![]() Sending and receiving text messages is by far the most popular data activity for cell phone owners, with 42% of U.S. If your phone does not have this type of functionality built in, you can install it yourself by downloading an application, such as emoze or the open-source Funambol, that will enable you to push e-mail as well as sync your contacts and calendars. Users may configure several types of mail accounts on their device: POP3 or IMAP for personal e-mail, such as Yahoo! (see figure 8) or AOL Mail accounts Microsoft Exchange Server or Good Mobile Messaging for accessing corporate e-mail and Research In Motion's BlackBerry e-mail. Push e-mail is available on most of today's smartphones, PDAs, and iPhones. As new messages are delivered, the user is immediately notified that a new message is waiting. ![]() ![]() Push functionality delivers e-mail messages directly to a user's mobile phone, eliminating the need to browse to a client and collect it. However, the method of choice for mobile users is “push” e-mail (see figure 7). Web-based e-mail accounts can be accessed by visiting corresponding mobile Web sites. Why not take it one step further and allow them to reserve a station while commuting so that when they arrive they don't have to wait or sign onto a list? Start to consider how you might apply some of these emerging services in your own environment.Īnytime access to e-mail is a convenience for personal exchanges and an absolute necessity for business use. How great would it be for patrons to be able to do something similar with libraries? One university library is already making it possible for students and researchers to check on the availability of lab computers while on their way to the library. For instance, the mobile Web has spawned several new food-ordering services that enable regulars to avoid long lines by texting in advance requests for their favorites. Innovation in any arena is built upon a foundation of knowledge. But, just as with Web 2.0 and other new technologies, having a picture of the landscape at large and knowing how industries are making use of these mobile technologies can be invaluable in sparking new ideas and initiatives. Some of these applications may not seem pertinent to libraries, and many of them won't be right for your library in particular. This chapter summarizes many of the activities in which mobile Web users are currently engaged and will hopefully provide inspiration for either developing library-related services or increasing personal productivity. It's now possible to listen to an audiobook on the commute to work, catch highlights of last night's game, issue a text message to a roster of 20 friends, find out when the next bus will arrive, or listen to satellite radio. The mobile Web opens up a world of knowledge that can be accessed on the go by shoppers, travelers, readers, listeners, and news hounds with an information need. This paper examines the constitution of various components of the mobile web and explores how they can and have been utilized by librarians. The mobile Web is still evolving, and this is an exciting time of early development, but some hurdles still need to be overcome. Mobile Web users are faced with finding made-for-mobile content by either guessing the addresses of favorite destinations' mobile versions or using a search engine, which may or may not present the mobile site at the top of the results list. The mobile Web is the Internet for the small screen and therefore delivers many of the same rewards as its desktop counterpart-constant connectivity, location-awareness, limitless access and interactive capabilities. It includes the entirety of the Web and is not limited to Web sites that are specifically designed for mobile viewing. The mobile Web, simply put, is the World Wide Web accessed through a mobile device, ranging from a cellular phone to an iPod Touch. Today, most of us are using our cell phones primarily to download ringtones and check our e-mail, but there is an abundance of truly amazing services we can access through the mobile Web right now. Chapter 3: What Can You Do with the Mobile Web? Mobile Web Applications
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