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View Full Version : MSNBC Launches Mobile News Service


Mike Temporale
04-07-2006, 06:30 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=6141' target='_blank'>http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?ContentId=6141</a><br /><br /></div><i>"News site MSNBC.com has worked with Action Engine Corporation to launch a beta mobile news service featuring an advertising business model. Unlike paid subscription services, the beta launch of MSNBC.com Mobile is provided free of charge to consumers by incorporating video and banner advertisements within the service. The service gives consumers access to MSNBC.com news, videos, and pictures using their wireless device. Microsoft’s Windows Mobile and Embedded Devices Division is the exclusive advertising sponsor for the launch of this new service."</i><br /><br />Cool, or so I thought. When I went to check it out, I learned that you have to download and install their application to take advantage of the mobile news site. :( Why can't I just use my own browser? Why does everyone feel that they can create a better experience by forcing you to install another application. I wouldn't mind so much if this was something that could be used by multiple applications. However, I'm not really interested in installing yet another, mobile news feed reader. :roll: If you're interested, you can give it at try at <a href="http://GoMobile.MSNBC.com">http://GoMobile.MSNBC.com</a>

Jerry Raia
04-07-2006, 06:46 PM
On top of that we have to look at banner ads on our little screens? I don't think so.

randalllewis
04-07-2006, 08:33 PM
MSNBC has an existing mobile version of its website which is one of my regular stops. I downloaded the new browser to give it a spin. The new version is much easier to navigate as you can select categories and individual stories with the number keys rather than scrolling. It appears to be faster to render pages than the version using IE does. I am not offended personally by ads on my screen and I hope those who do find ads so offensive aren't driving around with license plate brakets on their cars touting the name of the car dealership. To me, the biggest factor in judging a news website is how up to date it is. If they keep this site current in time with its big brother, it will be an improvement over the existing mobile version.

I haven't made the decision whether to keep the new MSNBC yet, but it makes a nice impression.

mikestew
04-07-2006, 08:41 PM
What you're forgetting is that this Internet thing is very young, and a lot of the details still need to be worked out. Take news delivery, for instance. Someday I'm sure we'll have a standard message format and protocol to deliver news items to an application. We might even have dedicated news web sites that one can view using a standard browser. But until then, we'll have to rely upon proprietary applications taking up valuable space on our devices, such as the offering from MSN.

What is up with those folks over at MSN, and their thinking that they need to shove another app on our devices? Pocket MSN? Up until WM5 just put it in the OS, it was an app download (and a $20 one at that). And for what? What was essentially a menu screen to select Hotmail and the like.

But I'm a sucker, it's downloading onto the phone now.

mikestew
04-07-2006, 09:06 PM
The banner ads aren't any more intrusive than what can be found on a advertisement-based web page, maybe taking up a full-width eighth of the page. The UI is clean, and easy to navigate on a mobile device (in this case, a Cingular 8125). The UI seems a bit pokey on the 8125's 200Mhz CPU, with an hourglass being displayed as I arrow up and down from one link to the next.

The valued-added part of the client-side app doesn't add a lot of value for me. With it, one can save an article (don't care) or send it via SMS (don't care). I have not determined (IOW, checked the router for traffic) whether the app is caching the articles ahead of time, or pinging the server upon article load. For supported non-EDGE phones, such as the SMT5600 or MPX220, grabbing the articles ahead of time could be valuable, if that's what it's actually doing. On the 8125 with 802.11 and EDGE, I wouldn't be gaining much over a regular web page.

Anyway, that's my quickie five minute review. I'll probably keep it on the phone, since it's installed on a 1Gb card with plenty of space left. If I had to install to precious internal memory, I'd be uninstalling it and going back to MSNBC's regular mobile web site that works just about as well.

Jerry Raia
04-07-2006, 10:59 PM
I hope those who do find ads so offensive aren't driving around with license plate brakets on their cars touting the name of the car dealership.

The first thing I do when I get a new car is remove the dealer frames. :wink:

Kris Kumar
04-08-2006, 12:50 AM
I hope those who do find ads so offensive aren't driving around with license plate brakets on their cars touting the name of the car dealership.

The first thing I do when I get a new car is remove the dealer frames. :wink:

Same here. :-)

I did install this program on my Smartphone. I badly want to see the news. But uninstalled it after the first attempt. The video keeps buffering.

Ideally I would like this app or similar to be installed on my Pocket PC in my car. Have my PPC connect to the Net via my Smartphone and then access the MSNBC video stream.

mikestew
04-08-2006, 01:03 AM
But uninstalled it after the first attempt. The video keeps buffering.

Same symptom, switching to the low bandwidth setting fixed it for me.

Kris Kumar
04-08-2006, 11:50 PM
Anyone know how to get it working for HP iPaq 2210?

[Please don't tell me to post this question on Pocket PC Thoughts . :lol: Smartphone Thoughts is a better community. ;-)]

Jerry Raia
04-09-2006, 12:04 AM
Hi Kris and welcome to the site. You will probably get better help if you post this on Pocketpcthoughts ok?

Darn Newbs. :lol:

Mike Temporale
04-09-2006, 01:56 AM
Darn Newbs. :lol:

:lol:

Their site has a listing of what devices are supported. Is the 2210 on it?

Darius Wey
04-09-2006, 03:51 AM
Anyone know how to get it working for HP iPaq 2210?

The service appears to be highly device specific, so unless MSNBC lists the h2210 on their site, you're better off RSS'ing. :)

[Please don't tell me to post this question on Pocket PC Thoughts . :lol: Smartphone Thoughts is a better community. ;-)]

Oi! 8) :lol: