Viliv S5 MID Gets HSDPA Hack

Some HSDPA mods are straightforward: open the casing up of whatever gadget you've decided will get internal 3G, slot in a Mini-PCI card or maybe even squeeze in a USB modem, install the software and off you go.  Other times – like with the Viliv S5 MID – it's a whole lot more complicated.  Over at UMPC Fever, modder SKY is performing delicate electronic surgery inside his S5, soldering in a PCI-E slot in his attempts to get a WWAN-enabled MID.

There are several problems in the way: firstly the sheer scale of the MID is a challenge, with the hard-drive in the image above being a 1.8-inch unit that still leaves no room for an HSDPA card.  Secondly, the storage blocks the Mini-PCI-e slot.

SKY is switching out the hard-drive with a smaller SSD, and then soldering in a new slot, finally snaking a new WWAN antenna around so that there's a signal for it to play with.  This hassle seems to be the key reason for Viliv omitting 3G from the S5 in the first place.