AOL launches updated mobile portal

by Brad Linder Aug 14th 2007

AOL (this blog's parent company) has launched a new and improved mobile portal for searching the web and AOL content from your cellphone or portable device.

The new portal integrates AOL properties including Moviefone, Mapquest, and CityGuide. When you conduct a search, the results screen will have several tabs at the top for switching between local, images, web, finance, and other sections. AOL determines which tabs to show based on your search, rather than constantly displaying a dozen tabs on your tiny mobile screen.

There's also a click to call feature that lets mobile phone users dial any phone number listed on a web page by clicking on it.

Cellphone makers are continuing to make devices that are more and more like full fledged computers. The Apple iPhone supports a full version of the Safari web browser. But the truth of the matter is portable devices often have slow internet connections and always have small screens. It's nice to see that companies like AOL, Google, and Yahoo understand that and are developing tools to make the mobile web almost as useful as the regular web.

[via GigaOM]

Tags: cellphone, mobile, mobile portal, mobile search, MobilePortal, MobileSearch

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