MiFi 2200 “Pay-as-you-go” Internet: Nationwide WiFi for only $1 per day
| Summary: Get nationwide WiFi Internet for $1 per day, pay-as-you-go with no monthly contracts. Virgin Mobile is the first to offer the MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot or Ovation MC760 USB device with No Contact, Pay-as-you Go,for as little as $10 for 10 days use. Only $1 per day to create an instant WiFi hotspot you can share with up to 5 computers or wi-fi compatible devices. |
Dear ChuckEgg: What is a MiFi mobile router hotspot?
The MiFi is very small, slim router that turns a 3G wireless phone signal into a 40 foot diameter Wi-Fi hotspot that can be shared by up to 5 computers or WiFi compatible devices. You can use a MiFi mobile router to create a password-protected wireless hotspot for your computer, iPad, iPod Touch, personal media player, or any other WiFi compatible device. You can use the MiFi to create a hotspot, or you can tether the MiFi to a single computer using a USB cable.
The MiFi 2200 mobile router has been available from Verizon and Sprint for some time, but Virgin Mobile is the first to offer the MiFi with no monthly contract and nationwide pay-as-you-go Internet for only $1 per day, with no monthly service contract (you’ll pay $10 for 10 days). Virgin Mobile calls it the MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot.
Update: VirginMobile has revised the rates since I first wrote this article. The price is still “pay as-you-go, but your choices are $40 for unlimited data for a month, or $10 for 100MB for 10 days. Click here for details
The MiFi 2200 weighs only 2 ounces and is as small as several credit cards stacked on top of each other. The MiFi’s internal battery will power your MiFi for up to 4 hours of Internet access, or 40 hours of standby time. For a continuously powered WiFi hotspot, you can connect the MiFi mobile router to an electrical outlet or to your computer’s USB port.
Cheap Refurbished Computers
Many libraries, schools and universities sell old computers for as little as $5. Here’s a way to make them usable again…
As many computers are returned from business leases and removed from service, many of them are destined for closets, basements and landfills. I bought two Pentium 3 computers from our local library for five dollars apiece. The purchase included Microsoft brand optical mice, which were probably worth five dollars if I sold them on eBay. Several months earlier, I purchased a 10 pack of Kensington computer keyboards for two dollars apiece. The two computers already had certified versions of Windows 98 installed, with valid Microsoft certificate numbers on the case. Since these computers came with certificate numbers, if the hard drives had been full of junk, it could have borrowed someone’s Windows 98 installation disks to install a legal replacement copy using the certificate numbers that were on the tag on the computer case.
In their previous life, these computers were used as terminals for a library database system. When I received them, they had installed only 128 MB of RAM so they didn’t run very quickly. I used Google to find the specifications of the computer and to find out the type and maximum amount of memory that could be installed. I used Google again to find the specific type of memory that I needed and then I searched at eBay for the best price for the memory. The cost to upgrade the memory to the maximum allowed 768 MB was about $30 including shipping.
The computers I purchased for five dollars apiece at the library had mostly empty hard drives. They also had network interface cards, so I was able to connect them to my wired Internet connection and my office to download and install updates to the operating system. I also installed a copy of the Firefox web browser and a copy of the open office wordprocessing software.
My mother, like many computer users, doesn’t require a lot of processing power for the things she does with the computer. She types letters with a word processor, she occasionally searches for things on Google, and she reads articles online. None of those things require the latest and greatest computer technology. So at a total cost of under $50 for the computer, and about $20 for a cathode ray terminal CRT screen, my mother has a computer that matches, and probably exceeds, her needs.
So, if you have a friend or relative who has simple computing needs and a limited budget you might consider checking with your local library or businesses to see if they have off lease or auto service computers that they might be selling at an upcoming book sale. Upgrading the computer could be easy, inexpensive, and rewarding.
Flight Tracking
Airline flights are canceled all the time. Airline schedules are changed all the time. The Internet can make it easy to find the latest information about airline departures and arrivals. But what if you’re not near your computer to get the latest airline flight tracking status?
Are you leaving town on a flight, but want to make sure that it’s on time before you head for the airport?
Are you picking someone up from the airport and want to make sure their flight will be arriving on time?
Have you already arrived at the airport to pick someone up, but you don’t know the status of their incoming flight?
You’re sitting on an airplane, the plane has just landed, and you want to know the gate number and departing time status of your connecting flight?
You want a weather forecast for either the departing airport or your destination airport?
You want to know how long it takes to get through security before you go to the airport?
Some excellent websites allow you to quickly and easily get all these answers about airports and airline flight status from your Blackberry, Treo or any other smart phone.
Recently, I was on a flight to Atlanta, Georgia, one of the busiest airports in the world. Our flight to Atlanta was delayed, and although on Atlanta was my final destination, many of the passengers around me had been keeping their fingers crossed that we would land in time for them to catch their connecting flights.
The woman sitting next to me was especially nervous; the airline that we were flying allowed only 30 minutes from the time we landed until the time she was required to get her connecting flight.
As our wheels touched down, I removed my smart phone for my pocket and quickly activated my phone’s Web browser. I tapped the bookmark on my phone browser to go to FlightStats.com, and 2ithin 30 seconds I was able to tell my seatmate that her outgoing flight was 30 minutes delayed and that her connecting gate was C32. Furthermore, I told her I hope she packed an umbrella, because it was raining at her final destination.
When several other people in the seats around us heard what I told the woman, they began to shout out the numbers of their connecting flights. By the time our plane had taxied to the gate, I had told nearly a dozen people the status of their outgoing flights and the gates for their connecting flights.
What I did wasn’t difficult. My smart phone browser screens for flight departure and arrival status are shown below:
The first screen asks for a partial name of the airport or the airport code. The current date and time appears as the default, but you can used to drop downs to choose dates and times in the future. You can also type a partial airline name or airline code. In the image above, I use the airline code “FL” which is an abbreviation for AirTran Airlines.
After selecting an airport and airline, your phone will display arriving and departing flights for that airline at that airport. You’ll also see both scheduled times and actual times. This is especially helpful if you’re taxing to the gate and need to know the status and gate of your connecting flight. It’s also helpful if you are picking someone up from airport and want to know if their flight will be late.
If you click your Airport code on any of the flight status screens, you’ll see a weather report for that airport and you’ll see chatter written by people at that airport that may discuss airport security delays or any other information that could be important to travelers at that airport.
FlightStats.com is absolutely free. Visit FlightStats.com from your home computer, your laptop or your Internet enabled smart phone for fast, free information about airline flight status, airline delays, and airport weather.
-Edit by DME
Free MP3 downloads w Replay Music
Summary: Get your favorite free MP3 downloads from music subscription services, online radio, YouTube, Google or any other source of free music audio. This simple software automatically records audio on your computer, then makes it into free MP3 downloads and automatically tags the MP3′s with the correct song title, artist, album. Any audio you can play on your computer can be converted to free MP3 download files (with no DRM) that you can play on any iPod, iPhone or any MP3 player. This program makes your free mp3 downloads legal. |
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Important! Do not use this “free MP3″ method to take music you’ve not paid for. Artists deserve your financial support! Use this program to make free DRM-FREE MP3 downloads be used to replace CD’s you’ve lost or damaged or to replace music you’ve previously purchased as a CD, Cassette, 8-Track, or Vinyl Album.
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ReplayMusic is an amazing computer program that automatically converts any stream of music you play through your computer into individual non-DRM MP3 music files that you can burn directly to Compact Disc CD’s. You can also use this program to create free MP3 music downloads that are not copy protected and can be copied or transferred to any iPod, iPhone, or any MP3 player.
Below are examples of audio music sources you can easily convert to free MP3 music downloads . I’m in the process of writing individual blog entries for each of them:
- Convert Pandora.com music and songs into free MP3 file downloads.
- Convert Slacker.com music and songs into free MP3 file downloads.
- Convert Napster.com music and songs into free MP3 file downloads.
- Convert your old vinyl LP albums to free MP3 file downloads.
- Convert your old 8-tracks or cassettes to free MP3 file downloads.
- Convert YouTube videos to free MP3 file downloads.
I’ve been using ReplayMusic since 2006. ReplayMusic is very easy to use and I’ll show you how in the steps below….
Cheap Network Laser Printer
I bought one of these $60 (after rebate) laser printers in 2007, and liked it so much that I bought a second one for my mother a few months later. THE $20 OFF CODE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST IS VALID ONLY ON 2/14/2009. If you want this printer deal, then you have to act fast.
Y’all probably know that laser printers are much cheaper to operate than ink-jet printers. Typically LaserJet pages cost about about 2-cents per page for laser toner versus twice as much for inkjet ink. Sure, I understand that you may use an inkjet printer because you want (or need) color printing, but at $60, you may want to consider adding this cheap laser printer to your office, since it will likely pay for itself in what it saves in printing costs versus your inkjet printer.
No matter which methods I’ve used to preserve the inkjet cartridge, if I didn’t use the inkjet printer for a few weeks then the cartridge would become dried and useless. I’ve never been keen on refilling my own inkjet cartridges and it’s well known that printer companies charge excessively for replacement ink cartridges. If you have similar problems with your inkjet printer cartridges drying out, you may want to consider trying this wonderful $60 laser printer from Brother.
I own a couple of fancy printers, but I also own two Brother printers that are very similar to this one. I bought the first cheap monochrome (black and white) laser printer a few years ago to replace a color inkjet printer I used occasionally when visiting our vacation home (which nearly always needed a cartridge replacement from drying out as a result of infrequent use). The cheap Brother laser printer performed so well that I bought another for my mother. It has performed well for her, too.
I paid about $60 (after rebate) for my Brother Laser printers in 2007. The model at the link below is a bit nicer than the ones I bought; The printer has built-in 802.11b/g and ethernet network interfaces so you can share this printer with others on your computer network or to print wirelessly from your notebook computer. If you don’t want to connect this inexpensive computer to your network, you can just connect it to your computer like any ordinary printer.
This cheap Brother laser printer features a print speed of up to 23ppm with a maximum resolution of 2400 x 600 dots per inch.
As is with most of the deals I post, supplies are limited and if you snooze, you lose.
Pay $130. Use $20 off code 46289 at checkout (expires 2/14). Mail in Rebate $50. With free shipping your net cost is only $60 for this good quality, inexpensive (refurbished) laser printer.
Laser printer (with Network printer sharing) Only $60 with free shipping (after rebate). Click Here.
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