1. IronDad2's Avatar
    Just saw this on the Wired website (wonder if it will work on a Tour??):

    Link: SIMFi, a SIM Card With Built-In Wi-Fi Hotspot | Gadget Lab | Wired.com

    SIMFi, a SIM Card With Built-In Wi-Fi Hotspot

    * By Charlie Sorrel Email Author
    * February 12, 2010 |
    * 6:46 am |
    * Categories: Wireless Tech
    *

    4011272794_821c7f7b01_b

    This news nugget will have you smacking your forehead and crying �Why didn�t I think of that!?� Sagem and Telef�nica have taken a regular old cellphone SIM card, and stuffed a Wi-Fi radio inside. Even the name is obvious: SIMFi.

    It works like this: You pop the card into a cellphone, and �SIM toolkit applets�, essentially control software on the card itself, take care of settings and broadcast. The radio inside creates a hotspot to share your 3G HSPA connection via Wi-Fi. It is ingenious.

    With the huge Telef�nica as part of the partnership, you can expect a big push. And because this will work on almost any phone, and replaces something you have to have anyway - a SIM - there�s no reason that this shouldn�t be in every cellphone in the next couple of years. The SIMFi will be launched at next week�s MWC trade-show in Barcelona, Spain, where we should find out dates and pricing.

    Sagem Orga and Telefonica turn the SIM card into a Wi-Fi hotspot [Sagem]

    Read More SIMFi, a SIM Card With Built-In Wi-Fi Hotspot | Gadget Lab | Wired.com
    02-12-10 11:14 AM
  2. cenloe's Avatar
    Hmmm, so it creates a wifi signal from your cell connection? I can see the carriers charging huge overages for this-kinda like with tethering.
    02-12-10 11:39 AM
  3. Totalimmortal363's Avatar
    im sure you can set it up to show up as wap not isp on your bill, no overages.
    02-12-10 01:17 PM
  4. ragnarokx's Avatar
    this is exactly what i've been looking for! now i can use my tour's data connection to make my ipod touch into an iphone
    02-12-10 01:31 PM
  5. curve247's Avatar
    I want this on my T-Mo SIM card ASAP
    02-12-10 03:22 PM
  6. Pierrohhh's Avatar
    this would have been a much more popular solution if it was something like the turbosim. This forces it to be a carrier based solution.



    if it was something like that for under 50-75$ i would have bought it right away
    02-12-10 04:15 PM
  7. Masahiro's Avatar
    Wow... So much for the Tether application if this works as expected...

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    02-12-10 04:32 PM
  8. ipodtouch1234's Avatar
    I wish it gave you wifi in your tour
    02-14-10 12:43 AM
  9. thymaster's Avatar
    That's sick. I would totally give this technology a try as soon as it is release.
    02-14-10 03:23 AM
  10. LOY80Y's Avatar
    far this is crazy! it will take awhile to get this in Australia tho.
    02-14-10 06:31 AM
  11. Xopher's Avatar
    If it gave non-wifi BBs access to wifi, then this would a nice option. It could mean not needing to upgrade my Tour to a Tour2 just to get wifi. I wonder how well such an item would work with BlackBerrys or other smartphones.
    02-14-10 09:23 AM
  12. pcaron1's Avatar
    that puts a real twist on your standard everyday SIM card. Sounds too good to be true.
    02-17-10 04:59 PM
  13. R1cE's Avatar
    Heard this on the engadget podcast. Why hasnt anyone done this sooner?!?!?!
    02-22-10 09:58 PM
  14. SuperWario89's Avatar
    I wish it gave you wifi in your tour
    that makes two of us...
    02-22-10 10:17 PM
  15. Skeevecr's Avatar
    Heard this on the engadget podcast. Why hasnt anyone done this sooner?
    Presumably integrating a wifi radio onto a sim was a non-trivial think to accomplish.
    02-23-10 01:51 AM
  16. zrxoa1's Avatar
    So how would something like this work in an unlocked Storm 1 on the Verizon network? Or will it even work at all? I was hoping maybe it could allow wifi access for an ipod touch??!!

    Any ideas as to when they will be available and how much? Should be interesting!
    02-23-10 03:49 AM
  17. ipodtouch1234's Avatar
    I was hoping maybe it could allow wifi access for an ipod touch??!!
    What I was hoping. Also the other way around.
    02-23-10 04:17 PM
  18. cityhopper's Avatar
    I was hoping maybe it could allow wifi access for an ipod touch??!!

    Any ideas as to when they will be available and how much? Should be interesting!
    What I was hoping. Also the other way around.
    Me three.........
    03-02-10 06:46 PM
  19. bry360's Avatar
    This is definitely something I would like to get my hands on! So much for tetherberry if it works.
    03-04-10 11:10 PM
  20. jgodin03's Avatar
    Nokia E71 already do that(built in the phone, not in the SIM)
    03-04-10 11:19 PM
  21. EGerhardt's Avatar
    y'all do realise this is going to annihilate your battery life ?

    On top of that I can't see a huge number of uses for this... I get being able to use it for an ipod touch... but in all honesty i think thats the only hardware combo that would actually be useful. If you are doing it to your own laptop, then it seems a bit redundant to use a wifi signal instead of a cable, since the two are likely to be within a foot of each other.

    Anyway you cut it, tethering by cable is better for battery life and security, especially when almost everywhere you could use your laptop has free wifi. Trains, coffee shops, public buildings... So why bother ?
    03-04-10 11:27 PM
  22. TheScionicMan's Avatar
    Hmmm, so it creates a wifi signal from your cell connection? I can see the carriers charging huge overages for this-kinda like with tethering.
    It's the same concept as the MiFi, just amazingly smaller. The MiFi has a 5 GB cap like other data devices. If these will be carrier-controlled, I would think they would apply a similar limit.

    IMO, this is another step towards burying the business model of xxx Minutes + Unlimited data. I think they'll eventually get rid of voice minutes altogether, we will have data only connections with VOIP and tiered pricing by usage. And the "Unlimited" plan is going to be lots more than what we're currently paying...
    03-04-10 11:33 PM
  23. TheScionicMan's Avatar
    almost everywhere you could use your laptop has free wifi. Trains, coffee shops, public buildings... So why bother ?
    How about the side of the road, a parking lot, camping? There's lots of places I've used the MiFi when there was cell signal, but no wifi. My ISP disconnected my DSL loop a few months back and I was able to use it at home and have three laptops connected simultaneously. It also is probably more secure than whatever free wifi you might be connecting to.

    It's another option and options are always nice...

    The next step would be to pair this SIMfi with the Airnergy Harvesting Battery Charger from RCA and your smartphone would stay perpetually charged!!!
    03-04-10 11:47 PM
  24. eds817's Avatar
    At $6800.00 US you will have to be on the phone 24/7 to justify the cost.

    Sagem Orga shows off pricey SIMfi prototype at MWC -- Engadget
    03-05-10 06:46 AM
  25. endaglo's Avatar
    So, are we going to b able to get a simfi card for our BBs? I have a bold 9000 and could definitly use one!

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    03-05-10 08:48 AM
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