Amazing, i can remember the year when this marvel of a computer, the IBM Personal Computer (PC) 5150, was released as if it were just a few years ago. Dang, 25 years. I’m getting old! Hey, but at least I wasn’t even a teenager, yet at a mere 11 years-old, I understand even back then how much more powerful this was than the Atari 800 my friends down the street had. This thing looked like a real computer, not a toy. Oddly enough, IBM considered Atari’s 8-bit chip for its own PC but wisely decided to go with something different. That different was an Intel chip on an IBM motherboard.

The only thing that saddens me about the 5150 was IBMs decision to go with Microsoft for the operating system known as Disk Operating System, or DOS. 25 years later, IBM no longer makes PCs and Microsoft rules the OS space. 5150. Ironic, huh?

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.

I have many computers. I have my Windows box in the office that is my main unit (until the Mac Pro is out ). I have a MacBook Pro that I pretty much use any time I’m not in the office and even while in the office. I also use my wife’s Mac mini. So that’s three computers all using Firefox with the need to have the same bookmarks. Transferring the bookmark.htm file is easy enough, once, but keeping changes in order from computer to computer is much tougher. That was until Foxmarks.

Foxmarks is one of a handful of bookmark synchronization extensions available for Firefox, but what sets this one apart from the rest is that it is a small add-on and doesn’t require a server to be active to work like de.lio.us. Additionally, Foxmarks has built-in auto-sync which none of the others seem to offer. This takes the worry out of if you’ve synced lately or not (though you can always manually sync if you wish.) As a final bonus, you can have complete and full access to your bookmarks online via a web browser if you’re ever on another computer that isn’t yours.

Set-up is a piece of cake as it will walk you through creating an account if you’re a new user. Once the account creation is done, you then upload your bookmarks. After that, it’s off to your next computer. When you install it here, you now input your account information (instead of create one.) You’ll then be prompted as to what you wish to do with your bookmarks. You can chose one of three choices from combining your current computers bookmarks with the one on the server, downloading the servers version and erasing the current computers bookmarks, or uploading the current computers bookmarks erasing the servers version. Most will chose the first or second choice though you might find yourself using the third if your current set-up is filled with more valuable bookmarks. After the bookmarks are taken care of, you’re now set to auto-mode. Every time you make an addition or subtraction to your bookmarks on one computer, the other will see it, and vice-verse.

You can set your sync to use either ftp or a more secure HTTPS protocol. If you have sensitive bookmarks, the later is a great feature to enable. From the advance settings screen, you’ll also be able to manually upload or download your bookmarks.

Foxmarks is a great extension for Firefox and it will help keep all your PCs and Macs in sync with one and another easier than you can say, “Where was that bookmark for Dancing Bush?”

Stock holders are heartless, blood sucking, blind, droids! What do they care about people? Well, that’s at least what most think about those that own a little part in a publicly held company, but sometimes it’s really not that way. For the most part, Apple stock holders seem to let Apple steer its current course as things couldn’t look better for the most trusted company in the world.

Now Apple wants to take your junk back and recycle it when you purchase a new spiffy Mac for your home or office. Purchasing from any Apple Store or authorized seller is all you have to do. Apple will send you an e-mail with information how to get your mailing label to send in your mercury filled dinosaur. And don’t worry, Apple knows what it’s doing as it’s already ingested 21 million pounds of electronics worldwide since 1994. It knows its stuff.

A question, though, is what about all this cost? When I tried to bring my old iMac down to the local dump, they wanted $15 for me to dispose of it “properly”. I know my city is most likely either wasting resources or making a profit off the high admission to freedom, but it can’t be cheap having people around the nation sending in their junk to Cupertino. While Apples press release doesn’t disclose what can be sent (I can’t see sending in that old 21″ CRT as an option,) I’m sure some of this stuff adds up in the weight department. Forget where all this is even going, just getting there will put a dent in the bottom line, no? (BTW, I’m sure all this stuff is going in the same landfill Apple dumped all those Lisa’s in.) Or maybe this program will attract new customers…you think? (That’s why the stock holders are allowing this!!)

Either way, I personally think Apple is doing the right thing. It’s tough to get dispose of your electronics properly (I have a pile of it in my garage) and entice customers with free recycling is a great thing. I hope it’s also a profitable one, too.