Following on from Steve Matthews’ post about the new Kindle [1] that he can’t get in Canada, I’m going to introduce you to the next thing you’ll likely want badly and won’t be able to get here in Canada, Novatel’s MiFi. The New York Times has the full story [2] and a video of the thing in operation.
Despite the size of the photo above, the thing itself is about the side of a fat credit card. And what is it? It is a portable WiFi router that uses the 3G network. And unlike the cellular modems you can get now that stick out of a slot or a USB port in your laptop, this fits happily into your pocket or your pack, where it does its work unseen and unexposed to damage. The MiFi creates a 10 metre cloud of receptivity, so that up to five people can get access to the internet at the same time off this little baby. And, of course, it takes that bubble, that cloud along with you. Oh, and it has one button. One. On / off. That’s it.
You can have your Kindle – well, actually, you can’t, but that’s the other story — I’ll take this. I need this.
The other story? Of course, MiFi is available only through Verizon, which is available only in the United States. And because Verizon is suggesting that for some folks, this is the only internet connection they’re likely to need and, so, can cancel their cable or DSL, chances of Rogers, our only 3G source at the moment, bringing this in with any alacrity approach zero.