When you start exploring the wireless Web, you’ll discover that more and more companies that currently offer successful e-commerce and information sites suitable for desktop computer–based web surfers are starting to offer mobile optimized versions of their online content.
The following are just a few examples of well-known companies that offer mobile optimized web content that might interest you.
Some of the URLs listed in this chapter are long and time-consuming to enter into your Smartphone’s browser; one alternative is to use your PC’s browser and utilize a free online application, called TinyUrl (www.TinyUrl.com). Upon accessing this web site using your computer’s browser, enter in the long URLs listed in this book. The web site will then create a shorter URL you can access from your Smartphone. For example, after using TinyUrl on this Amazon.com URL—http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/dt/upda- 1.0-pocketpc/subst/aa/upda/home.html—the new, shorter URL that can be entered into your Smartphone would be http://tinyurl.com/27pvqp.
■ Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/dt/upda-1.0- pocketpc/subst/aa/upda/home.html
FIGURE 5-13 From this eBay menu screen, you can find items to bid on, plus track the auctions you’re participating in as a buyer or seller.
Amazon.com is perhaps the most successful e-commerce web site in the world. From this site, you can obtain information and purchase any book, CD, DVD, or video that’s currently on the market, simply by pressing a few buttons on your Smartphone. (A wide range of other products are also available from this service.) In the middle of the main Amazon.com screen is a text entry field. Use this field to find what you’re looking for. An alternative is to select a category from the list displayed below the text-entry field. By clicking Books, for example, you can search for a book by its author, title, ISBN number, or a keyword or search phrase.
To make shopping on Amazon.com easier, you’ll need to set up an account the first time you make a purchase. This means entering your shipping and billing address, contact information, and credit card information. Once this information is stored, shopping on this web site is relatively quick and easy. If you already use Amazon.com from your desktop computer, you can access your already existing account by entering just your e-mail address and Amazon.com password.
Once you find what you’re looking for, click the Buy icon to add that item to your virtual shopping cart. When you’re ready to check out, simply provide your address, credit card information, and related details. Enter this information one field at a time as you’re prompted, and your order will be shipped, often within 24 hours. Current Amazon.com account holders do not need to reenter shipping and billing information.
If you wanted to order this book you’re holding in your hands, for example, Figure 5-14 shows what the Amazon screen would look like when displaying information aboutHow to Do Everything with Your Smartphone Windows Mobile Edition.
The search engine offered by this scaled-down version of Amazon.com isn’t as powerful as the one you’re probably used to when accessing the regular Amazon.com service from your desktop computer. If you have a few minutes, however, you can find and order a wide range of items anytime, from virtually anywhere.
If you use FedEx to send packages, or you’re expecting to receive a package and you have its tracking number, use this web site to obtain tracking information about that package from your Smartphone. To do this, access the web site, highlight the Tracking option, and then press the Action button (as shown in Figure 5-15). You can also find the location of the nearest FedEx office or drop box by clicking the Locations menu option.
The FedEx Mobile Edition Tracking screen offers a single data entry field. Use the Smartphone’s keypad to manually enter your package’s tracking number, and then highlight the Track icon. Detailed information about your package will be
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FIGURE 5-14 You can see detailed information and order almost any book that’s currently in print from the Amazon.com web site.
FIGURE 5-15 Use FedEx Mobile Edition to track your FedEx packages.
displayed. To search for a FedEx location or drop box, manually enter a city, state, and/or ZIP code at the appropriate prompts.
■ Handango.com http://www.handango.com/
Working closely with Microsoft, Handango is one of the largest distributors of Windows Mobile Smartphone software in the world. When you access the Handango.com web site from your desktop computer, you can purchase and download Smartphone applications, and then transfer them to your Smartphone using the ActiveSync synchronization software and the USB cable that came with your phone.
One of the more convenient ways of purchasing and downloading Smartphone, however, is to do it “over the air,” directly from your Smartphone. Begin by accessing the Handango web site with your Smartphone’s browser software. From the main screen, review information about Best Sellers or search the entire Software Catalog for a specific Smartphone application.
Using Over The Air distribution, a specific Smartphone software application can be purchased online, and then downloaded and installed into your Smartphone using the wireless Web.
As you browse for Smartphone software and make purchases online, make sure you’ve selected a Windows Mobile Smartphone application, as opposed to a Palm or Pocket PC application, before making your purchase.