Wikipedia on your mobile

Wikipedia has made it to the mobile phone. Called
Wapedia, mobile phone users with a suitable handset and service (users should
beware of excessive charges for off-portal data by their network providers)
can access the full Wikpedia service in a package tailored for the mobile handset.
People who are interested can access it through their mobile browser by typing
in en.wapedia.org

The service complements the practical uses of the mobile Internet. Instead
of being used for long periods of time, consulting multiple sites and services,
the mobile Internet is best suited for quick answers to questions that need
answering on the move. Indeed, Wapedia addresses this so well that it could
spell the end of the pub quiz as we know it!

Wapedia follows a recent spate of useful mobile phone applications that are
beginning to make the mobile Internet an attractive and functional offering.
Google has released an excellent mobile version of its Maps service, which can be downloaded as a Mobile Java application by visiting www.google.com/gmm from your phone. Like it’s full blown
equivalent, the mobile maps service allows you to search by address or service
and offers directions from one place to another. It even offers a street map
and satellite map feature so you can get a birds eye view of where you are,
or where your going.

As was mentioned on a previous
post, Opera has updated its mobile browser, Opera Mini, as
well. This excellent application takes the headache out of having to use you
service providers limited wap portal, instead allowing users to access the real
Internet. Opera even makes searching the Internet on the move even easier by
automatically passing search terms through Google’s new mobile offering which formats information
to suit the mobile handset while prioritising their ‘ local search’ function, a sensible solution for a
device that is, by default, used more while on the move.

These applications are all available on many existing handsets. It’s fair to
say that, at the moment, they require a little more effort to get to than many
will be willing to commit. That said this is as much the fault of the handset
manufactures and network providers, as it is the companies that offer these
new services. It seems reasonable to expect that as these services improve so
to will demand to have access to them made easier. In the meantime, early adopters
are helping iron out early teething problems resulting in ever increased reliability,
usability and functionaality. The mobile Internet could finally be coming of
age. It only takes the right combination of handset, service and marketing (the
move from charging by the megabyte rather than the minute being one of the most
important) to make widespread adoption reach critical mass. When this happens,
rapid innovation will follow. This innovation will be interesting, not least
because of how inherently different the mobile Internet is in terms of interaction,
functionality and use when compared to the fixed line Internet.