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Internet access on smart phones and other mobile devices can be great, but it's often limited to what can be found in "walled gardens" of channels selected by the wireless carriers.

And typing search terms or making other queries can be annoying on the gadgets' cramped keyboards.

Veveo Inc. hopes to tackle both problems.

To expand available content, Veveo (pronounced VIHV-ee-oh) indexes Web video and converts it to a format that can play on most mobile phones. As a result, someone with an iPhone could watch most any video on YouTube, beyond the small subset preselected for Apple Inc.'s device.

The other half of Veveo is a keypad-entry technology that begins running searches and delivering results even before you finish typing a phrase. Because Veveo produces a new set of search results every time a new character is entered, you can find what you're looking for in minimal keystrokes, which is a blessing on cellphones and other devices that aren't optimal for typing.

The service, at vTap.com, is available first for iPhones and devices running Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Mobile operating system. Eventually, Veveo expects to support other phones as well.

Veveo is not alone in pursuing these concepts. This month, Kannuu Inc. is expected to launch a mobile service that also anticipates searches based on the user's initial entries, though it uses on-screen directional arrows for input to avoid phones' tiny keyboards entirely.

Despite the competition, CEO Murali Aravamudan, a former Bell Labs researcher, has raised $28-million from investors. Now, he is lining up wireless carriers, which could benefit if users who more easily find content as a result spend more time online.

Analysts say Veveo could also find a home in television sets of the future, helping channel surfers navigate copious video-on-demand offerings.