Now that Verizon has announced the roll out of Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) in Chicago, Boston, Richmond, Salt Lake City, and parts of Florida, what does it all mean? Wasn’t Rev. 0 good enough? For Verizon, no, and thus the reason for the faster revision which now increases uploads by 4 to 6 times the original speeds of the already fast Rev. 0. In short, the network enhancement now allows users to have download speeds with averages of 450 to 800 kilobits per second (kbps) and average uploads of 300 to 400 kpbs. This means a 1 Megabyte (MB) file, such as an Acrobat PDF file or a PowerPoint presentation will download in less than 15 seconds. Uploading the same sized file will go up in 25 seconds. In short, true broadband really is coming to wireless devices.

Verizon Wireless regional president Tami Erwin said, “Our existing wireless broadband network has enabled customers to work remotely and stay entertained in unprecedented ways; now we’re taking wireless to the next level by introducing technology that helps them send data from their mobile devices even faster.”

Verizon has released two hardware devices to take advantage of this new speed with the release of the new compact USB720 wireless modem and the AirCard 595 PC Card from Verizon Wireless (previously reported by SvenOnTech.) Both support the newer Rev. A update as well as the older Rev. 0 and legacy 1xRTT technology. With phones capable of handling the enhanced network, users will also be able to either tether or connect wirelessily to the Internet via Bluetooth (if so supported) and enjoy near DSL speeds on their Mac or PC notebooks. Don’t be fooled, competitors data network such as AT&T’s (once Cingular) EDGE technology will not be able to come close to the sustained speeds of EV-DO Rev. A.

Verizon Wireless is the only nationwide provider of broadband access serving 200 million Americans in 242 major metropolitan areas and 180 major airports from coast to coast.

James Bond has had some pretty cool gadgets but I can never recall a more functional yet sexy gizmo as the Motorola Q in Bond’s collection. We got to play with the Q for over three months to really give it a thorough test and we’ll tell you right now, what we thought was just another gimmick turned out to be a surprising useful and enjoyable tool. With it’s built-in Internet EV-DO capabilities and the ability to let MacBooks attach to it and surf the Internet via Bluetooth, this has become one very special little guy to us. Too bad we have to give it back.

Read the entire (and very in depth) review on our Reviews page.

Verizon Wireless has released its new Revision A compatible card by Sierra Wireless. The card allows PC users with a PCMCIA or PC Card slot to access the Internet anywhere there is a cellular data signal. The card will either access the new Rev. A spec that will give users, “peak theoretical data transfer speeds of 3.1 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 1.8 Mbps on the uplink when operating on an EV-DO Revision A wireless network,” or older Rev. 0 and 1xRTT networks.

“We are pleased to collaborate again with Verizon Wireless in delivering the newest EV-DO technology to its customers,” said Dan Schieler, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales for Sierra Wireless. “EV-DO Revision A promises significant benefits to mobile data customers – enabling new applications that involve the creation of higher bandwidth content on the laptop and sending it to colleagues or clients while mobile. With the AirCard 595 card, Verizon Wireless customers will be able to take full advantage of the new technology as soon as it is available.”

The card will cost a buck under $100 if you sign your life away for two years to Verizon Wireless after the $50 rebate. Unlimited broadband service will cost you a monthly charge of $59.99 with new or existing voice plans or $79.99 for a data only account.

In the past few months, Verizon Wireless has been testing its high speed Internet 3G connection in California’s agriculture hot spot through wee hours of the evening. All that testing has paid off as Verizon Wireless has announced today that Central California wireless users can no enjoy high speed access from their phone or computer like nearly the rest of the state has been using for the last year. While I myself still see 1x on my phones display and I more than deep in the allotted area, I’m sure it’s due to the signal tower in my town. Hopefully that’ll be resolved soon!

Customers in Stockton and Modesto can now access the latest high-speed business and entertainment services on their wireless phones, laptop computers, and other wireless devices thanks to Verizon Wireless.

New capabilities come with the expansion of the company’s Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) network, enabling both its BroadbandAccess and V CAST services. Customers in Stockton and Modesto now have access to the same high-speed Verizon Wireless services launched earlier in the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California.

“Verizon Wireless is committed to expanding our high-speed data network across the nation and is proud to announce the launch in Stockton and Modesto,” said Rich Garwood, Northern California/Nevada regional president for Verizon Wireless. “These two communities continue to experience a high rate of growth as so many people make their homes in the area while commuting to jobs in Sacramento and the Bay Area, and vice versa. Now, customers who both live and travel through these areas have access to the true mobility of wireless data.”

Good news Apple MacBook Pro users (and those with PCs equipped with an ExpressCard slot.) Dell is rebranding the Novatel’s Merlin XV620 with its own Texas sized name. Why would I tell all y’all that Dell, a PC manufacturer, is a good thing for Macs? ‘Cause the ExpressCard its putting out for sale at $179 is going slide right into your MBP and allow you to cruise the Internet at 500kbs to 1mps speeds. Good news for those not lucky enough to have the XV6700 hack I must say. Don’t worry about the high ticket either, ’cause y’all get one month of free Verizon based EV-DO access. After that, you’re frontin’ $59.99 a month if all y’all gots a Verizon voice plan or $79.99 a month if you ain’t. No worries on the drivers either, Hos, OS X rev 10.4.7 has got the needed drivers. Giddy up!

The cell phone for the MTV kiddies will be coming to a Best Buy near you this summer. Amp’d Mobile, the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) geared to the youth market, will now be hawking its gear along side those men in black, the Geek Squad. Trying to move its Verizon driven EV-DO phones that feature content from MTV, VH1, and Comedy Central, that includes video clips,ringtones, ringbacks, screensavers, wallpapers and other content, you’ll be seeing more of the sleek looking phones with the Amp’d logo on them.

“We are thrilled to introduce customers to our products at Best Buy, the benchmark retailer in consumer electronics,” said Geoff Fishman, Senior Vice President, Sales and Distribution for Amp’d Mobile. “Amp’d Mobile aligns perfectly with Best Buy’s overall strategy of combining entertainment and technology products in a customer-centric retail experience.”

If you want to be hip or just want to impress your kid, maybe you’ll be finding yourself headed down to Best Buy soon. Maybe.

If you have a MacBook Pro (or even a MacBook), then you know you have no chance using those EV-DO PC Cards for Verizon (or Sprints) EV-DO networks. Even though there are Mac drivers for some of the cards, those cards don’t fit into the ultra-small ExpressCard slot on the MBP. (Here’s a post on what does fit in there.) So if you’re hooked into Verizon and you’ve got that network all behind ya and all, what does a cutting edge Mac head do to get some of that Broadband Access? If you have a UTStarcom XV6700, you use Bluetooth, baby! ‘But Verizon killed the DUN profile,’ you say. Doh! Okay, we got that worked out, too.

Most people aren’t aware in order to have something on a device that uses the radio signal named after a Viking king, the manufacturer must fully support the protocol to its fullest. Thus, all Verizon phones that have Bluetooth in them started its life as a fully Bluetooth compliant device. It’s only after Verizon gets its greedy hands on the device is when it loses its DUN profile.

Knowing that much, it only takes a quick Google search and one will find the answer on how to bring that DUN profile back to your phone. In this case, the XV6700. Like the Motorola E815, you simply dial in a number and “send” it. Unlike the Moto, you need to verify your request with a passcode. After that, you’ll have full access to enabling DUN on the XV6700.

In fear the link to the magic of DUN will disappear, SvenOnTech will happily reprint the directions for you below.

• Go to the PHONE application (hit the green phone button on the XV6700)
• Enter ##3328873 (or ##feature) and press “TALK” (or Send)
• Enter six zeros for the code (000000)
• Now select BT DUN and Wmodem
• Click EDIT
• Select ENABLE from the drop down menu
• Tap the OK button (top right corner)
• Tap the OK button (again)
• OK the prompt to soft reset your device

Your XV6700 is now enabled to use its Bluetooth DUN profile. Now you just need to find the modem application and make a shortcut for easy activation.

• Using Explorer (be sure to enable “Show hidden files”), go to the Windows folder
• Find the file WMmodem. You’ll see an EXE and a LNK version. Make a shortcut of the EXE version (Resco Explorer 2005 does this and sends it to your Start Menu.)
• Move the shortcut to your \Windows\Start Menu folder

Now you’ll see the WMmodem application in your start menu (Programs). Tap on this and it’ll bring up a screen with mostly text, a drop down menu, and three traffic boxes. In the drop down, select Bluetooth. Then click the START button. Your XV6700 is now a full out Bluetooth modem waiting to be connected to.

On the Mac side, you’ll first need to pair your XV6700 and Mac to each other. You should be able to do this easily, but if you need some help, check out Apple’s site for direct documentation on how to do this. When pairing, select “Other” device from the list, not “Phone”.

Once paired, the last screen will ask if you wish to use the device as a modem and headset. Uncheck headset (unless you wish to use your phone to communicate with others on applications such as Skype.) Now follow these instructions for setting up the modem:

• Username: (Your full phone number) 408-555-1235@vzw3.com
• Password: vzw
• Phone Number: #777
• Mode Script: au cdmaOne Bluetooth Adapter
• Leave all check boxes checked
• Click CONTINUE
• Click QUIT

You’re now all set on the Mac side. You’ll now see a phone with a dot slash icon on your menu bar. Select it and choose “Connect”. Remember to have your XV6700 on, Bluetooth enabled, and the WMmodem application running Bluetooth mode with the START button activated. If all this is the case, you’ll be connected in seconds and your modem icon will display a counter next to it once connected. Enjoy the EV-DO!

Now a couple of notes. Not all areas have EV-DO yet. Verizon claims by the end of the year, nearly its entire network will have it. But until that time, you may only get 1xRTT speeds. While not true broadband (in the DSL sense), it’s still better than dial-up (which can’t be done out-of-the-box with the MBP anyway.) Further, you must have a data plan in order to connect to the Internet. You’ll want to have the unlimited plan as you’ll probably hit the 20 MB plan top end within minutes of surfing on your Mac. You can get it as low as $59 if you call and whine and as cheap as $30 if you have a business account (a little known fact that even most Verizon employees don’t know about.) Rumor has it the price will come down to $20 soon someday.

So, if you’re in an area that has no Wi-Fi and you have a Verizon XV6700, you have an alternate Internet connection. There probably is a hack for the Palm Treo 700w, too, but since we don’t have one of those here at SvenOnTech, we haven’t looked for it. Again, the Motorola E815 also has a hack you easily can find as well.