Thanks to Alan Tay for this good article on wireless security. Alan is a Software Engineer who specialized in IT security and programming. He is also the author of IT security column.

Wireless networks are becoming popular today and there are people, especially home users, who are switching from wired connection to wireless connection. For those who are using wireless network, it is possible for any outsider to connect into your network without you realizing it if proper wireless security practice is not applied. As a result, it is important to know how to secure a wireless network.

How to Secure your Wireless Network

How to Secure your Wireless Network

1. Create a strong router administrator password – If a wireless router does not have a strong password and someone able to crack the password from the outside, the network security can be compromised. By letting the unauthorized outsider to have the authority to access the router administration settings, he can do so many things up to even take control of the entire network. As a result, it is not safe to use a weak password especially the default administrator credentials.

2. Change the SSID name – SSID name is the name of a wireless network. When connecting to any wireless network, the operating system will load the entire list of SSID names which are within the range of the person who connects. It is not advisable to use names such as street address, family name, and car registration number. In other words, any names that the attacker can guess where the SSID name comes from should be avoided. A good SSID name is important as it will make outsiders not able to tell where the wireless networks are from.

3. Enable network encryption – Every piece of data transferred around the network should be encrypted where it can be configured in the router settings. If the network is not encrypted, there is a possibility that someone will attempt a ‘Man in the Middle’ attack in the network. It is recommended to use Wireless Protect Access encryption or Wireless Protect Access II encryption.

4. Filter MAC address – Every electronic device comes with a unique MAC address. Filtering MAC address can ensure that only the specific device that the owner of a wireless network recognized is allowed to connect into the network.

5. Reduce wireless signal strength – There is no reason for wireless signal strength to be super strong unless the network is deployed in a mansion. Therefore it is advisable not to be so generous by offering free wireless network connection to all the people who do not live in your house. Routers today can come with very powerful signal strength and if the wireless network signal is just for a studio apartment size, he can reduce the strength by changing the mode from 802.11g to 802.11b.
and writes about computer security tips.

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How to Secure your Wireless Network

unlocker icon

As part of one of those day to day kind of things that I run into are users on our network that need to replace files that lots of people have access to. In our case these are PDF files and occasionally when a file needs to be replaced with a newer one the file will be open and in use. This means that I as the administrator of the box and the user that is the creator of the file can not delete the file in use.

In the past we have used a utility called unlocker. Using Unlocker is easy, just install, right click on the file, hit the magic want and it is unlocked and we can delete and replace the file. And great thing is that Unlocker is free.

Windows 64 Bit Server and Unlocker

Well we just replaced out old Windows 2000 file server with a nice new 64 bit Windows Server 2008 VM box. As a file server this is more than we need but the performance is a bit better and having the stability of an ESX VM environment is great (more on that in another post).

LockHunter unlocks locked files

But today I did have a need again to unlock a file. Unlocker was not installed so I installed and tried but could not unlock the pdf file in use, or any other file for that matter.

After doing a bit of searching around it seems that Unlocker is not supported on 64 bit server operating systems so I found another one, this program, also free is called LockHunter. This program works the same way and with LockHunter there is also support for both 32 and 64 bit operating systems for unlocking files, right click support for individual files, and a nice gui if you just want to run to a file.

The other great thing about LockHunter is that it is also a free file unlocking tool

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Unlocking Files that are In Use

It’s true that the iPhone 4S has added features and applications that the iPhone 4 did not. For example, the 4S now includes support for the GSM network, and FaceTime, even without Wifi. Although there may be fewer reasons to jailbreak the 4S, there are still plenty of benefits you can receive from doing so.

Not surprisingly, the best reason to jailbreak your iPhone 4S is the same as it has always been ? the uber-cool applications you can install. Simply put, you have more options to personalize your iPhone, and even more functions to play with.

If you’d like to really have freedom to customize the iPhone 4S user interface, you’re still going to need some unsupported applications to do so ? just as the Folder Enhancer app. Additionally, the Five Icon Dock, as the name would imply, allows you to add five icons onto the dock instead of the customary four allowed by the Apple iOS. Similarly, the Five Column Springboard lets you add one additional column to the homescreen.

Besides installing the usual weird and entertaining apps, there are a myriad of non-supported applications that will add some much needed features. For example, WiFi Sync allows you to sink your iPhone with iTunes via Wifi, no physical connection required. Another app, MiWi, allows users to turn their iPhone into a WiFi router, so other WiFi-enabled devices (such as the iPod Touch 4) can access the Internet via the iPhone.

Furthermore, jailbreaking is always getting faster and easier. A lot of jailbreaking software is very intuitive, and doesn’t require much out of the user. In just a few minutes, your iPhone can support a whole lot more applications.

Finally, jailbreaking is usually reversible. This comes in handy if you have to take your iPhone in for repair. Apple does not support jailbroken iPhones; you will have to remove the jailbreak and any renegrade applications you have installed. But frankly, it’s worth it, and there’s very little risk of getting caught.

Unless Apple decides to unlock the iPhone for good, every new model and iOS presents a field day to jailbreakers who are dying to get in. Apple keeps trying, but so far, it hasn’t been able to stop the hacks. The iPhone 4S isn’t any different, and it doesn’t appear that the need for jailbreaking is going to disappear any time soon.

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Why You Should Jailbreak Your iPhone 4S

Despite the disappointment felt by die-hard iPhone enthusiasts everywhere when Apple announced there will not yet be an iPhone 5, the iPhone 4S appears poised for grand success. There is compelling evidence that once again, the iPhone will surpass expectations and continue to be the most innovative and popular smartphone on the planet.

The Siri Application ? With the iPhone 4S, Apple unveils its latest version of a virtual assistant, which some are touting as a significant advancement in aritifical intelligence. If this is true, gadget and technology geeks are going to be drooling over the new features of this application. Siri uses voice recognition software to organize and perform daily activities on command such as “send mom a text” or “make restaurant reservations for 8:00 p.m.” While voice recognition technology is far from new, the general consensus is that Siri utilizes it a lot better than most. It reduces past recognization problems, such as those due to background noise interference or nuances in pronounciation. It also understands meaning and context, another big improvement over past voice recognition software.

Voice-to-text support ? Using the microphone, users speak their message, and send it to Apple. Within moments, Apple will send you back your message, fully dictated into text.

Faster Processing ? The apple A4 processor is being upgraded to a dual-core, and Apple is currently boasting that this advancement will make the iPhone 4S up to 7x faster than its predecessor.

FaceTime ? A new feature which is basically the iPhone’s version of the webcam, letting you talk face-to-face, in real time with others. There is a separate camera facing the user, so pictures can be taken and sent to the someone on the other end, without interrupting face-to-face contact.

The 8-MP Camera and IR Filter ? A major upgrade from the iPhone 4′s 5MP, the built-in camera in the iPhone 4S is likely to blow away users with beautiful image resolution and optimal video quality (also upgraded from 720p to 1080p.) This, along with the hybrid infrared filter which adjusts to its environment, can improve the quality and look of pictures taken during either day or night.

The iPhone 4S is a World Phone ? While the iPhone 4S will not support LTE networks, it does contain chips for supporting CDMA and GSM networks, and use a seamlessly alternating antennae to do so. Global roaming is made a reality, as traveling users do not have to switch phones as they move across countries.

Steve Jobs and Apple, Inc. ? Sadly, Apple’s founder and former CEO passed away on October 5, 2011. We predict that this loss will not deter Apple fanatics ? at least not yet. Dedicated fans will remain loyal, and in honor of his passing, many iPhone lovers everywhere are likely jump at the next chance to upgrade. Both Steve Jobs and his company are cultural icons, which trudged through a myriad of financial setbacks to yield superior, beautifully designed computers and electronic devices. Apple, Inc. is Steve Job’s legacy, and millions of true zealots are likely to continue supporting Apple products ? as long as they remain innovative, intuitive, artsy, and relevant.

Simply put, consumers need to see what the iPhone can really do before they let their hopes drop completely. Even without a complete model redesign, new advancements, applications, and features make the iPhone 4S a very tantalizing upgrade.

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With the release of the iPhone 4S, there’s never been a better time to reevaluate and review the best of the best iPhone applications. Over the years, the number of applications available for the iPhone have increased to well over 300,000. With this many choices, it only stands to reason the average user might feel a tad bit overwhelmed. So without further ado, let’s look at the some the best and most popular applications in each category.

Health iPhone Apps

Unless you’ve living in under a rock, you’ve probably heard about RunKeeper, an iPhone app that using GPS technology to track you while running, walking, jogging, or even riding in a vehicle. In addition, data can be entered manually, which allows you to keep track of your fitness stats while on treadmills or at the gym. By using this app, you can avoid the cost of the expensive runner’s watches, plus keep track of your distance, pace, and calorie expenditure. RunKeeper also has its own website, which you can use to upload your data and share your stats with friends.

Extra cool feature: You can take photos on the iPhone while running, and images are automatically geo-tagged to appear on the map where they were taken.

Education iPhone Apps

Going by today’s fast-paced program upgrading standards, the Open Culture application is an oldie but a goodie. Never thought you could get an inexpensive education? Good news – with Open Culture, you can. The application itself is free, and this educational media ain’t exactly Hooked on Phonics. You can take real college courses, listen to music and science podcasts, take language lessons, and download audio books. Let’s face it ? free knowledge is priceless.

Extra cool feature: Did you read about the part where you can take free college courses? ‘Nuff said.

Entertainment iPhone Apps

There’s no question that entertainment apps are among the most popular with users ? especially teens and young adults. However, we think the best entertainment applications are the ones that have are a bit more intellectual value than say, making yourself and your friends look fat. And this is why the Amazon Kindle is still among the best applications of its kind. Bridging entertainment with education, the Kindle application allows its users to download free books, free samples of books, highlight text, bookmark pages, and take notes. All this is synchronized within the application, so you never have to lose track of where you were.

Extra cool feature: The Kindle application syncs with an actual Kindle if you have one, so you can pick up where you left off on another device.

Productivity iPhone Apps

iPhone Apps

No surprise here. the Siri application is the Apple’s latest great acquisition ? that is, it was snagged up by Apple last year, and after a few tweaks, is the new virtual assistant mastermind of the smartphone industry. It uses voice recognition technology, which is nothing new, but it can use it in ways no one could have foreseen a few years ago. There has been a running joke for years about the inconsistencies and failings of voice recognition software, but this application does a great job of mitigating most of those issues. In fact, it usually knows what you are saying, and even what you mean. When compared to voice recognition software of the past, this is a huge step forward.

Extra cool feature: There are many ? but generally speaking, but if you can command your phone to deliver the daily weather forcast for you, or make restaurant reservations, you are just a sliver away from holding true artificial intelligence in the palm of your hand.

Navigation iPhone Apps

Believe it or not, there are actually quite a few good GPS applications available for the iPhone, and picking the best is not a decision to be taken lightly. That said, the favorite GPS application of both critics and users seems to TomTom, when you consider and compile both customer and online expert reviews. Mentioned in PC World’s “18 Best iPhone Apps”, the TomTom gives you turn-by-turn directions, updates maps and changes routes, and reports on traffic delays. You can also get your directions read to via a celebrity voice – Homer Simpson is one of the latest co-pilots available.

Extra cool feature: Only application to offer a feature that evaluates routes based on real-life driving experience instead of just posted speed limits. For example, it takes into account heavy daily traffic periods such as rush hour, the number of traffic lights, holiday shopping crowds, etc.

In summary, if you’re new to the iPhone and plan on picking up the newly released 4S, or are a current user who hasn’t road-tested the tried-and-true applications yet, these are among the slickest and most useful applications to check out.

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Top 5 iPhone Apps

If you’re an iPhone owner, you probably know that your choices for accessories are nearly endless. If you have just purchased or are planning on purchasing iPhone 4S cases, you’ve got your work cut out for you.

iPhone 4S cases

iPhone 4s Cases

With the myriad of choices available, how can one possibly decide? To make it easier for you, compiled here are a few of the best and most uber-cool accessories available today. These accessories will not only make you the envy of your friends, but you will find them to be useful, welcome additions to your iPhone collection. Whether you are a long term iPhone user or brand new to the device, you should check out these stylish accessories.

The id America Cushi for iPhone 4/4S

This accessory is a basically a designer foam pad which protects your iPhone from scratches and impact ? no bulky case needed. The adhesive pad leaves no residue, and is easily adjustable for the perfect fit. It comes in a variety of colors and patterns, such as Beach Red and Jazz Purple. Also available are the funky Suburb and New York designs. Because the pad is textured, you will be amazed by the high definition, 3D look of the designs, which will really set you apart from more traditional iPhone users. You’ll love the way the pad feels in your hand, as it is specifically designed to enhance your grip to prevent accidental mishaps. In fact, it is compatible with the popular Bumper cases, which together could make your iPhone virtually scratch proof. Finally, at a price of around $12, you can certainly own more than one, if you’d like some variety.

OtterBox Rugged Black Defender Case for iPhone 4/4S

If you’re a traveler, a vagabond, a sports fanatic, or just plain clumsy, and looking for iPhone 4S cases the OtterBox Rugged Black Defender is probably the best case for you. While all phone functions remain accessible, this case’s tough exterior will protect your iPhone from drops, scratches, and even water. And just to make sure the presence of your iPhone doesn’t interfere with your active lifestyle, a belt clip is included. This case ensures that your iPhone can go almost anywhere, and even the most adventurous of souls can rest assured that their iPhone is well-protected. Sound expensive? Nah. $18 is all you to need to protect your investment.

DIY Design it Yourself Case from CaseMate

If you’re looking for more traditional iPhone 4S cases with a twist and don’t mind spending a bit extra, you can’t go wrong with the DIY case from CaseMate. Why? Because you get to design and personalize the cover of your iPhone. You can upload your own photo, logo, or art, and CaseMate will turn it into your very own, one-of-a-kind case. If you are feeling less creative, you can chose from one of CaseMate’s fabulous designs in their online gallery. And considering you get an extra-tough, dual-layered case, most consider $40 to be quite a deal.

CAZE Swarovski Cases for iPhone 4S

For users who want really want a high end look (and don’t mind stretching their budget a bit) CAZE has announced two new Swarovski crystal cases in Floral Bling, and Bling RR patterns. Sound bulky? Despite their fancy adornments, CAZE purports to be using the world’s sleekest and slimmest case, and one which still protect the iPhone edges from everyday wear-and-tear. Screen protection film and a handy little mircrofiber carrying pouch are also provided. And while the inclusion of 200 crystals may sound expensive, a Swarovski case will be much cheaper than a diamond case, and still add oodles of glamour to your iPhone. What about functionality? CAZE promises that all phone functions, including the charger, are easily accessible without removing the case.

Whether you are looking for something personalized, trendy, tough, or fancy, there are some really fantastic cases available for your iPhone. Those on a budget can still protect their iPhones with confidence, and those willing to spend a bit more can get some really cool features. If for some reason these little gems don’t strike your fancy, keep the faith. With the release of the new iPhone 4S, there will plenty more more really cool, innovative iPhone 4S cases becoming available over the next few months.

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Top 4 Must-Have iPhone 4s Cases That are Guaranteed to Impress

So far, Apple is not predicting in major developments in the largest mainstream social media applications, which largely consist of Facebook, FourSquare, Twitter, and YouTube. Hopefully, that will soon change. In meantime, however, a brand new application has people buzzing, despite the current lack of an iPhone 5. It’s called Find My Friends, and it’s destined to be crazy addictive for teenagers and twenty-somethings.

Find my Friends is a free application that allows users to share their current location with their network of family and friends. If it sounds invasive and scary, keep in mind that the geo-sharing feature of the application can be controlled by setting a variable timer, or can be turned off completely. Additionally, parental controls are available to help children manage the application appropriately. Find My Friends is included with the new iCloud application, which stores your music, images, and data files, and synchronizes them wirelessly to multiple devices. Email, contacts, and calendars are also seamlessly integrated. In addition, the iCloud purports to locate Apple devices that that have been misplaced or lost by their owners.

The recently released Color application from Color Labs, Inc. is likely to increase in popularity with the release of the iPhone 4S. This will correspond nicely with the iPhone 4S’s improved image and video resolution, and faster processing speed. Users who network with Color share their photos and videos with strangers as well as their friends. Privacy takes a back seat to sharing, and completely strangers will be able to view moments just captured uploaded to a public “visual diary.” Sharing takes place within a specified geographic location. Pictures may receive thumbs-ups or comments, or be reshared on social media networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Yet another potential contributer to the growing social network possibilities is the iPhone 4S new virtual assistant Siri, which uses voice recognition software to expertly respond to and obey voice commands. Meant to replacing Apple’s unpopular Voice Control feature, Siri will send text, get weather reports, and even make restaurant reservations. Apple claims that Siri’s excellent dictation also works with third-party applications as well, so you can update statuses on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Finally, in other social networking news, universities are the latest entities to jump onto cellular social media, and in some cases, creating their own little virtual campuses that can be visited via the iPhone. For example, students can access Harvard University’s campus news, course catalog, shuttle schedule, events calender, and library ? without even leaving their dorm room. As if they needed another excuse, right? In any case, Boston seems to be leader in university sociality ? MIT and Boston University have social apps for the iPhone as well.

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What’s in Store for Social Networking on the iPhone 4S

With the release of the iPhone 4S, Apple is also unleashing a powerful new storage service called iCloud. The function of iCloud is to replace the MobileMe service, and add quite a few extra functions. Since Apple announced there is no imminent iPhone 5, there has been general concern that the iPhone 4S won’t live up to the hype. But with iCloud, Siri, and other new capabilities, there’s little doubt that even iPhone 4 owners will be drooling to make the upgrade.

What is the iCloud?

So what does iCloud do, exactly? According to Apple’s website: “iCloud stores your music, photos, documents, and more and wirelessly pushes them to all your devices. Automatic, effortless, and seamless – it just works.” Sounds great, generally speaking. But there’s a lot more specific functions that iCloud offers if you dig deep enough to look at the specifics.

iCloud, Images, and Documents – Take a picture with your iPhone, and your image is automatically uploaded to your other devices, such as a Mac or PC. Conversely, if you upload digital camera photos to your Mac, your images will be show up on other devices in the cloud. Similarly, documents created on any iOS device will appear on any other, perfectly updated ? so you can continue working on the latest edition of your document without worrying about multiple copies, synchronizing, merging files, or making backups.

iCloud and iTunes – Ever dreamed of being able to buy an album or video on iTunes and have it pushed to all your devices, without syncing? iCloud makes it happen. In addition, for an extra $25 per year, you can have all your music and video stored in the cloud – even imported CDs and other files that you didn’t actually purchase from Apple.

iCloud and Apps – It should be obvious by now ? download an app on one iOS device and it downloads to all others simultaneously.

iCloud and eBooks – Not only are downloaded eBooks sent to all device, the cloud never forgets which page you’re on. No guessing, no flipping through pages. Just pick up where you left off, on any device.

Calendar, Notes, Contacts, etc. – All automatically updated across devices. Additions, deletions, and changes are made everywhere.

Other new features: Find My Friends and Find My Phone. With the former, your position is updating to your friends and family so they don’t lose track of you. It may sound eerie, but think of what this means for parents and teenagers. The latter, as the name would imply, will help you find your lost or stolen iphone. Assuming it’s not shut off or the battery hasn’t died, you can sound an alert from a misplaced phone, or send messages to a potential thief who may have picked it up somewhere randomly.

Basically, with iCloud you never have to back up anything. iCloud saves and updates everything instantaneously. You will never lose anything. You will never waste memory on multiple files. It’s perfectly streamlined and efficient. Simply put, it’s how computing should be.

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The iPhone 4S and iCloud – Worth the hype?

On October 4th, 2011, Apple announced it will be releasing the iPhone 4S, and not the much anticipated iPhone 5. This revelation has left many iPhone 4 users scratching their heads, wondering if the 4S is really worth the investment. Despite the name, the iPhone 4S is not just a tweaked version of the iPhone 4 – it has many new applications, features, and capabilities. There are plenty of reasons to take a long look at the 4S, many of which will be addressed here.

Technical Specifications of iPhone 4S

From a technical standpoint, the 4S offers a few significant upgrades. Not the least of all is the new A5 dual-core processor, which is purported to be a 7x increase in processing speed over the A4 processor.

In addition, the built-in camera offers 8 megapixels, versus the Iphone 4, which only offered 5 mexapixels. The increased resolution is further enhanced by the new hybrid infared filter, which improves the natural look of daytime pictures, and improves the quality of nighttime pictures as well. Furthermore, video resolution is also increased from 720p to a stunning 1080p.

The iPhone 4S will also allow global roaming, with the addition of chips for supporting GSM and CDMA networks. An automatically alternating antennae has also been added, removing the need for manul adjustments. With these new capabilities, users who are traveling globally will no longer have to switch phones to get service.

The iPhone 4S will also be the first phone to support Bluetooth 4.0, which offers low-energy technology. This allows manufacturers to replace proprietary sensor technology in their devices with the latest version of Bluetooth. It a nutshell, Bluetooth 4.0 allows any device to communicate with any other device, no intermediary required.

The Siri Application

Probably the most talked about new application that the iPhone 4S offers is the Siri virtual assistant.

Considered by some to be a very basic form of artificial intelligence, significant advancements in voice recognition technology allow Siri to understand vocal commands clearly, despite background noise, and even interpret meaning and context. Siri goes way beyond simple “call mom” type commands, by performing functions that will literally make your life simpler and free up time. For example, it can access and report back information on local movie times, check calendars, and answer relatively complex questions.

Other New Features of the iPhone 4S

Two additional features that the iPhone 4S will offer are voice-to-text support, and FaceTime. Simply put, voice-to-text support dictates your messages by transcribing them into text. User speak into the microphone, send the message to Apple, and Apple returns the message in text form. FaceTime is a webcam-like feature that lets you talk to others in a real-time, face-to-face format.

In a nutshell, those users with an iPhone 4 may not be ready to upgrade yet, although there are a few very good reasons to do so. However, iPhone 3 users and iPhone newbees will likely be wowed by what they see, and probably glad they awaited the arrival of the 4S instead of opting for its predecessor.

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Coolest New Features of the iPhone 4S

Best Deals on the iPhone 4S is what everyone was talking about this week. Here is the scoop! The iPhone 4S is being being released at a retail price of $199-$399, for 16GB-48GB, which is a price range you’re probably going to have to live with that is, if you want one right away. The cost of having the newest release is that you’re not going to be able to find great deals on refurbished models for some time. However, within weeks to months, if you’re willing to wait, you can probably pick one up on eBay for less. And if you already have a carrier, you may be eligible for an upgrade with a discount sometime soon.

Best Deals on the iPhone 4S

But if none of the the above apply to you, the best thing you can do now is find your carrier. The ultimate cost of your iPhone depends upon the price and length of your contract. Currently, three carriers, AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon are all signed up to carry the iPhone 4S. Let’s take a look at their plans to see if we can get to a bottom line that will actually save you something.

Best Deals on the iPhone 4S - AT&T

No one is surprised that AT&T will be carrying the iPhone 4S. Their calling plans for 450 minutes, 900 minutes, and unlimited are $60, $80, and $90, respectively. These do not include texting or data.

If you want unlimited texting, it’s going to be another $20 a month. Anything less and you’re simply going to pay $0.20-0.30 per text. Data plans range from $15 for 200MB to $125 for 12GB, and unlimited is not available.

Best Deals on the iPhone 4S -Verizon

Verizon has the lowest calling plans at $40-$70. But once again, texting and data are not included.

The texting rates for pay-as-you-go and unlimited are about the same as AT&T, but Verizon also offers 250 and 500 texts for $5 and $10, respectively. Data is $30 for 2GB, all the way up to $100 for 12GB. No unlimited data is available.

Best Deals on the iPhone 4S - Sprint

Sprint’s plans for calling are each significantly more than the equivalent plans at AT&T and Verizon, ranging $80-$110. However, all plans includes unlimited texting and data.

The Bottom Line on Best Deals on the iPhone 4S

Cheapest Monthly Plan: Verizon’s calling plan at $40 ? you get 450 minutes, with no data included, and each text is $.20-$.25 each. But if you’re getting a smartphone, let’s face it – you’re going to want data. You can add 2GB and pay $70 total. You can also get 250 texts for $5 if you are so inclined. Your monthly bill is $75 before fees.

Most Expensive: Generally, AT&T. Even without a texting package you’re going to pay $85 for calling and 2GB of data. If you can get by on the piddly 200MB, however, you can get your plan down to $75. But why would you do it, when you can get the Verizon plan for the same price, with more data, and a 250 texting plan?

Best Deal: Sprint’s 450 and 900 minute plans are $80 and $100 respectively. The total plan is only $5 more than Verizon, and you get unlimited text and data. If you go over on your either data or text for your Verizon or AT&T plans, you will be charged more.

Unlimited Everything - Best deal, Sprint at $110. Verizon and AT&T don’t even offer unlimited data.

Cheapest Unlimited Calling - Verizon at $70. With 250 texts/2GB of data you’ve got $105. But for another $5, you can get unlimited texts and data with Sprint. See a trend here?

Need Mobile Hotspot - Verizon and AT&T offer mobile hotspot free of charge with data plans over 4GB. Sprint charges $30 regardless. Here, Verizon wins again with the 450 minute/250 text/4GB plan for $95. The Sprint 450 plan with the mobile hotspot option is $110, and in return, for your $15 you get unlimited data and text.

Ultimately, AT&T is the big loser. So far, there doesn’t seem to be a viable package that can beat either Verizon or Sprint. For peace of mind, choose Sprint, and if you insist on saving a few dollars, go with Verizon. Remember that the final price you pay for your iPhone 4S includes any fees you receive in excess of your plans. If you are even the slightest bit afraid that you consistently go over your texting or data plans with Verizon, there’s no question that Sprint is the best deal in town.

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Best Deals on the iPhone 4S