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Let’s get specific

It was sad to see the plugged pulled on Mowser, which was aimed at bringing the full web to mobile devices with less-capable browsers. I thought it was a great idea and well-executed, from someone who really gets mobile.

It did have problems to overcome though. For starters, many people don’t know that they can browse the full web (via Mowser or elsewhere) on their phone. And, if they do browse the web on their handheld, it’s probably using the amazing Opera Mini, which is an incredible (and low bandwidth) way to make the web usable on almost any phone.

But behind this is the gradual trend for mobile devices to sport very capable browsers. Symbian and the iPhone OS have great browsers built in, and can handle most web pages. So is there still a space for services that re-purpose content for mobile?

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£100 off will drive a few sales, but why do it at all?

£100 off will drive a few sales, but why do it at all?

Picture courtesy of TUAW.comFor the third time since its release, the iPhone has had a massive price cut. Following the recent price drops in Germany, today saw O2 and Carphone Warehouse knock £100 off the price of an 8GB iPhone. Plus, if bought through cash-back merchant Quidco with an O2 contract, the price drops to just £69!

Why is Apple’s unsubsidised uberphone suddenly so cheap?

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Introducing Jim

In case you hadn’t noticed, this is a blog about the iPhone, and one of the striking aspects of this device is the web browser. It is one of the most usable of any mobile platform, and in its short existence has forced web developers to re-think how they develop for the mobile web.

In this vein, I’d like to introduce All About iPhone’s newest writer, Jim Callender. Jim’s an award-winning web developer who’s going to give us insight from the other side of the coin – the developers who are responding to demand for websites that work just as well when mobile. Browsers such as Safari on the iPhone are a key part of this trend.

Jim’s just back from South by South West. Do read his wrap up of the conference if you get a chance. He has lots of fresh ideas, and I hope you’ll enjoy what he has to say.

There’s something else in the air

There’s something else in the air

Sync is in the airBack in the day (ahem, 2003), I was amazed when I hooked up my Nokia N70 with an account at Mightyphone and was able to bi-directionally sync my contacts. Any changes made through their web interface appeared on the phone and vice-versa. This was my first smartphone, and it seemed like magic. Unfortunately (owing to Orange’s data charges) it was expensive magic, and consequently I had to drop the service because of cost. But in the following 5 years, data charges have dropped. Over-the-Air (OTA) synchronisation is now not only technically feasible but actually affordable.
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