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TECH SUPPORT BELL TURBO HUB law firms use it. They trust its reputation and name — as they trust Research in Motion. "But Iron Mountain is owned by a U.S. company," notes Leung. "Does that mean the U.S. government could issue an order in the U.S. forcing it to deliver docu- ments sitting in Canada?" The difference between these and other services tagged as too risky is BlackBerry, Postini, and other pioneers built up accep- tance and a reputation for security before "cloud computing" became a buzzword and alarm bells started going off. Many firms are already using cloud computing in other ways too. While most people think first of SaaS and online data storage and sharing, that's only part of it. Leung's definition is simple: "accessing computing resources over a distance." It's not that new, he adds. "Cloud computing is really just network-based computing which goes all the way back to the days of mainframes and dumb terminals." It's not exactly the same, of course. Distances are often greater now, the Internet is frequently involved, and the A ccessing the Internet on your laptop (or desktop) over a 3G cellular network doesn't make a lot of sense as your or your fi rm's only means of access. It's slow compared to wireline broadband services and relatively expensive. But new products from Bell and Rogers that off er easy-to-set-up 3G broadband connections make sense as a backup and as a portable, go-anywhere solution. We recently tested the Bell product, Turbo Hub, made by cellphone maker Ericsson. It works as a combination Internet modem and Wi-Fi wireless router. You set it up anywhere within Bell's 3G HSPA mobile network coverage area and it delivers broadband speeds comparable with entry-level to mid-range home broadband services. Bell claims speeds "up to" 7.2 megabits per second (mbps) for download and 5.76 mbps upload. I experienced 4 mbps down, 1.5 mbps up in my London, Ont., home offi ce — much faster than expected. The uplink speed was faster than the uplink with my Rogers cable modem service. When I visited a friend's cottage near Bancroft, Ont., just south of Algonquin Park — right on the edge of Bell's HSPA coverage area and where only dial-up was available in the past — I didn't expect much. But the Turbo Hub delivered better than 1 mbps download and half of that on the uplink. I was even able to make Skype voice-over-Internet calls. The Turbo Hub costs $149 with a two-year contract. Airtime plans start at $35 a month for 3GB of download. That's probably enough for one person's e-mail and light web browsing, without downloading or streaming media. In fact, the Turbo Hub can support multiple simultaneous users connecting either wirelessly or via one of the four Ethernet ports. The Rogers Rocket Hub, which uses the same Ericsson hardware, is similarly priced and report- — GB edly performs similarly. Finding & Managing Legal Information on the Internet Become a more powerful online researcher with this helpful and practical guide In print and PDF format plus a related blog at http:/ /fli.canadalawbook.ca This is a practical guide for lawyers, judges, law librarians, law students and anyone else interested in finding information online faster and managing it better. Get tips that will help you find both law and related business information faster. This text will also help you stay on top of technology trends, monitor current awareness resources and organize your research for quick retrieval in the future. Order your copy today Perfectbound • 188 pp. • May 2010 • $32 P/C 0992010000 • ISBN 978-0-88804-506-5 eBook (Non networkable) • $32 P/C 0992010001 • ISBN 978-0-88804-507-2 eBook (Networkable) • $128 P/C 0992010002 • ISBN 978-0-88804-507-2 Learn more about: • legal information sources • browser extensions, free add-ons and plug-ins • staying on top of changing information with RSS and other tools • research organization and retrieval • mobile legal research canadalawbook.ca For a 30-day, no-risk evaluation call: 1.800.565.6967 Canada Law Book, a Thomson Reuters business. Prices subject to change without notice, to applicable taxes and shipping & handling. CL1010 26 OC T OBER 2010 www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com Gadget Watch David W helan …and much more!