Tip and Tricks

Display all phone numbers associated with a Contact item

The Contacts list will only display one phone number at a time. This is a bit tiresome if all of your contacts have home numbers, mobile numbers, etc. However, you can just tap on the letter in the far right column, "w" in this example, which indicates whether the number is a work, home, fax number, etc.. A screen drops down below the contact, displaying all the phone and fax numbers associated with the individual, as well as the e-mail address. If you would like the main list to display a different number, just select it from this list.

Joseph Kaplon

Drop-down list displays all phone numbers and e-mail addresses associated with a contact.

Game players—protect display with screen overlays

The Pocket PC is great for games, but some action games require a lot of tapping on the screen. If you get carried away blasting enemy space ships, you can end up scratching the display. Your Pocket PC will still be useable, but a scratched or pitted screen is unsightly and distracting.

A simple way to protect against this is to use a "screen overlay." These are transparent, thin plastic sheets cut to the size of your screen. One side is slightly sticky—not enough to leave a residue on your screen, but enough to keep it in place. Once the overlay is in place, you can tap away to your heart's content, without worrying about scratching the screen.

Most manufacturers sell packages of screen overlays for their Pocket PCs. They will be available on their accessories Web page. If you can't find them on the manufacturer's Web site, check out vendors specializing in accessories, such as Belkin (http://www.belkin.com) or Mobile Planet (http://www.mobileplanet.com) or Pocket PC Techs (http://ww.pocketpctechs.com).

Screen overlays protect your display against scratches and damage.

Enter Contacts ASAP!

The truth is, "now" is almost always the best time to enter a contact. Maybe you've taken someone's business card and you wait until you get back to the office. Fine, but do it ASAP! Don't put it off or you'll end up with a pile of business cards, and you won't remember where you got them or how current they are. The longer you put it off, the less likely it will happen. As soon as you enter the information, throw the card away or write "entered" on the card and file it somewhere as backup. If you've entered it into your Pocket PC, synchronize your Pocket PC with your desktop PC as soon as possible. (An external keyboard makes it a lot easier to enter contact information on your Pocket PC.) If you wait until you get back to the office, enter the contact into Outlook on your desktop PC and then synchronize with your Pocket PC. Finally, you can be selective about the information you enter into Contacts—for instance, you don't have to enter every single business card you collect at a trade show. But if there is even a remote possibility that you will need the information again, it's better to be safe than sorry.