PersonalHotspot
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Researchers easily crack iOS-generated Hotspot passwords
When you enable the Personal Hotspot feature on your iPhone, iOS will generate a password on your behalf. It's convenient, but recent research from FAU in Germany suggests it is not very secure. According to researchers Andreas Kurtz, Felix Freiling and Daniel Metz, the default hotspot password in iOS 6 uses a short English word with some random numbers at the end. Earlier versions of iOS used a similar pattern that included two words separated by two numbers. Not surprisingly, these passwords can be cracked in no time via a brute-force attack. Using one AMD Radeon HD 6990 GPU, the team was able to guess a password in 50 minutes. When they bumped the GPUs up to four AMD Radeon HD 7970s, they were able to drop the password-cracking time to a mere 50 seconds. One reason the cracking was so easy is that Apple apparently uses a password list that picks from 1,842 words, and the selection of these words is not done randomly. It wouldn't take much effort for a savvy hacker to figure out this pattern and write a tool that would compromise a hotspot password faster than you can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. The take home message is to change your hotspot password from the default one that is generated by iOS to one of your own choosing. It's easy enough to do -- just tap Settings > Personal Hotspot or Settings > General > Cellular > Personal Hotspot, depending on your device and software. Then tap the WiFi password field and type in a new phrase. The new password must be at least eight characters long and use ASCII/Unicode characters. You can read more about the Personal Hotspot feature on Apple's iOS support page. [Via Engadget]
Using Verizon Personal Hotspot on your new iPad: the basic setup
One of the nice features about getting the Verizon edition of the new iPad is that you get the Personal Hotspot feature free with any data plan. Not familiar with the concept of a Personal Hotspot? It's the way to use your iPad as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, sharing your 3G or 4G connection with up to 5 other people. After I had my Verizon data plan set up, I found it perplexing that the Personal Hotspot button in Settings wasn't visible. There's a simple trick to try that will make the button appear if it doesn't show up automatically in Settings. Normally, once you sign up for a Verizon data plan the Personal Hotspot button appears in the Settings sidebar as you see in the image at the top of this post. For me, it still hadn't shown up after 36 hours of waiting. The trick to making it magically appear was to go into Settings, tap General, and then tap Network. At the top of this panel is the Personal Hotspot button, which can be toggled on with a tap. Strangely enough, just opening the Network panel also made the Personal Hotspot button in the Settings sidebar visible. Now, to turn on the Personal Hotspot, tap the button and a Personal Hotspot settings panel appears. Before you do anything else, you may wish to change the Wi-Fi password that is provided by default to something that's more memorable. To do so, tap on Wi-Fi Password (see screenshot below) and enter your new password, then tap Done. When you're ready to share your Wi-Fi connection, tap the On button to toggle the Personal Hotspot on. You can also connect to the Personal Hotspot through Bluetooth or a USB cable. For me, having Personal Hotspot as part of my Verizon data plan is going to save me money. Right now, it's an add-on on my AT&T iPhone data plan -- I'll be able to cancel that add-on and save a few bucks.
New iPad has 'world ready' 3G, LTE for Verizon, Rogers, Bell, Telus and AT&T
At Apple's ongoing press conference, the company has just revealed its new retina display-equipped iPad will feature high speed LTE connections on Verizon, Rogers, Bell, Telus and AT&T networks, as well as 3G that works around the world. It brings "the most bands ever", but it looks like we'll still be looking at separate devices that work with either Verizon and AT&T, but not both. Besides the 3.1Mbps EV-DO and 7.2Mbps HSPA that were on the iPad 2, the new slates add 21Mbps HSPA+, 42Mbps DC-HSDPA and 73Mbps LTE connections. Not sure you need that speed on your tablet? Maybe your other devices will appreciate it, since these also have personal hotspot functionality built-in.For more coverage of Apple's iPad event, visit our hub!
Droid Charge update brings personal hotspot back in time, adds improvements
Boy, it sure has been a fun ride for Samsung Droid Charge fans. Since the beginning of this month, said LTE phone's been plagued by a rather silly bug: its mobile hotspot feature only works if you set the date to some time in May. Thankfully, Verizon has now released an update that'll bring the device back in time for some hassle-free hotspot action, so that TARDIS of yours can be stowed away for now. Also added in the package is a whole stash of enhancements here and there, including boosted battery life during voice calls, better browser performance, new email folder structure, improved GPS performance, and many more goodies. As usual, anticipating owners can keep an eye out for the OTA update notification, but feel free to chill in May if you're enjoying the vacation. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Verizon brings out LTE-riding MiFi 4510L, asks for $100 on a two-year contract or $270 without
We saw this little guy back at CES in January and then last month heard it wouldn't be long before it started retailing around the good old US of A. That day has now come, with Verizon officially kicking off sales of its first LTE MiFi device, the 4510L. It's not cheap, at $100 on contract (with a $175 ETF, to boot) or $270 when bought by its lonesome. Still, if you can afford it, this Novatel-produced gadget will turn the nearest Verizon airwaves (4G or 3G, it can handle both) into familiar 802.11b, g or n WiFi signals, which your laptop, smartphone, tablet, or LAN rig can then gobble up with gay abandon. It's capable of serving as a mobile hotspot for up to five devices at a time, and promised LTE speeds range between 5Mbps and 12Mbps on the downlink and 2Mbps to 5Mbps when uploading. Check out the press release after the break or the source link to get your own. P.S. -- Verizon has also tweeted a promise that it'll be launching LTE service in "a mess of new cities and towns" on Thursday.
T-Mobile's 4G Mobile Hotspot going on sale April 13?
Well, well. Android Central got a hold of a leaked document revealing that T-Mobile's 4G Mobile Hotspot, the first of its kind for the carrier, is slated to go on sale April 13th. We're inclined to believe it, since T-Mo just confirmed that the LG G2x, also named in the doc, will indeed go on sale April 15th. Alas, if you've been waiting for more info about the pricey, Honeycomb-powered T-Mobile LG G-Slate, you can keep holding your breath: all we know is that it's coming "soon."
iPhone 4 Personal Hotspot put to the test
It's a good thing that I decided to sign up for AT&T's implementation of the iOS 4.3 Personal Hotspot feature while I was standing in line for my iPad 2 a couple of weeks ago. I'm accompanying my wife on a conference trip this week, using the time away from my consulting clients to get some serious writing done on a book update. As with many hotels that host conferences and conventions, this place charges for Wi-Fi in the room. That's not a problem during the fairly quiet morning hours when the bar area is empty, but once lunch rolls around and the afternoon partying starts, it's impossible to get any work done. To avoid paying the ridiculous $10.95 daily charge for in-room Wi-Fi, I decided to put Personal Hotspot to the test. The service, which requires a "tethering package" and a "personal hotspot package" from AT&T at a combined cost of $45 per month, was quite easy to set up. Blogger buddy Erica Sadun and I were in line at the Aspen Grove Apple Store on March 11 when I got disgusted with the flakiness of the Wi-Fi connection we (along with about 50 other people) were borrowing from the store. My iPhone 4 had been updated to iOS 4.3 a few days before, so I knew I had Personal Hotspot capabilities -- all I needed to do was call AT&T by dialing 611 on my phone. After a five-minute call, most of which was taken up with the service representative repeating that I was going to be paying an additional $45 a month, I was up and running.
UK cell operator O2 changes tariffs, offers free tethering
Here in the UK, O2 was Apple's partner operator for several years, and it remains the default choice for a lot of us iPhone users. With the new emphasis on tethering in iOS 4.3 via Personal Hotspot, many of us O2 users (particularly those of us with Wi-Fi iPads) have been clamoring for better tethering plans (as Ben Sillis notes, O2 has recently fallen behind rival networks in terms of its value for money.) Today, O2 is announcing new tariffs (note that in UK jargon we say "tariff" instead of "plan") across the board, for both its subsidized handset contracts and its SIM-only deals. The full details are here, but the important details for iPhone owners are: Tethering is now completely free. If you have a 1 GB data allocation, then it doesn't matter if you use that data on the phone or on a connected device -- it's all charged the same. Data allocations are now tiered separately to your base plan. 100 MB of data is £3/month, 500 MB is £6 and 1 GB is £10. The basic 300 min voice / unlimited SMS / 500 MB tariff is £37 per month with an 18 month subsidized handset deal. If you commit to a 24 month contract, you can deduct £5 per month. This used to cost £30.64 per month (Google Cache of the old page). The same tariff structure on a 1-month-notice SIM-only deal is £21.50 per month (previously, this was £20.43). If you commit to a 12 month contract, you get twice as many voice minutes. Upgrading customers can now choose 12 month contract lengths, meaning you can get each new iPhone release when it comes out. Previously, most people were on 18 month contracts, which didn't sync up very well with annual iPhone refreshes. What do you think of the new plans, readers? Personally, I'm going to be calling them today to move my SIMplicity over to the new structure so that I can tether my iPad at will -- I might bump up to 1 GB per month of data, too. Thanks to Jonny Riches for sending this in.
AT&T tells customers using unauthorized tethering methods to pay up or stop (update)
Been using an app like MyWi to enable tethering on your jailbroken iPhone? Then there's a good chance you've already received a message like the one above from AT&T, or perhaps an email like the one after the break. By all accounts, the carrier is now cracking down on all unauthorized tethering, and it's asking folks engaged in such behavior to either pay up for a proper tethering plan or simply stop tethering altogether -- if it doesn't hear anything back for you after sending the message, AT&T says it will automatically enroll you in a DataPro 4GB tethering plan (at a rate of $45 a month). We should note that all the reports we've seen so far are from iPhone users, although that certainly doesn't mean Android users will simply be allowed to slip by unnoticed. Exactly how AT&T is identifying users isn't clear, however, and we could well just be seeing the beginning of a cat and mouse game as folks try to discover workarounds to go undetected. More on this one as we get it. Update: AT&T reached out to us and, yes, this is pretty much all there is to the tale: the "small number of smartphone customers who use their devices for tethering but aren't on our required tethering plan," are being contacted to either cease and desist or prepare to start paying for the service. No word yet on how many customers have been contacted, but it does seem that they're all using iPhones. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Does iPhone 4 Personal Hotspot add GPS to Wi-Fi only iPads?
There's a bit of a discussion floating around these days regarding the ability of the iPhone 4 Personal Hotspot to add GPS geolocation data to a Wi-Fi only iPad. This got started with an Urbanape post by blogger Zachary Bir in which he described being able to put his iPhone 4 in Personal Hotspot mode, make a connection to the phone with his original Wi-Fi iPad, and then watch on Google Maps on the iPad as the "blue dot" followed his car precisely on the road. Some bloggers have been saying that they believe this is just the iPad using the standard Wi-Fi geolocation that's available on laptops and other devices, but I agree with Bir that he's getting true GPS information transferred to the iPad from his iPhone 4. WIRED seems to agree. The reason? Most of the standard 3G "mobile hotspots," such as the Novatel MiFi, send GPS information to connected devices as well. Many of the providers of mobile hotspots, including Sprint and Verizon, make a big deal out of the fact that these hotspots provide accurate location information. Sprint, for example, provides Mac OS X and Windows software with the MiFi that can be used to find local services based on your current location. I was able to test the GPS capability on an original iPad using the iPhone 4 Personal Hotspot, and I found the locations to be quite accurate on Google Maps. I tried testing the location service on the Geocaching.com website, and I found that not only were my coordinates listed very accurately, but I was also able to use the site's search function to look for nearby caches. The only way the iPad could be getting the GPS coordinates was by using the iPhone 4 Personal Hotspot, since I had the device in a greenbelt away from any Wi-Fi signals. Bir notes that he has decided to forego the 3G version of the iPad this time as a result of his tests. For many people, that extra $130 can go for more storage in a new iPad 2. [via Cnet]
Sprint announces Overdrive Pro 3G / 4G mobile hotspot router, available on March 20th
Road warriors riding the Sprint WiMAX truck will be pleased to know that there's a new mobile hotspot device in the house. Dubbed the Overdrive Pro 3G / 4G, users can now simultaneously connect up to eight devices -- as opposed to just five previously -- to the mobile web via this little 802.11n router from Sierra Wireless. Better yet, Sprint has halved the price for this new model to $49.99 after a $50 rebate with a two year $50 service agreement, yet you still get the usual goodies like microSD expansion and built-in GPS support to boot. You can pick one up at Sprint stores starting on March 20th, but of course, the previous Overdrive is probably sufficient for most humble uses, anyway. [Thanks, r0fl]
iPhone Personal Hotspot transmitting GPS information to tethered iPads? (Update: no)
You may not have known this, but besides missing a 3G radio, the WiFi-only iPad also lacks the A-GPS chip that enables exact GPS positioning versus less-accurate WiFi triangulation. Well, according to Tablet Monsters, if you've got an iPhone with iOS 4.3 and are subscribed to Personal Hotspot, your shiny slate should be able to tap into the GPS chip of it's smaller-screened family member. Reports in the MacRumors forums confirm that people are indeed seeing this added functionality on both iPad 2 and the original. Though the native Maps app is reportedly working perfectly there's talk of unfriendliness in turn-by-turn GPS apps -- though this could have to do with the refresh rate of the transmission. If you're already shelling out for the Personal Hotspot plan this is a nice added bonus, and makes the choice between the 3G iPad and the WiFi one just a little bit easier -- assuming you've got an iPhone of course. Still skeptical? Check out a video of it in action after the break. Update: Alas, JohnMarshall4 has done some myth busting, and it seems that this magical exchange of information is nothing more than a glorious miscommunication. So much for trying to save a quick buck.
iOS 4.3 spotlight: Personal Hotspot
Perhaps the biggest feature available in the iOS 4.3 update today is the Personal Hotspot -- Verizon iPhone users have had access to the feature before now, but as of iOS 4.3, AT&T users can find the hotspot feature under the Network tab, inside the General Settings app on the iPhone. Note that while Personal Hotspot makes it possible for you to share a network connection with a computer, either over Bluetooth, a USB connection, or now over Wi-Fi, there is an extra charge on AT&T, and your phone will ask you to sign up for that service if you haven't yet. AT&T calls the service DataPro with Tethering, and it will cost you an extra $45 a month, allowing up to 4 GB of bandwidth, and extra charges beyond that for more. That's not cheap, but if you are often in places where you have to depend on your phone for an internet connection, it could be worth it. To use the service itself, you just jump into that Settings screen, set up a password, and then connect from your computer as you would any other Wi-Fi network. The hotspot works with up to three connections via Wi-Fi at a time, so you and two friends can access the internet from anywhere, right through your iPhone.
Rumor: iOS 4.3 today at 10 AM PT, including WiFi hotspot (Updated)
A rumor fresh out of BGR claims that iOS 4.3 may debut today at 10 AM Pacific Time. This release date is earlier than the March 11 date suggested last week when the gold master version of the mobile operating system was released to developers. BGR also claims the widely-reported three device WiFi limit of the personal hotspot feature is incorrect. According to anonymous sources, the carrier determines the limit of personal hotspot connections and can allow five devices to connect if it so chooses. That's in direct contradiction to Apple's iOS 4.3 page, however, which says that the feature supports only three devices via WiFi plus an extra two devices via USB and Bluetooth respectively. It's possible that BGR's sources got the five-device number without realizing that Apple is counting Bluetooth and USB separately from the three-device WiFi limit. [Interestingly, Verizon's version of the personal hotspot feature is listed as supporting five WiFi devices, full stop. That does lend some traction to the BGR five-device concept, but remember that VZW iPhones aren't running 4.3 and won't be for a while yet. –Ed.] We can't confirm the validity of the iOS release time, so take it with a grain of salt. On the bright side, we shall know in a mere few hours if this is the real deal or merely a false alarm. Update: The Loop is reporting that there will be no update today. It is also after 10 AM PT and the update has not materialized so this one is looking to be a false alarm.
Using Personal Hotspot for FaceTime over 3G
If you've used a Novatel Wireless MiFi 3G Hotspot for Wi-Fi connectivity on the go, you know that it's basically like having a Wi-Fi router that you can carry with you anywhere. That means that anything that works on Wi-Fi -- including FaceTime video calling -- works over the 3G internet connection provided by the MiFi. Beginning next Friday anybody with an iPhone running iOS 4.3 will have that Personal Hotspot capability running on their devices. Of course, your carrier will need to enable that capability and you'll probably need to sign up for a special Personal Hotspot data plan, but the Personal Hotspot functionality is now going to be built into your iPhone. This means that you could set up Personal Hotspot on one iPhone to create your zone of Wi-Fi connectivity, then others can connect their iPhones to your Personal Hotspot. When they do so, they're connecting via Wi-Fi and can make FaceTime connections. How does FaceTime actually work over a 3G internet connection? Back when FaceTime was new, my fellow blogger Erica Sadun and I checked it out over my MiFi (running on the Sprint 3G network). We found that it actually worked quite well, up to a point. If you tried to move the camera much, the image quickly degraded and eventually the FaceTime connection failed. However, when we were simply talking to each other and not moving our phones around (i.e., keeping the background image still), FaceTime worked nicely. Apple wants you to use a real Wi-Fi connection with FaceTime. That is, they want you to be using Wi-Fi with a broadband connection behind it, not a measly 3G wireless connection. On the other hand, isn't it cool to know that within a week, you and your friends can set up your own Wi-Fi hotspots for connecting your Macs, iPads, and iPhones over FaceTime? [via MacStories]
AT&T Mobile Hotspot for iPhone 4 limited to just three WiFi devices (update: it's an iOS 4.3 thing)
Say it ain't so! According to this here slide, which details a bit of insidery AT&T information about the impending release of iOS 4.3, Ma Bell's iPhone 4 will have its Personal Hotspot restricted to use with just three devices. Just about every MiFi / mobile hotspot device we've ever seen -- including Verizon's iPhone 4 -- has supported five WiFi devices, but unless AT&T pulls a 180 here, it'll be limiting its iPhone to just three connections. What's wild is that we've found AT&T to actually have superior 3G speeds when you can actually get a signal (and thus, be more conducive to tethering five devices at once), and since you'd be on a data cap anyway, it's not like AT&T risks losing millions from five P2P servers being ran over one's iPhone. Granted, it's possible that some unicorn crafted this piece of paperwork to throw us all off, but we've reached out to AT&T and are awaiting comment. You know, just in case. Update: Based on Apple's iOS 4.3 page, only three WiFi devices are supported through the Personal Hotspot connection. If you'd like to tether five total devices, the other two will need to be over Bluetooth / USB. Don't go blaming AT&T here -- we're guessing Verizon's model will be set up the same way. Thanks, Christian! [Thanks, Anonymous]
AT&T confirms it will support personal hotspot for the iPhone
AT&T representative Seth Bloom reportedly told PhoneScoop that AT&T will offer personal hotspot when it debuts with iOS 4.3. As was suggested in earlier rumors, the hotspot feature will require customers to subscribe to the $45/4 GB DataPro Plan with tethering. AT&T was rumored to be interested in personal hotspot, but this is the first time the carrier has stated publicly it was going to offer this feature. Verizon Wireless launched the iPhone 4 with personal hotspot in February. The hotspot provides WiFi-based internet access for up to five devices using the iPhone's mobile broadband connection. The hotspot feature on Verizon provides 2 GB of data for $20, a charge that is levied on top of the $30 unlimited smartphone data plan. Rather than a standalone application like the mobile hotspot on Android and webOS, the iOS version is built into the operating system. The service can be toggled on/off and configured from within the settings menu. This deep integration suggests all carriers will have access to personal hotspot and can decide individually whether to offer it to their customers. When the iOS 4.3 update rolls out to AT&T customers on March 11th, are any of our readers going to bump up their plan to take advantage of this new feature? Let us know in the comments.
iOS 4.3 beta users able to use wireless hotspot on AT&T
An isolated report suggests AT&T is beginning to provision its system to support personal hotspot on iPhones running iOS 4.3. According to AppleInsider, a developer with a beta build of iOS was able to set up his AT&T account with this upcoming feature. He reportedly mentioned Verizon a few times to help convince the representative to activate it on his account. Other AT&T customers note that they could use the personal hotspot when they added tethering to their data plan. Verizon Wireless currently offers the personal hotspot on the iPhone 4 for $20 per month on top of a $30 per month unlimited data plan. Though not confirmed, AT&T is expected to follow in Verizon's footsteps and offer its mobile hotspot at a similar price. Earlier this month, AT&T confirmed that it was rolling out personal hotspot to selected handsets, but the iPhone was not included in this list. The carrier's confirmed plan includes 2 GB of mobile hotspot data for $20 per month when bundled with AT&T Data Pro plan, which provides 2 GB of data for $25 monthly. Combined, these plans will cost users $45 per month and will provide a total of 4 GB of data that can be spread across all connected devices. The personal hotspot feature for iOS may debut with iOS 4.3 in the upcoming weeks.
iPhone 4 to get AT&T mobile hotspot capabilities on February 13th?
So you might have noticed a few reviews of Verizon's iPhone 4 crop up last night, nothing unusual about that, but a couple of its reviewers have had something to say about AT&T's version of the phone as well. Walt Mossberg and David Pogue (who has since stricken the date from his review) both pinpoint February 13th as the date when they expect AT&T to turn on the Personal Hotspot capability that Verizon's iPhone will have from launch. That's expected to happen with an update to iOS 4.3, which recently went out to developers in its third beta iteration, suggesting the software's nearly mature enough for public consumption and seemingly fitting right into this timeline. Mind you, this is still not concrete information, as Mossberg could conceivably have been talking of AT&T's Mobile Hotspot app which is launching on the same day on devices like the Inspire 4G, and Pogue could have deleted the date for similar reasons, but we're somehow disinclined to believe that two gentlemen in a position to have insider(ish) intel would both make such a mistake at the same time.
Personal hotspot for Verizon iPhone priced at $20 for 2 GB, order pages live on Apple Store
Update: Apple's order pages for the Verizon iPhone are live on the Apple Store, but of course you can't actually order a phone yet -- MobileCrunch suggests practicing your order process just for fun and to refine your plan selections. [Just kidding.] Verizon Wireless spokesperson Brenda Raney confirmed that the personal hotspot add-on for the iPhone will cost US$20 per month and will provide 2 GB of data. The personal hotspot feature will let you share your cellular data connection with up to five devices via Wi-Fi. This 2 GB of data is separate from the $30 unlimited data plan and is allocated only for mobile hotspot usage. You should watch your usage closely as overages will be charged at a costly $20 per GB. Rather than undercut its popular DROID lineup with a free mobile hotspot, the carrier decided to play it safe and offer iPhone owners the same rate as Android owners. Select Android handsets on Verizon include 3G mobile hotspot, and this service is billed at $20 for 2 GB of usage. Verizon does offer free mobile hotspot for the Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus, but that plan was adopted to boost sales of those webOS handsets. Judging by analysts' expectations, the Verizon iPhone won't need that additional boost. Verizon may be the first carrier to offer personal hotspot on the iPhone, but it may not be last. Reports suggest the feature will be included in iOS 4.3 and will be rolled out worldwide. Similar to MMS in iOS 3.0, individual carriers will have the choice to enable this feature for its users. Now that Verizon has confirmed unlimited data and $20 personal hotspot, it will be interesting to see how AT&T responds. Any predictions? [Via Macworld]
