May
27
2009

Mobile & iPhone Versions of Sazbean.com in Just Minutes with MoFuse

mofuselogoI’ve been investigating various mobile applications and services, and one of the most fascinating are services that easily create mobile versions of websites.  As more people have smartphones, it will be extremely important to have a website that is usable on mobile devices (and others).  Luckily, RSS feeds make it very easy to port content across different platforms.

Previously I took at look at Unity Mobile, which was fast, but I enjoyed the experience with MoFuse much more.  Creating the site was as easy as giving the RSS link for my blog, uploading a logo and changing some colors.  The interface was very similar to WordPress or other blogging software.  I was able to preview the site before it launched, and there’s a WordPress plugin which will automatically direct mobile traffic to the MoFuse site.  I can also monetize the mobile site with ads (revenue sharing) and MoFuse has neat features like click-to-call.  For the full review, head over to New Media Hub.

The Sazbean.com mobile site is here.

iPhone Sazbean app can be found here.

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Mar
09
2009

Why I Have to Have a Smartphone but Can't Live Without My iPhone

iphonepandukasenakaNot only do I work online, but I pretty much live online.  I use web-based applications for just about everything – email, calendar, documents, networking, etc.  It’s much easier to have information available online from any computer than have to rely on having my laptop all the time.  However, the drawback is needing some way to connect to that information without a computer – a smartphone.  Ever since my first blackberry I’ve been hooked on smartphones and having all the information I want at any time with a touch of a button.

Recently Aaron and I finally got iPhones, and now I wonder why we waited so long.  Obviously there have been benefits to having a device that has been upgraded a few times since it first came out.  But the functionality and design of the iPhone makes me wish my computer worked as elegantly (and as a Mac it does come close).  I have yet to run into something I can do on my laptop that I can’t do on the iPhone.  Granted, there are a few things I would rather do on my laptop – and typing long blog articles is certainly one of them.  I also know there are some limitations of the iPhone, but I have yet to run into one that I really care about.

Carrying around the iPhone makes it easy to stay connected to my network and clients, so I’m not as concerned with being away from my computer while I attend business or networking events. And unlike a lot of technology, the iPhone never seems to get in my way.  It’s as easy to use and fun to play with as my first computer way back in the 19**’s. What other technology can you say that about?

(photo by Panduka Senaka @ Flickr CC)

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Feb
19
2009

Should You Worry About Mobile Users?

mobilegaetanleeAaron’s post yesterday was inspired by the fact that one of his father’s friends now has an iphone.  Sure, a lot of our friends have iphones, but they tend to be tech people and early adopters.  When a technology reaches our parent’s generation, it generally means it has reached a more accepted position – and this is especially important because our parents are Baby Boomers, many of whom are in decision-making, purchase-making positions.

So, should you worry about mobile users on your business website?  It depends.  Does your intended audience view your website with a mobile device?  With the popularity of the iphone, smartphones have reached further into the consumer market.  Before, most of mobile web use was by Blackberry users, who were generally business users.

Even if your site’s users aren’t using mobile devices yet, they probably will be within a few years.  So, it may be a good idea to at least take a look at the mobile market – or at least put on your todo list.

(photo by Gaetan Lee @ Flickr CC)

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