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MyWi OnDemand offers major connectivity upgrades for iPhone-as-hotspot (jailbreak)

by Erica Sadun Feb 3rd 2011 at 4:00PM



For the last few years, MyWi has basically owned the iPhone-as-hotspot jailbreak market. With the app and a jailbroken iPhone or iPad, you could share your 3G or EDGE connection with other devices with just a few simple taps. Multiple laptops or other mobile devices could connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot at once.

Now, MyWi OnDemand has been introduced by developers Intelliborn. It provides the same kind of easy-to-use connectivity, but it does so with a completely redesigned interface, providing functionality that's basically on steroids.


The biggest complaint about the original MyWi was that it was a battery killer. I think that's understating the case. The app could kill batteries even while plugged into a power source. Now, I'm not saying that MyWi is now suddenly a kinder, gentler, non-battery consumer when actively serving connections to other devices, but it has a killer new approach to providing that connectivity with a low-power always-on mode.

The new MyWi introduces Bluetooth on-demand tethering. Wi-Fi is always scanning for a base station to connect to and can then automatically connect to it if you've chosen that as a known and trusted host. Intelliborn's always-on Bluetooth implementation performs a similar kind of search. When it finds a MyWi Bluetooth hotspot, it can automatically connect to that service. And, like Wi-Fi, that service has almost a zero battery footprint, so being ready to connect at all times takes up very little power consumption.

To take advantage of this new feature, you'll need to have the software installed on both the host device as well as the client one, which means jailbreaking both. Of course, you can still use MyWi in classic mode, without having to jailbreak a second unit, but that limits you to Wi-Fi only use. Because of its battery demands, the Wi-Fi mode will now automatically shut off after an idle period.

As you can see from the video, the updated software is also a lot prettier than it used to be. I haven't had a chance to test it out yet, but the video makes me want to.

MyWi is available through the Cydia store and costs US$24.99, or $4.99 for owners of MyWi 4.0.



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For the last few years, MyWi has basically owned the iPhone-as-hotspot jailbreak market. With the app and a jailbroken iPhone or iPad,...
 

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21 Comments

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jonjoaquin

I FOUND THIS ON THE FAQ
"Do I have to pay for tethering with my carrier if I use MyWi/MyWi 4.0?

Yes - you must check with your carrier's contract to see if tethering is allowed on your current plan."

So the are saying you still have to pay tethering, just not hotspot.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

February 06 2011 at 11:09 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Scott

Installed it, very flakey. Bluetooth connection to my iPhone dropped and I had no data at all. Great idea but not great implementation.

February 05 2011 at 1:32 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
nanjmill

I love your work, I have a number of your apps in my computer and in my 3GS, I missed the testing for the new beta when it came out, because my iphone had flickering problems... I found out it was because I downloaded an app that was for strickly for the iphone 4. So I deleted it. Learned my lesson... Any way, I would love to do testing for the iphone if possible please contact me.

I miss beta testing I can test for my mac or for my iphone.

February 04 2011 at 8:54 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
naturlichfrisch

Couple of things:

1. Untethered jailbreak is out right now so stop your whining: greenpois0n.com. I've never experienced my iPhone 4 bei h unstable with the tethered jailbreak. In fact I only had to restart it once since 4.2.1 came out. I restarted maybe once a week for good measure but only once did I actually have to restart it due to instability. I think that's pretty good considering I tether daily and use winterboard an sbsettings.

2. I didn't buy MyWi because tetherme is $2 and is sufficient. It enables stock tethering without the extra $20 plan. When 4.3 comes out and is jailbroken MyWi will be obselete because Tetherme is already set up to allow the stock mobile hotspot feature to work in 4.3 and it's $2!!!

February 03 2011 at 10:41 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to naturlichfrisch's comment
naturlichfrisch

Sorry for the typos:
*being
*and

February 03 2011 at 10:43 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Seebee

Isn't hotspot tethering supposed to be a feature of iOS4.3 on carriers that allow it?

February 03 2011 at 6:03 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Seebee's comment
Erik

It is a feature but there is a $20 a month charge to use it. If your device(s) are jailbroken and you buy this app, it's a one time fee.

February 03 2011 at 6:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Erik

$25 and I can't even do an untethered jailbreak of my devices. Why aren't jailbroken apps on Installous?

February 03 2011 at 5:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
4 replies to Erik's comment
robb

I think the biggest complaint about MyWi is that it's expensive, and the second biggest is that it's unreliable. The battery issue hasn't been so bad as of the later versions.

So they made it more expensive (particularly since it's duplicating free built in functionality now). Maybe they were concentrating on the second issue and it actually works consistently, without frequently resetting both devices, and can do WEP with an iPad? Somehow I'm not holding my breath.

February 03 2011 at 5:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
tze

Well, the article is a bit misleading. It is $25 to purchase it new. If you want the OnDemand feature you have to pay an additional $5 (not required to upgrade to this version).

February 03 2011 at 5:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Athtart

I just upgraded and it installs on all your iOS devices if you use the same account. Pay once and use of your iPhones and iPads. I love it.

February 03 2011 at 5:03 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Brannan Holland

No. As long as you login with the Cyrus account you ha e your license under. I have it on my iPad and iPhone. Its like having a 3g iPad with out the AT&T bill. It connects automatically anytime you try to use your iPad with out wifi. Its amazing!

February 03 2011 at 4:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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