Cell Phones, GPS and Wi-Fi Take Center Stage at DemoMobile

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Its a pretty nifty solution for small businesses, but it doesnt appear to scale well above 30 or 40 field workers. The company rolled out a Version 2.0 Thursday, which lets administrators create digital fences, so they can be alerted when an employee either leaves a work area as defined by a "fence" or enters a restricted area. Of course, the system can be circumvented if the user leaves the phone in the building, but its a neat feature.

In addition, the new "data shuttle" lets the system work with more traditional scheduling applications. Thats definitely necessary, as the system itself will not let you enter in a number of jobs and then auto-assign them based on priority and optimal route.

My take: Xoras a neat use of GPS, but it would be better off as a feature of a broader offering. Its not too expensive though—just $12 per month per employee, and $25 to set up. Hey, you could even give it to your kids so you can track them as they move around town! Of course, theyd be forced to use one of those uncool Nextel phones, but thats the way it goes.

Today its almost impossible to find a Wi-Fi router with a phone port. Thats not a big deal for most home users, but for business travelers looking to add wireless to their hotel rooms, a pocket-sized router with both connections offers the best of both worlds.

Thats what startup Always On Wireless is bringing to market. Its WiFlyer hub makes dial-up connectivity easy, allowing users to save log-in and passwords inside the unit.

The unit also includes a current list of AOL, Earthlink and MSN dial-up numbers—but oddly, for a business-oriented product, no iPass. Alas, that list does not auto-update. You have to force an updated number list to the unit when things change.

The device itself is small and simple—even the power adapter is svelte. Its perfect for the constant business traveler who may not always be lucky enough to stay in a broadband-enabled hotel. At $150, its a bit expensive, but for many the convenience will outweigh the cost.

My eye was drawn, however, to the XDA3, a new Pocket PC phone from Taiwanese manufacturer HTC. The XDA3 is due in the United States soon, on both CDMA and GSM networks.

It includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPRS and other data networks, and will cost around $500. It supports the Goodlink technology as well, and according to Goods representative, the battery life is actually good enough to last an entire day of heavy use.

I was most impressed with the slide-down keyboard and the big, bright screen. Maybe this will be the PDA/phone Ill finally adopt. For pictures of this ultra-cool device, check out my DemoMobile photo gallery.

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