Jim Karpen's blog

In a previous column we covered Google's WML search that
lets you search the entire web and view it on your device.
Google translates pages designed for the desktop to a
text-only version that fits nicely on the Pocket PC screen.
Now there's yet another option for searching the web via
your device: All
the Mobile Web.

The problem with Google's approach is that it simply
gives you text on screen.

I recently took a look at Microsoft's online
tutorial for getting started on a Pocket PC, and I was
impressed. If you're a power user, don't bother checking it
out. But if you haven't yet mastered all the basics, you'll
definitely want to take a look.

In particular, a tutorial like this can help new users
broaden their capabilities.

There are so many devices coming out now that I haven't
been able to keep up with the developments. But I have been
collecting info on some of the sites and reviews, so I'll
share what I have--mostly related to Microsoft's new Pocket
PC Phone Edition.

In a previous column we covered Pocket
PC-Phone.Com, which was one of the first of the
specialized sites related to the new technology.

A couple weeks ago we covered Pocket
TV Listings and TV
Guide Wireless , both of which let you access TV Guide's
online listings via your device.

Two luminaries of the Pocket PC community, Phillip
Torrone and Richard Kettner, are offering resources to help
you master your Pocket PC.

Phillip, well known for his FlashEnabled
site, is offering eBook tutorials on his new web site
Pocket
PC Magic.

I don't watch much TV, but if I did, I think I'd find
TV
Guide Wireless and Pocket
TV Listings to be quite useful. The first is free and
the latter has $10 and $20 versions, but seems worth the
price.

TV Guide Wireless works similar to the desktop
version—you type in your Zip Code and get the listings for
your area.

Not so long ago there were just a few Pocket PC models to
choose from. Now there are at least 15 currently available,
including devices with the new XScale processor and the new
Pocket PC Phone Edition.

The dream of gizmo users is fast approaching—wireless
access wherever you are. You'll always be connected via your
device, which will be a computer, telephone, global
positioning system, and more.

What a great idea—a search engine that lets you type in
author, title, or subject, etc., and then locates all the
web sites that sell that particular title. You've got to
give OverDrive
credit for their worthy efforts to bring eBooks to the
masses.

Their new eBook
Locator service offers up-to-the minute information on
thousands of eBooks from over 400 publishers worldwide.

Jeff Kirvin enjoys a solid reputation for his writing
about the Pocket PC and other handhelds, so I recently
checked out his site and saw that his reputation is well
deserved.

It's great to see many more web sites being customized
for the small screen of the Pocket PC.

One really handy use of your device is street and road
maps via applications such as Microsoft Streets and Trips.
If you're unwilling to put out cash for this, you can now
get some of the same content at Microsoft's MapPoint.

Like other sites such as MapQuest,
MapPoint offers street maps and driving directions for North
America and Europe, as well as offering a world atlas.

Until now I thought I had two main choices when it came
to accessing the web via my Pocket PC: sticking to specially
formatted mobile sites or visiting regular sites that didn't
fit well on the screen. But recently someone alerted me to a
service from Google that translates the entire web to text.
Any page you visit shows only text and is divided into
bite-sized chunks that fit conveniently on your screen.

The impetus for this came from the booming interest in
Internet access via cell phones.

The dedicated users of Pocket PCs continue to produce
sites that help us use our devices more effectively.

If you're looking for specific software for your Pocket PC, or if you just
want to see what's out there, including freeware, there are a number of primary
sources, including Greg Hilton's well known
PocketPCSoft and
Pocket PC magazine's own

Encyclopedia of Software and Accessories.

If, like me, you're not one of the lucky jetset geeks who gets to head off to
all the trade shows to check out the coolest new stuff and to hobnob with other
geeks, you can now enjoy a taste of the action online.

Following the recent Pocket PC Summit in Philadelphia, which according to
reports was a rousing success, the kings of the geeks posted photos and movies
and reports online. It's almost as good as being there.

Multimedia for the Pocket PC marches ahead. While it may not always be
practical (imagine watching a full-length movie on your device), the coolness
factor is high.

The good news is that the number of products for the Pocket PC is exploding.
The bad news? It's a challenge to keep up on the latest software and peripherals
that you might want to use. That's why we've added two major new features to our
Pocket PC magazine web site: an online product
database and a daily listing of new
products.

I still think that eBooks are the wave of the future, even if they haven't
yet caught on in a big way. Here's just one example: think how convenient it
would be when traveling to take your travel guides with you as eBooks. I like MS
Reader, but for now Palm Reader seems to be leading the way for contemporary
books, with nearly 5,000 titles available on the Palm
Digital Media site.

The world is moving in the direction of wireless mobile computing. And Mobiled.Net
is striving to give you a suite of free applications that you access via your
device but that reside on powerful servers. These currently include resources
such as dictionaries, a translator, converters, and a free fax service.