Q. How do I use my cellphone as a modem?
A. Many wireless phones can double as modems so you can link your notebook to the Web when you can’t find a direct or wireless Internet connection. But the method for making them work varies with the type of phone you have and your service. You can usually find specific information in the support area of your carrier’s Web site.
In many cases, you just need your laptop, any required connection software and a data plan from your phone carrier. You also need a way to connect the phone to the computer, like a U.S.B. data cable or Bluetooth link. If your phone didn’t come with a U.S.B. cable, sites like www.3gcables.com may have what you need. When you connect the phone to the computer, you may get a message asking for drivers. If your phone did not come with a CD of drivers and additional software, you can probably find the drivers for your model with a quick Web search.
Some Mac OS X machines can automatically recognize the phone as a modem. There are illustrated guides for setting up the phone as a modem for a Mac with a Bluetooth connection; the page at homepage.mac.com/jrc/contrib/tzones/ has an example.
It is easier with Sprint and Verizon, which use a network standard called C.D.M.A., because they offer their own connection kits. Once you get any required software from your carrier installed and the computer recognizes your phone when you connect it, you usually just click the software’s Go or Connect button to take the laptop online through the phone connection.
AT&T and T-Mobile, which use the G.S.M. standard for their networks, are not quite as straightforward. You might need to set up the phone as a modem by creating a new dial-up connection, just as you would set up a dial-up modem on a PC at home. Ask the company for the number to use for dialing into its data network and put that number in the modem’s dial-up settings. Most carriers have help on their Web site; T-Mobile’s, for example, is tinyurl.com/28j2xr.
For Added Security,
A Finger’s Touch
Q. My laptop comes with a fingerprint reader as an extra layer of security. If I set it up for the swipe of a finger, but then later cut or injure that same finger, will I be locked out of my own laptop?
A. Biometrics, or personal identification based on unique characteristics like face recognition, fingerprint reading or iris scanning, has moved out of the realm of science fiction and into everyday life for some people. Some laptops, like some of Lenovo’s ThinkPads and a few Hewlett-Packard models, come with fingerprint sensors embedded next to the keyboard.
As part of the setup process for a fingerprint scanner, a program guides you through “enrolling” a finger by running it over the sensor so it can be identified by the software. Depending on the sensitivity of the software and how many aspects of your fingerprint it uses for identification, a cut on your finger may not affect your ability to log in.
As a safety measure, many fingerprint identification programs ask you to enroll multiple fingers during the setup so you can use another digit if necessary. Some systems also have a password that can override the fingerprint sensor.
Fingerprint sensors can take some getting used to, as swiping your finger too quickly or having wet hands may affect its ability to read your fingerprint. Lenovo’s Web site explains some of the things you can do with a fingerprint reader at tinyurl.com/yatjtg.
TIP OF THE WEEK If you listen to music on your computer as you browse the Web, a handy browser plug-in called FoxyTunes can save you time clicking around for your media player every time you want to pause, skip or replay a song. FoxyTunes, a free download for Firefox and Internet Explorer, works with more than 30 media players and gives you track information and playback controls right in the browser’s status bar or toolbar. It’s available at www.foxytunes.com/firefox/download.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/12/technology/circuits/12askk.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
