Scientists to make the mobile web more user-friendly

Almost three-quarters of mobile users don't bother to use the Internet-browsing capability of their phones, according to research from web hosting company Hostway.

But, scientists at the University of Manchester are already working on an initiative to whet users' mobile Internet appetites and increase adoption.

Some 90 per cent of users say they would take advantage of mobile browsing if it wasn't so cumbersome and costly, according to the Hostway study. Other common gripes included slow loading times (38 per cent), complex navigation (27 per cent) and lack of availability (25 per cent).

"This research highlights a real problem with 'mobile internet' as it stands right now," said Neil Barton, director of Hostway.

"Although many people have Internet-ready phones or PDAs that can access the internet, they are not inclined to do so because of the problems with displaying or navigating the content."

However, a potential solution is on the horizon. Last week, a team of scientists from the University of Manchester's School of Computer Science embarked on a three-year initiative called the Reciprocal Interoperability between Accessible and Mobile Webs (RIAM) project.

Led by Dr Simon Harper, Professor Ian Horrocks and accessibility expert Yeliz Yesilada, RIAM aims to simplify the content of conventional websites by making use of the technologies used by the visually-impaired, such as screen readers.

"Mobile web users are handicapped not by physiology but technology," said Dr Harper.

"Not only is the screen on the majority of phones very small, limiting the user's vision, but the information displayed is difficult to navigate and read. Our aim is to change this by enabling web accessibility and mobile technologies to interoperate."

The £205k project is backed by funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The researchers plan to create a validation engine and transcoding program to make sites more mobile friendly. Once in this new format, the onus is on the user to determine how sites are displayed on their device.

Hostway's research also called for greater regulation to promote mobile Internet standards, such as the new .mobi domain name which was launched in May.

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