Some exciting news out of the CTIA Wireless conference in Las Vegas, USA this week--Nokia officially announced the N810 Internet Tablet WiMAX Edition. The N810 WiMAX Edition takes the very Skype-friendly Nokia N810 and adds WiMAX, a new wireless broadband technology. It's going to be out in the US this summer in areas where WiMAX is available. What exactly is WiMAX? The press release spells it out quite clearly:

WiMAX is a standards-based wireless broadband technology that delivers an open Internet experience similar to that of fixed broadband technologies with typical data download speeds of up to 2-4 Mbps per user with peak download speeds of up to 10 Mbps. Unlike current single point local area technologies like Wi-Fi which have a range of a few hundred feet, WiMAX networks consist of a number of interconnected base stations, each with a radius of up to 2-3 miles, that allow for handoffs from one base station to another as users move about a region or metro area. Additionally, WiMAX networks integrate technology designed to maximize the quality of service for each subscriber.

I think this is pretty awesome--it adds a whole new layer of mobility to the N810. Rather than needing to be at a WiFi hotspot or tethered to your mobile through bluetooth to check your email or make a Skype call, you'll be able to get online wherever you have a WiMAX signal (presumably in large metropolitan areas to start). Check out a video of the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition in action after the jump.

So far the best coverage I've seen on the N810 WiMAX Edition has been on Internet Tablet Talk. They've posted a ton of great photos comparing the original N810 to the N810 WiMAX Edition, and also a video (embedded below) of Satu Sipola, the Nokia N810 WiMAX Edition Product Manager, showing off the device:

I also recently came across this video by Internet Tablet School giving a great set of instructions on how to get Skype up and running on the Nokia N800 and N810 Internet Tablets. If you have one of these tablets but haven't gotten around to using Skype on it yet (or just want to see how easy setting up and using Skype on the N810 is), check out the video below: