New Apple Products at Macworld 2008

Well there was certainly a lot of buzz around Apple's new product announcements at Macworld 2008. The stock took a hit and there have been some complaints about whether or not the Macbook Air compromises too much. Anyway, more to come on this stuff.

Four Paths to Mobile Web Design and Deployment

Here's a handy article...

creativepro.com : "In this excerpt, well-known -- and better yet, well-respected -- Web designer Cameron Moll explains four ways to design and deliver standards-compliant content for mobile devices:Do nothing with your current Web siteReduce its images and stylingUse handheld style sheetsCreate mobile-optimized contentCameron lays out the pros and cons of each method and includes real-life examples of how content from sites following each of these methods displays."

Google To Acquire GrandCentral

techcrunch.com: "Google is in acquisition discussions with telephone management startup GrandCentral, we've learned, and we have a high degree of confidence that the deal has actually been closed. We are trying to nail down the acquisition price...

The basic idea around GrandCentral is "one phone number for all your phones, for life." As we change jobs, homes and cell phones, there are a lot of phone numbers to keep track of, and keeping everyone up to date with your most recent phone numbers is a real cost. If you use GrandCentral you can give out a single phone number. What happens when that person calls that number depends on his/her relationship to you, and what you are doing at the time."

Wow, Google grabs another one. I've been an early user of GrandCentral and it works as advertised. You can add any number of lines to ring, you can even upload a custom ring-tone MP3 for people to hear (I tested this by geeking out and adding the iPhone ring to my line). I have yet to put it to any rigorous use, but plan to leverage it quite a bit this summer.

The Mobile Web Offers a Rich Platform for Content and Advertising

Online Publishers Association: "With strong usage growth and consumers watching and acting upon advertisements, the mobile Web is a compelling platform for content and marketing, according to the latest research from the Online Publishers Association (OPA). Going Mobile: An International Study of Content Use and Advertising on the Mobile Web is the first OPA study to go beyond the U.S., involving over 6,000 interviews in the U.S., the U.K., France, Italy, Spain and Germany. The study was conducted in partnership with TNS Media and Entertainment."

Key findings: "Heavy Access and Growing Usage, Advertising is Driving Action, PC Web Brands Driving Mobile Web Activity, Mobile Web is Vital for Consumers of Sports, Weather and News"

They've also got the Presentation of Findings in PDF.