Picking up shiny new Motorola Droid this weekend? Have you fingers crossed for some PC tethering? Well, Verizon has some good news and some bad news.

The good news is that the wireless provider is indeed letting owner utilize their handset as a wireless modem for the computers. The bad news? It's going to cost you--$30 a month in fact. That's roughly the price of the phone normal data fees.

Still, at least the companies are offer the feature, unlike some people *cough* AT&T.

GM announced that Chevy, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC dealers will begin offering Autonet Mobile's $499 WiFi router as a dealer-installed option for its SUVs and trucks, according to Autoblog.

The router will be available for new vehicles as well as for current owners. The router and installation together cost $499; after that, owners pay $29 per month for 1GB of service. Go over the limit and service stops for that month. Honestly, that's preferable to what the cell phone carriers do instead--which is to charge you something like $400 per kilobyte afterward, and not even tell you it's happening.

Sorry, where was I? The Autonet Mobile router offers a 150-foot-radius hot spot but lacks encryption capability. In practice, it offers 3G download speeds in the 700 to 800 Kbps range, assuming good cellular coverage. Look for the Autonet Mobile router option at the above dealers beginning in November.

The $99 Roku Player, a tiny box that streams content from Netflix's on-demand content as well as Amazon Video On Demand, just got two new siblings. Available immediately via Roku's website and Amazon (and for a limited time, with free shipping), the Roku SD ($79.99) and the Roku HD-XR ($129.99) expand the line in opposite directions. At only $20 cheaper then the original Roku Player, its hard to see the immediate impact or value that the Roku SD will have over its predecessor. The Roku HD-XR, however, offers 802.11n Wi-Fi compatibility, which should translate into better streaming at higher resolutions with less interruption. This, of course, is contingent upon your set-up providing 802.11n Wi-Fi signal to begin with. Streaming HD content has not been gracefully achieved by any media extender as of yet; the best solution is still the iTunes method, which downloads to a hard drive and plays seamlessly once the minimum buffer is met. That, technically, is not streaming, but actual streaming of HD content usually falls apart fairly quickly, so we are eager to check out Roku's purported solution. Look for reviews at PCMag.com in the coming weeks.

Bose's Wave Music System, which has a built-in CD player and AM/FM radio, can now stream music from your computer, as well. The upgraded design is called Wave Music System - Soundlink and will be available for $599.90 from the Bose's Web site starting tomorrow. The streaming system utilizes the familiar USB dongle solution, which bypasses the need for WiFi by transmitting an RF-based signal from the dongle to the speaker system. In other words, there's no set-up or software necessary, and it can stream anything your computer plays--it is simply streaming the PC's output.

Bose never confirms behind-the-scenes tech specs, but Creative and Altec Lansing have utilized similar RF-based wireless transmission in the past. Current owners of Wave Music Systems will be able to purchase the Soundlink upgrade kit for $149.95.

Google may have come up the perfect holiday gift for the executive in your life who already has everything--free Wi-Fi on Virgin American flights. The two companies have teamed up to make in-flight Wi-Fi free between the dates of November 10th and January 15th.

More information on the partnership is available over at the fittingly titled new site, FreeHolidayWiFi.com.

Spring Design has unveiled Alex, which the company claims is the first e-book reader powered by Google Android. It's also the first reader with two screens: a 6-inch panel based on e-ink (specifically, monochrome EPD, or electronic paper display) for regular reading, and a separate 3.5-inch color touch LCD for browsing the Internet and supporting content for the main screen.

In fact, that second screen is an entirely self-contained Google Android device. Alex includes a Wi-Fi radio, as well as internal 3G support on both EV-DO and GSM networks--assuming Spring Design can find carrier support for the thing.

Alex also includes earphones, stereo speakers, an SD card slot, browser bookmarks and history, and the ability to transfer content from the touch LCD to the e-ink display for easier reading. Spring Design said it's currently in talks with said carriers, and is targeting a release before the end of this year.

Sonos, manufacturer of the excellent-but-expensive wireless home audio system of the same name, today announced a $400 wireless speaker system. While not cheap, the ZonePlayer S5 is unlike any of the company's other products, which sell in bundles starting at $999. What makes it unique? It's an all-in-one system. Well, sort of. If you own an iPhone or iPod touch, then it is.

Have a moment of pity for AT&T. It's a well-known fact that the iPhone completely norked their data network, with iPhone users sucking down megabytes in some major metros until AT&T's pipes ran dry. How sharp was the data uptake? Take a gander at this chart from AT&T CTO John Donovan's CTIA show keynote this morning. (Click on the graphic to see a larger version.)

Over the past two and a half years, demand for data on AT&T's network has increased 18 times, he said. Donovan tried to avoid blaming the iPhone for all of the data traffic - he called out other "smart integrated devices" as well. But it would be interesting to see the same chart from the other three major carriers; I'd guess that the line isn't quite as sharp.

In addition to the HTC Imagio, Verizon rolled out four other devices today. The Nokia 2705 Shade is a tiny flip phone that's designed to fit in a purse or pocket, and comes in camera and camera-less versions. Despite its small size, it features VZ Navigator compatibility for turn-by-turn GPS directions, switchable covers, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and Bluetooth; it will list for $29.99 with a new two-year agreement beginning October 6th.

Next up is the military-spec Motorola Barrage (pictured), a rugged cell phone that can stay under several feet of water for 30 minutes. It features Push-to-Talk, a 2-megapixel camera, and support for various optional VZW media services. It costs $129.99 after a $50 rebate and with a two-year agreement. This one hits November 16th; a non-camera version will be available for order on October 21st.

The Verizon Wireless Razzle features a tilt-and-swivel design for messaging fans. It also includes a music player, support for V CAST Music with Rhapsody, a 1GB microSD card, a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a 2.2-inch LCD. This one will check in at $69.99 with a two-year agreement sometime later in October.

Aiming for a larger share of the unemployed-slacker-wasting-time* market, Borders said it would partner with Verizon to allow customers of the 500 or so Borders bookstores free Wi-Fi.

The process is under way, and should be completed by mid-October, according to Borders.

"Re-engaging with customers as a serious bookseller is one of our strategic priorities," said Borders Group chief executive officer Ron Marshall, in a statement. "By offering free Wi-Fi, we are extending the open atmosphere of exploration that is at the core of every great bookstore experience and furthering the sense of community we have always fostered at Borders."

The deal won't require Borders customers to sign up for or already be a member of the Verizon network; according to a press release from the company, users will merely be offered a splash screen offering recommendations on new titles, special offers, and the ability to sign up for a Borders rewards card.

*Note: all slackers may not be unemployed.

Cricket has always had the lowest rates and most liberal policies of the 3G broadband providers. Their $40/month plan is $20 cheaper than most other carriers, and their 5GB/month data cap doesn't result in high charges if you go over the limit (they just slow down your connection.) We tested their A600 USB modem, and although it isn't perfect, it's a great competitor in an industry that generally moves in lockstep.

For heavy users, Cricket is now trying out a 10GB plan. Cricket's Greg Lund tells me that the new $60/month, 10GB plan is being "tested with a small customer group," and Cricket hasn't decided whether to make it fully public yet. Since the 5GB plan just slows you down at 5GB, what you're getting for the extra $20 is another 5GB of high speed access.

The plot gets thicker when you realize Cricket has applied for federal funding as a subsidized broadband provider for low-income households.  While 5GB is plenty of data for most occasional, mobile users, it's less than many home Internet users expect.

Put two and two together, and you might see those low-income households being put on Cricket's new 10GB plan with the feds carrying 80% of the cost. That brings the $60/month price down to $12/month, which competes well both on speed and price with lower-end DSL offerings. And as Cricket's system doesn't require contracts, credit checks, or any actual wiring, it's available to many families who can't get DSL because of financial or living-situation reasons.

Sprint  just turned on WiMAX service in a number of cities last week, and now the carrier is throwing in a little extra motivation for prospective customers: a price cut.

FierceWireless reports that Sprint has quietly lowered the monthly cost of its 4G CDMA/mobile WiMAX service $10 to $69.99 per month. Plus, Sprint is now promising a month of free service as a sign-up bonus.

The carrier is also selling its 3G/4G USB Modem U300 (pictured) for free with a two-year service contract and after rebate, compared to its initial cost of $149 back in December, the report said.

Sony and Best Buy announced Tuesday that they will partner on a new line of audio products, dubbed Altus.

The Altus line will include wireless music systems, as well as speakers and home theater products, the companies said. Most of the products are currently available for pre-order on sonystyle.com and will be in Best Buy stores in September.

They will include two iPod docking systems.

The $700 ALT-SA31iR will include an iPod/iPhone docking station and two high-output wireless speakers. It will also feature an AM/FM tuner, and an S-AIR remote control with LCD display. That display will show album, artist and track information.

Its smaller counterpart, the AIR-SW10Ti, will include a compact docking station with two built-in speakers and a wireless subwoofer. It has a maximum output of 60 watts RMS and includes an infrared remote control and FM tuner. It will also be able to transmit wireless audio with other Altus and S-AIR products. It will retail for $400.

Both products are available for pre-order and will be in Best Buy stores in September.

On the wireless PC front, Sony is introducing two multi-room packages.

Today, Sonos, manufacturer of expensive-but-excellent wireless home audio systems, announced the Sonos Controller 200--the first Sonos remote control that fits in one hand and uses a touch screen. In a brief hands-on with the new controller last week, I got a look at the new easy-to-use interface. I'll reserve most comments for our official review at PCMag.com, which should post within the next week or so, but my first impression: excellent.

It's been a while since Sonos has made any radical improvements to its core system, the Bundle 120. Its Zone Players--the receivers that either connect to speakers or have them built in--have slowly improved, but the biggest change was last year's iPhone and iPod touch app. What was so clever about the app? It made the iPhone into a remote with a touchscreen. It worked seamlessly, and all the sudden, the well-designed-but-aging Sonos CR100 remote control seemed more cumbersome than useful.

Enter the Sonos Controller 200.