Getting WAPped
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Wireless Application Protocol brings the Web to your mobile phone, even if the technology is still a little rough
by MICHAEL CITROME
When e-mail's mass popularity was just gathering steam, naysayers used to complain that nobody would want to read words on a computer screen when they could just pick up a phone. Now, more and more people are reading off the screens of their personal communication service (PCS) phones.
The technology behind this new knowledge boom is called WAP, geek speak for Wireless Application Protocol. WAP is a system for delivering text and simple graphics to the screen of pocket-sized mobile phones.
Not that mobile text is something new. Pagers, both of the numeric and text flavours, have been around since the '80s, and in Europe, text messaging is as popular as voice calls on mobile phones.
But what sets WAP apart from these existent technologies, which let you send and receive notes, is Internet connectivity. WAP isn't just some service like caller-ID; it's an Internet connection on a belt clip.
Although the WAP-powered wireless Internet is a lot more popular in Europe than here in Canada, its popularity is growing quickly. Many of the phones sold by Clearnet and Bell Mobility support Mobile Browser, as the service is commonly called, but the other PCS providers aren't yet up to speed. Access is billed by the minute, at a rate similar to regular airtime.
But what is WAP really good for? Well, load up Mobile Browser on a "dot-com-ready" phone and you'll get a directory of sites optimized for mobile use.
Some are practical, say, the Bank of Montreal ATM locator: enter your location and get directions to the nearest cash machine. Another useful site is Sympatico's Canada411, which, just like its Web site sibling, lets you look anyone up in a Canada-wide phonebook. Cheaper than a call to the operator, this is one of the best services available.
But it's the frivolous sites that make things interesting. Suddenly, playing Snake on your cell phone looks like an all-day tour of Dullsville. Right out of the box, your phone links to games like blackjack and trivia, but discover some of the WAP directory sites and your bus ride becomes an electronic adventure.
Check out www.wap.com for the myriad of sites you can get on your handheld. Sure, there's the much-hyped m-commerce sites, letting you order books and do your banking, but wait until you get addicted to WAP chat and your phone bills skyrocket.
That's right, you can chat with other phone-holders worldwide using your numeric keypad. As if that weren't enough, a version of the popular ICQ instant messaging software is available on WAP phones, so you can always be in touch with Droogie92 and your other online pals. There are even WAP sites for picking up sexual partners for a mobile romp.
So is it time to trade in your old phone for one that supports Mobile Browser? Not yet, unless you're an obsessive early adopter. The technology is still a little rough, and phones have trouble handling Web sites that aren't WAP-enhanced. But the rapid growth of this new medium may put an end to waiting in line for movie tickets or carrying bus schedules. And if you're in the market for a new phone, make sure the box says "dot-com ready," or you'll be crying the unconnected blues in the WAP era.
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