"New software from TapRoot Systems can make a 3G smartphone become a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing you to connect a laptop or other Wi-Fi-equipped hardware to the internet. The software, called WalkingHotSpot, is compatible with Symbian S60 and Windows Mobile smartphones. It will work with both HSDPA and EV-DO, but will allow voice calls to come through while using the data connection only on HSDPA phones. A free beta demonstration will be available for consumers to test soon, but TapRoot intends to sell the software directly to carriers, allowing them to provide it as a service. It doesn't intend to sell the software directly to end users."

The first thing that should be pointed out is that your HSDPA or EVDO Windows Mobile handset will need Wi-Fi capabilities in it for this service to work. The demo version of WalkingHotSpot, which will be available through TapRoot's website, will only support one Wi-Fi connection at a time… which I feel is pretty lame. If I wanted to connect just one laptop or computer to the Internet through my phone, I would much rather follow the steps in Ed Hansberry's Internet Connection Sharing story which was posted yesterday. At least with Internet Connection Sharing, I would not be limited to a Wi-Fi enabled handset and would be able to utilize my aging but high-speed enabled Samsung Blackjack.

The real magic however lies in the full version of the WalkingHotSpot, which will only be marketed to carriers in the hopes that they will in turn sell it to us consumers as a subscription based service. Carrier supplied versions of TapRoot Systems' software should support simultaneous Wireless Fidelity connections from a single handset and would even allow you to receive voice calls while using your data connection through AT&T's HSDPA network! While I hate subscription services like TeleNav, this program would be way to cool to just pass up.