By John S. Webster TechNewsWorld
11/16/07 3:30 PM PT
"The Button makes it easy for mobile users to get content that resides on a PC to their cell phone," Adam Kerr, a vice president at Bango, told TechNewsWorld. "It looks similar to the 'print' button that you see on many Web pages. This makes it very straightforward to access non-mobile Web-based content, it's easy to set up, and really simply helps users get content via a mobile server."
Will sending Web content to your handheld device be as simple as clicking a button? Mobile software company Bango believes so. Its new Internet-based application simplifies the process of downloading images from social networking sites to cell phones.
The software appears as a Bango Button on the home page of the user's cell phone browser window. With a click, the button can retrieve photos, music files and other content from various Web sites. The button links users directly to a mobile Web site or to mobile versions of Web sites. It can also be embedded in e-mails for distribution.
The software is designed to eliminate the cumbersome multi-step process normally associated with accessing Web images from mobile devices. About 33 percent of Internet users access social networking sites, according to research firm Yankee Group. However, sharing content across platforms -- including mobile devices -- has been tricky.
"The Button makes it easy for mobile users to get content that resides on a PC to their cell phone," Adam Kerr, a vice president at Bango, told TechNewsWorld.
A Caveman Can Do It
The software's ability to convert a Web site image into a properly sized, formatted image for a mobile device -- without requiring any expert mobile knowledge -- makes it valuable to users, according to the Cambridge, UK-based Bango.
The button removes the need to make the images mobile-ready or to have them located on a mobile Web site, Kerr added.
"It looks similar to the 'print' button that you see on many Web pages. This makes it very straightforward to access non-mobile Web-based content, it's easy to set up, and really simply helps users get content via a mobile server," Kerr said.
The button should work with most U.S. carriers, the company said. One exception is Verizon Wireless, which blocks some phones from downloading mobile Web-based content.
More Possibilities?
Users can download the button from Bango's Web site. Clicking on it leads to a short URL -- when entered into a cell phone browser, it lets mobile device users access mobile-ready Web-based content.
Users looking to create revenue through arrangements with Bango will find a charge can be assigned to a piece of content. Installing and using the Bango Button is free, but Bango says it plans to charge users for analytics and reporting capabilities that track user behavior and traffic.
Garmin Leaves Tele Atlas on Road Not Taken November 16, 2007
Garmin will no longer attempt to buy the digital map publisher Tele Atlas. Instead, the GPS device maker has directed its attention toward a Tele Atlas competitor -- Navteq. Garmin has signed a six-year extension on an existing partnership with Navteq that gives it access to its digital base maps.
Related Stories
Funambol CEO Fabrizio Capobianco: Linux Is Mobile's Future November 16, 2007
LinuxInsider met with Capobianco to discuss his view on the role of open source in creating Mobile 2.0 as a voice and data carrier parallel to the Internet. The meeting occurred in the wake of Google's announcement earlier this month that it was negotiating with wireless carriers, handset makers, software developers and hardware providers to use an open source mobile platform, Android.
Id's Unrepressed Desire: Mobile Gaming November 15, 2007
Id Software, the company behind classic shooter games like "Doom" and "Quake," has expanded its relationship with Fountainhead Entertainment to create Id Mobile, a division focused on the creation of games for handheld devices. The market for such games is expected to grow significantly in coming years as more sophisticated devices allow for more complex and entertaining games.
LiMo Foundation Exec Morgan Gillis on Mobile Linux, Android and What Lies Ahead November 13, 2007
"We're warmly and publicly welcoming the OHA. The reason we're doing that is because it is very different from LiMo. Google's background and focus within mobile are on the user experience and, in particular, on bringing the next generation of mobile Internet experience to consumers," said Morgan Gillis, executive director of the LiMo Foundation.
More by John S. Webster
Microsoft Muscles In on OLPC Action December 06, 2007
Microsoft's plan is to offer low-cost versions of its Windows and Office software packages that fit on a 2 GB hard disk card. This will be able to be upgraded to new BIOS software so the company can ensure the operating system can boot directly from a memory card.
HP Embraces Telecom With New Blade Server December 05, 2007
Already a platform giant, HP is now nudging its blade server portfolio into new territory for the company -- telecom. The company released a carrier-grade version of its BladeSystem product line that is developed specifically for telecom companies. HP's entry into this market will make it a competitor with Sun Microsystems and IBM, which already have a hardware presence in the industry.
eBay, Yahoo Team Up to Form Japanese Auction Powerhouse December 04, 2007
Yahoo Japan on Tuesday launched a new auction site called "Sekaimon." The Japanese name translates to "gateway to the world." By using their Yahoo Japan login information, the site will let users bid on items listed on eBay's U.S. site. The site will translate eBay item names into Japanese and help with payments, shipping and customs clearance. Both companies will share the revenue from the new site.
Headline Feeds
Talkback: 
