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Pinterest's mobile site now matches the look of its apps
To some, looks are everything. To others, it's all about what's inside. To Pinterest, it's a mixture of both. As such, don't be surprised to see a different look from the social discovery network the next time you use your smartphone's browser. In an effort to bring a one-design-for-all of sorts to handsets, Pinterest has redesigned its mobile website with a layout similar to the one found on the iOS and Android applications. Thanks to these changes, the site now displays a more polished design and a layout that's meant to highlight your most useful pins. If you're looking for quick access, the native apps will still be the way to go, but this should be a fine option to the pin-loving people who prefer to use the mobile browser.
Ask Massively: The mobile site and trolly trollersons
Welcome back to Ask Massively, that corner of the site where we take a stab at answering random questions you deposit in our inboxes and comments. Hey guys, we have a cave troll, checkit. soundersfc.tid wrote: I have a question or two about the commenting system. Do you think there will ever be a way to flag offensive comments through the mobile version of the site? And speaking of offensive comments, what metric does Massively use when considering permanent bans on commenters? Long-time mobile viewers will know that our mobile site is... well, it's a thing. A thing that doesn't get a whole lot of love from the technical staff, unfortunately. We were thrilled that the new comment system works so well on mobile, but you're right: It has some deficiencies, which is a bummer because according to our site analytics, a lot of you surf from your favorite hand-held gadgets.
Twitter's anatomy of a mobile redesign
A couple of months ago, Twitter did a big overhaul of its mobile site. When your service reaches such massive levels of popularity, there's a lot a to take into account with even the most minor of redesigns. Over on its official blog, Twitter offers up a fascinating bit of insight into what goes into such a reconfiguration -- oh, and if you've ever wondered what Twitter looks like on a Samsung Corby, this is the post for you. Check it out in the source link below.
Twitter makes its mobile site more feature phone friendly
When you look at the latest, greatest devices from Apple, Samsung, Motorola and the like all day, it can be easy to forget that not everyone out there is sporting a smartphone. But feature phone users have thoughts and feelings that need to be tweeted at all times, too. It's a good thing then, that Twitter's seen fit to update its mobile site to help offer a more uniform experience to users with old browsers, low bandwidth and handsets that don't quite fit under the "smart-" moniker. The new mobile site, available at mobile.twitter.com, rolls out today.
BBC News Online adapts mobile site to smartphone demands, doesn't discriminate against specs
Worried what your smartphone says about you? The Beeb isn't. That venerable British broadcasting institution is adopting a "four screens" strategy, with the overarching goal of creating a mobile news site that embraces devices of all specs, sizes and prices. Known as 'responsive design,' the company's back end will reportedly tackle the task of figuring out the specific demands of your phone or tablet and then deliver a touch-screen optimized site suited to your unit's particular profile. The changes, set to affect about 26 percent of BBC News Online's traffic, haven't been given a firm scheduling as of yet, with a tentative rollout on track to hit simpler phones first, while the more robust features, reserved for more capable tech, set to come later. According to Head of Product, Chris Russell, it's all part of a "wider 'under the bonnet' project" aimed at spreading the News division's reach to all corners, especially those less fortunate areas where internet access can "be crucially important to their lives." Hit up the source below to read Russell's full take on this move towards digital universality.
Google+ mobile site gets UI refresh, now more like its app siblings
Well, it's not quite the tablet-friendly app we've been waiting for, but, it'll do. Google+ has gotten something of a mobile facelift, bringing the portable site's design more in line with that of the Android and iOS mobile apps. The revamp isn't just visual, it also hides some nice new features, like the ability to reshare posts with just the click of a virtual button. You can check it out now by visiting plus.google.com on your mobile device or by opening m.google.com/apps/plus in your desktop browser.
Google GoMo thinks your site isn't mobile enough, wants you to change
Do mobile sites matter? Google thinks they do. In fact, the company has introduced GoMo, a "Google Initiative" aimed at bringing you over to its side. The site contains information driving this point home, resources to help you go mobile and an emulator to let you know how your site looks on mobile devices, so you can either GoMo or go home.
Mobile version of the site back up and running
We've been getting tips from people for several days that i.wow.com, the version of the site for users surfing from mobile devices, has been continuously redirecting to the regular webpage. That's obviously not something we want it doing, but our editors have been on the case. It looks like the problem was part of a network-wide issue that should be fixed now, so for anyone out there surfing from an iPhone or other mobile device, you should now be experiencing considerably less frustration (until you read one of my articles, but that's Working As Intended). If you'd like to check WoW.com from a mobile device, just remember to bookmark and use either i.wow.com (optimized for iPhones) or m.wow.com while you're surfing. Either should make it considerably easier to navigate the site on a small screen!
Twitter unveils new mobile version
It's probably fair to say that Twitter clients were the first "killer app" category for the iPhone -- Twitterific lead the charge way back when, but Tweetie came quickly after and then the flood gates were opened. But now, a late and unexpected challenger has entered the ring: Twitter themselves. Mashable has the screenshots -- Twitter has always had a slimmed-down mobile client (and it's still up right now at m.twitter.com, while the new preview is at mobile.twitter.com), but this one's a little shinier, with almost all the features and graphics of the main site. A few things didn't make it -- you can't skin your page as you can in the browser client (although none of the third-party clients that I know allow you to do that from the mobile client either). And lists are missing as well, though perhaps that's because Twitter doesn't quite consider them ready for prime time yet. Still, it's a definite improvement from the other mobile version, and the official blog on the subject says that they still have lots of visitors, despite all the other third-party clients out there.
