Maximize Your Phone’s Battery Life.

Stop Wasting Time Looking for Wi-Fi Hotspots.

• You don’t have to pay extra for Wi-Fi service, such as from Boingo.
• You don’t run the risk of getting hacked while looking for a free Wi-Fi signal.
• You and your colleagues can share a connection, such as during a pow-wow before a client meeting.
• You don’t have to buy a cellular modem and broadband service for each laptop.
• Wi-Fi-only devices, such as iPads, can get connected.

MiFi is available from several major wireless carriers, including Sprint and Verizon Wireless. Although it lists for about $300, sometimes it’s available for free after rebates if you sign up for a data plan, which typically runs $40 to $60 per month.

One alternative to MiFi and similar devices is to look for one of a handful of smartphones that can double as a Wi-Fi router, such as the forthcoming HTC EVO 4G from Sprint. Another alternative is to see if there’s an app for your smartphone that turns it into a Wi-Fi router. One example is WMWifiRouter, which costs about $20 and works with Windows Mobile handsets.

Set Up Mobile Data Access.

Tip: Small businesses shouldn’t overlook consumer-oriented plans, such as Sprint’s Everything Data Family with Any Mobile, Anytime, which provides voice, unlimited data, unlimited e-mail (including BlackBerry), unlimited text and unlimited navigation for $30 to $40 less per phone than AT&T’s and Verizon Wireless’ comparable plans. Why such a difference? Partly because Sprint’s plan lets multiple phones share a data bucket.

Don’t Wait for Files to Upload.

Consolidate Text Messaging and E-mail.

Bonus: Besides saving the cost of a monthly text package, you save time having both e-mail and SMS in a single inbox.

• The Future of Smartphones: 4G and Beyond
• Fight the Power Cord
• Should You Farm out Your Data Protection?
• Fit to be Tethered