AvantGo

AvantGo allows you to pull information from the web to view on your PDA. The software for this free service comes installed on most PDAs. If you don't already have the software, you can download it free from the AvantGo site. Once the software is installed, set up an account with AvantGo. With this account you can choose the web content you want downloaded to your device each time you sync. There are three ways to select content for your AvantGo account.

Browsing AvantGo Channels (https://my.avantgo.com/browse)

This is the easiest content to add to your account. The channels are listed at the AvantGo website, simply select the channels which interest you and add them to your subscription list. The channels are arranged by categories. Of particular interest are:

• News/Media allows you to get updates from your favorite news outlet.
  (https://my.avantgo.com/browse/854/)
  
  
• Portals If you have a customized portal such as MyYahoo, you can access your weather, sports, movies and more directly from your PDA.
  (https://my.avantgo.com/browse/891/)
  
  
• Health for Healthcare Professionals offers content specifically for healthcare professionals, including the table of contents for many medical journals.
  (https://my.avantgo.com/browse/912/)

Pre-built AvantGo Channels

Many websites have companion sites designed specifically for viewing on PDAs. Although these sites may not be listed on the AvantGo page, they are still easy to add to your account because they have already been configured for AvantGo. Keep an eye out for phrases such as "Mobile Edition", "Wireless" or "To Go".

• HS/HSL to go
  (http://www.hshsl.umaryland.edu/resources/pdainfo/togo.html)
  
  
• Baltimore Sun Wireless Edition
  (http://www.sunspot.net/wireless/#avantgo)
  
  
• Metacritic (movie reviews)
  (https://my.avantgo.com/browse/search/0/2687/)
  
  
• MapQuest offers a "download map to PDA" function that utilizes AvantGo
  (http://www.mapquest.com/mobile/main.adp)

Custom-built AvantGo Channels

You can turn any website into an AvantGo channel by using the "Create a Custom Channel" page. Click the "My Account" tab and select "Create a Custom Channel" under "Subscriptions". You will have to enter the following settings:

• Title: Enter the name you want to give your channel.
  
• Location: Enter the URL of the webpage you want.
  
• Maximum channel size: The default is 100K. If the site is larger than the maximum channel size, you will see an error indicating this when you try to view the channel. You can increase the maximum channel size to accommodate large sites.
  
• Link Depth: The default is 0, meaning that no links will be followed or loaded. You may need to increase this if you want several linked sites as a single channel.
  
• Include Images: The default is "no". Images are often large files which may not look good on PDAs anyway.
  
• Follow off-site links: The default is "no". If you want to load and follow links off the original site, change this to "yes". Be careful, as you can quickly create a very large channel.
  
• Refresh this channel: You can set a schedule for refreshing the channel. If the site is static, you may want to refresh it only once or every couple of weeks. If the site changes often, you may want to refresh more often.

Keep in mind that the websites you are turning into channels were not created to be viewed on a PDA and may look odd. Frames can be especially frustrating. If there is a text only version of your site it will look better on a PDA than a graphics heavy version. Look through your bookmarks and see if there are any sites you would like to have on your PDA.

Syncing

Once you have your account set up and your channels selected, every time you sync your device you should get updated websites on your PDA. Your computer must be connected to the internet before you perform the sync in order for it to work correctly. You can update AvantGo using the library's Clarinet EthIRnet syncing station. Instructions can be found here. You can also update using a wireless card and a wireless connection.