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At 3GSM, Mobile software developer Handmark today released a version of its Pocket Express wireless information portal for users of Nokia Eseries smartphones in the U.K. This follows the roll out of the same application for the Nokia E62, offered by Cingular Wireless in the U.S., by a couple months.

The concept behind Pocket Express is to downsize the Web to make it more manageable or usable for small-screened mobile devices. Pocket Express uses a channel metaphor, rather than a browser, to deliver Internet content to PDAs and smartphones. Handmark asserts the service is faster than mobile Web surfing by orders of magnitude.

Handmark says the U.K. edition of Pocket Express offers content designed specifically for the European market, including new travel services featuring and hotel accommodations by Hotels.com and worldwide OAG flight schedules. There's also a free subscription-based concierge service, MobileCierge, which the deverloper says provides 24/7 live personal assistance worldwide.

Additional features available in Pocket Express include channeled access to news, sports and weather.

A paid version adds stock quotes, street maps with turn-by-turn directions, movie reviews and show times, Oxford references, 411 directory searching, Dear Abbey, and other content.

These extra services cost $9.99 per month or $99 per year in the U.S. For the U.K. it's 3.39 pounds per month or $39 pounds per year.

In addition to the Nokia Eseries, Pocket Express is available for the Palm, Windows Mobile Pocket PC & Smartphone, and RIM BlackBerry platforms.