Updated mobile service points travelers to WiFi hot spots, ATMs, or lattes—the most essential, but often hidden, needs of travelers are now easier than ever to find.

CHICAGO, April 20, 2006 – Earthcomber LLC announced today an upgrade to its free mobile service for Palm and Windows-powered handhelds that locates places serving the top needs of travelers, including WiFi “hotspots,” coffee stores, ATMs, office supplies, and business printing and data services.

 The enrichment to Earthcomber's free personal navigation service responds to the increasing demand business travelers place on being able to find an instant “lay of the land” for specific personal favorites and professional needs. 

 By getting a download of any given area within the U.S., a traveler can scan their surroundings for all their needs at once, and see results by distance from an exact spot on a map, without the need for an Internet or cell phone connection.

 Earthcomber's patent-pending comprehensive search “combs” any area for all items of interest to the traveler within a few seconds, unlike web-based mobile look-up services that take much longer and require input item-by-item.

 “Everybody's been there: When you really need a certain something, it would be worth it to have a program on your handheld dedicated just to finding that thing,” said Jim Brady, president and founder of Earthcomber. “Well, this is like having the ultimate ATM finder, the ultimate coffee shop finder, WiFi hotspot finder, fast-food finder, restaurant spotter, hotel, car rental, you name it – all rolled into one.”

 The specialized data, in development since mid-2005, is part of the free package of software, mapping and service. Other key places that Earthcomber finds for travelers include banks, fast-food and sit-down restaurants, convenience stores, pharmacies, cleaners, fuel, eye-care and pet stores. In addition to shopping, commerce and entertainment, Earthcomber includes historic sites, museums, schools, public buildings, parks and special-interest locations.

 Earthcomber offers name-brand travel, shopping and lifestyle guides priced from $8 to $20.

 The upgrade to the Palm OS software adds turn-by-turn directions for wirelessly connected devices, such as smartphones, or PDAs with WiFi. The personal navigation software lets each user change the search range for any specific item, from half a mile or less for something common, such as ATMs or coffee shops, up to 100 miles, for rarities or desperate needs.

 “Earthcomber is especially effective on Palm's most popular model, the Treo smartphone,” Brady said. “The phone lets users keep maps and data on data cards, which means they can carry complete mapping and navigation for various locations they visit without overloading their phone's memory. And the wireless connection means you can download maps and data on the spot.”

 Earthcomber software and maps are available for download at the company's web site, www.earthcomber.com, as well as leading mobile software download sites. Earthcomber works with GPS, but also provides location functions and mapping for the majority of non-GPS devices.