Web on the Run

By Sean Gregory

It looks like a checkbook. But you'll want to open the Pocket Surfer, a new 6in. by 3in. portable Internet device from DataWind, a small tech shop based in Montreal. On most pdas and cell phones, Web pages are crunched and reformatted and take too long to download. On the Pocket Surfer, however, pages look just like those on your laptop: pictures, links, even pop-up ads (fortunately, the Pocket Surfer lets you quash those nuisances with a single button). And it's easy to set up. DataWind gives you an adapter to plug into your cell phone, which connects the Pocket Surfer to a wireless Web network. The downsides: you can't chat on the phone and be online simultaneously, and the thumb keyboard is a little tough to navigate at first. But a sticker below the keyboard outlines the basics, so you will be messaging in no time. And really, couldn't you use less multitasking anyway? DataWind, founded and operated by brothers Raja and Suneet Tuli, is rolling out the PocketSurfer in the U.S., Canada and Venezuela. It's available at datawind.com for $199.--By Sean Gregory