Pocket PC Thoughts: Get Instant Directory Assistance via Google From the Today Screen

If there's one thing I'm often asked on getting the most out of a Pocket PC Phone, it's how one can get cheap or free directory assistance. While calling 1-800-FREE-411 may help when your hands are totally occupied, there are a number of programs out on the market that are very nice, but will come with a price, such as GoAustralia DirectAssist for $5.99AUD a month or $14.99AUD a year, Handmark Pocket Express for $69.99 a year, and Acodic Mobile Info2Go for $29.99 flat. While these programs are great and offer more features than just telephone directory lookup to make it worth their price, this quick alternative can be just what you're looking for. Read on for more...

Jonathan Misurda's SearchToday Plugin is based off the ingeniuous people at Palm who created a Google search Today plugin on the Treo 700w.

Using the following specific search URL parameter in the SearchToday settings page, it will open up Internet Explorer Mobile and produce an extremely-clean results page from Google, complete with hyperlinked telephone numbers that will actually dial out on a Pocket PC Phone:[code]http://www.google.com/xhtml?site=local&q=%s[/code]
The "%s" at the end of the URL is the actual search string that you entered that is automatically parsed out by the SearchToday plugin.


Figure 1. Sample output from the Google URL noted above.

By entering the words as simple as "benihana philadelphia" or "chuckycheese 90210" (the zip code), you'll leave the intelligence to Google to find the right results for you.

If you want to rid yourself of the tiny map included with the results page, simply use this string instead:[code]http://www.google.com/xhtml?site=local&dm=none&q=%s[/code]

For Treo 700w owners, you don't need to download the SearchToday plugin - I have modified the Treo's own WebSearchPlugin.dll to perform the same function (with the map). Simply download the modified DLL file here, disable the "Web Search" Today plug-in on your Treo 700w, then manually copy it into its Windows folder using a third-party File Explorer (since File Explorer itself won't show DLL files). Soft reset the device, then re-enable the modified plug-in.

If you want to revert to the original plug-in, don't fret - it's embedded in the ROM. Just disable the plug-in again, then delete the WebSearchPlugin.dll, and the original one from the ROM will reappear in its place.

Now you have your own, instant directory assistance, free* on your phone! (*Data connectivity and usage charges may apply, depending on your wireless carrier plan, of course).