Chapter X6

On the Move with the Mobile Web: Libraries and Mobile Technologies Ellyssa Kroski

Getting Started with the Mobile Web

earning about the mobile Web and keeping abreast of new developments is easier than ever, as there Forums (cont.) Lare scores of resources available on the per- taining to upcoming application launches, newly designed EverythingiCafe Web sites, emerging technologies and standards, and www.everythingicafe.com cutting-edge devices. Nokia N95 Users Forum www.n95users.com/forum Forums Many of today’s major mobile devices have associated user forums for exchanging tips and information within the community of owners. These are incredibly useful These blogs are of interest to libraries thinking of estab- resources for finding out about everything from compatible lishing a mobile Web presence: memory cards to how to customize wallpaper and themes Library Technology Reports www.techsource.ala.org TechnologyLibrary Reports July 2008 for your model phone. The Everything family of Web sites • MobileCrunch—Part of the TechCrunch network, this offers guides to specific phone types, including the Treo, reports breaking news from the mobile realm about BlackBerry, Q, iPhone and Touch, and Centro. It has excel- devices, carriers, applications and more. lent forums dedicated to specific models. A search • Mobile—Weblogs, Inc’s mobile offering, for message boards related to a specific phone type will this online journal delivers cutting-edge mobile news often yield relevant results. For example, searching for on a daily basis. “N95 forum” will yield the Nokia N95 Users Forum. • Gizmodo—Part of the Gawker Media family, Gizmodo reports on gadgets and mobile technologies. Forums • Handheld Librarian—Written by multiple librarians, this blog details mobile happenings of interest to EverythingQ libraries and librarians. www.everythingq.com • MSearchGroove—This blog is dedicated to bringing news about mobile search, advertising, and social EverythingTreo media. www.everythingtreo.com ReadWrite Web’s Favorite Mobile Feeds—This OPML EverythingCentro file contains a compilation of RSS feeds from recom- www.everythingcentro.com mended mobile Web blogs and can be subscribed to via your news reader.

43 44 Library Technology Reports www.techsource.ala.org July 2008 http://wapreview.com WAP ReviewDirectory default.mspx https://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/domore/ MobileOwnersCircle Windows http://tinyurl.com/2lv8af or -Aiderssbest http://feeds.feedburner.com/RwwFavoriteMobileFeeds ReadWriteWeb’s FavoriteMobileFeeds www.msearchgroove.com MSearchGroove http://handheldlib.blogspot.com Handheld Librarian http://gizmodo.com Gizmodo www.engadgetmobile.com Engadget Mobile http://mobilecrunch.com MobileCrunch Youthese may helpful: alsofind Web sites Web Sites WAP Review —A mobile Web site directory, WAP Review • • —http://wap.aol.com/moviefone • —http://m.facebook.com • BBC—www.bbc.co.uk/mobile functionality anddesign: a you good idea of what’s possible with the mobile give Web as far as and going you get should sites Web These on Your MobilePhone The FirstTen SitestoVisit were builtin. they technology what about information with along sites Web portable of evaluations detailed provides games,andthemes. ringtones, load free software, down- to devices Mobile Windows have who owners Circle Owners Mobile Windows A lc fr phone for place —A offering e-book titles for loan. e-booktitles offering are that world the around partners library 7,500 of one is library local your if see and computer your on Media OverDrive to browse or Mobipocket, from e-book free a Download type. phone your for reader e-book the install and download and site Web mobile the to browse then computer, desktop your on site Web Mobipocket the on tutorials and reader, e-book free e-books, the out Check Starter Activity#2:E-Books ever havingwithout toopenaWeb browser. news and information, finance maps, weather, sonalized Yahoo! , Calendar, and accounts, as well as per- your to access one-touch have now will You application. the install and download to instructions the Followbar. get.go.yahoo.com into your mobile Web browser’s address type or phone, your to link Web the text will which ber, num - mobile your entering by started Get compatible. is device your if see to phones mobile 300 nearly of list the Visit the Yahoo! Go Web site on your computer and check Starter Activity#1:Yahoo! Go chapter2for plan.See moreited information. unlim- an have don’t you if Web the accessing for usage you Please that maynote be charged and fordata texting experience. mobile yourenhance to basis weekly or daily a on approach can you that activities starter of Here list a is started. me get to goals concrete any having not and tool powerfulnew a to access having than whelming “Anything you want.” For me, there moreis nothing over - repeatedly,told was I quicklywhen frustrated grew I it?” with do I can what “Well, was, technology computer to introduced was I askedwhen I questions first the of One Getting StartedActivities • NBC—www.nbc.com • JetBlue—http://mobile.jetblue.com • —http://mobile.yelp.com • USAToday—http://m.usatoday.com • YouTube—http://m.youtube.com Channel—http://mobile.history.com• History • NPR—http://m.npr.org http://mobile.yahoo.com/go Yahoo! Go Library Technology Reports www.techsource.ala.org July 2008 45 PhoneZoo http://phonezoo.com TUNED.mobi (formerly Radio4PDA) http://tuned.mobi NPR Mobile http://m.npr.org OverDrive Digital Media Locator http://search.overdrive.com Ball State University Libraries Ball State University www.bsu.edu/libraries/mobile Starter Activity #7: Get Creative On your home computer, browse to the PhoneZoo Web the Ringtones Browse account. free a for up sign siteand your to one send and sounds popular most the sectionfor phone. will You receive a text message containing a link your to it downloaded have you theto ringtone Once file. phone, assign it to one of your contacts. Next, into the venture Create from File section and upload one of your MP3 files. Drag the shaded area tosong you wish to theuse as your save it, ringer, and send portionto of the phone. your Starter Activity #5: VisitStarter Activity the Library Web mobile Libraries’ StateUniversity Ball the to Browse site, theWeb around Navigate phone. mobile your siteon their Search offer. they information of types what noticing mobile catalog be interested to find in. you may titles ListenUp! Starter Activity #6: Navigate to the siteRadio4PDA Web on your cell phone, and browse to your favorite radio station. Click on the link and listen to free radio through your mobile device. Head over to the NPR Web site at and check out their top stories. Click the Call link next to a story to dial in to NPR and hear a of recording it. Search the OverDrive Media Web site on your computer to see if your library thousandsaudiobook of free one is partnering provide to patrons. loans for LTR, and wave your phone Starter Activity #4: QR Codes Browse the mobile Web with your camera phone the help with of quick-response 2D . Navigate to the computerlook personal and siteyour on Web Semapedia up your phone model in the section “Find and Install a 2D Reader.” Enter the URL for the reader into the mobile phone, your and follow instructions instal for - lation. Start the application on your phone, flipappendix toat the the end of this in front of any of the QR Withinbarcodes. seconds, your phone will convert the graphic into a clickable URL so that you can browse to that Web page without Next, visit typing. the Semacode : Tag page and enter a URL to 2D barcode. own your create Starter Activity #3: Text Yourself Text Starter Activity #3: Experience what it’s like to send mobile information device. to Visit your the Yelp review Web computer site and a for search restaurant near you. Find one on your the to visit, choose that like Send to Phone option, you’d and see what type of information you receive. Visit the Simmons College Library, search the OPAC for you a may be title interested in, and select the Send button.via Message Text http://semacode.com/tag Semapedia www.semapedia.org Semacode : Tag Simmons Library Catalog http://library.simmons.edu Yelp www.yelp.com http://m.mobipocket.com Media Locator OverDrive Digital http://search.overdrive.com Mobipocket www.mobipocket.com Mobipocket Mobile