens.

Books, Blogs, Magazines and Newspapers
The Kindle Store currently offers more than 90,000 books, as well as
hundreds of newspapers, magazines and blogs. Customers can search,
browse, buy, and download from this wide selection wirelessly from
their Kindle. The same Amazon shopping experience customers are
accustomed to is offered in the Kindle Store, including customer
reviews, personalized recommendations, 1-Click purchasing, and
everyday low prices. Additionally, Kindle customers can download and
read the first chapter of most Kindle books for free.

Kindle customers can select from the most recognized U.S. newspapers,
as well as popular magazines and journals, such as The New York Times,
Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Atlantic Monthly, TIME and
Fortune. The Kindle Store also includes top international newspapers
from France, Germany, and Ireland, including Le Monde, Frankfurter
Allgemeine and The Irish Times. Subscriptions are auto-delivered
wirelessly to Kindle overnight so that the latest edition is waiting
for customers when they wake up. Monthly Kindle newspaper
subscriptions are $5.99 to $14.99 per month, and Kindle magazines are
$1.25 to $3.49 per month. All magazines and newspapers include a free
two-week trial.

The Kindle Store has over 300 blogs on topics ranging from Internet
and technology to culture, lifestyle, and humor, to politics and
opinion. Examples include Slashdot, TechCrunch, BoingBoing, The Onion,
The Huffington Post, and ESPN blogs. Blogs are updated and downloaded
wirelessly throughout the day so Kindle customers can read blogs
whenever and wherever they want. Wireless delivery of blogs costs as
little as $0.99 each per month and also includes a free two-week
trial.

Holds Hundreds of Books in 10.3 Ounces
At 10.3 ounces, Kindle is lighter and thinner than a typical paperback
and fits easily in one hand, yet its built-in memory stores more than
200 titles, and hundreds more with an optional SD memory card.
Additionally, a copy of every book purchased is backed up online on
Amazon.com so that customers have the option to make room for new
titles on their Kindle knowing that Amazon.com is storing their
personal library of purchased content.

Built-In Dictionary and Wikipedia
Kindle has built-in access to The New Oxford American Dictionary,
which contains over 250,000 entries and definitions, so readers can
easily look up the definitions of words within their reading. Kindle
customers also have seamless access to the world's most exhaustive and
up-to-date encyclopedia, Wikipedia.org, and its collection of over
2,000,000 articles.

Long Battery Life
Customers can leave the Kindle wireless connectivity on and recharge
approximately every other day, or turn wireless off and read for a
week or more before recharging. Kindle fully recharges in two hours.

Search
Kindle has a standard-layout keyboard that makes it possible for users
to search the Kindle Store, their entire library of purchased content,
and Wikipedia.org. Customers simply type in a word or phrase and
Kindle will find every instance.

Annotation and Bookmarks
The Kindle keyboard lets customers add annotations to text, just as
they would write in the margins of a book. Customers can edit, delete
and export these notes, highlight and clip key passages, and bookmark
pages for future use. Additionally, Kindle automatically bookmarks
the last page a customer reads of any content on their Kindle.

Ergonomic Design
Kindle is designed for long-form reading, so it is as easy to hold and
use as a book. Full-length, vertical page-turning buttons are located
on both sides of Kindle, allowing customers to read and turn pages
comfortably from any position. The page-turning buttons are located
on both the right and left sides of Kindle, which allows both left and
right-handed customers to hold, turn pages, and position Kindle with
one hand.

Adjustable Text Size
Kindle has six adjustable font sizes to suit customers' varying
reading preferences.

Personal Documents
Customers can take their personal documents with them on their Kindle.
Customers and their contacts can e-mail Word documents and pictures
directly to their unique and customizable Kindle e-mail address for
$0.10 each. Kindle supports wireless delivery of unprotected
Microsoft® Word, HTML, TXT, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP files.

Comes Ready To Use
When customers order a Kindle, it arrives from Amazon.com ready to
use. There is no software to load or set up. Customers are
immediately ready to shop, purchase, download and read from Kindle.

Amazon is adding new book, periodical, and blog titles to the Kindle
Store every day. Publishers and authors can submit their content and
make it available to Kindle customers by using Amazon's new Digital
Text Platform (DTP), a fast and easy self-publishing tool that lets
anyone upload and sell their books in the Kindle Store. Sign up today
for DTP at
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?OutCastCommunication/4d428ae66c/e900644d0d/1640f1bc6d.

New York Times bestsellers and hardback new releases will go for $9.99, with classics going as low as $1.99. Through the service, which is an extension of the Amazon store, you also can subscribe to newspapers (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post) and magazines, which are automatically sent to Kindle when they drop on the wire.

Talking about the hardware itself, it'll hold 200 books on board, though you can supplement with unspecified memory cards. It'll get up to 30 hours of reading per charge and weighs 10.3 ounces. So, why does such a potentially disruptive device look so very plain? They wanted it to look like "an austere vessel of culture." The moniker Kindle is from the same line of thinking, "the crackling ignition of knowledge." But, thankfully, it doesn't get warm itself.

Some obvious questions are left though, mostly about the "always-on" connection—is the EV-DO-based Whispernet service included in the $399? If not, what's the pricing on that? And what are its limits, since you can go out onto the real web? Odds are, Bezos himself will reveal the answers tomorrow.

The goals here are pretty lofty: "Amazon believes it has created the iPod of reading." We really, really dig Jeff's vision, "that you should be able to get any book—not just any book in print, but any book that's ever been in print—on this device in less than a minute," so we hope about as much as he does that this little beige slab lives up to all the wonderful that they're promising. [Newsweek]

If this EV-DO modem works has as well as the Sierra Wireless AirCard 595U USB EV-DO Rev A modem we use here, you're in for a treat. There's something wonderful about using an EV-DO USB modem, letting you connect your laptop to the internet anywhere you can use a cellphone. Just plug the thing into the USB port of any PC running Windows Vista, XP, 2000, Mac OS X or Linux, and you're off and running, and it almost feels like you're on a Wi-Fi network.

The only downside is that steep $60 a month tariff you must pay for unlimited network access—even more if you don't sign up for two years of indentured servitude. If you can crack that nut, this unit will be available this month, branded as the Sprint U727, and also later as the Verizon USB727, and will cost around $79.99 if you sign up for a two-year plan and take advantage of the mail-in rebate.

The press release trips me out a little bit, because it talks about how great the RAZR2 is for such Verizon apps as V CAST Music and VZ Navigator, rather than singing the praises of the device itself as a unique product that might do something that other Verizon phones can't. There's no Linux-Java, for instance, and I'm not sure about Highspeed USB 2.0 for sideloading songs you didn't buy from Verizon. I'm also pretty convinced there's no Windows Media Player compatibility, or AAC friendliness. All of those features will be available in one of the GSM-based RAZR2s, probably just the one that T-Mobile will sell.

VERIZON WIRELESS INTRODUCES THE MOTORAZR2 V9M Next Generation RAZR Features External Display and Touch-Sensitive Keys and Bluetooth Support

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - Verizon Wireless, the nation's leading wireless company with the most reliable wireless voice and data network, and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT), today announced the sleek multimedia MOTORAZR2 V9m will be available to Verizon Wireless customers in September. Offering a combination of sophisticated style and Verizon Wireless' first-class multimedia features, the MOTORAZR2 V9m is perfect for customers seeking a sleek, music-centric multimedia mobile phone.

Equipped with external touch-sensitive keys for quick access to music, camera and advanced speech recognition and wrapped in cool stainless steel, the MOTORAZR2 V9m is V CAST-capable and perfect for use with popular Get It Now® applications, such as VZ NavigatorSM. Customers can enjoy over-the-air full-track music downloads from V CAST Music, Verizon Wireless' exclusive catalog of over two million songs. To enhance the true mobile music experience, the MOTORAZR2 V9m comes equipped with Bluetooth® stereo support for listening to music.

Adding to the list of impressive multimedia features, the MOTORAZR2 V9m also has a 2.0 megapixel camera with 4x zoom and picture, video, text, and instant messaging (IM) capabilities, which allow Verizon Wireless customers to capture priceless moments while staying in touch on-the-go.

Pricing and Availability

MOTORAZR2 V9m will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $299.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a new two-year customer agreement.

And now with this final piece of the puzzle, our dream to be able to blog all day from the park is complete. EV-DO? Check. Solar-powered laptop charger? Check. Now all we need is this wind-powered cellphone charger and we will be unstoppable. Too bad it's only a prototype for now. Now for the joke.

What Did the Wind-Powered Charger Say to the Cellphone? Blow me. Badump, bump, tish!.– Ben Longo

Orange Harnesses Wind to Power Charger [UberGizmo]

Surprisingly, this is a pretty simple mod, especially when compared with the amount of benefits it gives you. The trickiest part is probably finding the mini EV-DO card. You'll have to pick up and activate either a Novatel U720 or USB720 modem and then pry it open. Inside you'll find a little nugget of wireless gold, the Express Mini Card. Then just swap the two cards, install Apples WWAN update and bingo-bango, you've got yourself an EV-DO Mini.

This looks like it would be godsend for all of those car modders who have been popping Mini's into their glove compartments.– Ben Longo

EV-DO on a Mac Mini [Slashgear via MacNN via EVDOinfo]
GTi Mac Mini [Gizmodo]

Essentially, Motorola has gone far beyond simply anticipating the network needs of AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and (maybe) Sprint. I've posted a chart from the press materials that you can click to enlarge. But there's more to it than that. Here's my (educated) guess as to which carriers will pick up which RAZR 2 versions:

•RAZR 2 V8 (July 2007) - Totally T-Mobile - It a slender model with 512MB or 2GB of internal memory, its instantly compatible with Windows Media Player 10 or 11 for access to all-you-can-eat "sideload" music. T-Mo isn't in the business of selling music over the air, so it's the most codec friendly (MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+) and it's got highspeed USB 2.0. In addition it supports Motorola Linux-Java for super flexible software development. It may be the "slowest" in terms of network, but it very well may be the sweetest palmtop.

•RAZR 2 V9 (August 2007) - Up AT&T's Alley - With its WCDMA 850/1900 or 2100 and HSDPA 3.6, it's clearly developed to be a part of AT&T's aggressive 2007 lineup (not just higher bandwidth than the iPhone but also higher than Sony Ericsson's US HSDPA phone). Optional memory up to 2GB, but nothing to write home about in terms of built-in memory (you gotta watch out for the "upsell"). It will have video telephone and video streaming, including the "See What I See" technology for live in-call video streams. It will not support Motorola Linux-Java, however, favoring what Moto calls "Synergy" (meaning "carrier friendly") software. This will support Windows Media files, but will not come ready to sync with Windows Media Player 10 and 11. (There is a slim chance that AT&T will also sell a RAZR 2 V8, but I'm willing to bet that only happens if there's a serious V9 delay or a huge price step-up.)

• RAZR 2 V9m (July 2007) - Qualcomm Was Here - The good news is, there will be a CDMA version of the RAZR out early. Last time, it took a while for Verizon Wireless to get one, and even longer for Sprint to introduce it. That means highspeed EVDO plus sGPS location technology. The downside is that CDMA carriers will have their way with this handset, and fewer of the options Zander bragged about will be guaranteed. Video streaming is "network dependent" and the software is Motorola Synergy or "carrier proprietary." Music options? "Proprietary customer music players," says another Moto data sheet.

Dear Sprint and Verizon Wireless: when you do get this, please check out some of the software advantages Motorola is introducing. I swear your customers will thank you for it. – Wilson Rothman

Motorola RAZR 2 Launch Coverage [Gizmodo]

On the hardware side of things, the phone has an Intel Xscale 312MHz proc, 128MB or RAM, and a 320x320 screen (instead of the Samsung 300MHz chip and the 240x240 screen of the Treo 750), and will come in blue and dark red in that silky velvechron finish I can't stop manhandling. On the software side of things, Palm's shipped the phone with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, Bejeweled, IM for AIM, Yahoo! and MSN, and some unique Google Map integration.

Google Maps tweaks are...

address book integration. Basically, you can click the "Map" button on a contact entry with an address inside, and awaaaaay you go to Google Maps. From there, you can route to and from the address with a few more keystrokes. The Google Maps implentation does a good job of using the EVDO speed to update the map's data. And it shows the traffic compatible software. A shame they don't put GPS in this guy. (Real like the Nokia N95 or fake like the Helio and Verizon phones.)

Available for $280, middle of May, with one of those two-year ball & chains.
Pretty lucky that Palm lovers get the OS of choice attached to my favorite cellular data network.

Video From [Dan@uneasysilence]

Well, it was a nice idea, but apparently no one used it. The service will be disconnected as of May 8th, with customers who have paid beyond that being issued refunds or credits. Our question is this: Are there any pieces of software out there that will automatically switch you from an EVDO connection to a Wi-Fi hotspot when you come across one? It's a neat idea, one that you shouldn't need to sign up for a service to be able to use. –Adam Frucci

PhoneScoop [via CrunchGear]

At $400 for the hardware, it's not exactly cheap. (Monthly is a nice $50, though. )If pricing stays at this level, you might want to get one of those Kyocera WiFi/EV-DO portable routers for less, and have a dedicated card you can use in your lappie outside of the car.–Brian Lam

AutoNet Router [Autospies and Gizmag]

Verizon: EVDO Rev A Up & Running in 'Number of Communities' [Broadband Reports]

And the hardware itself isn't bad either. The TX's carbon fiber chassis, 11-inch ultrabrite screen, dual layer dvd burner, finger print scanner, and smart keyboard had me at "HELLO." (Oh yes, I am so giddy about this notebook that just dropped Jerry F-ing Maguire quotes on you.) A gut check on speed and battery life: Batteries go on and on, with the TX's ability to shut down individual components, user spec'd. And Core Solo is about as good as it gets for lappie this small. The details: click on through for a visual tour of the bits and ports of the notebook.

This new version is significantly faster than its predecessor, averaging upload speeds of 300 to 400kbps compared to the 50 to 70kbps of garden-variety EV-DO. The difference in download speeds won't be nearly as dramatic, however, increasing from the current 400-700kbps to a slightly faster 450-800kbps. The company says its entire wireless broadband network will be upgraded to the faster EV-DO Revision A by the third quarter of next year.

But they didn't just roll it out to San Diego. Pricing, how it compares to Verizon's EVDO offerings, and entire list of cities after the jump. Is EVDO Revision A in your hometown? Click to see.

This kind of speed won't come cheap. Sprint announced pricing of $49.99 a month for unlimited access with a two-year subscriber agreement and mail-in rebate. Unlimited data use without a plan is $79.99 per month. The company also announced it would offer its Sprint Mobile Broadband USB Modem by Novatel Wireless Ovation U720 early next month for $249.99 or $49.99 with a two-year subscriber agreement and mail-in rebate.

Ouch. There's no word on whether Verizon plans to follow suit with its widespread wireless broadband service. But that $50 price for a limited access is $5 more than Verizon charges for its nearly-ubiquitous conventional EV-DO unlimited access. – Charlie White

Sprint announced these markets will launch EV-DO Rev A this year:

1. Baltimore
2. Boston
3. Buffalo, N.Y.
4. Denver
5. Detroit
6. Hartford, Conn.
7. Kansas City, Mo
8. Las Vegas
9. Los Angeles
10. Milwaukee
11. Newark/Trenton, N.J.
12. New York City
13. Philadelphia
14. Pittsburgh
15. Providence, R.I.
16. Sacramento, Calif.
17. Salt Lake City
18. San Francisco
19. Seattle
20. Washington, D.C.

Sprint launches first EVDO Rev A Network [mobility today]

I use T-Mobile, and say this can't happen fast enough. I'd say that they'd better start thinking about something even faster very soon, though. –Brian Lam

T-Mobile Goes 3G [CNet]

Press Release (in Korean) [LG via I4U News]

Product Page [Via Phonelaunch]

All that, and still no word on price or availability. – Nicholas Deleon

LG Reveals VX-8600 [Phone Scoop via New Launches]

The Pantech PX-500 will go for $200 or free with a 2 year commitment.
The somehow higher-end Sierra Wireless Aircard 595 will go for $250, or $100 with 2 year commitment. [Pictured above]

Both are PCMCIA cards, and both will take advantage of the EVDO network now at 400-700 Kpbs, as well as the faster 450-800kbps Rev. A network.

What makes the Sierra more expensive? A durable built in high performance antenna, apparently. So, we'll take the cheaper one, kthx.–Brian Lam

Sprint Announces Plans To Expand EV-DO Revision A-Capable Device Portfolio [Sprint]

Now then, the Treo 700wx is available now from Sprint for $499 after baby-selling rebates and so forth. Let us never speak of it again. – Nicholas Deleon

Product Page [Palm via Slashphone]

Of course, if you're looking for data strictly, and can do without the IPTV, we're going to go ahead and recommend you buy the Kyocera mobile EVDO router instead. It's only a few hundred bucks, vs the $2000 dollar sticker price for the TracNet.– Brian Lam

TracNet 100 Mobile Internet Receiver [KVH]

I'll make a prediction: Within 5 years, all high end laptops will be sold with integrated broadband. What do you think?– Brian Lam

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

Sierra Wireless EVDO/HSPDA Aircards [Macworld]

Novatel Merlin S720 [Sprint, Thanks Brian, Amy, and David]

The Rev. A card is backwards compatible with Rev. 0 networks, just don't expect to reach the same high speeds. The card should cost $99.99 with a two-year contract with Sprint; the price jumps to $174.99 if you're only willing to commit one year of your life to Sprint. – Nicholas Deleon

UPDATE: Quick correction on EVDO Rev. A's speed: according to Sprint's press release, the average download speed should be around 450-800kbps while average uploads will come in at 300-400kbps. These are average speeds and not theoretical maxima.

Sprint releases EVDO Rev A Card [Mobility Today]

Sprint EVDO Order Form [Booster-Antenna.com]

The fact that the 8703e hasn't publicly received the FCC's go-ahead is somewhat odd, but that could be chalked up to Verizon Wireless and RIM, maker of the BlackBerry, wanting to create an even bigger "ta-da!" when it's actually released. Time will tell whether this is just careless conjecture or something more substantive. – Nicholas Deleon

UPDATE: What's that saying, something like, if something seems too good to be true it probably is? Late word now indicates that the 8703e will not support GSM after all. So all that pretty text up there speaking highly of that capability? Ignore it, she's CMDA-only. Rumors, fun to pass around until someone gets their head smashed into a locker. The follies of youth.

Verizon releasing 8703e with GSM support [RIM Blackberry Forums]

More Screens [RIM Blackberry Forums]

Other features like the 12.1-inch screen, Core Duo T2400, 1GB of DDR RAM and GeForce Go 7300 makes this quite a capable machine. No price info yet, but we suspect it's only available in Korea for now. – Jason Chen

LW25-EV, 12.1", Duo Core, DMB, EVDO.... Thank you LG [Akihabara News via Slashgear]

All this DVDA (Double Verizon Data Access, what'd you think we meant?) action is coming your way 3Q 2006, ahead of Sprint/Nextel's own deployment. Who knows whether Verizon will raise prices after the upgrade is in place, so you may want to get your data plans now and get them grandfathered in. – Jason Chen

Press Release [Verizon]

VZW And Nortel Team Up for EVDO Rev A [PCS Intel via jkOnTheRun]