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iPhoneModem zsrelay (not to beconfused with the iPhoneModem which goes for 10$,  mentioned before!) is yet another tethering app for the iPhone. it’s free, it comes with a Mac-client, and it’s a one-click solution (once it’s configured). like the other tethering apps, it’s basically a SOCKS-proxy…

one big inconvenience the iPhone 3G shares with its predecessor, is Apple’s (or AT&T’s?) apparant decline to allow its use as a 3G-modem for your laptop. of course there was NetShare, a proxy-application shortly available through AppStore, until Apple pulled the plug (I had no chance to install it, of course). meanwhile there are at least two app’s available through Cydia for jailbroken devices, both of which I’ve tried out recently:

• Socks is a commandline-SOCKS-proxy, which connects to an ad-hoc wifi-network manually setup on your Macbook/Pro/Air (no idea how to set this up on Windows). ModMyiFone has a thorough howto - it’s a bit complicated and involves Mobile Terminal, but works fine for browsing (don’t forget to adjust your browser’s proxy-settings, and turn of auto-lock on your iPhone, otherwise the connection drops as soon as the phone stands-by!)
• iPhoneModem basically works the same way, bot comes with a Mac OS/Windows-widget which makes the whole setup a one-click-process. such comfort comes at a cost, however - iPhoneModem goes for 10$, the free-version pauses the connection every other minute by displaying a purchase-nag.

don’t forget that both applications are SOCKS-proxies, which means that you won’t get ssh over it easily (?)…  so for serious work you still have to carry that legacy-Nokia on your trips… also, a tethered laptop is really the quickest way to drain the iPhone’s battery

ps: this post was created over a Socks-tethered iPhone