Need proof that the smartphone/superphone era is in full swing? Consider this: by the end of the year, mobile data revenue for the U.S. alone will likely reach $55 billion, according to analyst Chetan Sharma.

Charma predicts that mobile data usage will exceed 1 exabyte, or one billion gigabytes, by the end of 2010, again just in the U.S. The big beneficiaries here are AT&T and Verizon, the two of which combined to account for 70 percent of the market data services revenue.

All this translates into big bucks for wireless carriers. In the third quarter alone, U.S. mobile data service revenue clocked $14 billion, representing a 25 percent year-over-year growth data market growth rate. And with tablets and eBook readers both looking to play growing roles in the mobile data sweepstakes, all of these numbers will balloon even higher.

Read the full report here (PDF).

Users looking for a no-contract 3G data plan with low limits and high prices (we didn't get that backwards, folks) have reason to jump for joy, and reach for their wallets. AT&T's revamped Dataconnect Pass service offers a variety of data and payment options, and we'll let you be judge if any of them sound appealing. Here's how it breaks down:

• Day Pass, 100MB, $15
• Week Pass, 300MB, $30
• Month Pass, 1GB, $50

"Demand for high-functioning, lightweight, mobile computing devices remains strong among consumers and small business customers who want access to the Internet while on the go," said David Haight, VP of product development, AT&T emerging devices, in a statement. "By offering the DataConnect Pass Plans, customers receive added value, choice, and flexibility to decide when to consume data within the parameters of their personal budget, for a more consumer-centric and convenient experience."

We're with Haight on the "choice" and "flexibilty" part, but we have a hard time identifying any of these plans as "valued" oriented. To use the DataConnect Pass service, subscribers will need a laptop or netbook with an aircard/connect card for AT&T's wirless network.

Are we being too hard on AT&T, or do you think the new data plans are a little weak?

How awesome would it be if your hard drive securely erased sensitive data whenever it's powered down, or when it was removed from your system? Not only would that be rad, but it's now a reality thanks to Toshiba's new Wipe technology for its line of Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) models.

There are a number of scenarios where something like this could prove useful, including obvious ones like your notebook becoming lost or stolen. But that isn't all Wipe is good for.

"Many organizations are now realizing the critical importance of maintaining the security of document image data stored within copier and printer systems," Toshiba explains. "Wipe is a technology that can automatically invalidate an HDD security key when its power supply is turned off, instantly making all data in the drive indecipherable. Toshiba's innovative new Wipe Technology adds advanced storage security features to enable system makers to transparently and automatically secure private data."

On the pedestrian side, Toshiba's Wipe technology can also come in handy when returning a leased system, disposing of a system and/or hard drive, or re-purposing a drive, Toshiba says.