Use your Kindle as a EVDO WiFi Access Point?

[brecklundin]

Just stumbled across this pocket EVDO AP/router:

http://www.cradlepoint.com/ctr350/ctr350.php

It got me wondering if one might not work through a Kindle's EVDO connection? I know it likely will not but you know eventually someone will figure a way to do it...

[HarryT]

Wouldn't that constitute theft of EVDO usage? Remember that every byte you transfer via EVDO costs Amazon real money - I'd be very, very wary of messing with it in that way; it may constitute criminal abuse of the EVDO network.

[brecklundin]

Happy Christmas Harry...btw, I LOVE your phrase over our "Merry Christmas", it just seems so much more, well, inviting...

Originally Posted by HarryT

Wouldn't that constitute theft of EVDO usage? Remember that every byte you transfer via EVDO costs Amazon real money - I'd be very, very wary of messing with it in that way; it may constitute criminal abuse of the EVDO network.

Or it may not...??? As long as one can browse use the embedded browser to browse the web itself I see no issues what-so-ever. Likely there is a future plan to add that as either a feature or a service for the device.

Beyond the "sky is falling" if you do anything beyond using the on/off switch and page turn buttons you are violating the all mighty TOS mindset...the point of the thread is would it work? It would be interesting to know if the design of the device is flawed enough to allow access to the wireless via the USB port.

The idea is not hacking. This is simply connecting a common device to the stoopid Kindle USB port. It would either work or not. My money is that is would not work. Since the Kindle is a Linux based OS odds are the port is locked down as is the wireless access. Or if it is not should it not have been?

Give people an inch and they will always want to take a mile for sure. Yet, who knows that if it (the USB-to-EVDO) is open perhaps Sprint & Amazon left it enabled "on-porpoise" just to see how much browsing people would do. Since it would be sorta hidden in plain sight they know some folks would function as a test group. I think I would be willing to pay about $50/mo for a couple years for EVDO and a Kindle with a few books thrown in. Even if we do not have decent EVDO access here where the sewer meets the sea and the EVDO had a reasonable usage cap.

[Alisa]

I know when I plug in my Kindle via USB, the onscreen message tells me wireless is disabled so I'm thinking it would require some hacking. Personally I would hope people don't do it because I'm sure Amazon would start charging for access at that point. It wouldn't be free for long.

[brecklundin]

I was suspecting they might do something like disable WiFi on USB connection. That make sense.

As for someone hacking the device...of course people will. It's human nature to investigate. It's the reason we even have such devices. But misuse of that is also why services go away. For some people though this kinda thing is just too tasty a carrot to not chase after it...

I imagine the reason there is no pay-for-access broadband bundled with the Kindle is because the Sprint EVDO is not full stable or deployed as of yet. Anyway, the overhead of supporting a full function web-browser is problematic on small devices. I like they chose to provide some access and are looking to determine usage patterns. I imagine we might begin seeing more access of this sort in many devices we use. Very narrow scope of use and limited functionality specific to the device itself.

According to the deal as I understand it one will always have free access to the Wikipedia and Amazon's Kindle Store...??? Right? No?

[cmumford]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

Just stumbled across this pocket EVDO AP/router:

http://www.cradlepoint.com/ctr350/ctr350.php

It got me wondering if one might not work through a Kindle's EVDO connection? I know it likely will not but you know eventually someone will figure a way to do it...

Oh please don't do this. Abusing this might just spoil it for the rest of us.

[runciter]

Originally Posted by cmumford

Oh please don't do this. Abusing this might just spoil it for the rest of us.

Exactly. This behaviour is exactly the type of thing that would cause Amazon to kill the "experimental" free web service. As Harry says, it isn't like Amazon isn't paying for the EVDO service. But yes, Wikipedia and the Amazon Kindle store are supposed to "always" be free via EVDO.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by runciter

Exactly. This behaviour is exactly the type of thing that would cause Amazon to kill the "experimental" free web service. As Harry says, it isn't like Amazon isn't paying for the EVDO service. But yes, Wikipedia and the Amazon Kindle store are supposed to "always" be free via EVDO.

Yes, that was exactly my point. Although web browsing isn't really very feasible with the Kindle, if someone were to come up with a way of using a Kindle as a cellular modem for a laptop, the almost certain result is that the free service would instantly disappear. It would be a case of one person spoiling it for everyone else.

[jasonkchapman]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes, that was exactly my point. Although web browsing isn't really very feasible with the Kindle, if someone were to come up with a way of using a Kindle as a cellular modem for a laptop, the almost certain result is that the free service would instantly disappear. It would be a case of one person spoiling it for everyone else.

Frankly, I think it's a forgone conclusion. If it's possible, it will be done, word will get out, and Amazon will start charging. The only thing that will stop it is if content sales are so astronomically high that the EVDO loss is tiny by comparison.

[edsohsmith]

Frankly, I think it's a forgone conclusion. If it's possible, it will be done, word will get out, and Amazon will start charging. The only thing that will stop it is if content sales are so astronomically high that the EVDO loss is tiny by comparison.

Isn't this the way we ended up with suffocating DRM? Publishers / management expecting their customers to be untrustworthy?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by edsohsmith

Isn't this the way we ended up with suffocating DRM? Publishers / management expecting their customers to be untrustworthy?

Isn't the fact that people are asking if it can be done indicative of the fact that unfortunately there always will be a minority who want to get "something for nothing"?

[cfw123]

I'm concerned with Amazon's refusal to accept their Gift Certificates in payment for any Kindle book or other accessory sold via Kindle. I think Calif. where I live has laws to prevent merchants abusing their fully paid at purchase gift certificates in this manner. I wonder if this doesn't presage Amazon selling Kindle once it is successful and they can get their price for it by keeping the cross-links between Amazon and Kindle to a minimum.
Charles Wilkes, San Jose, Calif.

[zartemis]

Originally Posted by cfw123

I'm concerned with Amazon's refusal to accept their Gift Certificates in payment for any Kindle book or other accessory sold via Kindle.

As pointed out in this thread, Amazon has enabled gift certificates to be applied to Kindle book purchases.

I think Calif. where I live has laws to prevent merchants abusing their fully paid at purchase gift certificates in this manner.

I'm a CA resident, and I don't believe this is true. CA does disallow expiration of gift certificates, but to the best of my knowledge does not require that they be accepted for everything the business sells. It is very common for businesses to have gift certificates that only apply to, say, the merchant's online stores but not retail shops (or vice versa) and these have never been challenged.

[lerober]

I am wondering if the experimental web browser has some sort of tracking that enables another party's tracking of user's browsing. If it is experimental, it would make sense for the marketing side, to see how the users are using the product. I wonder if it tracks where you brwse to and if it saves any of the information that you enter, like passwords, bank or credit information or personal information that you would enter if ordering something online?? Do they have a privacy policy?

[Ervserver]

Big brother Amazon is watching you 24/7