Handmark Announces New Products

[Brad Adrian]

Handmark, the company that has delivered such great games as <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3547">Scrabble</a>, <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=4380">Monopoly</a> and <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=21470">Trivial Pursuit</a> to your Pocket PC, says they will soon be releasing some even neater new stuff for PDAs.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/adrian/handmark.gif" /><br /><br />First, Handmark is partnering with <a href="http://www.randmcnally.com">Rand McNally</a> to distribute StreetFinder® NAV Deluxe, its next generation mapping and travel solution for both Palm OS® and Windows Mobile™ Pocket PC devices.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/adrian/randmcnally.jpg" /><br /><br />"The new, streamlined software StreetFinder® NAV Deluxe Edition simplifies on-the-go mapping, offering complete on-device navigation. Once a map is added to the handheld device, multiple routes with point-to-point directions can be calculated on the device and displayed. This new edition also works with a variety of GPS (global positioning) units making Rand McNally’s StreetFinder® NAV Deluxe Edition the complete mapping and GPS navigation solution, in combination with supported devices. <br /><br />The two CD-ROM set includes street map detail for more than 75,000 cities and towns in the 48 continental United States. Map features also include multiple levels of zoom, personalized color schemes, markers, and icons, and point of interest information."<br /><br />Second, Handmark will be working with <a href="http://www.tvguide.com">TV Guide Publishing</a> to offer some of its TV-related products for PDAs.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/adrian/tvguide.jpg" /><br /> <br />"TV Guide will provide Handmark with access to its daily, local program listings and its 'Cinebooks' online movie database—which includes cast, credits, and reviews for more than 40,000 movies, plus filmographies for actors and filmmakers—from TV Guide Online®. TV Guide will also license its inventory of crossword puzzles from its 50-year-old TV Guide® Magazine. The content will be used in software developed by Handmark for use in games and other applications for handheld devices that run on Palm OS and Windows Mobile™ Pocket PC and SmartPhone platforms."<br /><br />The two-CD StreetFinder® NAV Deluxe Edition will be offered in many of the stores where Pocket PCs are traditionally sold and will cost $39.99. The TV Guide products will be sold through similar outlets and through Handmark's online store, beginning in Fall of 2004; no pricing information is available.<br /><br />I find the announcement about the TV Guide listings veeeeeeery interesting, especially in light of some other recent events. A couple of the current TV listing applications, <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=18499">Pocket TV Listings and Pocket TV Browser</a>, ran into problems when the format of their listing data -- which was "scraped" from the tvguide.com Web site -- was suddenly changed. At the time, I wondered if the reason that TV Guide changed the data format was to both put the existing applications out of business and to prepare the way for a product of its own. I guess I was right.<br /><br />In any event, if these two products are anything like the other Handmark products, they should be top-notch.

[Phoenix]

I'm very interested in the TV Guide software. That would be fantastic. Sign me up for that!

Too bad we have to wait so long for it!

[PPCRules]

When I saw "Handmark" in the title my mind flashed "product will be overpriced to the point of greatly limiting acceptance". Reading the post confirmed my mind was right.

At least Handmark generally doesn't produce "must have" software, so it is easier to pass on their offerings without thinking about it more than once.

[pparry]

I think if the gps navigation software is decent, then the price at $40 is less than half of what most of the existing gps software. Whether it does actually perform as an effective gps solution is hard to say however. Some software makers, like Microsoft in Streets and Trips, claim their software supports gps which is true to the extent that it provides coordinates, but it doesn't compare to Destinator or Mapopolis in terms of navigation.

I agree that the cost of the TV guide software is too much.

[cpoole]

I find the announcement about the TV Guide listings veeeeeeery interesting, especially in light of some other recent events. A couple of the current TV listing applications, Pocket TV Listings and Pocket TV Browser (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=18499), ran into problems when the format of their listing data -- which was "scraped" from the tvguide.com Web site -- was suddenly changed. At the time, I wondered if the reason that TV Guide changed the data format was to both put the existing applications out of business and to prepare the way for a product of its own. I guess I was right.


I was a Pocket TV Listing user and it was a greate solution, just an "uncomftable" implementation. The idea of many, many people buying a package that nightly brings up hundreds/thousands of pages so that they can scrape information into their application is not really appropriate. If Readers Digest provides this service for a reasonably fee and gives me a quick and simple download, then I will support this application.

I am not knocking the people that wrote the screen scraper applications, they were filling a need. TV Guide should have offered a download service that the applications could have called or privide this service themselves. It looks like we will get the 2nd option... better late than never.

[ironguy]

I was mildly irked by TVGuides treatment of both PTVB and PTVL. They should have been straightforward with them about working with a developer to provide the listing service. Instead, emails went unanswered and no explanations were forthcoming. Granted, they didn't necessarily owe them an explanation, but for good business sake it would have been nice to say something besides CEASE AND DESIST!.

Here's their dilemma now. If TVGuide keeps their listings in the same format so the Handmark product will work, then what will keep other programs from scraping the data?

What's the difference if I scrape the data or go to the website and why should TVGuide care? Yes I know - bandwidth. Except that I'm using their bandwidth already to go to the site to look up listings. Either I don't understand or I'm missing something.

Oh, another thing. Who owns the listings?

[Programmer]

Here's their dilemma now. If TVGuide keeps their listings in the same format so the Handmark product will work, then what will keep other programs from scraping the data?

Their programs wont be getting the data from the website but probably directly from the database used with their website. The could change the layout every other day and not affect their own program. They will probably have some sort of security in place so only their program will be able to access the data and if they are smarter still they would encrypt the data stream so even if someone else got to it it would not be easy to read.


What's the difference if I scrape the data or go to the website and why should TVGuide care? Yes I know - bandwidth. Except that I'm using their bandwidth already to go to the site to look up listings. Either I don't understand or I'm missing something.

Oh, another thing. Who owns the listings?

They care because these listings are copyrightable and owned by TVGuide. Also their website is under copyright. You dont have the right to just go there and scrape off info if they dont allow you to.

If they dont try and stop people scraping data from them now they wont be able to protect themselves in court later against maybe a more serious infrigement of their listings and content.

-- Robert

[dequardo]

"In any event, if these two products are anything like the other Handmark products, they should be top-notch."

Really? The Rand McNally offerings are pure junk. As I suspect this newest $40 version will be.

Mike

[tanalasta]

I would be most interested in a reasonably priced map software. However, being strapped for cash i would only purchase it if it did not significantly more than a hardcopy of my local street directory.

I was most cheesed off with microsoft (well what's new!) when my brother opened his IPAQ with pocketstreets and then we both found out that there ain't no maps for Australia. :devilboy: