3G laptops over-hyped according to report

The short-term importance of laptops and netbooks with built-in 3G or WIMAX capabilities has been significantly over-estimated, according to a new report from Disruptive Analysis. It says end-users currently favour external plug-in equipment, such as USB 'dongles', and will continue to do so for several years. However, it says devices with 'embedded' mobile broadband will eventually overtake separate modems, although not all wireless-equipped devices will have their built-in service activated. [Press release]

Vodafone welcomes China Mobile to LTE trials - but there's no rush to implement it

China Mobile has joined Vodafone and Verizon's trial of LTE (Long Term Evolution), the "4G" technology that offers faster mobile data services. However, Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin has said his company will wait for LTE to mature before it commits to the technology. He also called for research and development in the competing WiMAX system to be merged with work on LTE. [Sources: CNNMoney.com, Forbes.com]