Mobile Platforms and Resources
by Gary Price
Co-Founder and Senior Editor
INFOdocket.com and FullTextReports.com

WebSearch University
October, 2011
Washington, DC

This Page is Online at: http://j.mp/websearchDC11

Key Terms and Discussion

• Vocabulary
• Feature phone
• Smartphone
• Wireless carriers, different versions of the same phone
• Tablets
• Tether
  
  
• The Challenges of Discussing and Demonstrating Mobile Info in a Group Setting
• Three major platforms (Perhaps four?)
  
  
• Web Apps (for a Specific Platform) vs. Native Apps
  
• An app might be available for iPhone/iTouch/iPad
• An app might be available specifically for the iPad
• An app might be available for Android but not Apple products
• Available for BlackBerry and iPhone but not for Android
• Plus, what's not available today might be available tomorrow
  
  
• Useful App Discovery and Directory Tools
  
• GetJar, Appolicious and mplayit
  
• Large databases of apps Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, iPhone
• TWO LATE ADDITIONS
• Quixey
  
• Chomp
  

• Our Focus Today: Web Apps
• Nothing to Download, Will Work on Most Mobile Browsers
  
  
• Native Apps vs. Web Apps Usage Statistics
• This Does Not Mean That Platform Specific Apps Aren't Selling Well
  

Resources

• Mobile Web Apps From Libraries are Part of the Explosion
  
  
• Many Offer Access to OPAC While Some Go Further
  

• A company named Boopsie provides services for a number of libraries
• They offer a multiplatform approach
  
  
• Type Ahead Prediction Feature
  
  
• Budget Issues
  
  • Which platform to begin with if you can only choose one
  • Tools to convert a traditional web site into a mobile web site
  • Mobile version widget(s) available for Wordpress
  
  
• Worldcat.org Mobile
  

QR Codes in the Catalog

• QR=Quick Response (A Interim Technology before True Camera Phone Searching)
• Example: LookThatUp.com
• Cameraphone Searching: Leafsnap (iOS) and Mealsnap (iOS)
  

Mobile Versions of Well-Known Database Providers

• Including EBSCO, Summon (Serials Solutions), LexisNexis, Westlaw
  
  

Mobile Health

• One of the First Groups to Join the Mobile World
• PubMed Mobile and MedlinePlus Mobile
• WebWISER
  
  

Mobile Law

• Yale Law Library
• Mobile Web Site From Northern Illinois U.S. District Court
• Wonderful Compilation of Mobile Resources for the Legal Professional
  
  

Mobile Search from Google, Bing, and Yahoo
In Most Cases No Need to Type in Mobile URL. Why? Autoredirect.

• http://m.bing.com (Also Android and iOS Apps)
• http://m.google.com (Also Android and iOS Apps)
  
• http://m.yahoo.com (Also Android and iOS Apps)
• Search Plus Other Features (RSS Reader, Multimedia, etc.)
  

U.S. Government Mobile

• USA.gov
• Government Apps Directory
  
• GAO.gov
• FEMA.gov
  

News

• NewsNow Mobile
• SkyGrid (Apps for Android and iOS)
  

Multimedia

• TuneIn (Native app for most platforms)
• Music (Pandora, Slacker, Spotify, Rhapsody, and Other
• Stitcher
  

Social Media

• Mobile is a key reason for the social media boom
• Greplin Mobile (Social Aggregation)
  

• Productivity Resources
• Walk Score (iOS App)
  
• Instapaper and ReadItLater
  
• Dropbox
• Evernote
• Scribd Mobile
• Slideshare Mobile
• Google Docs
  
• Zoho
  
• Convert Just About Any Web Page Into a Mobile-Friendly Version: Instapaper Mobilizer
  
• Text is realigned and images and graphic removed, focus is on fast load times and
  easy to read document on a small screen
• You can make type larger or smaller at top of page
• Especially useful if there is no official mobile version
  
• Example: Author Guidelines for ONLINE magazine vs. Regular Version
• What About Google's Mobilizer?

Late Additions

• Wolfram|Alpha
• ibis Reader
  
• Flight Tracking
• Greplin
• Skype Wi-Fi
• IMO.IM
• BoxCar (iOS Only)
• Audio/Video File Format Converter
• SimpleNote
• Shazam for TV