People like surfing the web on their mobile...this surprises some people

They first started talking about this when I was still at University, they called in WAP…but WAP was CRAP. Fast forward ten years and we finally have a device and an interface that is capable of providing us with a positive mobile Internet experience…. even if we don’t have the data plans in some countries….big island in the southern hemisphere *cough*

But, news is that mobile Internet use is going through the roof while traditional PC access is slowing, at least that’s what the guys and gals at Nielsen say. I think this is UK data, but according to the findings over 7 million people jumped online using their mobiles during the latter half of 2008, representing an increase of 25 per cent for mobiles compared to a teeny-tiny 3 per cent increase for PC access. Another interesting fact is that 25 per cent of mobile surfers are aged 15-24, while the same age group accessing the web via a PC is just 16 per cent.

MyTake – is this really surprising? No. I remember wanted to surf the net in the WAP days, but found it excruciatingly painful, so I gave up. Then again when 3G was launched, but the limitations around the browsing capabilities again put me off. Having seen the likes of the iPhone, it’s a much more positive experience that doesn’t have the drawbacks of its not-quite-there predecessors. This is exactly what people want and they are taking to it in droves.

Kid clicks

As a father (and a bit or a worrier at times) of a two year old girl, my concerns for her are that of every other father – health, happiness, education and all the rest of it. But something that I have been thinking and talking about for a while, is how her generation is going to both use and interact with technology.

More often that not, I find myself I conversations with other parents about the importance of keeping up with technology, gaming, the web – you name it. Being a modern parent is tough… Most parents agree that it’s important to stay on top of all the above, but then there are some that don’t and seem to think that it's a ship that’ll pass in the night…cough…

New research from Nielsen Online revealing the top ten the most popular kids sites goes to show that even those of us that think we’re pretty clued-up could learn a thing or two. For example – ever heard of Stardoll.com? Well, it’s a site that was set up by a Finnish woman who wanted to teach kids how to knit dolls clothes, making its money by selling items of virtual clothing for about 50p each. Others in the top ten are more well-known, including ClubPenguin.com, Stardoll.com, Cartoonetwork.co.uk, Lego.com, Nick.com, Bebo.com, bbc.co.uk/schools, RuneScape.com, Frengo.com and FreeOnlineGames.com

MyTake – When I was a kid, my parents couldn’t keep up either. One week it was this type of trainers, this band and this football player…and the next week it’d all change. The worry is that when you add the ever-evolving tastes of kids with the fast-paced nature of the web you’ve got a hell of a job on your hands. Heck, I only just figured out that Diego is Dora’s cousin! Parents are going to have to be more aware of the likes of Nielsen in order to keep up with online tends concerning their kids.