Apple's iPhone has both led to a surge in the usage of the so-called "mobile web"Mippin capitalizes on both that demand and that usage with its service that tailors the web for mobile phones.
In anticipation of even more excitement surrounding the mobile web with Friday's launch of the iPhone 3G, Mippin has readied a new version of its site specifically built for the iPhone. It's not a native app because that is not what Mippin does. Instead, it takes web content and streamlines it into a standard Mippin-format for any web-enabled phone.
On the iPhone, that Mippin format looks just like some of the device's native applications. There are large, clickable areas for stories and Flash video is even converted into a Quicktime compatible format so it will play. (The iPhone's web browser still does not support Adobe Flash.) This new version runs faster and more smoothly than the previous iteration.
Just as many companies (including Mippin) are now making versions of their sites built specifically for the iPhone, Mippin hopes sites will do the same for its product. With the easy-to-use Mippin Maker you simply plug in your site's RSS feed and it will be Mippin-ready in seconds.
While Mippin may not revolutionize your browsing experience on an iPhone, it could make for a pretty well-put-together homepage if you don't have time to visit several different sites on your device. On other devices, where the web is not as nicely presented as on the iPhone, Mippin is definitely worth checking out.
Of course there is a lot competition in this regard, including the big sites like Google and Yahoo.
Alongside this new iPhone-ready version of the site, Mippin is announcing the hiring of Judy Gibbons as its new chief executive. Gibbons brings 25 years of experience from the likes of Microsoft, Apple and HP. She was also a board member of the large European mobile operator O2. She will retain her role as a venture partner at Accel Partners as well.
Launched in October 2007, the UK-based Mippin says that it is now seeing over 10 million page views per month. The site is viewed in over 146 different country on 1,300 different mobile devices. It was formerly known as Refresh Mobile.
Mippin will be sponsoring martinis at VentureBeat's MobileBeat 2008 conference being held on July 24.