Sprint unveils 4G hotspot devices

Sprint Nextel is rolling out two devices that enable mobile professionals to carry a personal WiFi cloud wherever they go, according to InformationWeek.

The Sprint Personal Hotspot PHS300S is a mobile broadband router that is small enough to fit in a pocket.

Users can connect 3G or 4G modems into it to create an 802.11g hotspot and up to four WiFi gadgets can be connected to the hotspot, including smartphones, laptops, cameras, and personal media players.

A consumer's next computer is quite likely to be a phone, as more and more executives and workers in the field are swapping their computers for the lighter Web-surfing mobile devices as wireless connections speed up and prices come down, states Kiplinger.

“If you had to choose, it's getting close to, 'Take my laptop and not my iPhone,'” says futurist Paul Saffo.

Next-generation smartphones will be more reliable and able to handle many more chores than they do today, and with new wireless technology coming next year will make the airwaves less crowded.

Google has reached an acquisition agreement with New York-based On2 Technologies, reports ITWire.

On2 originally developed video compression technology used in video games and multimedia, but it has diversified into Web, mobile and wireless, video conferencing and other applications.

The company's customer list includes big names such as Adobe, Skype, Nokia, Infineon, Sun Microsystems, and Sony.