…And we’re back! As you might have noticed, we have been a bit “preoccupied” as of late. Because of this, we have let a few “newer” services fall by the wayside. So obviously, there is only one thing that we can do to rectify the situation: Have a Showdown! So sit back, relax, and enjoy this massive, two-day journey through the new and scary.

App #1: Yahoo Meme

Website: http://meme.yahoo.com/home/
Developer: Yahoo
Type: Web service
Speciality: Microblogging
Why We Consider It to Be New: The service itself was released early last August. The API was released yesterday.
First Impression: “It’s cute. Not as cute as Plurk, but cute nonetheless.”
Potential Roadblock: English language users seem to be in short supply at the moment.

App #2: hi5

Website: http://www.hi5.com/
Developer: hi5 Networks
Type: Web service
Speciality: Social network
Why We Consider It to Be New: Hi5 has undergone what some might call a “gimmick change.” Instead of being a straight social network, hi5 now puts much of its focus on casual gaming. (Note: We here at the Free Line hate the terms “casual games” and “casual gaming.” From this point forward, all games of that nature will be referred to as “fidget games.”)
First Impression: “I love me a good fidget game.”
Potential Roadblock: None at the present moment. The Showdown is still young, however.

App #3: CNN Mobile

Website: N/A
Developer: CNN Interactive Group, Inc.
Type: iPhone Application
Speciality: News app
Why We Consider It to Be New: …Because it is. According to the iPhone app store, version 1.0 was released on September 24th. That seems pretty darn new to me…
First Impression: “This … Is (the iPhone-centric, mobile version of) CNN.”
Potential Roadblock: One can only take “so much” of cable news before going completely off of his or her rocker.
Note: I will be judging the app itself, not the reporting that lies therein. The Free Line is roughly 99.995% “politics free,” and I plan on keeping it that way.

App #4: iDrudge

Website: http://www.drudgereport.com (Original site)
Developer: Joseph Nardone
Type: iPhone Application
Speciality: News app
Why We Consider It to Be New: Again, it is. Version 1.2 was released at the beginning of October.
First Impression: “Why did the program close just now?”
Potential Roadblock: The program seems to be a tad “touchy,” as they say.
Note: Remember the disclaimer to the CNN app? The same exact thing applies here. As far as this blog is concerned, the app is everything.

App #5: Photoshop.com Mobile

Website: N/A
Developer: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Type: iPhone Application
Speciality: Photo editor
Why We Consider It to Be New: It’s five-days old.
First Impression: “It’s free?! I wonder what’s wrong with it…”
Potential Roadblock: This isn’t the original “Photoshop” that we’re talking about here. It’s Photoshop.com. Remember our last go around with Photoshop.com? If you do, then you know firsthand why we consider this to be a roadblock.

Okay gang. As promised, here is the exciting conclusion of Leavin’ On a Jet Plane. Enjoy!

Tool #1: MotionX GPS

Why We Checked It Out: To many, a good GPS system is a must. The problem is that we don’t necessarily have one. The closest thing we have is an unlocked Nokia smart phone that contains full maps for Finland and Germany. While that would be great if we wanted to drive from Helsinki to Dusseldorf, it makes driving from Atlanta to, say, Pittsburgh neigh impossible.
Our Thoughts Then: I honestly have no idea what I am doing here. There is a compass, a scrolling banner and several intimidating looking buttons, all of which are doing something completely foreign. This is definitely going to be interesting…
Our Thoughts Now: …We still have absolutely no idea what we were doing. All we did was press buttons until we either:

1. Found the compass utility.
2. Found that nifty overhead shot of our destination.
3. Got a gigantic headache and switched back to Google Maps.

To be fair, our lack of knowledge is partially our fault, seeing as how we eschewed the provided reading material in favor of the “hunt and peck” method. Still, we really don’t think that you can blame us here. The last thing we felt like doing was reading though an online manual the size of a Dungeons and Dragons rulebook in order figure out which way was north. If you have the patience for such things, great. We didn’t, obviously.
Overall: 8.5 (For people who “get” how true GPS systems function); 2 (For people who would much rather bring up/print directions from Google Maps than stare blankly at an odd looking compass for hours on end.)

Tool #2: Gas Buddy

Why We Checked It Out: Finding a place to get cheap gas is always a good thing.
Our ThoughtsThen: The website is absolutely perfect for the rookie traveler, telling us everything that we could possibly need to know in a straightforward, timely matter. The iPhone app, however, left us scratching our heads in confusion. Still, the trip (and the Showdown) is still young.
Our Thoughts Now: Despite our initial trepidations, the Gas Buddy worked as advertised. We were able to get gas, and we got it as cheap as humanly possible.
Overall: 8

Tool #3: TripIt

Why We Checked It Out: It’s always a good idea to keep track of your travel plans. Hey … It beats writing everything down on paper, right?
Our Thoughts Then: The site, while a tad cryptic, looks to be rather promising. We will have much more on this intriguing looking social service in a few days.
Our Thoughts Now: A service like this is great if your trip includes buying plane tickets and a hotel room. If it involves driving long distances in a car that you own, however … that’s a different story. Now that is not to say that TripIt isn’t a fantastic service. It just did not mesh with “our kind” of trip.
Overall: N/A — It simply does not make sense to assign a score right now. Check back with us in a few months.

Tool #4: Traffic

Why We Checked It Out: Just because we know the lyrics to “The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” and “Feelin’ Alright” by heart doesn’t necessarily make us experts on “Traffic.”
Our Thoughts Then: The reviews on the app store were the very definition of the word “mediocre.” Here’s to hoping that our experiences buck the current trend.
Our Thoughts Now: Those reviews lied. Traffic wasn’t “mediocre,” it was downright abysmal and embarrassing. What’s the use of having a “traffic guide” if the program just does not work? Case in point: Traffic claimed that the “Pittsburgh stretch” of I-79 would be clear sailing through calm seas. It wasn’t. We were actually stuck in a rather large jam up due to some “impromptu” road work. Later on, it told us to be ready for “significant delays” around the borders of West Virginia and Virginia Prime. We still have no idea what they were talking about.
Overall: -8. It would be in your best interest to avoid this app like the cliche of your choosing (the plague, a bitter relative, the “rival” political party, etc).

Hello and welcome back to “Web Programming for Smart Phones,” our landmark five-part series dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of the mobile web. Today, we finish our journey by looking at the wild world of innovation.

So you can show someone being innovative? Man, I’d like to see that… – Actually, no, we can’t. Showing “innovative” is like showing “creative” — it exists, but the exact definition varies from person to person. We can, however, explain the one rule that we try to live by: find a niche, and fill it. Like most things in life, this can best be described by liberally referring to an episode of The Simpsons for guidance.

The episode begins with Homer suddenly realizing that he has done nothing truly meaningful with his 39+ years on Earth. After being talked out of a deep depression by Marge, he accidentally figures out what he is truly meant to do — become an inventor. Using the great Thomas Edison as his inspiration, he spends days upon days sitting in his basement, trying desperately to create a device that will “make sure that people never forget the name Homer Simpson.” After a few (quite literal) misfires, Homer comes to the realization that it is all hopeless and pointless. It is at that point that Marge and Lisa notice two extra legs attached to Homer’s favorite dining room chair. In the midst of his “work,” he explained, he kept leaning back a bit too far and wound up hitting his head repeatedly. In order to alleviate this “inconvenience,” he simply attached two wooden posts to the back of the chair using a few small hinges. That way, he could lean back in peace without causing any (further) brain damage.

Now what does “Homer Simpson’s Wacky Scheme #475″ have to do with websites on the iPhone? The answer is simple: Homer found a niche that was not being served by the rest of the world, and he filled it. This is exactly what you have to do with your website. You need to find that one item that is being ignored by your competitors and pounce all over it. Let’s say for example your site caters to people who are in love with gadgets. You read all of the “big deal” sites — Gizmodo, Engadget, CrunchGear — but are put off by their lack of “mobile style,” if you will. Right there is your “in;” your answer to extra legs attached to the dining room chair. You need to make your site more mobile friendly. While we are not saying that you’ll be rubbing elbows with Michael Arrington anytime soon, that one change should attract more attention to your site. More attention means more users. More users mean … I think you get where I am going with this. And all of this success came from filling a basic need. Isn’t innovation wonderful?

…And there you have it. We sincerely hope that you all had as much fun reading this series as we did writing it. Be sure to come back Monday for part three of our “Leavin’ On a Jet Plane” Showdown. Until then, we bid thee a fond adieu.

On today’s jam packed episode of the Free Line, we are going to be taking a look at two of the best word processing apps the iPhone has to offer. Before we do, however, we would like to “lay out” the next few days of the Free Line for you all.

Friday: Web Programming For Smart Phones Presents Innovation: Not Just a Buzzword Anymore
Monday: Leavin’ On a Jet Plane, Part Three
Tuesday: Fun With Text Message Advertising

Keep in mind that all of these topics, much like the undercard at a boxing, wrestling, and/or MMA event, are subject to change  without notice. With that said, here we go…

App #1: Quickword

Website: http://www.quickoffice.com/
Company: Quickffice, Inc.
First Impression: “Doesn’t seem too bad, all things considering.”
Importing: About as easy as you can possibly get with the iPhone. Instead of using potentially complicated syncing software (see below), Quickword takes the easy route — it simply turns the iPhone into a low level document server. From there, all it takes is a few simple clicks.
Positives: Aside from the painless “importing” feature,” Quickword’s true claim to fame lies in its usability. Nearly every function we tried — typing, editing, even simple formatting features like indents and bullets — worked perfectly.
Negatives: The full Quickoffice suite costs a mind numbing $13 … and it’s currently on sale. For the purposes of this Showdown, we purchased just Quickword, which ran us a more reasonable $5. Yes, we’re not fans of spending money, but there are times where it is downright unavoidable. This is definitely one of those times.
Overall: 7; It would have been a “9,” but that $13 price point really made our wallets cry.

App #2: Documents To Go

Website: http://www.dataviz.com/products/documentstogo/index.html
Company: DataViz Inc.
First Impression: “Do I have to load a program for my desktop?”
Ease of Importing: Painful. As we mentioned above, Documents To Go relies on an external app to transfer and sync files. To get the app in question, we had to first register our software with the “head honchos” at DataViz. We then had to wait for them to send a link back to us. It was only after we loaded the syncing software that we found out that the files are transmitted via a wireless connection using Apple Bonjour. That’s great, save for two minor problems:

1. Our main desktop system doesn’t have a wireless connection.
2. We are ardent Windows users. As such, we hate the Bounjor wireless protocol with an undying passion. Always have, always will.

After a few minutes of swearing and throwing small stuffed animal toys at the cats, we gave it a try on the laptop. It still didn’t work. Deciding that it was best to give civility one more go before bursting into tears, we hooked it up to the USB port on the laptop. Thankfully for us, some things don’t change. Documents To Go accepted our “tethered” iPhone with open arms, just like it accepted our old Palm Pilot with the monochrome screen all those years ago.

Now that everything was set up and ready to go, all we had to do now is transfer our files. Luckily, that was the easy part. It took just a few clicks to move everything from our desktops to our phone.
Positives: The only thing stopping us from comparing Documents To Go to the “big boys” that call our desktops home is the lack of available fonts. It really is that good. Then again, there’s a reason that programs like this tend to stick around for so long.
Negatives: Instead of us writing something here, we suggest that you simply reread the “Ease of Importing” section again. Thank you.
Overall: 9.5 (for editing); 7 (for syncing, keeping in mind that our experience is the exception, not the rule).

…And the Winner Is: Documents To Go by a wide, wide margin. It’s easy to use (sans the syncing, but again we are the exception, not the rule), extremely powerful, and most importantly, relatively cheap. You really cannot go wrong here.

Hello and welcome back to “Web Programming for Smart Phones,” our landmark five-part series dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of the mobile web. Today we continue our journey with a look at creativity … in a way.

Wait … How exactly can you teach someone to be creative? – Well, we can’t really. Either you are creative, or you’re not. Still, we’re not talking about the “write a story; paint a picture” kind of creativity that you are obviously thinking of right now. In the context of this guide, a “creative” person is one who simply accentuates the positives and hides the negatives. (Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?) Almost anyone can pull off this kind of creativity, provided that you are ready and willing to “think outside the box.”

Okay, I understand what you’re saying. A few examples would be nice, however… – Can do. The following are two common roadblocks that you might run in to when working with your site (Flash and text), along with our solutions. Keep in mind that these suggestions are not absolute. They are merely what “we” would do in the situation provided.

Problem – Flash
Why It Is a Problem – Not many of the smart phones on the market today are capable of running Flash.
Our Solution – We realize that nothing can quite replace the charm of Adobe’s prized possession. Instead of thinking of what might have been, we would attempt to incorporate more “cutting edge” technologies like CSS3 and HTML 5 into the project in question. Most of the major hand sets support these “emerging” standards and besides, there is not a one of us that can claim that he or she loathes seeing something new in action. It might take you a few extra minutes to learn, but the effort will definitely pay dividends in the long run.

Problem – Text
Why It Is a Problem – There are many reasons why text could be a problem with your site. There could be too much of it. It could be in an odd font. It could even be positioned badly on the screen.
Our Solution: It all comes down to three little words: Keep it simple.  Take the font selection for example. Yes, we know that that font you bought for hundreds of dollars three years ago looks insanely nice. And yes, it does really bring out the “best” in your site. That said, what is the use of using a fancy font if most hand sets do not support it properly? You put all of that time, effort, and money into your font selection, only to have it default back to Arial or Times New Roman. When you keep it simple, everybody wins.
Note – “Simple” does not mean “simplistic.” Keep your designs elegant, but know when to say “when.”

…And there you have it. Be sure to come back next week for the fifth and final part of our series: Innovation: Not Just a Buzzword Anymore. Until then, we bid thee adieu.

There are some stories, concepts, and rumors that seem to live on blogs like this one. Most of the time, these stories deserve the “star status” that they have been given. Every now and then, however, you run into a”Brett Farve” — a report that used to be interesting, but has been driven into the ground so much that it has become downright annoying. So on today’s episode of the Free Line, we are going to take a look at five of these stories, keeping a close eye on what exactly went wrong.

5. The “Twitpocylyse” – As you might have noticed, there has been one word on the lips of every mover, shaker, and outgoing athlete in the past year: Twitter. But for every one story about the insanely popular service, there seems to be two talking about its eventual end. According to some, the end is going to come when the number of users exceed 4,294,967,295. When this happens, the sites say, many Twitter-based programs will simply stop working. Interesting? Yes. Scary? Well yes, if you’re a Twitter addict. Still, there is one small problem with this theory — it was supposed to have happened once before. See, June 12th was supposed to bring about the end of all Tweets as we know it. The actual result? Two programs stopped working, but both were fixed within twenty-four hours. Maybe take two will bring about the end. We can only wait and see.

4. Google Makes the Greatest Things Ever – If there is one thing that everyone can agree upon, it’s Google’s track record. They make good products, plain and simple. Unfortunately, that sort of reliability has the tendency to be overblown by us in the press. Chrome isn’t a promising browser and/or operating system; it’s the one-two combination that will send Microsoft into bankruptcy. Android was being called a “sure fire iPhone killer” months before anyone even saw a screen shot. The latest program on the bandwagon is Google Voice, which is supposedly poised not only to take down Skype, but Apple and AT&T as well. Praise is great, but sometimes, it can go a bit too far.

3. The Demise of… – We are all familiar of the pop culture phenomenon known as “the backlash” — an odd social  movement in which a celebrated musician, trend, or celebrity goes from hero to “public enemy number one” seemingly overnight. This happens in the tech world as well, only in a slightly different fashion. Instead of mocking the offending tech product on talk shows and the like, we talk about how the company is on the point of death. Yahoo, MySpace, and eBay have all been subject to the “web services death watch.” While all of the companies mentioned have seen better days, the suspicious timing of these articles, and well as the dubious suggestions on how to right the proverbial ship (e.g. “Do what the competition is doing … it’s not ripping them off at all!”) , have us rubbing our collective temples in frustration.

2. Is Biz Stone Going to Sell Twitter? – For media outlets such as ESPN and Sports Illustrated, the aformentioned “Brett Farve watch” is a bonafide dream story. They can spend hour after hour and page after page sitting out on the man’s lawn, hoping that he will eventually come out and say “yes, I am coming out of retirement to join the Minnesota Vikings football team.” And if he doesn’t, who cares? The simple fact that he didn’t make an appearance is a fine little story within itself. The tech crowd has their own “Farve Watch,” but it has nothing to do with “sticking it” to the Green Bay Packers. No, ours involves the looming sale of Twitter by Biz Stone. Like Farve, Stone knows exactly how to play the media to his liking. All he has to do is drop a few key words into an interview — “monetize,” “Yahoo,” “Microsoft” — and the tech crowd is talking about it for a week. No matter when or if Stone decides to set his prized creation adrift, we can almost guarantee you that like Brett Farve’s third comeback attempt, the reality of the situation will not live up to the hype.

1. Fun With Microsoft and Yahoo – Everyone loves a good “will they, or won’t they?” story. In the 1970’s, we had Satuday Night Live’s lampooning of Fransisco Franco’s deathbed drama. (Spoiler: Franco is still dead.) In the 1990’s, we had the ongoing love affair between “Friends” Ross and Rachael. In the new millennium, we have the ongoing merger talks between Microsoft and Yahoo to keep us guessing. It seems like everything is going well, but oh no! Then-Yahoo president Jerry Yang has shot it down! Everything appeared to get back on track, but then Microsoft head Steve Ballmer announced that his company wants “absolutely nothing to do” with Yahoo. Things went on … and on … and on … like this until last week, when the two companies finally worked out a search deal. While it’s great that Yahoo has gotten their company in order, we sort of wish that they wouldn’t have “teased” us for so long.

…And there you have it. On behalf of everyone here at the Free Line, good night and have a pleasant tomorrow.

As many of you are already well aware of, we in the Northern Hemisphere are knee deep in something that we like to call “summer.” Now to most people, summer means only one thing: complaining about the heat seeing movies in which things explode for no apparent reason going places. On part one of our special three part Showdown extravaganza, we will be taking a look at four apps and services that are designed to make the summer trip just a tad bit easier. But before we do, however, our good friend “Triple N” (aka “the dissenting opinion”) has something to say.

Triple N: “Hey … What gives? I thought you said that there would be more marketing stories.”

Us: Don’t worry about it. There will be. Besides, you don’t have to use these tools on vacation. You could always employ them on your next business trip. There’s more to “work” than just staying in the office, you know.

Triple N: Good point. Carry on then.

…With that said, here we go:

Tool #1: MotionX-GPS

Service Provided: GPS
Platform: iPhone
Programmer/Host: Fullpower Industries
Why We Checked It Out: To many, a good GPS system is a must. The problem is that we don’t necessarily have one. The closest thing we have is an unlocked Nokia smart phone that contains full maps for Finland and Germany. While that would be great if we wanted to drive from Helsinki to Dusseldorf, it makes driving from Atlanta to, say, Pittsburgh neigh impossible.
First Thoughts: I honestly have no idea what I am doing here. There is a compass, a scrolling banner and several intimidating looking buttons, all of which are doing something completely foreign. This is definitely going to be interesting…

Tool #2: GasBuddy

Service Provided: Gas station locator
Platform: Web/iPhone
Website: http://www.gasbuddy.com/
Programmer/Host: GasBuddy (Website); Bottle Rocket (iPhone app)
Why We Checked It Out: Finding a place to get cheap gas is always a good thing.
First Thoughts: The website is absolutely perfect for the rookie traveler, telling us everything that we could possibly need to know in a straightforward, timely matter. The iPhone app, however, left us scratching our heads in confusion. Still, the trip (and the Showdown) is still young.

Tool #3: TripIt

Service Provided: Social Travel
Platform: Web/iPhone
Website: http://www.tripit.com
Programmer/Host: TripIt
Why We Checked It Out: It’s always a good idea to keep track of your travel plans. Hey … It beats writing everything down on paper, right?
First Thoughts: The site, while a tad cryptic, looks to be rather promising. We will have much more on this intriguing looking social service in a few days.

Tool #4: Traffic

Service Provided: Traffic guide
Platform: iPhone
Programmer/Host: CLO Software
Why We Checked It Out: Just because we know the lyrics to “The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” and “Feelin’ Alright” by heart doesn’t necessarily make us experts on “Traffic.”
First Thoughts: The reviews on the app store were the very definition of the word “mediocre.” Here’s to hoping that our experiences buck the current trend.

…And there you have it. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for a more in depth look at each of the services listed.

Hello and welcome back to “Web Programming for Smart Phones,” our landmark five-part series dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of the mobile web. Today we continue our journey with a frank dialog about load times.

I get how network speeds can affect the load times of my site. I just don’t understand how the various network speeds. – The major mobile networks work like this:

• GPRS – Also known as “2.5G,” users on this network generally experience speeds on par with a 56K dial up modem. Extremely slow and financially costly to the user, GPRS systems are primarily employed on older mobile phones and the original iPhone.
• EDGE – Also known as “2.75G.” Generally considered to be the “basis” of modern 3G networks, EDGE users can expect speeds as fast as 236 kb/s. While it isn’t the speediest network on the block, EDGE can still deliver the goods when needed.
• 3G – Considered by many to be the modern standard bearer for mobile networks nationwide, 3G enabled devices can perform such media heavy tasks as streaming audio and video without a noticeable delay. 3G can be delivered to the user in several different ways, including CDMA2000/EV-DO (Sprint Nextel and Verizon), and the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (T-Mobile and AT&T).
• WiFi – No explanation is needed here. Moving on…
• WiMax – Think WiFi on baseball/bodybuilder-level steroids. Instead of covering small rooms, WiMax is designed to blanket entire cities with broadband style access. As of this writing, WiMax is only available as a laptop “connect card” and to users who wish to ditch their current cable or DSL service.

Our Suggestions – Unlike our previous two installments, I cannot simply show you a site and say “site X’s load times are fantastic.” It has much more to do with the user’s mobile network and handset of choice than anything the programmer/webmaster has control over. After all, a laptop employing WiMax will undoubtedly get better speeds than a four year year old Blackberry connected to Metro PCS. That is not to say that you don’t have at least some control over how your site reacts. That is where our advice comes in.

1. Aim low.* – I know that that might sound a bit counterproductive, but hear us out. While your site might run perfectly on 3G beauties like the iPhone or the Palm Pre, it could crash and burn on older models that rely on EDGE/2.75G to get by. Lose them, and you will lose a sizable chunk of your audience. By making your site “EDGE compatible,” you essentially take loading times out of the proverbial equation.
2. Listen to your gut. – If you believe that that fancy new script that you have been toying with will put mobile users at a disadvantage, don’t use it right away. Sometimes, the old “gut feeling” is right. Pay attention to it.
3. Do the research. – Check out the specs of the major smart phones. Make absolutely certain that you understand what makes these handsets tick. Only then can you…
4. …Accentuate the positives and hide the negatives. – The goal is to make your site appear to be tailored made for whatever smart phone or mobile device the consumer is currently using. You can make that happen, provided that you have done your research correctly. Let’s say for a moment that I have five random devices sitting in front of me right now. Now according to my research, only one of those devices can run Flash properly. The conclusion? No Flash for you. Sure, it might look great, but what’s the point of using a technology that only one person has access to? It might seem like a pain now, but “hiding the negatives” will definitely pay off big at the end. Trust us on that. *Note: You might have noticed I said to tailor your site for EDGE, not GPRS. The reasoning for this is simple: GPRS is on the way out. There’s a fine line between being “inclusive” and just being brainless. Be sure not to cross it.

…And there you have it. Be sure to come back next week for part four of our series: Let’s Get Creative, People! Until then, we bid thee adieu.

Okay gang, it’s time for yet another highly popular round of “ask me a question.” So without further adieu, let us get to it.

Where is part three of “Web Programming for Smart Phones?” – Part three, tentatively entitled “The Waiting Is the Hardest Part,” will be hitting a web browser near your within the next few days. the series is very important to us, but honestly, we also wanted to establish our other concepts as well.

Oh? Such as? – Building our own mobile site, for one. High class, high quality mobile sites should not just be limited to the likes of million dollar computer firms or folks whose personal wealth rivals that of Scrooge McDuck. We intend to prove that it is possible to build, maintain, and most importantly advertise, a mobile site without spending a ton of cash. We are so confident that we can make this happen, that we set our design budget to an unthinkable, unheard of sum of zero dollars American. That’s right. We will have a top shelf mobile headquarters, and it will not cost us a dime. And the best part? A site like this can be yours as well. It’s all about smart design, forward thinking, and a great ad campaign.

Wait … I thought you said you were for tailoring your existing site to fit the needs of mobile users. What gives? – We still are. Still, it doesn’t mean that we cannot explore other options.

Will this be programming intensive? I hate programming. I have guys who do it for me. – Nope. This will be about theory, content, advertising, marketing, and overall presentation. Not one line of code will be printed in this blog. I assure you of that.

Works for me. How’s the text advertising project coming along? – As we said last Friday, it usually takes a little while for this kind of thing to register. Ask us again in a few days.

I hate the “geek” stuff. More advertising news, stat! – We hear you. We here at the Free Line promise that there will be more talk about marketing your site and/or product in the future.

Great. Do you have anything that I can check out right now? – I do, actually. For those interested in the emerging world of mobile advertising, I highly suggest reading “Mobile Marketing Without Being Annoying” by Chris Crum. Essentially an expanded interview with Yahoo’s Tom Foran, the article explains the ins and of out of advertising on the so-called “mobile web” without being too confusing or geeky. While some of his suggestions and tactics are not exactly “free,” the piece is still worth the old “once over.”

…And there you have it. Until tomorrow, we here at the Free Line bid you all good day.

On today’s award winning episode of the Showdown, we will be reviewing four iPhone apps that went overlooked. Some are good. Others show promise. One … well… some things are best left unsaid at the moment.

Google Voice

Original Showdown: VoIP on Mobile Devices
Website: https://www.google.com/voice
Developer: Google
Country of Origin: US
Note #1: As of this writing, Google Voice is not a “VoIP” service in the strictest sense of the acronym. It is actually a “middle man” service that dials out to a handset of your choosing before calling the person or persons in question. The quality of the call will largely depend on the quality of your phone service.
Note #2: You are able to avoid all nationwide long distance charges with this service. You are not, however, able to avoid your cell carrier’s “monthly minutes.” If you decide to let the service call your mobile device, you will be subject to the terms of your phone plan.
Note #3: Since there is not an official “Google Voice” iPhone app, we used a third party app called “GV Mobile.”
Overall: N/A — Google Voice is a nice service, but the sound quality is totally dependent on your phone. Because of this, we will not be giving this service a concrete score at this time.

Oceanus

Original Showdown: Proprietary Mobile Browsers (iPhone Edition)
Developer: Vikas Singla
Rendering Engine: Unknown
First Impression: “It’s pretty. I like the load bar on this one.”
Ease of Use: 7
Positives: Everything we tried — search, tabs, even a speed test — was almost on par to what one would find on a traditional desktop browser.
Negatives: Full screen mode is a bit a odd to work with at times, and buttons on the toolbar are a bit too small for our tastes.
Overall: 8

Perfect Browser

Original Showdown: Proprietary Mobile Browsers (iPhone Edition)
Developer: Ingenious Creations
Rendering Engine: Unknown
First Impression: “I like the transparency on the bottom window.”
Ease of Use: 9
Positives: The Perfect Browser pulls off what both iCab and Oceanus could not: a full screen mode that actually works as advertised. We were able to hide, then re-enable, both the address bar and the icon list in a matter of seconds.
Negatives: Try as we might, we could not find an options screen to save our lives.
Overall: 9

Gaggle

Original Showdown: Proprietary Mobile Browsers (iPhone Edition)
Developer: Trippert Labs
Rendering Engine: Unknown
The Gimmick: Gaggle touts itself as the first “social web browser” for the iPhone.
First Impression: “Why is it giving me an ad?”
Ease of Use: 1 — “It’s not really ‘hard’ to use at all. It’s just dumb. Really, really dumb.”
Positives: As we mentioned above, Gaggle makes it easy to share links with your compatriots on Facebook and Twitter.
Negatives: So what is it that we hate most about Gaggle? Is the gigantic ad that sits at the bottom of the screen at all times? It is the horribly touchy zoom feature? Is the fact that for whatever the reason, the now standard “horizontal display” option has been permanently disabled? The answer: It’s all of those things, and so much more. Our apologies for sounding like elitist snobs, but we here at the Free Line would like the ten minutes we spent on this browser back.
Overall Score: Nothing. Absolutely nothing.