The Mi-Fi Personal Hotspot just got even smaller, as Berlin-based firm Nova Media has unveiled what they are claiming to be the world’s smallest personal hotspot device, the XYFI.
This tiny USB drive takes a SIM card of any network and broadcasts your 3G connection for up to 8 other devices to use, with minimal configuration. All you need to do is insert the SIM card (all networks are supported), slot the thumb drive into a PC or Mac’s USB socket and you’ll be taken to a webpage through your browser to set up a security key, SSID and various other options. In effect the XYFI is the world’s smallest portable wireless router.
Keeping things truly mobile, Nova Media has developed an iOS app which allows you to configure your XYFI on an iPhone or iPad while on the move. Once you’re connected to a 3G network, the XYFI will provide download speeds of up to 14.4Mbit/s and upload speeds of up to 5.76Mbit/s, though obviously speeds depend on the mobile network signal strength, and will be shared out between any devices connected to the Mi-Fi network.
As if mobile network sharing for up to 8 devices wasn’t an impressive enough feat for this tiny device to perform, it also has a Micro SD card slot which allows for sharing files over your personal network. Technically this means the XYFI can be used as a NAS (Network Attached Storage) drive, putting music, videos, pictures and documents online for your connected devices to view.
The XYFI’s online portal allows you to choose your network’s name, security key, permitted users and much more. As you’re using a mobile SIM card, you also have the option to send text messages from here too, just as you can with most mobile broadband dongles.
Once you’re done using the XYFI you can simply swivel the USB adapter so that it sits inside the main body, perfect for protection and portability.
You can purchase a XYFI from Nova Media directly for €179, and it looks like they are shipping worldwide as of now.
Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.
Source: Nova Media