Where did you Connectify Today?

We've Moved!

2011-08-23T18:05:00.000-04:00

We've just launched our first value-added, premium software, Connectify Pro v3.0! To go along with our brand new release, we've launched a new website, and a spiffy new blog, over at http://www.connectify.me/blog/.

Never fear, all previous content (including posts from our developers, tips-and-tricks, and past release notes) has been migrated to our new blog. But, all future content will be posted to http://www.connectify.me/blog/ only, so make sure to change all of your bookmarks now! And while you're at it, you'll want to download Connectify Lite v3.0 if you haven't already. It's the most feature-rich and error-resistant version of Connectify to-date! Just follow the below link to download Connectify Lite v3.0:

http://downloads.connectify.me/ConnectifyInstaller.exe

Upgrade to Connectify v3.0 and Get More From 'Clients/Services' Tabs!

2011-08-18T17:57:00.005-04:00

We’re always listening to what features Connectify users want to see implemented into upcoming releases. With the latest major version of Connectify being released next week, our development team has added several useful features that Connectify users themselves have requested. If you’re interested in trying out these new features and updates, you can take advantage of our pre-launch offer, which gets you a full one-year Connecitfy Pro v3.0 license at $14.99 (half-off the retail cost).

One of the coolest new features gives Connectify users the ability to see, interact, and control access-level of the various devices connected to your Connectify Hotspot.

Before you get started, you'll want to click on the Connectify ‘hand’ icon at the top-left corner of the user interface to access the Connectify Menu, click ‘Display Options’, and make sure that ‘Always Show Access Icons’ is checked. Now, click on the “Clients” tab where all connected computers, smartphones, tablets, and any other devices will appear, along with an IP address and descriptive icon (when Connectify is able to determine what type of device is connected). To the right of each device, you’ll see four icons which allow you to do as follows (clockwise from top-left):

Globe Icon: Disable Internet access for the particular device, while still allowing for local access.
Refresh Services Icon: Allows user to manually refresh the services running on an individual client.
Available Services Icon: Shows users the number of available services that are currently running on the client device. The Available Services Icon can be refreshed by simply clicking the Refresh Services Icon directly above it.
LAN Icon: Allows user to enable or disable local area network (LAN) connection between the host and client. When the LAN Icon is disabled, client devices will still have Internet access unless the ‘Globe Icon’ is also disabled.

With Connectify v3.0, now you can control which client users/devices can access Internet through the Connectify Hotspot, and which can access the LAN only. This feature adds a strong measure of security, where you can allow client access to your Internet without compromising your local data. You can even totally block certain clients by disabling both the LAN Icon and Globe Icon.

In addition to seeing what devices are connected to your Connectify Hotspot, the pro version of Connectify automatically scans your network for available shared folders or drives, web servers, and other remote services and provides you with options to easily connect. We like to call this the “Scannify” function, named after our popular port-scanning Android app. To do so, just click on the “Services” tab in the Connectify application, where a list of available services will be listed. To launch any service, simply double-click on it and Connectify does the rest!

To upgrade to Connectify Pro v3.0 at a special one week only pre-launch price of $14.99, simply follow this link to the Connectify Store: https://sites.fastspring.com/connectify/instant/connectifyprelaunch

Try Connectify v3.0 Today!

2011-08-17T13:15:00.000-04:00

The Connectify Pro v3.0 release is just around the corner, but we want to give our loyal community of users a sneak-peek at some of the new features and fixes in this latest major version of Connectify. We're sure that once you try Connectify v3.0 you'll want to upgrade to Pro (which we're offering this week at $14.99; 50% off the retail price). Click here to get your discounted one-year license for Connectify Pro v3.0.

Our development team has been hard-at-work addressing known issues, and adding some awesome new features to both the free and Pro versions of Connectify. If you'd like to take Connectify for a spin before you upgrade, follow this link to download the latest installer:

http://downloads.connectify.me/ConnectifyInstaller.exe

Check out the new features in both Free and Pro versions of Connectify v3.0:

Faster performance: 30% higher throughput when sharing fast Internet connections.
Improved Device Identification: Improved detection of XBox 360s and certain Motorola devices.
Completely new UPnP implementation: Improved performance, no spurious warnings. Fully-tested with Xbox 360 (PlayStation 3 sees Connectify as Type 3 NAT. This issue is expected to be resolved in an upcoming Beta).
All new tabbed User Interface
Intelligent warnings when hotspot starts without Internet Connection (New in this Beta)
Resizable User Interface: grab the top or bottom and resize UI to preferred height. (New in this Beta
New, clearer Status Area across top of UI (New in this Beta)
Easily access the Connectify Menu by clicking on logo next to the Start / Stop button (New in this Beta)

Fixes and Updates:

Service startup on boot
Support for multi-monitor setups where the taskbar is not on the primary monitor.
Fixes to UPnP and fragmented packet handling to improve gaming and streaming video over Connectify. (New in this Beta)
New algorithm for choosing IP address of hotspot improves compatibility with iOS devices. (New in this Beta)
Uninstaller now requests error report.
New 'About' screen thanks all open-source projects utilized by Connectify.
Microsoft has been working with us regarding the Blue Screen of Death issues that certain computers experience when hibernating. Based on what we learned, we have reworked how Connectify interacts with the Windows power management system entirely. With this new power management code, no Connectify user (with up to date Service Packs) should ever see the BSoD again!

And here are some of the cool, new features available to Connectify Pro v3.0 users:

Automatic Internet Selection: Connectify intelligently chooses which Internet connection to share! When set to “Automatic,” Connectify automatically detects your active Internet connection and makes necessary configuration changes to your hotspot.
Support for Windows XP and Windows Vista (Ad-Hoc Mode only)!
Service Discovery: In the all-new Services tab, Connectify will automatically scan your network for available shared folders or drives, web servers, and other remote services and provide you with options to easily connect. Now the services are also listed next to each client (in the blue oval) on the clients tab.
Simple Client-by-Client Firewall Controls allow user to control which clients can get to Internet and which can access local computers only.
Support for PPIP and Qualcomm Gobi cards: Connectify Pro now supports sharing Internet from Qualcomm Gobi-based 3G/4G cards.
No Advertising

Connectify Pro v3.0 Pre-Launch Release Now Available!

2011-08-16T23:33:00.013-04:00

We are proud to to announce the Connectify Pro v3.0 Release Candidate! This is a major new release: the best Wi-Fi hotspot you’ve ever seen, even if you’ve used earlier versions of Connectify.

With 3 million downloads and counting, the Connectify community has been growing steadily. Now, with the official release of Connectify Pro around the corner, we'd like to thank you, our dedicated Connectify users, by offering a pre-launch, one-year license for Connectify Pro v3.0 at half-off the retail price (keep reading to learn how)!

Highlights of this release include:

Support for Windows XP and Windows Vista (Ad-Hoc Mode only)!
Automatic Internet Selection: Connectify intelligently chooses which Internet connection to share! When set to “Automatic,” Connectify automatically detects your active Internet connection and makes necessary configuration changes to your hotspot.
Advanced Power Management Logic which completely avoids the sections of Windows 7 where Blue Screens of Death happen on many systems. Microsoft has been very helpful with working through the crash files that some of you have sent in. Thank you, we think we have that issue fixed now.
Simple Client-by-Client Firewall Controls allow user to control which clients can get to Internet and which can access local computers only.
Service Detection allows you to see web servers, shared drives, and other services on each client.

The biggest trade-off that we made after speaking to many users is that we have eliminated all advertising from our installer, as well as 3rd-party ads from in the user interface itself. This advertising brought in some revenue, but we understand that it bothered many Connectify users. The decision to remove ads from Connectify was a tough one. Instead, we now offer you two choices:

The free version now requires your hotspot name to start with “Connectify-”, or,
You can purchase Connectify Pro to name your Connectify Hotspot anything you want, and get all of the other great features that come with Connectify Pro.

So much has been added to this major new release of Connectify. Here's a side-by-side analysis of new features:

Feature	Free 3.0	Pro 3.0
Software Access Point	X	X
Share Internet from other Wi-Fi networks	X	X
Share Wi-Fi from 3G/4G Networks		X
Display connected computers/ devices	X	X
“Scannify” Service Discovery	Web Only	X
Fully-customizable SSID	“Connectify-”	X
Repeater Functionality	X	X
AutoInternet selection		X
Streamlined UI, updated look-and-feel	X	X
Simple Firewall Controls allow user to control whether each client can get on your local area network, and/or use your Internet connection		X
Premium Support (automatic ticket escalation)		X
Retail Price	Free!	~~$29.99 USD per year or $4.99 USD per month~~ See below!

For one week only, we are offering Connectify Pro v3.0 at a deep discount for our loyal community of Connectify users! Purchase Connectify Pro by August 23rd, 2011 and enjoy the software for $14.99 for the first year. That’s half-off the retail price!

To take advantage of this limited-time offer, simply point your browser to https://sites.fastspring.com/connectify/instant/connectifyprelaunch

For full Connectify Pro v3.0 Release notes, click here.

Introducing Connectify Pro v3.0 Beta!

2011-06-23T17:36:00.001-04:00

New Connectify 3.0 Beta 3 (Public) Installer and FREE Two-Week License:

http://goo.gl/YLlJK

*please complete the beta survey once you've assessed the latest beta*

Connectify is a Windows 7 application that turns your laptop or home computer into a real Wi-Fi hotspot to share the Internet with friends, co-workers, and mobile devices.

Starting with Connectify version 3.0, we are pleased to announce our very first, value-added premium offering, Connectify Pro. The Pro version builds on the Connectify architecture, and offers support for automatically selecting Internet connections, scanning your network for services such as shared drives, and using PPIP wireless cards (such as Gobi-based cards).

Connectify Pro v3.0.0.20285 Features:

Automatic Internet Selection: Connectify intelligently chooses which Internet connection to share! When set to “Automatic,” Connectify automatically detects your active Internet connection and makes necessary configuration changes to your hotspot.

Service Discovery: In the all-new Services tab, Connectify will automatically scan your network for available shared folders or drives, web servers, and other remote services and provide you with options to easily connect.
Support for PPIP and Qualcomm Gobi cards: Connectify Pro now supports sharing Internet from Qualcomm Gobi based 3G cards.
No Advertising

New Features in both Free and Pro versions:

Faster performance: 30% higher throughput when sharing fast Internet connections.
Improved Device Identification: Improved detection of XBox 360s and certain Motorola devices.
Completely new UPnP implementation: Improved performance, no spurious warnings. Fully tested with Xbox 360 (PlayStation 3 sees Connectify as Type 3 NAT. This issue is expected to be resolved in an upcoming Beta).
All new tabbed User Interface
Intelligent warnings when hotspot starts without Internet Connection (New in this Beta)
Resizable User Interface: grab the top or bottom and resize UI to preferred height. (New in this Beta)
New, clearer Status Area across top of UI. (New in this Beta)
Easily access the Connectify Menu by clicking on logo next to the Start / Stop button. (New in this Beta)

Fixes and Updates:

Service startup on boot
Support for multi-monitor setups where the taskbar is not on the primary monitor.
Fixes to UPnP and fragmented packet handling to improve gaming and streaming video over Connectify. (New in this Beta)
New algorithm for choosing IP address of hotspot improves compatibility with iOS devices. (New in this Beta)
Uninstaller now requests error report. (New in this Beta)
New About screen thanks all open-source projects utilized by Connectify. (New in this Beta)
Users that are experiencing Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) issues, are encouraged to follow the steps outlined below, as Microsoft has issued two hot-fixes for related issues. One of the fixes has been included in Service Pack 1, and the other was not, so users must download and install both separately.

To get the up-to-date fixes from Microsoft:

1. Install Windows 7, Service Pack 1. Here are Microsoft's instruction on how to check if you already have it, and how to install if you don't: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/learn-how-to-install-windows-7-service-pack-1-sp1

2. Download and install the Hotfix for KB2496820 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2496820) from: http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=2496820&kbln=en-us

Brilliant People: Andrew Auwerda of Philadelphia Distilling

2011-05-03T10:00:00.002-04:00

Each month at Connectify, we invite someone really awesome to give us a lecture on what it is they do. It's called the Connectify: Brilliant People Lecture Series. For last month's installment, we asked Philadelphia Distilling's Andrew Auwerda to discuss building, marketing, and growing his craft spirits-focused brand.

After the fascinating lecture (which you can stream below), we enjoyed a tasting of Philadelphia Distilling's tasty gin, and aromatic absinthe offerings. Bonus!

Get the Most Out of Your Android Device with Scannify Desktop Widgets

2011-04-18T12:39:00.000-04:00

I spent a few minutes poking around Scannify with one of our developers this morning. To those of you just tuning in, Scannify is a new Android app from the Connectify team. The application, which is already available on the Android Market, offers port-scanning, network discovery, launching of services, and a host of other value-added features to any Android device. Simply put, Scannify allows you to see who’s on your Wi-Fi network, share files with connected devices, and even run a variety of programs and services remotely, right from your Android phone or tablet.

Anyhow, while using Scannify to roam around our office Wi-Fi network today, I was reminded of a useful, and often-overlooked feature: you can drop Scannify widgets right onto the Android desktop for one-touch access to frequently used peers and services. Do you find yourself running Scannify to share files with your work PC or to access iTunes on your tablet fairly often? Use the desktop widget functionality, and you can launch these regularly used devices and services right from your Android desktop.

To use Scannify desktop widgets, navigate to the Android desktop and hold your finger down on an empty space to activate the Android desktop menu. Then select ‘Widget’ and choose the Scannify widget from the desktop menu. From here you've got the ability to make custom widgets for any device on your network. For even quicker access, create widgets that directly launch host services like Remote Desktop and Windows file-sharing right from your Android desktop.

Scannify: New Android App from Connectify

2011-03-18T13:58:00.008-04:00

Discover, manage, and connect to devices on your Wi-Fi network!

Scannify is an easy-to-use application that allows you to see and interact with your whole personal area network, right from your Android mobile device. With the flick of a finger, this powerful app shows you every computer, tablet, smartphone, and all other devices connected to your Wi-Fi network. Simply select a device, and Scannify displays all services running on the host that are available to your Android phone or tablet. Now you can see who’s on your network, share files with a desktop PC, or use your smartphone as an iTunes remote, all from this one convenient app.

Scannify even allows you to drop widgets right onto the Android desktop. This exciting feature gives you one-touch access to frequently used peers and services. Just navigate to the Android desktop and hold your finger down on an empty space to activate the Android desktop menu. Then select ‘Widget’ and choose the Scannify widget from the desktop menu. Now you can make custom widgets for any device on your network. For even quicker access, create widgets that directly launch host services like Remote Desktop directly from your Android desktop.

Head over to the Android Market to download Scannify Lite. With this version, you can discover all of the devices on your Wi-Fi network, and even connect to web services running on remote machines. Upgrading to Scannify Premium unlocks powerful features while also removing ads from the user interface. The Premium version of Scannify will allow you to not only see who is on your Wi-Fi network but also connect to services such as:

Web (HTTP and HTTPS)
Music streaming (DAAP, all versions of iTunes prior to 7.0, and most other non-iTunes music software)
File sharing via FTP, TFTP, or FTPS
Remote Desktop (VNC)
Remote Shell (Telnet and SSH)

Download Scannify today, and get the most out of your Personal Area Network!

Connectify Downloaded More than Google Freakin' Chrome, This Week!

2011-03-17T17:37:00.006-04:00

I heard some massive "woo-hoos" from the other side of the office a few minutes ago. In the middle of something, I didn't get up to investigate, but word quickly spread: Connectify for Windows v2.2.0 is the #32 Most Downloaded Application on Download.com! And we're talking about the big-momma list of Most Popular Windows Downloads.

To give some context here, we're just a few spots behind Adobe Flash Player, and we're actually three spots AHEAD of Google's Chrome browser. Of course, Download.com is a secondary site for folks like Google and Adobe, but still... well-played Connectify users! Let's keep the downloads coming so we can hang onto our self-satisfied smirks ;)

Connectify 2.2.0 is Here!

2011-03-10T11:12:00.006-05:00

We are pleased to announce the release of Connectify 2.2.0, available now on download.com.

Connectify is a free Windows 7 application that turns your laptop or home computer into a real Wi-Fi hotspot to share the Internet with friends, co-workers, and mobile devices. Connectify allows you to take any available Internet connection and share it wirelessly with no additional hardware, wires, plugs, or chargers.

Download Connectify 2.2.0 today, and enjoy support for more VPN software, updated look-and-feel, better memory and resource handling, and much more!

New features in version 2.2.0.18566 include:
• Updated look-and-feel
• Installer should no longer be incorrectly flagged by Microsoft Security Essentials
• Fixed Windows XP SP3 clients not receiving DNS addresses (caused by a Windows bug)
• Fixed handling of incorrect DNS NXDomain from some name servers
• Support for more VPN software (OpenVPN)
• Better memory and resource handling, especially while using UPnP
• More icons and names for vendors

Hey, Microsoft: Connectify is 100% Spyware/Malware Free!

2011-02-14T12:11:00.002-05:00

Ah, Mondays.

I got into the office early this morning, fresh and ready to tackle the various projects at-hand. Instead, I was met by a flurry of IMs informing me that over the weekend, Microsoft Security Essentials had updated their malware definitions to include our advertising partner, OpenCandy.

To be clear, the OpenCandy platform is NOT malware, and Connectify does not contain any kind of spyware whatsoever. We’ve made doubly sure of that. However, OpenCandy DOES provide the revenue-stream that allows us to keep Connectify totally free to the end-user. Here’s how it works:

When you run an installer powered by OpenCandy, it asks its servers for a list of applications that the developer of the software you’re installing has chosen to recommend for your language, operating system and country. At this point, you can choose whether you want to install the recommended software or not. OpenCandy fully ensures that all software being recommended on their network passes strict policies, “enforcing honesty, transparency and a top-notch user experience.” Additionally, OpenCandy doesn’t collect any personally identifiable information.

If you’re a Connectify user and you’re running Microsoft Security Essentials, you may now see the below warning pop-up:

From the “Select an action” drop-down box, click “Allow.” Microsoft is definitely mistaken here. I mean, they use OpenCandy themselves to promote the Bing Toolbar... seriously!

Update: Alex clicked 'allow' as I was posting this today, and a few hours later... Microsoft Security Essentials is still hanging, and won't even allow for Ctrl+Alt+Del or Shutdown. Surprise, surprise. We'll have to defer to the folks at Microsoft on this one!

Extend the Range of your Home or Office Wi-Fi with Connectify!

2011-01-31T11:24:00.006-05:00

In the video below, Connectify CEO and all-around tech-guy, Alex Gizis explains how to extend the range of any home or office Wi-Fi network using Connnectify. The best part? It's totally free! Just fire up your Windows 7 PC, and the Connectify software [available here], and you're ready to boost your Wi-Fi signal to reach the elusive guest bedroom or backyard bbq...

Haynie's Hypothesis Part 01: The Personal(ized) Computer

2011-01-27T12:03:00.008-05:00

At Connectify, we're lucky to work with some of the smartest, quirkiest, and coolest people around. The one staff member who truly embodies all of those qualities is our lead engineer, Dave Haynie. Besides having developed some of the most iconic personal computers of the '80s and '90s, Dave is a seasoned musician, documentary filmmaker, and the kind of guy that'll give you a Wikipedia-like response to the most esoteric question. Anyway, Dave spends a lot of the day staring at complicated schematics and tiny circuit-boards, but we're hoping to pull him away twice-a-month, to write about whatever he wants to, in a guest column that we're going to call, Haynie's Hypothesis.

Hello, Connectify blog readers! My name is Dave Haynie, and I've been an engineer, on the team here since the beginning. It's also worth noting that I've been around the personal computer industry in one way or another, since its inception. When I was a kid, I used to work on crazy projects all the time. On one occasion, I built a bomb that blew a hole in our street (back when home bomb-making was a bit more socially acceptable). I also constructed a variety of vehicles, including rafts and rocket cars. Mostly, however, I was fascinated by electronics. I built a radio for a science project in fourth grade, a laser for the junior high science fair, and at least one digital clock, among other things, every year of high school. I can also recall a whole series of attempts to make a working electronic drum, and another run of pretty successful shocking devices (each one delivering hundreds or thousands of volts into friends, my poor sisters, etc.)

But along the way, I discovered computing, about as early as a kid could discover computing in those days. When I was twelve years old, my dad was able to let me access a scientific mainframe computer at Bell Laboratories, on the weekends. This was a class ‘time-share’ system: the computer was who-knows-where (somewhere in the old Bell Labs building in Holmdel, NJ, that once housed 10,000 employees... they're turning that into a shopping center I hear), and you accessed it via a printing terminal. I started with games, and got bored pretty quickly. So then I took them apart, and learned some BASIC and FORTRAN.

Always at the mercy of the phone connection, the supply of thermal paper, and my dad not getting too busy to remember the terminal on Friday, this arrangement was far from ideal. A few years into it, however, they reorganized the phone system (Bell Labs had their own exchange, but it wasn't enough, so they were moving dial-ups to internal switches). I found other computers using what later came to be called ‘War Dialing,’ that is, just calling every 201-949-xxxx number. I did ultimately get in there, and found my way into a UNIX system, the original inspiration for what today is GNU/Linux, and the OS that most of the Internet runs on. Of course, I didn't know that at the time, but then again, Bell Labs hadn't quite thought much about passwords at that point, either.

But then everything changes with the first wave of personal computing. The very first one I used was a friend's Commodore PET 2001 personal computer. The PET was designed by Chuck Peddle, the inventor of the 6502 microprocessor. Back in those days, you knew things like that, even as a personal computer user. The PET was a complete computer in one: keyboard, screen, storage (on cassette tapes), which you could own for $799.99. Most people bought them to learn to "use a computer,” which probably meant programming, in the BASIC language. BASIC, because Mr. Peddle had used Dartmouth BASIC on a mainframe somewhere, and managed to buy a perpetual license for Microsoft BASIC on the 6502 processor for about $10,000... from a very, very early version of Microsoft. You could buy application software, on tapes, but it was simple stuff by today's standards. The reason this was personal is pretty clear, a person or household could actually own this computer, and use it as much as they liked.

Things changed again in the 1980s. The Commodore 64 and Atari 800 revolutionized home computing, making the computer "personal" in other ways. The computers became so affordable that the average family could now have several in house. They also grew to do more of the kinds of things a person might want to do on a computer. It also marked the first time that sales of software outpaced the number of folks writing their own. But still, you probably bought a computer because you were "into computers.” The computer itself was the hobby. This is also why, to this very day, there are still some people using at least a few of the more than 17 million Commodore 64s that were made over its product life (I wound up working at Commodore for 11.5 years, developing the Commodore 128 and being a chief hardware engineer on various Amiga products.)

This sort of computing continued to grow with the introduction of the IBM PC. "PC" of course stands for "Personal Computer". The IBM wasn't an amazing value, but at first, with a built-in hard drive, it allowed users to personalize the applications they'd always have with that computer. Similar innovations came from Apple's Macintosh, which added graphics, and Commodore's Amiga, which introduced more photo-realistic visuals, graphics accelerators, and high quality stereo audio. In short, the computer was evolving to accommodate us humans. This personalization increasingly opened the world of computing to people who had never thought of the computer itself as a hobby, but could use it to accelerate the thing they did like to do. First, with music production, then photography, artwork, and video, just about every discipline of art and science has been completely revolutionized by the personalization of the computer.

The big contribution from the IBM PC was the PC Clone. This really opened up the world of the personalized computer. There are PC compatibles in every shape and size, from hundreds of hardware vendors. You can buy a PC compatible for $200, or spend well over $10,000. They can run Windows, which you can also personalize to your needs. If you're a computer expert, you can run GNU/Linux on the same hardware, and therefore personalize the very operating system you're running. There are even clones of other computing platforms that run on the PC, including AmigaOS (AROS) and BeOS (HaikuOS).

After Commodore, I worked at several startup companies, working on some next-big-thing or another. One basic idea, which is starting to happen now, is that everything digital is really a computer... so why not just use that. In 2000, I had a set-top box which was a DVD player and an internet media/IPTV player, along with a DVB (digital television) player and it was, pretty much, also a personal computing device. You could surf the net, read your email, and we had planned to allow small user applications -- the basic idea of "apps" as found on iOS or Android today. A few years later, at another company, I was working on a way to connect all of your media devices through a home network. You’d only have to care about the thing you wanted to see. A tailor-made viewing experience could automatically follow you to any other networked viewing device in the house. And a big part of this was making it personal: the system adapted to your needs, and unlike more "advanced television" ideas, it actually made things easier to use. We wanted something our moms and dads would use, not just the kids.

Today we're all witness to the next big jump in personal computing, which is just now really happening: mobile computing. This is moving the idea of personal computing from the PC for more variety of devices, just as some of my companies tried to do in the past. However, it's also making computing an even more permanent part our lives. The PC can, of course, be schlepped around in laptop form, with a battery good for a few hours. But it's not ever-present… you change your life around just to use the laptop -- open it, set it down somewhere, charge it frequently. Mobile computing is changing that.

These new devices go with you. The move to advanced tablets and smartphones is truly another milestone in the personal computing story. We call them "smartphones", but they really are networked personal computing devices. The typical smartphone has a CPU hundreds of times more powerful than that a fifteen-year-old desktop PC. It will surely boast more memory, more storage, faster GPU, etc. Of course, the "phone" part reflects communications, so I have my address book, Facebook friends, several email accounts, and a whole slew of personal data on this phone. I take notes on it: no pen and paper required. The same device is also a camera, camcorder, GPS unit, city guide, shopping assistant, guitar tuner, games console, the usual iPod/PMP stuff (movies and music), etc. It's all very personalized to what I do, even the look and feel of the user interface reflects my personality.

The physical embodiment of the "personal" factor is that, in the words of that great philosopher Daffy Duck, "it's mine, mine, all mine". It's not uncommon to share a PC, even today, but it's just plain weird to use someone else's cell phone. But that it's always at hand? To many users, mobile devices have rapidly become essential, pervasive tools… maybe even an extension of their thinking process. The soft aspect of this is that it's mine because it's personalized, and it's more personal because it just works. You don't usually have to think about walking or speaking... just happens. The best of personal computing works similarly: it just happens. One of the main factors in enabling that behavior, particularly on a pocket device, is the network. First of all, the network connects me to the rest of the world, in ways people didn't really expect twenty years ago. New ways to communicate are being thought up all the time. But it also serves to make devices useful, since they can transfer information, sharing mine and allowing me to scan through terabytes of data for just the thing I need. I can "Google" some question right when it occurs, no need to walk to the PC. If I have an idea for a song or an article, I just write it, and if I do sit down to my PC, it's right there waiting... never anything for me to do. If I'm wandering in an unknown city, I can find a good place to eat, or even view an annotated world through my smartphone's screen. And if my smartphone were lost or destroyed, the replacement would automatically personalize itself in a short time, again, through the network.

The network is also how we'll increasingly connect things together. You may use Connectify to link laptops together, but as things get smaller, more personal, and smarter, this is going to be everywhere. Today, I have to hook wires to my cameras or camcorders to transfer video. Eventually, however, I'll set up a policy in the device, and it'll just unload itself to my PC or smartphone. My tablet will be where I read the news, magazines, and books, and these will show up as the network connections are available. It's already true that things I change on my PC just show up changed on my smart phone, and vice-versa. I buy a song from Amazon on the Droid, and it'll be on my PC, nothing for me to do. There are criticisms that "The Cloud" is trying to bring us all the way back to the idea of computing that someone else controls setting the policies we live by. And while that can be true in isolated instances, I don't see the genie of personal computing going back into the bottle any time soon. Properly used, the network really is another fundamental step in the personalization of computer.

Gaming on-the-go, with Connectify!

2011-01-20T13:24:00.002-05:00

Ever since its very first beta release, we’ve seen people use Connectify in some pretty unique ways. Recently, the gaming community has really embraced the capabilities of our software, using it to connect Playstations, Xbox 360s, and other consoles to the internet, where no wired connection is available. With only a mobile broadband card, or even just a tethered mobile phone, gamers are now able to bring their massively multi-player worlds with them, on-the-go.

In the video below, Connectify CEO [and card-carrying tech whiz] Alex Gizis explains how to Connectify an XBox 360 with a Cricket 3G mobile broadband card, to play Call of Duty: Black Ops online. We've always known that Connectify is capable of some amazing feats, but getting gamers out of the basement...

Streamline your life, with Connectify.

2011-01-04T12:51:00.003-05:00

If 2010 has taught us anything, it’s that technology is becoming increasingly present in every aspect of our lives. More so than ever, we’re streaming our entertainment at the touch-of-a-button, interacting with friends via social media during our daily commute, and conducting business while enjoying an in-flight movie. Still, all this convenience does come at a cost. From juggling between several mobile devices, to wrangling wi-fi signals on-the-go, sometimes the headache can be as omnipresent as the technology itself. Fortunately, with Connectify and a Windows 7 PC, you can make the stress of networking disappear at the click-of-a-button. Here are some nifty tips for streamlining you life using Connectify in the new year:

Extend the range of your home or office network
Connectify comes in pretty handy when you’re trying to extend the range of an existing wi-fi network. Using the software as a repeater, you can significantly expand the reach of your home or office network. Connectify can get the internet up to your guest bedroom when the in-laws are in town, or make the web available in the backyard for your summertime barbecue.

Turn your mobile broadband card into a hotspot
Are you using a mobile broadband card to stay connected on-the-go? Set Connectify to re-broadcast this 3G/4G signal, and voila, you’ve got a mobile hotspot that any device can latch onto. Just think, now you can play multi-player XBox Live games anywhere you go... the possibilities are endless!

Get yourself Connectified
These days, we walk out the door carrying much more than just our cell phones. Even the least tech-savvy folks out there are now attached to their media players and wi-fi enabled cameras; not to mention laptops, netbooks, and iPads. When hotel wi-fi networks and expensive airport hotspots limit you to a single connection to the internet, it can be impossible to get all of these various devices online. However, with Connectify installed on a Windows 7 laptop, anyone can transform that single connection into a secure wi-fi hotspot that all of your devices can connect to simultaneously.

Offline Networking
Even without an active Internet connection, you can still run a Connectify hotspot. This provides wireless access to shared folders, printers, and drives on your network, as well as the ability to play LAN games with others.

Download the latest version of Connectify here, and tell us how you use Connectify to take the ‘work’ out of networking!

Posted by Raj

Connectify and the Kindle

2010-12-21T13:33:00.007-05:00

There's been a stunning amount of feedback from the Slashdot audience on the original post. Seems we need to go test some things. Clearly, metal is getting exposed, and making contact inside the Kindle. Which circuit is being closed is less clear. More testing is needed. We'll get back to you... Thanks. Meanwhile enjoy what the post was going to say in the first place:

Now that I’ve had a couple months with my Kindle 3 (sorry “Current Generation”), I thought that I should post a follow-up to explain some things that I’ve learned:

1) Hotel Wi-Fi Sign-in Pages: Many hotels and coffee shops have Wi-Fi networks that have sign-in pages. Now that the Kindle has a web browser, it is possible to make your way through them, but if you use Connectify, you can agree to the terms on your laptop, and voila, the Kindle (that’s connected to your PC’s Connectify hotspot) is on the network as well.

2) Downloading Books with Calibre: A free program that I really like to use with my Kindle is Calibre. Calibre is an iTunesesque desktop app for managing your ebook collection. It works by putting books on your Kindle either while it’s tethered over USB, or via a web server (in Calbre, under “Connect/Share”, there’s a “Content Server”).

If you run Connectify and Calibre’s Content Server on your PC, then you can launch the Kindle web browser and go to “http://me:8080” and browse your entire library online. It has a web page that is formatted for viewing on the Kindle, and any books you click are downloaded right into your Kindle’s book collection. Smooth.

3) Keyboard Shortcuts: Finally, unrelated to Connectify, there are a lot of keyboard shortcuts that make a big difference to using the Kindle.

4) International Shopping: A nice man from the government told me how he uses Connectify and it sort of blew my mind. There are commercial VPN services that you can use to dial in to other countries over the Internet. This is important because Amazon sells different books in different colors for very different prices in each different territory. Apparently Australia has 10% as many ebooks on sale as the US, but then textbooks cost a fraction in the UK of what they cost in the US.

So, if you decide that you want to shop for ebooks in another country, you install one of those VPN services, and dial in to their server in the country that you wish to shop in. Then, you use Connectify (ahem!) to create a Wi-Fi network on your PC, where you set the VPN as your Internet connection. Have the Kindle join the Connectify Wi-Fi network, and voila, apparently both Amazon and the Kindle think they’re in the country of the VPN server.

I’ve never tried it, but I’m told it works great.

Connectify Saves the Day!

2010-12-09T16:04:00.000-05:00

“The Internet’s down, eh? Productivity oughta skyrocket today.”

That’s what Alex quipped, half-jokingly, as he walked into our offices early last week. The truth is, beyond being a company formed around cutting-edge networking solutions, everyone here is pretty technology-obsessed, and so much of our day happens in “the cloud.” Suffice it to say, there was some acrobatic thumb-twiddling happening that morning.

It’s not that we were really blind-sided by the situation, either. We’re in the process of moving into our shiny new office, and even the contractors warned us that our ISP is notorious for mucking up change-of-service requests. To their credit, our DSL provider did get the day right… they just scheduled us a month early!

Never taking things laying down, the Connectify team leapt into action.

While I sat at my desk, cluelessly alternating between Steve Winwood hold-music, and speaking with yet another “manager” on our ISP’s tech-support line, the brilliant folks here at Connectify managed to use our own product to transform one employee’s Cricket wireless broadband modem, into a secure wi-fi hotspot. For two days, our entire staff [across two lofted floors and 3+ rooms, mind you] successfully connected to a single 3G broadband card!

Crisis averted.

Posted by Raj

Connectify 2.1.1 Beta up for testing

2010-11-01T14:21:00.000-04:00

We have a new beta release up for testing at:
http://www.connectify.me/download/2.1.1/ConnectifyInstaller_2.1.1_Beta.exe

It contains several fixes:

Fixes Windows XP SP3 clients not receiving DNS addresses (caused by this Windows bug: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953761)
Fix handling of incorrect DNS NXDomain from some name servers
Support for more VPN software (OpenVPN)
Better memory, cpu resource handling, especially while using UPnP

If you have any issues, please use the "Submit Error Report" on the menu to tell us about it.

Brilliant People: Josh Coyne

2010-10-13T22:37:00.000-04:00

One of the things we do to keep things interesting around the Connectify offices is our "Brilliant People" series, where we invite in brilliant people (go figure), give them a free lunch and ask them to talk to us about anything that they think we might find interesting.

Given some of the fascinating talks we've had, we decided to start filming them and posting them on YouTube to share them with the world.

This week, our brilliant person is Josh Coyne, the director and creator of the Fleonard videos. He talks about his creative process, how they dreamed up Fleonard, and a bit about the making of the videos.

So with no further ado:

Or check it out on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSGrJSTH_Yo

Connectify 2.1 Released

2010-09-27T14:53:00.000-04:00

We are proud to announce that Connectify version 2.1 is now available on download.com!

Connectify is a free Windows 7 application that turns your laptop or home computer into a real Wi-Fi hotspot to share the Internet with friends, co-workers, and mobile devices. Connectify allows you to take any available Internet connection and share it wirelessly with no additional hardware, wires, plugs, or chargers.

New features in version 2.1.0.16410:

Support for PS3 and XBox 360 clients
Runs on Windows 7 Starter Edition
Support for more wireless devices
Can now share VPN connections
Easy bug reporting: If something goes wrong, select "Submit Error Report" from the menu, and you can easily submit your issue, and a detailed log files back to us, so that we can help you.

As usual, thanks to all who participated in our beta test program and joined in on the conversation at our Facebook page. We got a huge amount of great feedback, which we in turn used to improve the software.

Get it now from download.com:

Connectify 2.1, Beta 4

2010-09-17T16:20:00.002-04:00

All right, it is time for us to serve up another fresh beta release of Connectify, available here:

http://www.connectify.me/download/2.1/ConnectifyInstaller_2.1_Beta_4.exe

Changes from Beta 3:

Support for Windows 7 Starter Edition
Support for sharing VPN connections
Update the Internet connection combo box sooner when connections change. Seems that at least some of the confusion about 3G cards in the last beta is that you need to connect your 3G card before starting Connectify to be able to share it, which should be clearer now, as you should reliably see the 3G whenever it's connected, and not when it isn't
Support for computers that have "bridged" their Ethernet and Wi-Fi devices. Note that you cannot bridge the Virtual Wi-Fi adapter to another device. This is a Microsoft-imposed restriction
New, easy "Report Problem" option on the menu to report a problem and send your logs to our technical support. Makes it much easier for you to reach out to us when you have a problem, it automatically includes all the technical details that we might want to ask you about
A number of performance and stability improvements
Added the source code to the modified ManagedWifi library that we're using. Under the installation directory, it's in the "source" subdirectory

Now the not-so-fantastic-news: Many of the complaints about the last beta have turned out to be related to Atheros' Windows 7 Wi-Fi drivers. A number of people with Atheros cards have complained of the Network and Sharing Center hanging, Windows not shutting down, or even the occasional blue screen of death. We finally managed to reach someone at Atheros... they now have the crash files and test code to reproduce the problems, so hopefully they can quickly identify and fix their issues.

So, if you have any problems, just go the menu and click "Submit Error Report", and if you're like to discuss the software or have ideas to improve it, join us on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/connectify

Connectify 2.1, Beta 3

2010-09-08T15:17:00.000-04:00

Connectify 2.1, Beta 3 is now available for download. This release fixes a number of issues that were reported in beta 2. Download it now from:

http://www.connectify.me/download/2.1/ConnectifyInstaller_2.1_Beta_3.exe

A special thanks to all those users who reported issues on our Facebook page and sent us their log files. This helped us identify and resolve issues in record time.

Changes since beta 2:

Better support for non-Roman language versions of Windows, includes fixes for errors on starting hotspot, client connections failing, and for the names of the Internet connections showing with '?' in the name (fully tested in Swedish, fixes should help others as well).
Support for clients that use statically configured DNS servers (such as OpenDNS)
Icons for more vendors (Canon, Sharp, Murata, Quanta).
Connectify now alerts Windows power management that the Wi-Fi is really in use to prevent Wi-Fi cards from going to sleep at inappropriate times. Does not stop the entire machine from going to sleep (if you want to do that change your settings manually in Control Panel's Power Management applet), just stops the Wi-Fi card from going to sleep by itself.

Thank you,

The Connectify Team

Connectify 2.1, Beta 2

2010-09-03T15:41:00.000-04:00

We're proud to announce that Connectify 2.1 Beta 2 is now up for downloading and testing from our web site:

http://www.connectify.me/download/2.1/ConnectifyInstaller_2.1_Beta_2.exe

The biggest new feature is that Connectify now has full support for connecting the Playstation 3 and XBox 360 to their respective online services.

There are also more small improvements than we can list here: improved speed and connection stability, support for more wireless devices, automatic recognition of more manufacturers, correct operation on computers that have the same MAC address on multiple network devices, etc.

So please download it, give it a spin and tell us what you think. Send emails to support@connectify.me, if you have any issues. We look forward to hearing from you.

http://www.connectify.me/download/2.1/ConnectifyInstaller_2.1_Beta_2.exe

Kindle 3! Kindle 3! Kindle 3!

2010-07-30T15:08:00.012-04:00

Whoo-hooo! Kindle 3!

I'm really excited about the new Kindle 3.

Amazon announced the Kindle 3 Wireless Reading Device, now with Wi-Fi. This new Kindle is cheaper, lighter, has better contrast, faster page turning, longer battery life than the older models, and it looks great... in short all the reasons not to buy a Kindle have been eliminated.

The environmentalist in me has long been unhappy for ages with how much I print, but I can't read (and comprehend) long documents on LCD screens. With the Kindle's new and improved high contrast e-ink screen, I can finally do all my reading without killing any more trees.

So why, you may wonder, is Alex ranting about this on the Connectify blog? Because Connectify and Kindle are great together.

For those of us who are already paying for wireless Internet, it seems silly to pay extra for the 3G version of the Kindle which is only used for the very rare purchase on the road. With Connectify, the less expensive Wi-Fi Kindle can jump onto that same connection and download books whenever I want.

My one issue with the Wi-Fi Kindle is the substandard web browser (it's not really for browsing, just for getting you through the annoying log in pages in public places). With Connectify, you can use the web browser on your PC to log in, and then Kindle simply sees your working Wi-Fi network, and you don't need to fiddle with settings with Kindle's menu system to get it online.

Here they are on Amazon, check them out:

As always, thanks for the support!

Connectify 2.1 Beta 1 Available

2010-07-19T18:08:00.000-04:00

We're pleased to announce that Connectify 2.1, Beta 1 is now available for download at http://www.connectify.me/download/2.1/ConnectifyInstaller_2.1_Beta_1.exe.

This testing release makes several changes:

1. Support for all "PPP" devices. We have tested with PDANet (both USB and Bluetooth) tethering on Android, USB tethered Blackberry and Sprint EVO, VPNs, and Cricket 3G cards.

2. Returns to making/allowing you to choose which Internet connection to share. Some users complained because they had very specific reasons to pick certain connections. We're likely to add an "Auto" choice at the top of the list in the next beta, but for now you must pick one.

3. Handle more interactions with the Windows firewall and other security programs. This was the root cause of the "" bug that some users saw in 2.0: Windows Firewall was occasionally blocking our DHCP server.

What this does not change, is that we are still a STRICT NAT server. This means that Xbox and PS3 resists allowing you to play games through a Connectify router. If you are using an Xbox or PS3, you will be happier sticking with the 1.2 release until we add the UPnP support that they are looking for (next beta probably).

If you have any issues, please email us at support@connectify.me.

Thank you!