The new iPhone 4S will have the updated iOS software, a better and faster camera, a more powerful processor and gaming capabilities, and the device supports both GSM and CDMA and an antenna that reportedly competes with 4G. Those changes only seem incremental from the iPhone 4. Apple hopes people will break contract for the Siri application that will be included with the iPhone 4S.

Siri started out as a standalone, speech-recognition app. Apple bought Siri and it will now be the heart of a new iPhone interface that aims to provide a completely frictionless user experience: Tell your phone to do something and it will follow your command.

If Siri works as well as it did during the demonstration, it could possibly change the way we perceive what a phone is. Here is what happened on Tuesday when senior VP of iPhone software Scott Forstall did a four-step vocal show-and-tell with an iPhone 4S (paraphrased here):

• Forstall told Siri to, “Read my messages,” and the phone read back a SMS (from Phil Schiller) that asked if he wanted to do lunch on Friday.
• Forstall asked Siri if he had any appointments Friday at noon, and Siri brought up the calendar and said something like, “Your schedule looks empty Friday at noon.”
• Forstall asked Siri to text back to Schiller, “I can do Friday…”
• Forstall says, “Schedule a lunch Friday at noon with Phil Schiller,” and Siri responds in the affirmative to these commands.

Siri has the potential to change the way we use our phones forever. With its intuitive nature, forgetting/missing appointments, scrolling through your playlist for the perfect traveling music and texting at red lights will be a thing of the past.

After using Siri, it would be a shame to dilute the user experience with the absence of a mobile site. Have you made your site mobile friendly?

Marion can help. We will transform your current site into a fully functional mobile friendly version that people can access anywhere and with any smart phone.

On behalf of all the “Macs,” our condolences go out to the friends, family and fans of Steve Jobs. May he rest in peace.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project has just released a new study that shows 35% Americans now own smartphones. That means more Americans own a smartphone than hold a bachelor’s degree.

The statistics only get more interesting from there: of those that own smartphones, 87% said that they use it for email or to browse the internet.  68% said that in a typical day they use their smartphones to access the web.  And fully one quarter of those surveyed said that they access the internet mostly on their smartphones. That’s right, for 25% of Americans, the smartphone has essentially replaced the personal computer.

Obviously smartphones have become a huge part of our society in a relatively short time which means that having an easily browsable, functioning mobile site is more important than ever.  If your business doesn’t have a mobile site, your competitors could be scooping up those 25% of customers who exclusively use mobile devices to research products and services, read reviews and make purchases.

Keep the following in mind when designing your mobile site:

• Content should be simple and to the point (i.e. location, hours, contact info)
• Graphics and animation should be minimal (so the site loads quickly)
• Side scroll bars should be avoided whenever possible (difficult to navigate with touchscreen)

Contact the mobile web design experts at Marion to learn more. We’ve created numerous mobile sites and can give you expert advice on how to make the mobile web work for you.

However, as the excitement of having this capability subsides, you may say, “but I don’t want anyone to see me.” In fact, that is the reason “TV phones” were not accepted. The idea was too intrusive. (After all, one of the great things about phoning is your ability to look …shall we say, not up to par while the person on the opposite end is none-the-wiser.)

Now let’s hop back into the old DeLorean to 2010…

Today, Apple recycles this technology, adding an element that may eclipse initial concerns of privacy. Pioneering mobile video conferencing, the iPhone 4 enables users to communicate with the live “FaceTime” feature. Equipped with two cameras (located in front and back), the device can display the user or what is in front of the user, giving the option of switching cameras through the duration of the conversation.

Let’s consider other benefits of mobile video conferencing.

This technology adds another dynamic to conversations, allowing both parties (if he or she chooses) to experience not only each other, but their surroundings. This now goes beyond video conferencing, person-to-person interaction.

Let’s say there’s a conversation, about a problem at a worksite, between a contractor located in the field and his supervisor located at home office. As the contractor discloses the issue, he can show live feed of the problem to his supervisor, enabling them to work on the solution faster, rather than take pictures or wait for the supervisor to arrive.

Mobile video conferencing, used in this way, can increase productivity, save money, and time, all essential elements in business. This form of communication is also good for real-time surveillance, educating groups, and emergency response.

…And there is more mobile enabling on the way. Are you ready? Begin with mobile web design.

In the words of the totally awesome Marty McFly, “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.”

However, according to a June 2010 survey from Gomez, a web performance monitoring firm, one-third of US mobile internet users’ most common complaint is site formatting. Slightly fewer complained of slow load times and nearly a fifth said the worst problem was functionality. Although many users anticipate some degree of connectivity problems, they expect on-the-go web accessibility, and unfortunately, it’s just not happening. Therefore, it’s up to the publishers of these websites to accommodate. [Enter Marion, stage right.]

Marion designs mobile-friendly sites, formatted specifically for mobile devices. If you are a smartphone user, pull out your phone and visit www.marion.com to experience our mobile website.

This mobile formatting facilitates an ease of navigation and readable content. Users no longer have to zoom in and out incessantly or scroll from one end of the page to the other searching for buttons.  Site content is condensed, leaving only essential text and removing the flash (because some phones aren’t compatible).

As an added benefit, users can contact you with a single touch. The phone will automatically dial when users press your number, email you when the email button is clicked, or display a map when “Map” is touched. AND IT GETS BETTER. It will also show the user where they are in relation to your business. If for any reason visitors wish to view the classic version of your site they have that option as well.

Let Marion help you better accommodate your customers with your own mobile-friendly website. And for impressive custom web design to boot, contact us to develop a site that turns your brand message into visual success. [Cue fireworks and tap dance number.]

* Some information stated above is provided by eMarketer.

When connected to a mobile-friendly website you maximize your chances of transforming traffic into conversions, which is the end goal after all.

Grab your smartphone and visit www.marion.com to see our mobile web design or click here to witness the Dynamic Duo in action.