By Steve Jackson
Telstreet

Ever found yourself wondering "If only there were some way I could transfer information between my phone and my computer"? With many of today's phones, you can do this, and more.

All of the major wireless manufacturers now include data-transfer capabilities on some of their digital wireless phones. Using accessory kits, you can plug these phones directly into your computer and transfer information back and forth, such as files, contact lists and even e-mail. Some phones are even able to communicate with certain computers through infrared signals similar to the ones used by your television's remote control, so they don’t even require a physical connection.

The simplification provided by data-exchange capabilities is easy to see. Instead of having to manually enter each one of the 150 people on your contact list into your phone, you can transfer the file directly from your computer into your phone's phonebook. Instead of having to keep track of separate e-mail messages received on your phone through a text messaging service, you can transfer them directly into your computer's in box. For phones equipped with a calendar function, you can download a list of your appointments from your computer to your handset.

And that's just a start. Data-transfer capabilities for wireless phones are still in their infancy. Several manufacturers have already unveiled phones with greatly expanded data capabilities. These new phones contain all of the versatility of a wireless phone combined with the functionality of a personal digital assistant (PDA) or handheld computer. Some of these phones even allow you to access your office computer network and the Internet using a totally wireless connection.

These new Internet-ready phones are equipped with a mini-browser that allows access to certain Web sites, and also allows the phone to receive updates from Internet news and information services. Sprint PCS introduced wireless web access in September 1999, and other carriers such as Nextel are in their final stages of implementation. The mini-browsers, such as the one developed by Phone.com, can only view Web sites that have been developed for small-screen viewing. Many popular Web sites have already created these special versions of their sites and many more sites will be added in the future. These special Web sites will make it easy for you to access the latest headlines, sports scores, stock quotes, weather, travel and traffic information, as well as maps and directions.

In addition to wireless Internet access for the phone itself, these new phones can serve as wireless modems for your laptop computer or PDA. Now you can access your office computer network, e-mail messages, scheduler, contact manager, etc. from anywhere within your carrier’s coverage area, without plugging into a phone jack.

As for the next several years, who knows what wireless phones will be capable of? Ten years ago, who could have predicted that almost 80 million Americans would be walking around with tiny wireless phones? The next 10 years figures to see even more radical transformations in the world of wireless communications.