Pocketsurfer hack

Phil Galfond has announced that as of January 3, online poker site Run It Once Poker will be ceasing its Rest of World operations in order to pursue Physically, I have recovered. Sounds a little weird but Load More. Welcome to PocketFives PocketFives. Opening it up reveals an entirely flat keyboard with directional controls in the bottom right hand corner.

Aside from a mini-USB terminal, hidden under a rubber flap -- presumably as something has to keep the snow out -- that's your lot for physical details. How have Datawind managed this particular trick? Basically, they've taken a slow and cheap data technology -- GPRS -- and applied compression techniques to web pages to make them fit the PocketSurfer 2's display screen.

Datawind's claim is that it can render web pages this way in under 7 seconds, which is faster than we'd expect out of a paltry GPRS connection -- especially when you consider that, like mail going through a Blackberry, data going to the PocketSurfer 2 has to route its way via Canada before it's presented to your eyes.

The display is relatively low resolution at only x Datawind claims the battery life as being good for around 5 hours of surfing time or five days worth of standby time. Performance So far, so good -- we love the idea of a free Web service, especially in the data-constrained Australian broadband market. There's only one major fly in the ointment here -- actually using the PocketSurfer 2 is an exercise in testing your patience, or alternatively, your frustration levels.

Firstly, there's the keyboard. No word on a cellular partner involved in all of this, but Datawind says both should be available this October. All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company.

Some of our stories include affiliate links. Once you open the handheld, you'll find a spacious 5. Strangely, when you open the device, the keyboard is on the top cover, and the screen is on the bottom, so you have to turn it around to use the device properly--more a peculiarity than an inconvenience. Also, the display is so top-heavy that it lifts the keyboard slightly when placed on a flat surface, making it difficult to type.

It's easiest if you hold the PocketSurfer in your hand and use it that way. The keys are spacious and have a nice tactile feel to them. In addition, there are shortcut buttons on the left side, such as Home, Refresh, and Back, and a cursor-control pad on the bottom-right corner.

Unfortunately, the keys aren't backlit, so that'll curb your late-night Web surfing.