News: 37signals release Basecamp Mobile

Today 37 signals launch Basecamp Mobile. A mobile-optimized version of their project management tool for viewing in and webkit-enabled browser. This covers your iPhones (iOS4+) to your Androids (2.1+) and the latest Blackberry's (6+). As usual user experience wins for the mobile optimized views, and they've managed to maintain a familiarity with their desktop UIs, which the 3rd party paid apps often struggle to do. A long overdue win for Basecamp users.

And in one fell swoop they've killed the business model for the eleven Mobile App Developers on their Extras page that relied on the previously poor mobile browser user experience to sell their apps. Quiet day around the Summit office.

SME’s – Google is your friend and you don’t even know it

A nice moment, was playing a round of golf at Ranfurlie, Amstel on the weekend, was a little rough on the directions, so thought I’d throw in “Ranfurlie Amstel” into my Google mobile browser. In first position was the golf course, in the short summary the address. Thank you Google. The mobile version is optimised to show addresses and phone numbers in the search results, and as such I never need visit the Ranfurlie website to solve my problem.

Ranfurlie may never know about this little interaction. But with Google owning 62% of the mobile search market, and with continuing experiences like this, it’s one SME’s need to keep a close eye on beyond the classifieds.

p.s - To Google - a nice touch would have been hyperlinking that address to the Google Maps mobile app, and setting directions from my current GPS location. I'm sure this kind of link can't be too far away.