Got Wi-Fi?

Mobile- loving freelancers rejoice, CradlePoint has the solution for your write-anywhere needs. One of the biggest hassles for many cash-strapped freelancers is wi-fi connectivity. Starbucks makes you charge or use their gift cards to access wi-fi, and some shops (including some Panera Bread locations) have a time limit on their free wireless access.

And what if you aren’t anywhere near a coffee shop, public library or college campus? Plenty of freelancers avoid these areas like the plague–the noise factor alone is enough for some.

Enter the CradlePoint PHS300, a battery-powered personal wi-fi network for those who have 3G wireless accounts. Plug in a cell phone or USB modem that has 3G wireless access and you have an instant wi-fi network. Work anywhere for up to three hours per battery charge on the PHS300. Did we mention there’s a car charger for this and you can connect multiple users?

Here’s the rub–your cell phone must support tethering, and AT&T currently does NOT–at least not for us iPhone junkies. iPhone users with third-party hacks on their phone (known as “jailbreaking” and done at your own risk as a violation of the TOS) may be able to use the CradlePoint, but we haven’t verified this.

But plenty of cell phones and USB modems DO support tethering, including Blackberries and some Motorola RAZR models. Check a full list of compatible devices at the bottom of this page at CradlePoint.

Case Logic 15.4-Inch Fullsize Messenger Style Laptop Bag

There’s nothing we like better than sale-priced freelancer accessories like this Case Logic messenger style laptop bag. It holds a 15.4 inch laptop and features two different closures–one is a simple velcro strip you use when you don’t feel like bothering with the buckle fastener.

The exterior sleeve is perfect for your phone or media player; the adjustable shoulder strap and padded compartments are sweet, and for some reason they’ve included a bottle opener on the strap.

Did we mention the ten year warranty that comes with this? Not bad for a sale-priced bag. At press time this was selling for about $32, down from $50.

Skype Users Beware

by Joe Wallace

If you are a freelancer depending on Skype for interviews, phone contacts, conference calls or video calls, you might want to start looking around for an alternative. Skype could shut down for good over a dispute between eBay and the creators of Skype.

According to TimesOnline, eBay reps admitted the entire Skype network may have to be shut down in spite of having paid more than $2 billion for the technology in 2005. Unfortunately for eBay, that massive sum did not include the rights to some source code crucial to make Skype work.

While the dispute itself is extremely technical in nature and involves patent and intellectual property laws, the bottom line is that eBay must either create its own source code to replace the disputed code, win the dispute, or face shutting down the entire network.

It’s a major blow to freelancers who rely on Skype to hold inexpensive (or free) conference calls and interviews. There are many VOIP services out there, but few with the ubiquity of Skype. If you’re a Skype user, finding an alternate service should be a priority, but according to TimesOnline you do have some breathing room. A court hearing is scheduled on the issue but at press time won’t happen til June 2010.

Wired’s Tantalizing Rumor on New MacBooks

I am a MacBook Pro owner. I also have a desktop PC running Windows XP and a laptop running Vista. I’m not what you’d call a Mac evangelist, but I have to say that the MacBook Pro’s reliability, lack of virus issues and overall ease of use makes it much preferable to these bloody Windows products I have; every ten seconds I’m being asked “Are you sure?”, and getting dire nagware popups at every turn. In the world of operating systems,  Windows is like trying to write in a day care center full of children who are all screaming for ice cream, where the Mac is a nice afternoon in the Smithsonian.

Wired magazine has been dropping hints about MacBooks priced below $1000.  I would LOVE to see this happen–it would be a huge boon to freelancers who want a dependable and portable machine at a reasonable price tag. I pay for the extra firepower of the MacBook Pro because I use it for video and audio editing as well as my freelance writing, but the average writing-only freelancer would be perfectly happy with an “ordinary” MacBook.

Wired dropped some conjecture on what it thinks might be happening with the new versions of its MacBook and MacBook Pro series, including suggestions that an $800 price point for the standard MacBook might be possible.  If this is true, you’ll see me getting a bit more evangelistic about Macs in the future–my main bone of contention to date is that for many freelancers, the Mac is priced too high. Not so if these rumors are true. Here’s hoping…

Your Digital Sanctuary

Charles and Marie is one of my favorite net window-shopping destinations, but today I might just break down and actually make a purchase. The Sanctuary is an all-in-one universal battery charger and cable organizer compatible with more than 1500 electronic devices from most major brands. A handy USB port lets you power up cell phones, PDAs, Blackberry, iPods, MP3 players and bluetooth headsets in one convenient place.

I’m a huge fan of both space-saving devices and universal battery chargers, so this one’s a natural for me. Plus, all those gadgets look pretty sharp all gathered together like that at the end of the day.

The Sanctuary costs approximately $130 from Charles and Marie, and be sure to specify you want a USA-compatible power plug or the EU version. Busy travelers may do well to purchase both!

Belkin Laptop Cooling Stand

This photo is **allegedly** the aftermath of a mattress having caught fire due to a very hot laptop. It’s been making the rounds in blogs and e-mail forwards, and while I find NOTHING more annoying than any email with the letter F and W placed side-by-side in the subject line, this did make me wonder if my laptop actually could get hot enough to ignite cloth.

If you’re on the slightly paranoid side when it comes to safety (like me), you’re probably giving the eye to gadgets like the Belkin laptop cooling stand pictured below. The center-mounted high-capacity cooling fan dissipates heat and if nothing else provides you with a much more comfortable experience during the hot months of summer. No more of that too-warm feeling when using the laptop as it was designed to be used (in your lap) on a park bench, in the airport or relaxing in your lawn chair with your favorite beverage and a full half inch of sunscreen. Best of all, there is no power cord or battery to buy as this cooling stand is USB-powered.

The price is certainly right–at $23.48, I can afford to indulge my safety paranoia just a little bit. Care to join me in cooler laptop Nirvana? Buy the Belkin laptop cooling stand at Amazon.com. And yes, every one of these which gets sold via clicking here is a bit of financial help for Freelance-Zone.com. Thanks much for your support!

Canon CanoScan LiDE 25 Flatbed Scanner

In the age of digital cameras, Photoshop, and online media archives like Flickr, I never saw the logic in buying a scanner. I just hang on to the old pictures in my collection and enjoy ‘em when I feel the urge. Leave it to Catherine Tully to show me the error of my ways.

Cath uses her flatbed scanner to scan the pages of every print credit she’s ever had. It never occurred to me to put a scan of a couple of my articles out there. I have to admit, those scans looks snazzy as hell on a resume page. There’s something about that option I really like.

Enter the Canon CanoScan LiDE 25. This baby is a steal at $49.99, and features image enhancing that kicks in immediately after you scan those magazine and newspaper articles. It also has a multi-scan feature for large projects. If you have a collection of photos you can run them all at once, as many as will fit on the flatbed. Another great feature lets you scan documents and create PDFs with the scans. Not bad!

I think this is my next tax-write off and addition to the home office. If you are looking for some new home office gear, you could do a LOT worse than this inexpensive scanner. Many thanks to Tully for inspiring me to give this technology a second look.

Buy the Canon CanoScan LiDE 25 for $49.99

Quantaray Pro Photo/Laptop Backpack

When you’re writing for a living, diversity is the name of the game. If you can add photography to the mix, you’re instantly more marketable in more ways than one. Since one of my main strengths is music and culture writing, I’d be a fool NOT to be a writer/photographer.

When I first started taking pictures for my pieces, I used any old bag for the gear, but after getting the Quantaray Pro as a gift, I am completely sold on a dedicated bag for all my gear. I carry my Zoom H4 recorder, mics, camera and lenses, plus my laptop in the Quantaray Pro and have used the same one for years without so much as a broken zipper. We do a lot of different types of gear reviews at Freelance-Zone, but this one ain’t based on specs alone–I am a huge fan of this backpack and will definitely buy another one just like it when I finally kill it years from now after one location shoot too many.

Buy the Quantaray Pro camera/laptop backpack for $79.00

Zoom H2 Handy Recorder

The Zoom H2 Handy Recorder  is a simple, easy-to-use digital recorder custom designed for interviewing and on-location recording. The built-in mics are broadcast quality and even features a surround sound recording option. The Zoom H2 records to an SD card and has a USB port, letting you send audio files to your computer, or you can listen to the playback with headphones Best of all, it records to .wav or MP3 formats in a variety of quality settings–with a 4 gig SD card you can record two hours of audio at the highest .wav setting (96K) or a whopping 130+ hours of audio in MP3 format. A half-gig SD card is included, plus a USB cable and power supply. The H2 weighs only four ounces and uses two AA batteries. The Zoom H2 is perfect for interviews and podcasting, even as a budget location sound tool for indie documentaries or film projects.

Buy for $188.00