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Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On , a column about consumer technology. One of the conundrums facing device makers today is how to add wireless connectivity to their products. E-readers such as the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook use internet access primarily for selling you more content, so it can be completely subsidized. Laptops, on the other hand, can consume large amounts of data, and so plans can run $60 per month and have capped bandwidth, even at that price. Apple and AT&T’s iPad pricing scheme attempts a compromise: a $15 prepaid for a minimal 250 MB per month that could serve the needs of many users (especially with a Flash-less browser and sideloaded video delivery), along with the option of a $30 unlimited plan…

Topics: Hardware , Peripherals , Reviews , Road Tested Back in August of this year, my local TUAW blogging buddy Erica Sadun posted some information about the Verizon MiFi portable broadband router . The MiFi device, created by Novatel Wireless, is a tiny Wi-Fi router with a built-in EVDO 3G modem. Essentially, what this means is that anywhere you go with the device, you become a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to 4 other users. Erica found that the Verizon version of this box is quite useful, but is dependent on both the 3G signal quality and the user’s desire to pay extra for broadband. For me, the decision to…

Novatel has announced a new MiFi router, the 2372, which will work perfectly anywhere in North America. The router will offer you 7.2Mbps HSDPA connectivity for up to five devices. Besides GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA connectivity the router will bring you GPS and microSD card support, although you’re probably going to get it for that 3G-sharing feature. There aren’t any pricing details just yet but I’m sure some North American carriers are already thinking about subsidizing the Mifi 2372 so it’s only a matter of time until those prices will be available. via Press Related Posts Novatel MiFi Intelligent Mobile WiFi Hotspot…

Short version: We’ve loved the MiFi mobile router since we first laid eyes on it back at CES . After a few days of playing with the Verizon MiFi 2200, we still love it just as much - but with one hangup: the nasty monthly bill. After a trivial hiccup with the activation, we had 4 computers up and running in minutes. Speeds in our area are about average for the local EVDO Rev-A network, and we’ve had absolutely no connectivity drops in our 2 days of testing. Long version: As a blogger by trade, I find myself in a situation where I require mobile broadband on a weekly basis. Be it liveblogging some Apple event or just scrambling…

Boy Genius Report has it on very good faith that Verizon will be bringing out the HP Mini 1151NR netbook on May 17th, which not-so-coincidentally is the same date Verizon is releasing the MiFi . BGR doesn’t seem as firm about the price as the date, but still fairly confident that it’ll sell for $199 with a 2-year contract. That’s actually kind of a crappy deal; the HP Minis start at around $350 and you’re not locked in to a pricey monthly fee. But maybe they’ll offer some kind of incentive (involving the MiFi?) that’ll make it worth your while. [ Boy Genius Report ]