Todays & Tomorrows Technology

The thought of Swedish uber-car manufacturer Koenigsegg ever actually putting their Quant concept car into production was a laughable joke back when they revealed it in March. The solar electric vehicle was billed as a “car of the future” designed to showcase NLV Solar’s nifty photovoltaic and accumulator tech; now, according to one Koenigsegg insider, the firm intends to put the Quant into limited production.

The concept behind the Quant is straightforward: as well as a standard recharging system, which is apparently capable of fully juicing the supercar in 20 minutes, the whole thing has a photovoltaic coating that constantly tops up the batteries. That means the Quant is good for a 500km range, helped by the slippery aerodynamic shape.

Of course, since this is Koenigsegg we’re talking about, speed isn’t in short supply either. Twin rear-wheel drive electric motors can push the Quant 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 170mph. Not bad for a four-seater with gullwing doors, 3-zone climate control, at least six airbags and all the usual electronic safety gubbins.

Commentators are already linking the leak to Koenigsegg’s recent buyout bid for Saab, though there’s no telling whether the two are connected. Whatever the badge on the front, look out Tesla: Sweden is coming for you.

It hasn’t taken hackers long to enable unofficial tethering on iPhone handsets running OS 3.0, and its taken carriers even less time to put out the predictable dire warnings regarding anyone found using such hacks. UK carrier and official Apple iPhone partner O2 have issued a statement suggesting that anybody found using tethering without their official “Bolt On” package will be charged or disconnected.

“Internet rumours suggest that some customers have modified their iPhone to enable Internet Tethering without the purchase of the Internet Tethering Bolt On. Any use of this particular feature without the purchase of the Bolt on is specifically prohibited under our terms of service.

Under those terms we reserve the right to charge customers making modem use of their iPhone or disconnect them. If customers wish to use the Internet Tethering feature on their iPhone 3G or iPhone 3G S, we recommend taking the Bolt On which is available from Friday 19 June” O2 statement

The carrier has been less forthcoming about how they will check for unofficial tethering use, though it seems likely that anybody with high traffic rates will stand out and be investigated. Like other carriers, O2’s so-called “unlimited” iPhone data package actually has a 3GB limit, and they closely monitor traffic for signs of P2P or VoIP use.

Arguably, O2’s stance is more understandable than, say, AT&T. At least the former offers a tethering package in the first place – albeit an expensive one, charging £14.68 ($24) for 3GB per month or £29.36 ($48) for 10GB – whereas AT&T won’t offer official tethering at all until later in the year.

As we know, iPhone OS 3.0 brings with it the potential for tethering on your Apple smartphone, using the handset’s 3G connection to get your laptop, netbook or other mobile device online while on the move. Apple have done all they can to make it straightforward – you can tether over USB or Bluetooth, with minimal setup - but the carriers seem less enthused. Some, like AT&T, don’t officially support it yet, while others, such as O2 in the UK, will allow you to tether but have an expensive extra data plan you need to add.

One thing we know about iPhone users, though, is that if you show them a sign saying “no entry” they’ll work out a hack to enable it, and sure enough there’s now a simple way to turn on iPhone tethering no matter your carrier or tether-plan status. All you need do, in fact, is visit help.BenM.at on your iPhone and install a new local carrier profile configuration file.

There are files for tethering on multiple carriers – not just the official Apple partner in each company, but rivals for those using their iPhone unlocked – and more apparently being added all the time. Plus, there are install files for MMS support, including AT&T who have previously said that they won’t be officially enabling it on the iPhone until late summer.

This is one of those cases where “because you can” might not mean “you should”; carriers have been very clear now and previously as to the fact that tethering data is not considered part of an “unlimited” on-device data package. If you do attempt it – and obviously there’s also risk in installing any software from an unknown site – then bear in mind your carrier will likely be monitoring data traffic to identify any unofficial tethering or MMS use.