If you happen to live downtown in a major metropolitan area, you probably
don't have too much trouble finding an available Wi-Fi hotspot. This isn't the
case with a lot of other places and, well, not all of us want to fork over the
big bucks for mobile broadband. However, if you happen to have a buddy with a 3G
connection, the
two of you can effectively share that Internet connection using this handy USB
dongle. The dongle plugs into the computer (presumably a laptop) that has an
Internet connection of some kind. A cable is then used to connect it to the
net-less companion, providing the latter with access to the web. Plug the device
into the computer with the internet connection and then run a USB cable from
said device to the other computer. Boom - instant internet connection sharing;
no need to install special drivers or extra software. The $29 Brando
Internet Connection Sharing Dongle can also be used as a crossover cable,
allowing you to send files back and forth between the two machines through an
FTP-style drag-and-drop interface. The dongle works with XP and Vista, so no Mac
love just yet. Note: It's 32-bit Windows XP/Vista compatible only.
)