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Karma - pay as you go data by sharing your hotspot

yourkarma.com

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Re: Karma - pay as you go data by sharing your hotspot

#71
post #62

I am wondering whether Facebook ONLY connection is part of the business model. Do it allow Karma to share your internet usage data more easily with Facebook? And monetize those data (like the list of website you browse)? I didn't find anything related in the "Terms of Service". Anyway, a private vpn could do the trick I guess. But then such set-up would prohibits me from dropping my ISP at home and rely only on karma…

Exactly why I wouldn't feel comfortable with this. I haven't logged into Facebook from my primary browser in at least a year or two because of their Like beacons – there's no way I'm tying my FB account to my mobile ISP.

Re: Karma - pay as you go data by sharing your hotspot

#73

YES! Bought. So disruptive. Goodbye dumbphone. Hellloooo karma. Skipped right over the buying smartphone "minutes" and "text" nonsense. Genius marketing model. If I get to customize the SSID it'll be something like: "yourkarma.com, use this wifi!". SSID can only be 32 characters. A shorter, recognizable domain like "kar.ma" would be awesome. More space for cleverness. Living in a busy apartment complex near the cente…

You actually can't name your hotspot currently. It automatically names itself [name]'s Karma, pulled from your facebook info.

Their reasoning - https://yourkarma.com/help/5-why-can-t-i-change-the-name-of-...

Re: Karma - pay as you go data by sharing your hotspot

#74

YES! Bought. So disruptive. Goodbye dumbphone. Hellloooo karma. Skipped right over the buying smartphone "minutes" and "text" nonsense. Genius marketing model. If I get to customize the SSID it'll be something like: "yourkarma.com, use this wifi!". SSID can only be 32 characters. A shorter, recognizable domain like "kar.ma" would be awesome. More space for cleverness. Living in a busy apartment complex near the cente…

Please remember that this isn't a phone/text/data service. This is ONLY internet. If you have Skype/Google Voice/Lync/etc then you can place phone calls with an internet (IP) phone or computer or device. Likewise for text messages.

You could keep this on your person, and just be a walking mobile hotspot.

Re: Karma - pay as you go data by sharing your hotspot

#75

I love the concept. One important part that should be added though (I couldn't tell from the website if they already do something like this): When using it to share your personal internet connection, guest wifi connections should have all their internet traffic proxied/vpn'ed through the service's own internet connection. That way, the service itself keeps track of who was connected when, and if anything illicit happ…

With this device, you are not sharing your home internet connection. You are sharing the 4G internet connection, and I believe it does work as you describe - the individual must login and pay for access (and when they do, you, as the owner of the device, gets a free 100mb).

Re: Karma - pay as you go data by sharing your hotspot

#76
post #32

note that this is clearwire wimax only - a network that is actively shrinking as they transition to lte and their partner (sprint) decommissions iDen cells. You can get a similar price item with better connectivity but without the gimmicks from sprint's budget brand: $79 for a wimax+3g hotspot, $35/mo for 2 gigs of 3g data on sprint (evdo rev a) and "unlimited" wimax. or $5/day for 200mb/"unlimited"(activated for jus…

"sprint's budget brand: $79 for a wimax+3g hotspot" I had to look for it, but here it is, apparently Sprint uses the Virgin brand name in the US: http://www.virginmobileusa.com/shop/mobile-broadband/broadba... I'll be in the US for the rest of the year, so I'm buying one of these - way cheaper than international roaming. Thanks for the tip!

@parent comment: Virgin is an MNVO that buys airtime from Sprint and resells it.

@GP comment: AND you can just buy a CLEAR hotspot for $50 and pay $50/mo for their unlimited service.

edit: tried to make it more clear...

Re: Karma - pay as you go data by sharing your hotspot

#80
"Is it safe? You have nothing to fear. Karma is as safe as Wi-Fi in your coffee shop. Most sites use HTTPS, like Facebook and Google, making your connection secure."

"as safe as Wi-Fi in your coffee shop" is not very safe at all. Before FireSheep people could pick off sessions to all these major websites. It's my understanding that mobile applications connected to Wi-Fi still often have these problems.

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