Accessories and Goodies for PPC6700

I wanted to provide an update or a review of sorts on how I have been using my super cool, I-can't-live-without-it Sprint UTStarcomm PPC6700 Pocket PC phone. I want to share some goodies that I have found that enhance my pocket PC (ppc) phone experience.

First I am going to talk about accessories. I have had two issues with my phone from day one: The phone case and the ppc stylus. The case that the phone came with sucks rocks. It is flimsy, it is not very protective and it is just plain terrible. But for the longest time there were no alternatives. There were no leather cases specifically for the PPC6700 and there were no hard cases available. That has changed! There are leather cases, they are big and bulky and you might just find one you like. But what I am falling in love with is BoxWave's Armor Case™. FINALLY an armor case SPECIFICALLY for the PPC6700! Check it out; it comes in 2 colors, silver and black and 2 styles, one for extended batteries and one for normal batteries. The armor hard case sells for about $25-$30.

My biggest gripe about the stylus is that it keeps falling out of the darn phone! It just slides right out and I lose it! I have lost about a half dozen. So I needed to (a) find them cheap and (b) find something that may be better. The Styra - Ballpoint Pen™ is the answer! It is a stylus and a writing pen all in one! I LOVE IT! You can find the pen stylus at boxWave or SUPER CHEAP from eBay. I bought a pack of 3 pen styli off eBay and the total price with shipping was under $8.00! ROCK ON!

Next I am gonna talk about services. These services are free and I use them quite a bit.

Freecycle.org & Phone email- I mentioned MSN email (msn.com's email or hotmail.com) in my PPC6700 Review. The PPC67oo is capable of receiving email from hotmail or MSN. And that is very cool and handy in and of itself. However, I have found a great organization called freecycle.org. They are a nation-wide organization that is made up of community organizations that recycle stuff for free (free recycle or freecycle). If you wish to get rid of clothes, furniture, junk, etc and you don't want to throw it away but want to give it to someone who can really use it (and you aren't looking to make a buck) then this service allows you to do that. And if you are looking to score free stuff to use (not to sell!) then this is the service for you! Usually the local community is ran by a team of folks that use Yahoo Groups (Kansas City metro: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kcfreecycle/). After you sign up you will receive emails from folks who are giving stuff away or from folks who are looking for stuff. You respond and then go get your free stuff! My neighbor picked up a riding lawnmower, A FREE RIDING LAWNMOWER. The owner thought that the engine was toast and gave it away. With just some slight tinkering with the starter my neighbor got it running! My neighbor also has picked up a stove, a rocking glider, a refrigerator and some power tools. There are some slight catches, one: you might get as many as 100 emails a day and two: you have to be fast! So here is where my ppc phone comes in. I check my emails on my phone and respond quickly! I am number 4 on a list to get a free side-by-side refrigerator with an ice and water maker FOR FREE!! I received a chair and matching ottoman today. They were in great shape. My miniature weiner dog loves the ottoman!

Business Connection- The PPC6700 is capable of supporting a business connection email account. You will need to check with your employer's email services. My company granted access and created a connection between my employer's email server and my phone. I can receive work email directly to the PPC6700! I don't use this during the day, but after hours or when I am not logged in to my PC I get emails pushed to my phone! I don't have to click send/receive, my phone automatically goes out every so often and downloads new work emails!

Audible Player & Checking out Audio library e-books- The PPC6700 comes with several programs specifically designed to get you to spend your money on their services. One of those programs is Audible Player. It is an audio book player that can connect you to a whole library full of e-books that you can download for a fee (NOT FREE) and listen until you have mastered a dummies book or listened to the latest mystery novel. Sounds decent enough and my co-worker and fellow PPC6700 owner, Clyde, gave me a demonstration and a mini review-HE LIKES IT (THANKS CLYDE!)! But my friend Jacquie told me about a better way! Checking out e-books from your local library! That's right folks! You can login and download e-books from the online library and save them on your PC, your pocket PC or an iPod or .MP3 player. FOR FREE. I would encourage you to check it out: Durk's Local Library

I still totally love my PPC6700! I am constantly finding new ways to use it: Finding maps to navigate to my destination on the fly and in the car! Getting online to verify if an older XBOX game is backward compatible on the XBOX360...WHILE IN THE STORE! Finding new backgrounds while watching a sunset. Installing a TV remote control-that's right I can change the channel with my phone! I was at a garage sale the other day and used my phone to see what the item was selling for on eBay. And the list goes on and on. And now I can better protect it with a case and find a cheap replacement stylus/pen.

-Durk-