An new app that provides free USB tethering between your iPhone and laptop has landed in the iTunes App Store. iTether which will cost you a hefty $14.99, has slipped through Apple's approval process and caused a virtual feeding frenzy. The app is already highly rated by multiple early adopters.
iTether lets you to share your phone's data plan with your laptop to gain internet connectivity anywhere there's cellular coverage without having to pay for those (unreasonably high) tethering fees imposed by carriers. AT&T charges its customers $45 per month for 4GB of data per month for and data tethering privileges.
Apple has typically not allowed such applications to become available on the App Store due to carrier agreements, until now that is. The app works by connecting your iPhone via USB to your laptop and then it pairs with the Tether software that must be downloaded and installed onto your Mac or PC.
Mac Download: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5WSMJJUS
Windows Download: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZG34U1I9
The bad news is that connection to the Tether.com website is spotty due to the massive traffic spike, making the necessary software download impossible for many. The links above were provided as an alternate path for downloading and that option worked immediately.
"Our team is battling all of the traffic... We've added 20 web servers to handle the load. Will keep everyone posted." Tether posted on their Twitter stream.
Be sure to launch the iTether iPhone app to initiate tethering with your laptop. The app performed with my MacBook Air as promised which makes this one a must-have.
Even though the app's developers claim they went through all the hoops to directly answer all of Apple's questions, I would definitely grab this app now before cellular carriers make a push to get it removed from the App Store. I'm certain it won't be hanging around for long.
UPDATE 9:02 AM: iTether cannot be accessed through the App Store. It appears it has already been removed by Apple. More on this story.
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