Turn Your Palm Smartphone Into a Wireless Modem with USB Modem

I'm happy as a clam with my new Palm Centro, especially considering that it can tether to my notebook and double as a wireless modem. Of course, Sprint charges extra for the privilege, which is why I've turned to a third-party solution: USB Modem. For the one-time price of $24.95, this utility enables your Palm Centro or any Palm OS-based Treo (from the 600 to the 755p) to serve wireless-modem duty for your notebook.

I tested the software with my Centro and a couple Windows Vista systems. You can use either your phone's USB cable or, if your notebook supports it, Bluetooth. I opted for the latter: All I had to do was pair the notebook to the Centro, enable the USB Modem software, and then get online using Vista's standard connect-via-Bluetooth procedure. Everything worked like a charm. Now I can leave my phone holstered to my belt and get online with my notebook just about anywhere.

You can get a free trial of USB Modem before buying, which even the developer recommends so you can make sure everything works properly with your phone, service, and PC. The software supports, Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems, and even has a background-operation mode so you can make/take calls without disrupting modem service. So far, this is the best $25 I've spent on my Palm Centro.