Verizon Wireless introduced a handy little Wi-Fi gadget to help your wireless cloud travel with you, literally. Even when you’re in a moving vehicle. The company is calling the MiFi 2200 the “World’s Smallest Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot.” 

While the concept is far from new (D-Link Systems, for one, has offered 3G mobile routers with slots for a wireless broadband computer card for years), Verizon is offering service with the MiFi 2200. That means hand over $150 (get $50 back after rebate), sign over two years of your life and pay monthly fees of $40 to $60. 

Those fees really add up. And most consumers, and even companies, don’t really need to use a mobile hot spot every day, right?  I mean how many corporate caravans to Vegas does one do every year? 

But there is a cheaper option available. Buy the MiFi from Verizon Wireless at its full price $270 price and pay $15/day to use the service. No contract, no monthly fees, no worries!

Of course, you could lose the teeny 2-ounce MiFi, which measures 3.5-inch by 2.3 inch by 0.4 inch. To help you see how slim and trim that actually is, I’ve laid it out for you against one of the most familiar gadgets in the world, the Apple iPhone: 

The MiFi was developed by Novatel Wireless and uses Verizon’s 3G wireless service. But only five Wi-Fi devices can use it at any time, probably because any more would degrade Verizon Wireless’ data service to an embarrassingly slow experience.  

It also has a rechargeable battery that lasts four hours if just one Wi-Fi device is connected and active. Otherwise, one charge offers up to 40 hours of standby time. 

As mentioned earlier, if you want to go the contract route, Verizon will happily accept your $99.99 (after a $50 mail-in rebate) and new two-year contract. Then the monthly price kicks in:

• $39.99/month for 250 megabytes, plus overage fees of 10 cents per megabyte.  
• or $59.99/month for 5 gigabytes (!), plus overage fees of 5 cents per megabyte.

MiFi is heading to Verizon Wireless stores on May 17, 2009.

More from the Web on MiFi:

• Novaltel Wireless’ official site
• Hands-on with Novatel’s MiFi 3G hotspot (Engadget)
• Wi-Fi to Go, No Cafe Needed (NY Times) 
• Verizon Launches MiFi Hotspot Without Subscription (PC Magazine)
• Verizon Wireless offers relief on data caps (FierceWireless.com)
• National carrier mobile broadband data plan comparison (FierceWireless)

More on cell-phones:

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