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It seems strange to start the ‘Mobile Web 2.0 Spotlight’ with a company that does not have a ‘mobile’ version of its product, but that’s what I am going to do; because I believe that the product offers some interesting possibilities for Mobile Web 2.0.
Let me explain..
The first product is Bitty Browser. The best way to imagine ‘Bitty Browser’ is to think ‘picture in picture’ as shown above.
What does it mean for mobile content?
Essentially, a smaller screen within the main screen on the desktop can display content originally targeted towards the mobile device, or more importantly, originally created on a mobile device. You can view it as ‘widgetizing the mobile web’. The possibilities for such a product from a mobile perspective are very interesting, starting with the fact that you could widen the distribution channels for mobile content.
From their web site ,
Philosophically, Bitty stands on two simple observations:
1. Browsing from page to page, clicking Forward and Back (i.e., typical Web navigation) is super-useful.
2. Web sites are increasingly composed of discrete blocks of content: an ad, a calendar, a list of links, and so on.
Bitty Browser joins these two ideas, enabling navigable blocks of content within Web pages and other documents, creating a type of 'mashup'.
Why Was Bitty Browser Chosen for the Mobile Web 2.0 Spotlight
I am biased towards the Web. In fact, to me, there is only one ‘Web’ and the closer we can bring the ‘Web’ and the ‘Mobile Web’ towards each other, the wider the usage of the Mobile Web and consequently the greater the knock on synergies to the Web itself.
The first principle of Mobile Web 2.0 is ‘User generated content will change the balance of power in the Mobile Data Industry’ (the seven principles of Mobile Web 2.0 is a separate blog , yet to come, but for now, lets just worry about the first principle). The mobile device is ideally poised to capture content at the point of inspiration. Hence, it is a major driver to Web 2.0. With the proliferation of rich mobile devices, content will be increasingly created on the small screen BUT consumed on the bigger screen(typically the PC). Anything that makes this process easier(i.e. the consumption of content originally created on mobile devices on the wider screen) is a boost to Mobile Web 2.0.
Hence, the first product in the spotlight is the ‘Bitty Browser’; even though it still is not pitched towards the Mobile Web yet.
Curious fact
Founder Scott Matthews's father is Mike Matthews, who runs Electro-Harmonix ,home of cult classic guitar effects like the Big Muff Pi and Small Stone, used by artists like Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, The Red Hot Chili Peppers!
As usual, we seek new ideas
Many thanks for the amazing response to my first post. If you think you are working on a great Mobile web 2.0 idea or if you can recommend a product or a service that conforms to Mobile Web 2.0, please email me at ajit.jaokar at futuretext.com
