To be honest I was a little underwhelmed by the One at first with it’s restrictive operating system, totally locked down interface and very little information on hand to make it perform as it should. However the biggest dissappointment with the One was the lack of support for 3G modems.

I’ve been a 3 mobile internet user for about 9 months now, it’s a handy little device especially while commuting on the train much like the Aspire One. Finally it would seem Acer have pulled their finger out and got the two to work hand in hand. It’s not as easy as I thought it would be so here is how i did it:

1. Update the Aspire One using the ‘Live Update’ application in the ‘Settings’ section. If you have not already installed the patch it will show as an optional update at the bottom of the updates list so tick the box and let the One do it’s thing.

2. Once the updates are complete reboot the One. When it has loaded up again click on the blue triangle in the ‘Connect’ quick link section. You should now see a new application to open called ‘Mobile Partner’.

3. Once ‘Mobile Partner’ has loaded plug in your USB modem (mine is the Huawei E220 from 3) and if everything has worked you after a few seconds you should see a popup to say that the device is recognised and is checking the status of the USIM. In the bottom left you will notice the network signal strength and operator.

4. This is the only difficult part, up until now eveything was plug and play. Select ‘Tools > Options’ from the menu and then select ‘Profile Management’ on the left. You will need to create a new profile and input the details as shown in the screenshot below. Please Note: These are the settings for the 3 UK mobile network, however the only difference on other networks should be the APN.

5. Save the profile and make sure it is ‘Set as Default’ before returning to the main screen. Click the ‘Connect’ button and fingers crossed after a few seconds you will be connected and able to access the Internet as normal.

I’ve not had chance to fully test out the newly support 3G functionality of the Aspire One, and I can see that there are still a few things that need tidying up however at least now I don’t need to drag my Windows brick around just to work on the train.

photo credit: johnblackmore

In the last two years things have changed considerably. In the UK now it almost impossible to have a good amount of fun in your car without breaking at least a few laws. The introduction of anti-social behavior laws has made even parking up with your mates in a car park illegal and speed cameras on what feels like nearly every street have taken the edge off of your “blat” round the countryside.

To mark my five year anniversary of French Car Show and visiting car shows in general I have put together a photo site based on my car show experiences. CarShowPhotos.net is a collection of shots I have taken over the years and I am offering them up for all to see and use. If you like what you see then drop me a line, and I can get the full resolution photos sent over to you.

photo credit: johnblackmore

Take a look at the car shows I visited over the last five years including my favourites from Trax Show 2007, French Car Show 2006 and Trax Show 2005.

The site also comes together at a particularly good time to remind everyone that the Trax Show 2008 tickets are now on sale for Club-306 members. Tickets are available from the Club-306 Trax Show page.

At the time I was taking my degree in 2006 there were estimated to be over 1 billion pervasive computing devices and this number was increasing all the time.

photo credit: gailjadehamilton

As we move forward it is not just our computers that are using the Internet. Mobile phones have been able to browse websites for years but new technologies such as intelligent home appliances, mp3 players and more are now becoming Internet enabled.

With all these new devices the question is how are they going to connect to the Internet? In recent years the number of WiFi hotspots has increased to the point where it seems you are never far from a wireless connection.

This has been helped largely by companies such as Starbucks and MacDonalds who have rolled out WiFi hotspots to their outlets. But are WiFi hotspots a thing of the past?

Johan Bergendahl is chief marketing officer of Ericsson, who was quoted this week at the European Computer Audit, Control and Security Conference in Stockholm as saying:

“In Austria they are saying that mobile broadband will pass fixed broadband this year. It’s already growing faster, and in Sweden, the most popular phone is a USB modem”

So is this the end of WiFi hotspots? I think it is. Like many people in the UK and Europe I now have a mobile broadband modem and having used it now for about a month I can not imagine why for many years I would have trekked around a city looking for a WiFi hotspot.

Mobile broadband is simplicity in itself. The USB modem I have from UK mobile provider Three is self installing and once connected it is extremely quick, a full 3.6Mbps. Even for speed mobile broadband is give WiFi hotspots a serious run for it’s money.

photo credit: inju

Mobile broadband is here to stay, and with HSDPA networks rolling out all over the UK under the “Turbo Network” brand name I think mobile broadband will soon be a viable alternative to fixed broadband for many UK homes who are unable to access ADSL broadband.

Over the coming years I expect to see many more advances in mobile broadband and with companies such as HP releasing laptops with built in 3G capability and the latest generations of smart phone such as the Apple iPhone and Blackberry I can see huge growth in this area.

Related Links

• Information on Ubiquitous Computing
• HP 3G Enabled Laptops
• Three Mobile Broadband
• UK Broadband Users Group: Mobile Broadband to Replace WiFi?

The article has been written for novice webmasters and those taking their first steps on the road to building an online presence. It focuses on the factors that I think are important in selecting the right web hosting package for your project and then follows to explain some of the types of web hosting that are in common use today including shared hosting, virtual private servers and dedicated hosting.

photo credit: sonicwalker

Please take a look and let me know what you think. I have been compiling the article over the last few days and in all it probably took me about 3-4 hours to write. I am not a naturally good writer so your thoughts will be appreciated, and any tips you are willing to share will be taken on board with enthusiasm.

White-Pug was originally a personal website of mine first started when I was at Cardiff University. The name derives from the car I drive, a white Peugeot 306 which is affectionately known as “pug” to those who know me. I have now relaunched the site with the intentions of writing articles based on building and maintaining your own websites and will be aimed at people who are just getting in to web development. I have plans to write about one or two articles a fortnight and I am willing to take suggestions as to what areas I should cover.

Please let me know what you think about the site, and keep watching this blog for more information about what I am getting up to!

GAP Security are the UK market leader for car alarms, immobilisers and GPS vehicle tracking systems. They work in tandem with UK insurers and car club enthusiasts to make sure that their customers are getting what they want and what the insurance industry says they need.

GAP Security have kindly teamed up with Club-306 to offer it’s members a 10% discount on their services, and with over 30,000 UK vehicles fitted with GAP Security systems you can expect top quality service and value for money.

More information on this offer and contact details can be found at the Club-306 website - Car Alarms from GAP Security | Club-306

About Club-306

Club-306 is a Peugeot 306 car owners club founded by John Blackmore in June 2006. In February 2008 the number of registered members on the Club-306 forum is in excess of 3400 and the site is visited by over 9,500 unique visitors each month.

Club-306 offers a number of discount offers to paid members, as well as a wide range of free articles covering Peugeot 306 information and Peugeot 306 DIY guides.

If you want to get involved and can offer a service to Club-306 members, please get in touch using the form on the Contact John page of this website.