Use of Wireless Devices Jumps

The number of American households obtaining Internet access from wireless devices--cell phones, pagers and personal digital assistants--rose to 7.4 million in July, according to Media Metrix. That marked a 12% increase from April, the first month Media Metrix began collecting such data, the company said. A telling statistic in the report is that 20% of the households with such devices don’t have a PC. The news is encouraging for companies developing Internet-based applications for use on hand-held wireless devices, in which navigating the Web is more difficult than on a PC.