BBC News Mobile offerings - alternative version required

Back in the day when I had a Nokia n95 of T-Mobile there was a link
from the front T-Mobile page to the BBC News website which was what I
can only describe as a 'medium graphics' options.

I can't find the exact link, and after re-flashing my n95 I never got
the URL back again. The version I'm looking for would look good on my
current handset (iPhone 3G) but I'm limited to just these versions:

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/mobile/bbc_news/index.shtml> <-- This is the
"Enhanced" version which which I currently use. While useful could do
with more graphics.

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolpda/ukfs_news/hi/default.stm> <-- PDA
version. This is kind-of what it looked like but not really...

Any ideas if there is a 'hidden' version somewhere or what URL
T-Mobile provided?
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On Sat, 09 Aug 2008 12:18:28 +0100, BGN <nickmooney@spamcop.net>
wrote:

>Any ideas if there is a 'hidden' version somewhere or what URL
>T-Mobile provided?

I also had this problem. There does indeed seem to be a hidden version
hard to find through links.

Is it this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/text_only.stm

Note the underscore between text and only.

Jules

On Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:29:12 +0100, Jules <anon@anon.com> wrote:

>>Any ideas if there is a 'hidden' version somewhere or what URL
>>T-Mobile provided?
>
>I also had this problem. There does indeed seem to be a hidden version
>hard to find through links.
>
>Is it this:
>
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/text_only.stm
>
>Note the underscore between text and only.

I've used the text only version in the past but it doesn't format well
on the iPhone or iPhone 3G - it takes the full virtual browser screen
up in Safari and it ends up looking like this:

<http://www.bgn.me.uk/iphone/textonly-p.PNG> (portrait)
<http://www.bgn.me.uk/iphone/textonly-l.PNG> (landscape)

It appears that the "PDA" version is much same as the text only
option, doesn't wrap which means it's difficult to read as one can't
zoom in on the text as it fits the screen already.

<http://www.bgn.me.uk/iphone/pda-p.PNG> (portrait)
<http://www.bgn.me.uk/iphone/pda-l.PNG> (landscape)

The only two versions which do format properly are the Desktop
version:

<http://www.bgn.me.uk/iphone/full-p.PNG> (portrait)
<http://www.bgn.me.uk/iphone/full-l.PNG> (landscape)
<http://www.bgn.me.uk/iphone/full-zoom-p.PNG> (portrait zoom)
<http://www.bgn.me.uk/iphone/full-zoom-l.PNG> (landscape zoom)

And the 'enhanced mobile' version, which is a bit poo on images:

<http://www.bgn.me.uk/iphone/enhanced-p.PNG> (portrait)
<http://www.bgn.me.uk/iphone/enhanced-l.PNG> (landscape)

I need a version between the Desktop version and the Enhanced mobile
version. The iPhone 3G will cope quite happily with the data, but I'd
like something I can navigate easily which I can read with a screen
the size of the iPhone, which is large by mobile standards.

I've left some Feedback with the BBC via the mobile feedback form
asking for another option, not sure if they can provide one but I
suppose asking them can't hurt.
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"BGN" <nickmooney@spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:slbu949u1sedlv1c3jij1gjta4h1k1226p@4ax.com...
> On Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:29:12 +0100, Jules <anon@anon.com> wrote:
>

>
> I've left some Feedback with the BBC via the mobile feedback form
> asking for another option, not sure if they can provide one but I
> suppose asking them can't hurt.

I think we will find over time that a format that reads well on the iphone
will become the standard for mobile internet formating.

Gaz

Gaz wrote:

> I think we will find over time that a format that reads well on the iphone
> will become the standard for mobile internet formating.


I think you are wrong. The iPhone is excellent hypeware, but won't be
greatly used in the longer term.

On Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:09:02 +0100, BGN <nickmooney@spamcop.net>
wrote:

>>> I've left some Feedback with the BBC via the mobile feedback form
>>> asking for another option, not sure if they can provide one but I
>>> suppose asking them can't hurt.
>>
>>I think we will find over time that a format that reads well on the iphone
>>will become the standard for mobile internet formating.
>
>I think the text only version (or PDA derivative of it) would be good
>if there was a size taken into account...
>
>Perhaps I could specify a page size with a frame <ponders>

I've done it!

You can now set a bookmark to: www.bgn.me.uk/bbc.htm

Now the iPhone loads that page it'll point to three pages. Left,
middle and right. Left = 20%, middle = 60%, right = 20%. Left and
right are blank pages and middle points to the BBC News text only
site, front page.

So instead of this:

http://www.bgn.me.uk/iphone/textonly-p.PNG (not easy to read)

One initally gets this:

http://www.bgn.me.uk/mypage.PNG But double tap anywhere in the middle
frame and one reads it like this, and it's scrollable too and tapping
on links doesn't burst out of the frame:

http://www.bgn.me.uk/zoompage.PNG Wahay!

A very simple, WORKING, workaround!
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On Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:59:06 +0100, "Gaz" <gazter@msn.com> wrote:

>
>"BGN" <nickmooney@spamcop.net> wrote in message
>news:slbu949u1sedlv1c3jij1gjta4h1k1226p@4ax.com.. .
>> On Sun, 10 Aug 2008 16:29:12 +0100, Jules <anon@anon.com> wrote:
>>
>
>>
>> I've left some Feedback with the BBC via the mobile feedback form
>> asking for another option, not sure if they can provide one but I
>> suppose asking them can't hurt.
>
>I think we will find over time that a format that reads well on the iphone
>will become the standard for mobile internet formating.
Well I hope that this is NOT the case. That is like the lazy attitude
of some cowboy web developers who build sites for crappy
non-conforming browsers like Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Whilst Microsoft have made some big strides they still like to invent
their own standards.
Far better to have web standards and conform to them. Then all
manufacturers have a standard to work to.
Also, anyway, why should everyone bow down and pay homage to Apple.
I personally find all this iPhone worship sickening. Do people have to
take their own prayer mats to Apple stores or do they provide them?



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"Iain" <no-one@hairydog.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1218400346.14114.0@proxy02.news.clara.net...
> Gaz wrote:
>
>> I think we will find over time that a format that reads well on the
>> iphone will become the standard for mobile internet formating.
>
>
> I think you are wrong. The iPhone is excellent hypeware, but won't be
> greatly used in the longer term.

I disagree, it isnt just about numbers. The ipod itself was not numerically
the dominant mp3 player, but it became synonymous with portable music. The
thing about the iphone is that everyone that has one will use the internet
browsing extensively, while with other phones, even ones that have
reasonably decent browsers (nokie n96/e61 etc), the use of the device for
internet browsing would be limited.

The iphone comes with easily the best browser of any portable device, and
has included unlimited internet access as part of every tarif. I would
suggest that 98%+ of all iphone users will regularly use their device to suf
websites and check email, while that number for regular phones that posses
the capabilites of also doing both, is closer to a few percent.

It would be entirely feasable for the iphone to have five percent of the
market, yet iphone users representing 30%+ of all portable browsing.

Gaz

Gaz wrote:
> ...The
> thing about the iphone is that everyone that has one will use the internet
> browsing extensively,

I doubt it.

> It would be entirely feasable for the iphone to have five percent of the
> market, yet iphone users representing 30%+ of all portable browsing.

I strongly suspect that once the novelty has worn off, they won't use it
much at all. So even if it were over 30%, that is still a small minority
of a small minority of web users.

On Aug 10, 10:01*pm, BGN <nickmoo...@spamcop.net> wrote:
> I've done it!
>
> You can now set a bookmark to:www.bgn.me.uk/bbc.htm
>
> Now the iPhone loads that page it'll point to three pages. *Left,
> middle and right. *Left = 20%, middle = 60%, right = 20%. *Leftand
> right are blank pages and middle points to the BBC News text only
> site, front page.
>
> So instead of this:
>
> http://www.bgn.me.uk/iphone/textonly-p.PNG(not easy to read)
>
> One initally gets this:
>
> http://www.bgn.me.uk/mypage.PNGBut double tap anywhere in the middle
> frame and one reads it like this, and it's scrollable too and tapping
> on links doesn't burst out of the frame:
>
> http://www.bgn.me.uk/zoompage.PNGWahay!
>
> A very simple, WORKING, workaround!

I've been wanting something like this since I got my iPhone, so THANK
YOU!

Andrew Woodvine

On Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:43:43 -0700 (PDT), Andrew Woodvine
<andrew@woodvine.com> wrote:

>> You can now set a bookmark to:www.bgn.me.uk/bbc.htm
>>
>> Now the iPhone loads that page it'll point to three pages. *Left,
>> middle and right. *Left = 20%, middle = 60%, right = 20%. *Left and
>> right are blank pages and middle points to the BBC News text only
>> site, front page.
>>
>> So instead of this:
>>
>> http://www.bgn.me.uk/iphone/textonly-p.PNG (not easy to read)
>>
>> One initally gets this:
>>
>> http://www.bgn.me.uk/mypage.PNG But double tap anywhere in the middle
>> frame and one reads it like this, and it's scrollable too and tapping
>> on links doesn't burst out of the frame:
>>
>> http://www.bgn.me.uk/zoompage.PNGWahay!
>>
>> A very simple, WORKING, workaround!
>
>I've been wanting something like this since I got my iPhone, so THANK
>YOU!

No probs. I'm working on making it a bit better (Safari on iPhone
doesn't allow forward/backward on this page, but does on PC) but I
might not be able to do much about it but I'll have a play anyway.
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Iain wrote:
> Gaz wrote:
>> ...The
>> thing about the iphone is that everyone that has one will use the
>> internet browsing extensively,
>
> I doubt it.
>
>> It would be entirely feasable for the iphone to have five percent of
>> the market, yet iphone users representing 30%+ of all portable
>> browsing.
>
> I strongly suspect that once the novelty has worn off, they won't use
> it much at all. So even if it were over 30%, that is still a small
> minority of a small minority of web users.

But browsing on the iphone is perfectly acceptable. It isn't a novelty. My
previous phone was an e61 which essentially used the same browser as the
n95. Tedious, i would only ever browse if it was utterly urgent, it was not
a joyful experience at all.

Gaz