In a lot of ways, the mobile phone can be a very powerful tool in granting access to the latest forms of business and entertainment.

For one, a device as ubiquitous as the mobile phone is essential in connecting us to our family and friends.  It provides a means of sharing one’s experiences and interests immediately.  Creating one’s own mobile web site, for one, gives us an immediate avenue to let our friends and families know about the experiences we have encountered during the day.

Wireless networks are also powerful social networking tools that enable the exchange of real-world experiences, almost in real time.  Whenever and wherever we may be, people are immediately able to find out our current state by simply logging into our mobile web site.

It is also a good avenue in connecting with people of similar musical/artistic/culinary interests.  It gives birth to communities and forums where people form bonds with one another through the sharing of photos, music, videos, games and documents.

More than an information and entertainment bank, the mobile phone may also be used by businesses to communicate with their employees and clients.  In fact, with the abundant stream of developments happening in the mobile web, it would no longer be a surprise if in the future, almost all document and program in the office will be accessible to workers who are out of the office.  The mobile phone will no longer be an ‘all play and no work’ device.  Once considered objects of distraction, mobile phones will now be stand-ins for laptops to handle basic job responsibilities like web access, file storage, voice conferences, e-mails, messaging, database updating, and document editing.

Workers will now be able to access essential contacts, schedules, and official documents while in transit towards the next client meeting.  On the sales and marketing end, businesses (with the help of the creation of a mobile web site) will now be able to deal with their target market on a more immediate basis.  No longer will they have to wait for their customers to log onto their Internet web site or visit their nearest retail branch to peruse products and services, they can easily interact with their market at any given time and place.  This leads to a more pro-active way of doing business.

Where a client is at the moment will determine the information relevant to him at that given time so services providing location-based information to consumers have high potential.  Imagine your company’s line of products and services published on a mobile web site, readily available for your customers’ viewing pleasure.  Your latest promos and discounts broadcasted to your consumers while they are on transit, eliciting enough excitement and interest for them to head on to your nearest branch for retail therapy.

These are just among the opportunities and possibilities offered by the mobile phone.  With developments fast surfacing, both individuals and businesses will definitely see the rise of the mobile phone as an Everywhere Office and Entertainment Center.

Today’s world has witnessed the inculcation of wireless technology into our everyday lives.  Mobile phones, in particular, have changed and improved the ways in which people connect and interact with each other.  Mobile technology successfully bridged the gap of time and distance, enabling people to instantly get in touch with one another at any given time and place.

However, as there are benefits when it comes to instant connectivity, it is not without its corresponding price.  It happens with just a click of the mouse.  The moment you make your identity “open” for the public to see, you are not only opening yourself up to connecting with potential friends, clients and partners.  Unfortunately, you also leave yourself vulnerable to fraudulent and malicious characters lurking in the Mobile Web.

A number of factors are at play when it comes to mobile privacy and security, especially now with the recent emergence of additional technology.  For instance, the advent of camera phones have caused quite a stir.  There have been incidents wherein camera phones, clipped to the belt or placed in a discreet location, were used by “undercover” criminals to document and send to the internet, or an associate/accomplice, the location of valuable contents of a victim’s home, or sometimes even more private/scandalous material.

Another privacy concern that has sprung up is the increase in the sending and receiving of unsolicited SMS messages, the mobile version of Internet Spam.  Mobile phone companies have been labeled as the main culprit here and the public has become more vocal about the irritation factor that this service has caused.  In some cases, mobile users have complained about being annoyed after opening a text message only to find a promotional message from a retailer advertising about a new product.  To top it all off, it came with a fee and the message was actually charged to a mobile phone user.

In addition, mobile phones with built-in bluetooth functions are immediately exposed to the prospect of being hacked.  Also, possible threats may emerge with the combining of mobile phone networks and the Internet.  Especially now with the advent of mobile sites.  People uploading their personal profiles and information into the Mobile Web are immediately prey to malicious peers.  However, a number of mobile site providers, Mobilemo for example, are addressing this issue by offering privacy setting features that enables mobile site owners the discretion to choose only a specific list of contacts and networks that may view their mobile sites and personal information.

It must be noted, however, that more than the technology, it is the people themselves that are responsible for these security and privacy concerns.  The technology is only there for people to use and take advantage of.  Ergo, as with every human encounter, there will always be risks that come along with its corresponding benefits.

Today, mobile phones have become a staple in every person’s bag or pocket.  It has revolutionized the way people communicate and connect with one another.  It has successfully bridged the gap once caused by distance and space.  It has broken barriers.

Current statistics have revealed that there are thrice as many mobile phones now than there are personal computers.  According to Cellular Online, global mobile phone subscribers in 2003 amounted to 1.52 billion, around 20 percent of the current world population.   To say that the mobile phone has become one of the most successful inventions in the 20th century is an understatement.

In just a span of 20 years, the global demand for mobile phones has exponentially increased.  With people from across the globe instantly connecting with one another through calls, text messages or, most recently, video phone conferences, it is quite hard to imagine there was a time wherein getting in touch with a friend or business partner was a challenge.

The mobile phone started becoming one of the major communication devices in the late 90s.  The first commercial mobile phone system started in the late 1970s in Japan.  Mobile phones were invented for the sole purpose of enabling users to communicate easily and freely wherever they want.  In the late 90s, however, the invention of a new mobile technology, SMS, made it even easier for people to interact.  SMS is a transmission of a short text message from one mobile phone to another.  This revolutionized mobile technology and elevated mobile phones into a device that not only allows simple voice to voice telecommunication.   It evolved into a mobile lifestyle.

Eventually, the years that followed witnessed the emergence of the mobile phone as an entertainment device.  With functions such as cameras, FM radios, MP3 players, and Personal Digital Assistance (PDA) functions built into the mobile phone, the desire to own a mobile phone has increased tenfold.  From early stages of analog cellular to the latest 3G mobile phone system, mobile technology has been witnessing rapid changes.  Every change has also been a major improvement–from mere voice-to-voice communication, to WAP and GPRS internet connection to the eventual rise of the Mobile Web.  The mobile phone has indeed become one of the leading technologies in the world.

The convenience brought about by mobile technology has changed the life of people in society.  Businesses, for one, are able to gather information about the latest industry news and reports at any given time and place.  The emergence of mobile site providers has also provided a new avenue wherein they can freely promote their products and services through the mobile web.  On a more social aspect, mobile site providers have also given people the opportunity to form mobile communities with peers sharing similar interests.

Along with mobile phone developments, other subsidiary technologies have also been introduced by mobile phone companies.  These products include Bluetooth, Symbian (operating system designed specifically for mobile phones) and other programming software.  These technologies have helped improve the interactive aspect of mobile phones, generating wider usage from users.  More and more companies are now aiming to claim a chunk of the mobile phone market.

Tech experts are also predicting that a new mobile phone network system, Fourth Generation Mobile or 4G, will be introduced to the market in the near future.  This will mean stronger and clearer signals and higher speed connection through the internet.  From the looks of things, mobile phones may even replace personal computers in the future!

In the lives of many, the iPhone and iPod are more important than their very heartbeat. Working out, driving, mowing the lawn, rocking their baby, making love . . . it doesn’t matter to these people, their iPod or iPhone is as integral a part of their life as breathing. But what happens when these beloved devices turn on you?

Think Megatron in iPod form: although these devices might bring joy to the entire human population, Apple has done everything to hide their true dangers behind a vibrant and brightly colored marketing campaign.
Throughout the past decade, Apple has done an excellent job promoting their products. However, rarely do we see the dark side of iWorld. After thorough research and thought, we have discovered 13 deadly, or near death experiences involving the iPhone or iPod.

As you can guess, getting hit by a car while listening to your iPod or talking on your iPhone is the most common way to die, but you wouldn’t believe some of the other iFatalities. Some of these will simply blow your mind, while others will have you considering switching back to the Sony Walkman.

Welcome to the iCurse:

1)iEpileptic Seizures:

If you thought horrible Japanese anime was the only thing that caused epileptic seuizures, think again. Stacey Gayle of Queens loved her reggae music . . . but there was one major problem. When she began listening to the song “Temperature” by Sean Paul on her iPod, she began convulsing at the 2 minute mark of the song. This condition was heartbreaking for Gayle, to the point she was nearing suicide before submitting to brain surgery. Go ahead . . . see if you can make it through the song without dropping to the ground:

2) iLightning Conductor:

If the iPhone or iPod had a 4 foot metal pole attached to a golf club and the guy were standing in the middle of a prairie field during a thunderstorm . . . we could understand getting struck by lightning. However, in 2006, Jason Bunch was sitting in his Denver, CO living room listening to his iPod when he was struck by a bolt. He stated:

“From where the iPod was, it damaged my hearing and it ruptured my eardrums. Where the cord was, it burned me all down my body,” said Bunch. “We need to shave my head because my hair is like dreadlocks. It’s all sticking together.”

Here are a few lightning stats:

Number of thunderstorms occurring at any given moment: 2000

Number of lightning strikes every second: 100

Number of lightning strikes per day: 8 Million

Number of lightning strikes in the USA per year: 20 Million

Number of VOLTS in a lightning flash: 1 Billion

Number of AMPS in a lighting flash: between 10,000 and 200,000

And his iPod made Jason the unlucky guy to catch one of these.

3) iCaught my Pants on Fire:

Everyone’s been caught with their pants down before, but Danny William’s pants had flames coming up to his chest. All because of an iPod nano he had tucked away in his pocket.

(more…)

With both multinational companies and small and medium enterprises clamoring for space in traditional communication channels like print, radio and television, consumers are flooded with a barrage of marketing messages that your company’s “unique” selling proposition will probably end up just being part of one big clutter. Your company’s message will, in all likelihood, end up getting lost in all the noise. Take away the “unique” aspect and your marketing message will end up nothing more than just another “selling proposition.”

One way to stand out from the rest of the competition is to explore new avenues; the most promising of which is mobile. Google CEO Eric Schmidt predicted a few years back, the future of the internet is mobile. Indeed, recent trends in technology point to the steady growth of the mobile web.

The mobile phone is a powerful marketing tool in itself. Its compact structure enables users to carry it with them everywhere. Recent statistics show the ratio of mobile phones to personal computers has increased. There are thrice as many mobile phones now as there are personal computers. Another noteworthy fact is that there are more mobile phones than there are television sets, radios and billboards; so if you’re looking at tapping into a larger audience base and being seen by every mobile user anywhere in the globe, then going mobile is for you.

Creative marketing possibilities are available in the mobile web. You need only know how to spot them. Listed below are some opportunities your company can take advantage of by going mobile:

Mobile site builders. The Internet is witnessing the rise of mobile site builders. Mobile site builders provide Internet users the platform to either convert their current website into mini mobile versions or to create, from scratch, their very own mobile sites. Mobile sites, in a nutshell, are mini websites that may be viewed in any WAP-enabled cellular phone.

Mobile site builders make for an effective marketing tool to increase your company’s presence within your target market. You can even use it to further expand your target reach. Imagine being connected to your clients 24/7. Mobile site builders, like Mobilemo, even feature different tools like file sharing, mobile forms, and messaging tools, which allow you to actually create online product catalogues, order forms, promo announcements, etc.

Mobile sites provide companies a complete and cost-effective marketing channel wherein customer relationships are built and strengthened. It also helps boost sales. Mobile sites also provide customers the opportunity to easily act upon an appealing offer. Once you’ve attracted your customers’ attention through your eye-catching catalogues, you can use mobile forms to take their orders. Compared to traditional advertising mediums, mobile sites provide companies the avenue to create permission-based, personal relationships with clients. It strengthens your ties with your customers as it caters to every individual’s preference.

Mobile Polls and Forms. Another opportunity prevalent in the mobile web are mobile polls. Polls offer subtle ways for you to tap into the minds of your target audience. A fashion retail store, for example, could create a ten-item mobile style quiz that will engage its clients to determine their personal fashion styles. The retail company may then use the results as a basis for consideration when it comes to the following month’s clothing designs.

Mobile forms may also be used to gather relevant customer information to keep your client database updated. Gathering the birthdays of your customers, for example, is a good way to enhance customer loyalty. Imagine the look on their faces after sending them SMS or mobile discount coupons during their birthdays. It will definitely help create a more personal relationship with your target customers.

Mobile Messaging. The mobile phone’s messaging feature is a powerful marketing tool in itself. The fact that it is always with the end user is something you should take advantage of. Use the mobile phone’s messaging tool in alerting your customers of sales, new products and shipments, new branches opening, and even extended store hours. Text notifications of coupon expiration dates, holiday discount announcements, anniversary discount privileges and any other promo you could think of will also help drive customers to visit your stores.

Ever since trade was invented, business owners have been thinking of different ways and avenues to promote and sell their wares. From the Silk Road of ancient times to the e-commerce of today, merchants have explored different routes of growing their business. The marketplace has gone a long way from tents and camels to PCs and the Internet.

Until recently, merchants resort to traditional tri-media advertising and physical and online shops to run their business. With the continuing growth of the global economy, this avenue has become crowded, and businesses are getting creative in order to put themselves ahead of the competition.

Now a new medium for commerce has opened up - the mobile phone. With traditional Internet e-commerce starting to become saturated, businesses and other organizations can now turn to mobile sites to promote their wares, services or causes. Mobile sites give the advantage of ultimate accessibility, allowing merchants to interact with their customers whenever and wherever they may be. Customers no longer need a PC or to be physically present in the shop to view and purchase merchandise. Likewise, they can also be updated and do other transactions such as reservations, enrollment, and payments on a mobile site, accessed through their mobile phones.

Business owners can use mobile sites to create catalogues of their latest products, post announcements of promos, get customer feedback, and create order forms. This way, customers get almost the same experience as online browsing and shopping through a PC. The biggest difference is that they can do it wherever they are and right at the moment that they want. There is also the added security of using their own device instead of going to an Internet café, which may make some people a bit paranoid about security of transactions.

The business benefits of mobile sites do not stop with retail or commercial establishments. Non-government/non-profit organizations can also take advantage of mobile sites to promote their cause and interact with members and the target audience. They can update them with the latest news, gather suggestions to further the cause, create registration forms for new members, and encourage opinions on issues concerning the advocacy.

Schools would also do well with a mobile site considering the increasing popularity of mobile phones among students and more and more of them are embracing mobile technology. Universities can keep the school community updated on the latest campus news and events; create student and faculty databases; gather feedback on any issue from the campus community; conduct surveys among students and teachers to determine campus trends.

Mobilemo leads users into the future of mobile technology by providing a simple platform for creating mobile sites through easy-to-use interactive tools. With these tools, users can activate features such as image insertion and text wrapping, customizable templates, interactive tools for polls, comments and guestbook, and file sharing.

As the business environment gets richer and the marketplace grows wider, with consumers becoming even more discriminating, businesses and organizations need to step up and move forward by exploring different strategies and tools to continue to prosper and serve customers better. At this stage, all signs point to mobile technology as their best bet.

Recent developments in the Mobile Web have made it easier for individuals and businesses alike to instantly interact with the audience they have in mind. In the span of a few years, the mobile web has successfully bridged the gap once caused by time and distance. Today, a business located as far as Asia can easily set up another shop in Canada and be able to directly interact with the consumers there through mobile phones. A student from the United States can easily maintain the connections he has formed with Chinese friends he met during a trip to Hong Kong.

Indeed, the mobile web has broken barriers between cities, countries, and continents; paving the way for a global interactive community.

Mobile Site Providers

Perhaps one of the most important advancements made in mobile technology is the rise of mobile site builders. These platform sites enable individuals and businesses to easily create their own mobile web sites. In a nutshell, mobile sites are the mobile counterparts and mini versions of web sites we see in the Internet.

Mobile site builders provide highly innovative custom tools that allow mobile phone users to creatively express their individuality. Mobile sites also serve as non-traditional channels of communication for businesses to enhance their presence among markets. These sites actually offer a lot of flexibility that you may do with it as you please. Among its many uses include mobile blogging, file sharing, event postings, online mobile portfolios, mobile business catalogues, etc. And these form only the tip of the iceberg.

The features of mobile sites vary according to the mobile site provider . Some mobile site builders cater to social networkers alone, offering profile pages and file sharing features. Some cater mainly to businesses, with tools tailored to meet the needs of companies looking to elevate their presence in their markets. Some platform sites even go so far as to provide tools that would cater to both social networkers and business institutions.

Mobilemo, for example, provides user-friendly customization tools that may be used for both personal and business purposes. Among the site’s features include a tool designed to create Polls and Surveys that both entities may use to interact with their target audience. Teens and Adults alike use it to create surveys and polls soliciting opinions among social networks about the latest news and events. Most of its business members, on the other hand, use the tool to discern the tastes, preferences, buying habits and spending trends of their consumers.

Mobile phone users are also given the freedom to customize their sites according to the vision they have in mind. A wide array of themes and color schemes are available, giving users the liberty to design a site that would best represent their vision. Some site builders even feature emulators that allow users to view how their mobile site would look after the changes they have made.

Given the wide array of tools featured by platform sites and their immediate availability, cellular subscribers around the world are given an avenue wherein they can readily reach out and meet individuals of different race, culture and heritage, penultimate in the heightening of their global awareness.

Advances in communications and technology have brought with it an off-shoot phenomenon that has greatly impacted the way individuals and businesses connect and deal with each other. File Sharing, which usually follows the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) model, has made it possible for people to connect in an instant. It involves an exchange of files between two users: an uploader providing the file and a downloader, who receives the file. The files are usually stored and served by the personal computers of the users.

Whereas before it would take days for individuals from across the globe to share photos, documents, videos and music, file sharing has bridged that gap of time and distance. Its impact is probably most felt in the music and entertainment industry wherein file sharing has made it possible for fans to listen and watch the latest music and movie releases in a span of seconds! As soon as the upload is finished, fans can easily download the file and be instantly updated with the latest events in the music and entertainment industry.

This wave was started by Napster, a file sharing service that paved the way for other P2P file sharing programs which are now used for many of the same reasons and can download music, pictures, and other files. The popularity and repercussions of the first Napster have made it a legendary icon in the computer and entertainment fields.

Napster was only just the beginning. Its pioneering effort in the file sharing phenomenon brought about the rise of more advanced P2P file sharing programs.

Kazaa, for one, is commonly used to exchange mp3 files over the internet. It uses the FastTrack protocol and enables users to exchange other file types as well. Videos, documents, and even software applications were made readily available to downloaders. However, Kazaa also saw its decline as it found itself the target of many copyright-related lawsuits. In addition, it has also become infamous due to the large number of viruses, worms, and Trojans that it has been known to support and help spread.

iMesh is a social network that also operates as a file sharing system. It has its own protocols for file transfer, and it was also the first to introduce the concept of swarming; that is, one user can download a single file from many different sources, effectively breaking the file down and increasing the speed of one’s download.

P2P sharing programs like iMesh has brought with it the rise of Limewire, probably the most commonly used P2P application for downloading mp3s and videos. LimeWire is a P2P client for the Java Platform, which uses the Gnutella network to locate files as well as share files. Although a free software, Limewire also offers a PRO version which differs from the Basic Version in a number of respects; the most highlighted being its “Turbo Charged” downloads as it allows downloads to come simultaneously from 10 peers rather than only 8.

Swarming eventually led to the development of BitTorrent, the latest rage in File Sharing. Also P2P in nature, BitTorrent users connect to each other to send and receive portions of the file. What sets BitTorrent apart from its other file sharing counterparts is that there is a central server (a tracker) which coordinates the action of all peers. The tracker only manages connections but it does not have any knowledge of the contents of the files being distributed; therefore, a large number of users can be supported with relatively limited tracker bandwidth. The key philosophy behind BitTorrent is that users upload at the same time they are downloading. In this manner, network bandwidth is utilized as efficiently as possible. BitTorrent is designed to work better as the number of people interested in a certain file increases. BitTorrent is ideal for downloading the latest movies, discographies and software applications.

File Sharing and the Mobile Web

Indeed, file sharing has become quite the phenomenon that it has even carried over to the mobile web. Mobilemo, a mobile web site builder, is among the few mobile web hosting platforms that introduces file sharing features for mobile phones.

People from across the globe now find it easier to connect and share photos, music, videos and files with friends, family and business partners. Mobilemo facilitates file sharing by enabling its members to upload their files through the internet and letting their friends download these files through mobile phones at any given time and at any given place. With Mobilemo’s file sharing feature, connecting with friends, promoting creative freedom, and keeping up-to-date with the latest trends and happenings have never been this easy!

Although still not as advanced as the file sharing programs made available on the Internet, Mobile File Sharing offers mobile phone users the instant convenience of sharing and downloading their files on-the-go.

Businesses get to present their latest line of products to clients and partners without having to log into a PC. It makes for a more convenient way to do business as even clients and consumers who are always on the go are able to view a company’s product line and services wherever they may be.

Mobile File Sharing also celebrates creative self expression—artists and musicians are given another venue to showcase their latest artworks and musical compositions through mobile phones. Fans get to download their favorite songs, videos and artworks as soon as it is uploaded.

Although not yet as widely developed as its Internet file sharing counterpart, the future is definitely looking good for Mobile File Sharing.

In a nutshell, an Emulator imitates or copies; it is something that impersonates something else. Technically speaking, it is a simulation of the functions of one system using a different system, so that the second system appears to behave like the first system. An important by-product of modern technology, an emulator gives users the capacity to obtain better control of the product/service it specifically serves.

The impact of emulators is most felt in the world of computers. As each computer consists of both hardware and software, the strong dependency between these two entities introduces a risk. If one of these fails, it will influence the computer’s operation and, consequently, its capabilities. As each hardware device will eventually break down, software accessibility is at stake. Emulation offers a solution to this problem.

As emulation imitates a certain computer platform/program on another platform/program, it makes it possible for users to view documents and run programs on a computer not designed to do so. In itself a program, an emulator creates an extra layer between an existing computer platform (host) and the platform to be reproduced (target).

Versatility: The many faces of the emulator

Whereas before emulation was perceived as limited only to computer systems, it has long since evolved to accommodate the needs of other areas like those of technology, the mobile web, business, games, aviation, and even art.

Emulators are especially visible now in the gaming industry. Gaming giants like Sony, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo and Sega, among others, often design their video game console software on especially accurate console emulators before trying it on real hardware. This enables them to test their software before finally manufacturing the final hardware in large quantities. In gaming, most of the time the company producing the simulator is also the one providing the hardware, which consequently enhances quality control.

Similarly, emulation is also prevalent in aviation and aeronautics. Aerospace manufacturers use engineering flight simulators in the development and testing of flight hardware. Emulation techniques are employed to make flight hardware work. Artificially-generated or real signals such as electrical, RF and sonar are emulated depending on the kind of equipment being tested. Engineering flight simulators are also used on the development and testing of flight software and the aircraft system itself.

Flight simulators are also extensively used by the aviation industry for design and development and for the training of pilots and other flight deck crew in both civil and military aircrafts. This flight simulator tries to copy, or simulate, the experience of flying an aircraft. It is as realistic as possible. Different types of flight simulators exist. They range from video games up to full-size cockpit replicas mounted on electromechanical actuators.

Aerospace companies also make use of space flight simulators to replicate the experience of space flight in a spacecraft as closely and as realistically as possible. These range from video games up to cockpit replicas controlled by state of the art computer technology or elaborate watertanks for the simulation of weightlessness. Space flight simulators are used almost solely by the aerospace industry and the military for cosmonaut/astronaut training, disaster simulation and spacecraft development.

Emulators are also used in hardware architecture. Many printers, for example, are designed to emulate Hewlett-Packard Laser Jet printers because a lot of software is written for HP printers. By emulating an HP printer, a printer can work with any software written for a real HP printer. It tricks the running software into believing that this device is really some other device.

Emulation is also a preservation strategy heavily used in New Media Art as it primarily uses digital formats. Some artists who specialize in resurrecting obsolete technologies in their artwork recognize the importance of a decentralized process for the preservation of digital culture. The goal of emulation in New Media Art is to preserve a digital medium so it may be saved indefinitely and reproduced without error. This minimizes the reliance of artists on hardware, which ages and becomes obsolete.

Indeed, the important role of the emulator has never been as highlighted as it is now. It has even gone so far as to infiltrate the rising mobile web. In fact, most mobile site builders make use of the emulator to enable users to view, in real time, their mobile web sites as if viewing it from a mobile phone. Mobilemo, a mobile site builder, created an emulator that serves as an extension of the mobile phone itself. It lets the owner view the changes he made in customizing his mobile site. The emulator of such site also has browsing capabilities that also enables users to view the mobile sites of other members through the computer.

The beginning of this century has seen the explosion of the World Wide Web. Overused, and sometimes even reviled, as the term ‘Web 2.0’ can be, nobody can deny that it has further enriched the Internet. In recent months, an offshoot of Web 2.0 has been emerging - the Mobile Web. With the Internet almost reaching its maximum potential - at least until the next major development breaks through - all gears are now shifting to the next frontier - the MOBILE.

Simply put, Mobile Web is the World Wide Web accessed through mobile phones and other mobile devices. The advancement of mobile devices from different makers has spurred its growth. Cutting edge gadgets such as Apple’s iPhone have brought even more attention to the endless possibilities of mobile web.

Users with mobile phones and other hand-held devices that have built-in web browsers can view regular websites on their devices even with its smaller screens. However, there is still the inconvenience factor of having to keep on scrolling sideways and downwards to completely view the web pages. This is where mobile sites come in. Mobile sites are mini-websites formatted to fit the smaller screens of mobile phones and other mobile devices. Though there are some features that are only possible with regular websites, users can still do almost the same things on a mobile site as they can on a regular website.

But is mobile web exactly the same as the World Wide Web? Is it simply the World Wide Web in miniature? Will it ever totally replace the World Wide Web? The answer is no. Mobile web, for all its rich features and interactivity, still does not really approximate the World Wide Web especially in terms of functionality due to device and format limitations. Users cannot really expect mobile sites to look and behave exactly as a regular website would.

A mobile site entails different programming scripts from regular websites. The range of coding scripts, CSS style sheets and fonts, among others, are limited in mobile web. Also, a lot of mobile devices default to their own font sizes and families. There are also limitations on interactivity and applications. Another issue is connectivity. People on mobile devices go in and out of coverage areas, and the amount of bandwidth can surge up and down, thus possibly hindering a full mobile web experience.

The device itself also plays a factor in the divide between the World Wide Web and the mobile web. Handhelds are not as powerful as desktops or portable computers when it comes to data handling and processing and display of rich media. There is also a limitation on navigation capability. Desktop-style navigation schemes may work on mobile devices, but not really as well as they do on PCs because of the smaller screen size and limited scrolling and pointing capabilities.

Limitations aside, however, mobile web has great potential and is slated to be ‘the next big thing’ in Internet technology. The one great edge of mobile web is instant access – the ability to connect people anytime, anywhere they are, and at the exact moment. The day may come when the divide between the World Wide Web and the mobile web will be bridged, but until then, many individuals and companies are coming up with different ways to narrow the gap.

Mobilemo dives in by offering a mobile site platform that lets users create their own mobile sites through simple and easy-to-use interactive tools. Mobilemo seeks to minimize the difference between the World Wide Web and mobile web by providing an almost web-like quality to mobile sites. Among the features enabled are image insertion and text wrapping, customizable templates, interactive tools for polls, comments and guestbook, and file sharing.

In spite of the limitations of mobile web, it is still a very important development that brings the Internet to even more people across the globe. In the future, mobile web may eventually run alongside the World Wide Web in terms of features and functionality. But until then, the key is to find ways to maximize the mobile web and make it work for your specific needs.