3 have added to their mobile broadband and free laptop line-up.
Broadband News and Mobile Broadband News has the details on the three new additions, the Samsung NC10 netbook, the Acer 751 notebook and the Samsung R519. Although they focus on the NC10, “a fantastic new light weight netbook which has the added benefit of an extended battery life”, details are provided on each by a link to the 3UK site contained in the article.
Have you tried any of these? Let us know your thoughts.
3 have added the HP Compaq CQ60 to their range of broadband and laptop packages.
Described by Broadband News & Mobile Broadband News as a “feature rich” device the CQ60 comes packing a 160Gb hard drive, 1GB of RAM, a 15.6″ wide screen HD display and AMD Sempron 2.10GHz processor.
David L’s post at BN and MBN has the details of the offer as well as a succinct overview of other laptop and broadband deals.
At Top 10 Broadband, Jonathan Leggett has written on a Financial Times story that suggests 3 are set to acquire the UK division of T-Mobile.
It appears that T-Mobile’s parent company Deutsche Telecom is looking to sell the UK division and with the networks currently positioned as they are, speculation suggests 3 are likely to take the reins, “The two firms currently already share their mobile broadband and mobile phone network. Furthermore, 3 does not have a 2G mobile network of its own.”
Jonathan suggests that if the merger were to go ahead “it would create one of the mobile broadband sector’s largest players and would dramatically boost 3’s already-growing customer base.” Interesting stuff, but with 3 and T-Mobile declining to comment we can only wait.
It appears that ItProPortal.com is a fan of 3’s mobile broadband starter kits, especially the Huawei E160g 12 months/12GB package.
They believe the starter pack route “is the best way to get broadband on the move or even replace your home connection.” They give you all the details and even equate what 12GB worth of data will get you in real terms – to find out head on through.
“Analysts said that strong sales of the gadget by 3 and its rivals proved that dongles posed a significant threat to traditional landline phone companies such as BT and to the providers of “wi-fi” hotspots.”
This poses the question; how far dongles can actually go? Head over for the full article.
AVTECH, from Digital Spy, needed a bit of assistance with his 3 Broadband Dongle. Although pleased with his purchase, he was having a problem whenever he tried to use Microsoft applications, “instead of commands going to the usb dongle the computer is trying to send them somewhere else.”
Thankfully though, Anniebrion was quickly to the rescue! If you’re having a similar issue check in at Digital Spy to get a helping hand.
Among other things Abhishek Rungta is a business strategist and it is from this perspective that he delivers a post on how to make a stay in London as economical as it can be.
He makes sure he gives all the details that would be necessary for a stopover in our nation’s capital, covering accommodation, travel and food. He also includes a nod to 3 for internet access. Stating that most hotels will offer wireless it is vital to have a back-up plan and the ability to stay connected while on the move.
Used a 3 dongle while busy with business in London? Let him know.
PCAuthority Australia is covering 3’s latest broadband dongle – the E180.
The E180’s defining feature is the ability for a user to ‘swivel’ it 270 degrees to optimise reception. Author of the article William Maher is yet to try one and therefore reserves judgement on whether or not it can actually speed up downloads.
As an added bonus the dongle also comes with 8GB of storage. Tried one of these? If so then let us know what you thought below.
Gadget Republic has the news that 3 Ireland will be increasing the current monthly download limit of their broadband service from 10GB to 15GB.
This 50% boost will not affect the price, with the broadband package remaining at €19.99. For all Gadget Republic has to say on this move and a particularly oversized 3 logo click through…
Mobile Computer has been looking at 3’s £20 per month broadband with ‘free’ netbook (a Compaq Mini 700) deal.
They’re fully aware that although the deal is a good one, currently the cheapest of its kind available, it will mean a tie-in to a lengthy contract. Nevertheless, similar deals from other networks do cost more, “Opt for one of 3’s rivals and you’ll need to fork out at least £25 per month in order to bag a netbook.”
Will Stapely, author of the post, does not believe it will take long for these deals to follow 3’s lead. Do you agree? Let him know. There are also a few details on the Compaq Mini 700 and a link to some guys who opened up the laptop and had a poke around…
On the back of the recently announced agreement with the Irish government to bring broadband to the entire country, 3 have linked up with a technology firm from California to contribute to achieving this.
Nextivity will be delivering to 3 ‘Smart Repeater’ devices that are designed to boost the broadband signal in houses where ‘packet loss’ occurs – the weakening of the base station signal due to surrounding infrastructures.
Silicon Republic has all the details, including the news that while not every residence will need a Repeater, 3 has been proactive in making sure the devices are part of the strategy to deliver on the National Broadband Scheme.
Communications Minister, Eamon Ryan, has announced that every person in Ireland will be able to access high speed internet services within 21 months.
Currently 10% of the population is unable to do so due to their locales being deemed as ‘remote’. However, with the broadband access seen as an essential, a deal has been made with 3 Ireland to achieve nationwide coverage within the time frame.
Full story at RTE Business.
House-sharing can be a minefield at the best of times, so when johnboy over at Riot Act needed to sort out a new internet connection, he ran into numerous problems with line-rental ownership, previous internet contracts and no takers to sign on the dotted line with a new ISP.
Fortunately he’s able to resort to that modern saviour of no-strings-attached internet that is the 3 Mobile Broadband dongle, but before parting with any cash, wants the low down on the service namely speed, service and the competition.
Jump across to see what’s been suggested.
Can anyone offer some advice getting a 3 mobile broadband to work on Ubuntu 8.10?
Jo’Bo posted on LinuxQuestions.org that he’s having trouble getting his ZTE MF622 modem to work on the Intrepid Ibex version of Ubuntu. 3mobilebuzz stepped in to dish up some links to guides we found elsewhere, but has anyone got first-hand experience of this issue? If so, drop us a comment or follow this link to the original discussion.
The End of Year Most Popular Posts post is a blogging tradition that goes right back to the digital dark ages (“when men were men, women were men and children were FBI agents”, as RBX excellently put it on Yahoo Answers). Not only is this approach a great way to look back over the past 365 days and find out what you’ve been up to, it’s also quite a lazily cunning way of recycling old content. Well, we’re not above that at 3mobilebuzz so here’s our offering…with a bit of a twist that befits our style…
2008 was the year 3 brought us the mobile dongle, the Skypephone S2 and (more recently) the INQ1. With affordable, social media-centric devices even on PAYG and tariffs that made a mockery of the £1 for 1MB nonsense that totally buggered the mobile internet in its early days, 3 continued to focus on making the untethered web accessible to all. This was all, seemingly, welcomed and sparked a lot of conversation – some of which ended up on here.
So, to usher in 2009, 3mobilebuzz look back on the year that was and ask, “What were the most visited links we pointed you towards in 2008?”
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