Get Better Gear!

Premier Sponsors

TechRestore

Other World Computing

Top 5 Free Apps

Sheep Launcher Free!
Kronos Games
Release Date: August 05, 2009
Genre: Games
Boxed In
Dennis Mengelt
Release Date: May 22, 2009
Genre: Games
Ninjas Live
Storm8
Release Date: August 29, 2009
Genre: Games
Bump
Bump Technologies LLC
Release Date: March 27, 2009
Genre: Social Networking
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Release Date: August 07, 2009
Genre: Entertainment

iTunes New Music Releases

Black Gives Way To Blue
Alice In Chains
Release Date: September 29, 2009
Genre: Rock
Backspacer
Pearl Jam
Release Date: September 20, 2009
Genre: Alternative
The Resistance
Muse
Release Date: September 15, 2009
Genre: Alternative
Awake (Deluxe Version)
Skillet
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Genre: Rock
Ellipse (Deluxe Version)
Imogen Heap
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Genre: Alternative

Top 5 Paid Apps

The Moron Test $0.99
DistinctDev
Release Date: April 22, 2009
Genre: Entertainment
StickWars $0.99
John E. Hartzog
Release Date: March 31, 2009
Genre: Games
Bloons $0.99
Digital Goldfish Ltd
Release Date: April 05, 2009
Genre: Games

Discover New Music

  • Now Here Is Nowhere

    • 10 out of 10
    • Secret Machines

    • The Secret Machines' inaugural album, Now Here is Nowhere is both old and new in its sonic assault. The trio's surprisingly big sound evokes Pink Floyd (without ever sounding like any Pink

  • Jagged Little Pill (Acoustic)

    • 6 out of 10
    • Alanis Morissette
    • Ten years after the original release, comes the traditional celebratory acoustic re-recording. The album has held up remarkably well. While it is not as meaningful to me as it was when I was sixteen,

  • Rift

    • 8 out of 10
    • Phish
    • This quasi-concept album (the only of its kind) from these Vermonters finally showcased their ability to convey a message with a studio album, whereas previously they only succeeded in doing so live.

  • Go Away White

    • 10 out of 10
    • Bauhaus

    • Go Away White is an album I've been waiting more than 20 years to hear, and the good news is that it was worth the wait.  The latest -- and last, no...for real this time -- album from

  • Stadium Arcadium

    • 8 out of 10
    • Red Hot Chili Peppers

    • What? Only four stars, you stingy bastard? I'm asking myself the same question, so let me explain myself to myself... If I compare the new

Reader Specials

Visit Deals On The Web for the best deals on all consumer electronics, iPods, and more!

News

AT&T: iPhone Tethering in the Works

Monday, June 8th, 2009 at 5:01 PM - by Jeff Gamet

Apple announced that iPhone Software 3.0 will support tethering, but the list of partners supporting that feature didn't include AT&T. Despite their absence from the list, the cell carrier says it does plan supporting iPhone tethering, but isn't offering a time frame yet.

AT&T spokesperson Mark Siegel told TMO "We will be offering tethering, but I can't give you a time frame." He added "We are committed to offering tethering."

AT&T typically offers tethering, or sharing your smart phone's data connection with your computer, as an add-on package. The company's iPhone plans, however, haven't been set in stone yet. "Typically we would have tethering as a separate data plan," Mr. Siegel said. " But we have not made a final decision on plans or pricing."

The company won't be offing MMS, or multimedia messaging, on June 17 when iPhone Software 3.0 launches, either. According to Mr. Siegel, AT&T hasn't decided yet how to handle MMS on the iPhone. The Boy Genius Report, however, claims it received information that AT&T has to manually remove the "Opt Out MMS code" on each iPhone user's account.

Since AT&T hasn't decided how it wants to handle iPhone tethering and SMS, users will be left waiting while the company sorts out the issues. Considering that cell carriers tend to charge extra for features like tethering, it's likely that AT&T customers can expect to do the same.

7 comments from the community.

You can post your own below.

Tiger said:

June 8th, 2009 at 4:35 PM

I can sort of understand charging a premium for tethering, it is afterall enabling a device that will put serious demands on the network bandwidth.

But MMS? Give me a break. My previous data plan with AT&T for a Samsung phone gave me MMS as part of the package.

And it’s not like AT&T didn’t know this was coming. They could have dealt with these issues long before today. But the hold out is to attempt to gain leverage on Apple to keep the contract exclusive….and I think it’s going to backfire miserably for AT&T.

   Quote

Lee Dronick said:

June 8th, 2009 at 5:56 PM

I wonder if those of us who have DSL with AT&T will get free tethering. As part of my DSL service they already give me WiFi at their hotspots, I used that a lot while on my road trip last week.

   Quote

Tiger said:

June 8th, 2009 at 10:46 PM

How hard could it be for Apple to include in a firmware upgrade the removal of the Opt out MMS code? AT&T says they have to manually do it on each phone? REALLY? Considering what they can already do to track stolen phones, brick jailbroken ones, etc., they have to manually remove this line of code? I’m not buying it. The line that is. I already have the iPhone and am waiting for OS 3.0

   Quote

DanielDecker said:

June 9th, 2009 at 8:48 AM

I would wager the Opt Out code is in your account database record, not on the phone itself. Still, how hard is it to write an efficient SQL statement to dig that out?

   Quote

vasic said:

June 9th, 2009 at 8:58 AM

There is absolutely NO reasonable justification for extra charge for tethering the iPhone to a laptop. The actual data volume is practically the same. iPhone accesses the same web sites, same YouTube, same e-mail as a laptop. The amount of web surfing, e-mailing and YouTubing on the iPhone is no different than on a laptop.

This is just a highway robbery charge for a convenience of having this feature. And since you’re locked in, you have no choice but pay for it if you need it.

Let’s see how greedy they will be about this.

   Quote

Tiger said:

June 9th, 2009 at 10:48 AM

vasic, that’s not necessarily true.

People who tether back to the computer are more than able (and likely) to download MUCH larger files (i.e. movies) to the computer to watch, not to mention more robust games, and attached files for work.

Though I still don’t get tethering. If you want that ability, get a card for it. You make your cell phone unusable for voice if you have it tied to your PC or Mac. Kind of defeats the purpose if you think about it.

   Quote

gopher said:

June 9th, 2009 at 1:06 PM

>You make your cell phone unusable for voice if you have it tied to your PC or Mac

Not if you have enough bandwidth.  DSL isn’t unusable for voice.  No reason for tethering to be unusable.

   Quote

Page 1 of 1 pages

Post Your Comments

  Remember Me  Forgot your password?

Not a member? Register now. You can post comments without logging in, but they'll show up as a "guest" post.

Commenting is not available in this section entry.