I’ve recently been intrigued with where the whole “mobile web” world is going. In the future, will we be able to view normal websites on small, handheld devices? Will the need to develop mobile versions of websites diminish in our field?

With the launch of the iPhone today, and my recent experience of browsing web content on my Nintendo DS Lite, it seems that we may be getting a little closer to viewing the web as we know if on very small screens. Both of these devices show the entire web page in a small, unreadable form—relying on a “zooming” interface to allow the user to actually read the content. One thing to note, though, is that neither of these devices support Flash or movie files.

Especially watch the Seadragon portion at the beginning of the video linked below. It really blows my mind how this technology is allowing lots of content to fit into a small space…again, by allowing the user to zoom. Is this just a gimmick? How usable will the iPhone be? It’s going to be exciting to find out.

(The Photosynth part of the presentation is pretty amazing as well. Recently impressed at the addition of geotagging Flickr images, this takes it to a whole new level!)

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/129

We are looking for another developer to come join our team.

What you’ll be asked to do:

1. Develop websites using PHP, JavaScript and HTML with a strong emphasis on proper markup and tableless designs through CSS.
2. Work closely with other web professionals (designers, flash developers, programmers, account managers, etc.) to bring a variety of web based projects to life
3. Consistently suggest new ideas, design techniques, technology applications, process improvements, etc. for the betterment of our work quality and productivity

(more…)

When it comes to the web, content is king. The Smashing Pumpkins have launched a new website, and they’ve turned their content over to the fans almost entirely. Giving back to the fans is a familiar concept to the Pumpkins. In 2000, they released the concept album Machina II exclusively online, and entirely free. The album to date has not seen a commercial release.

The new site comes alongside a string of tour dates, beginning last month in Europe and landing in the U.S. on June 23rd for a 9-show residency in Asheville, NC then off to San Francisco, CA to play 11 more. The band has instated an open-camera policy and are encouraging fans to bring their cameras and recording equipment. This will be their first show in the states in over 7 years. The new site requires visitors to create an account in order to contribute photos and videos. The fan-submitted content implements a simple user-rating system to determine things like ‘Most Recent’ and ‘Most Popular’ and what shows up on the home page. Tickets were sold exclusively online, and the residency dates sold out in 5 minutes.

My take: A clever way to populate a website, create a buzz and ultimately give back to the fans.

Fans of of iGoogle will likely be impressed with what Netvibes has to offer. Netvibes is an AJAX-driven customizable start page featuring modules that syndicate RSS feeds, access POP3 email accounts, stream podcasts, access photos and lots more. Some of the more popular modules enable quick access to Flickr, Gmail, Myspace, Digg, Youtube, and Google Maps. Users can browse new modules and share their sets of tabs via the Netvibes Ecosystem. I’ve been on it about a year. A+++

Every wondered what the web really looked like? Well, Randall Munroe at XKCD.com did a pretty good job painting a picture of the new world of online communities. Google’s Volcano Fortress is my personal favorite with the “Noob Sea” coming in a close second.