Sufing the web on your smartphone can be a little frustrating at times, but thanks to the new Surfboard web site/web app/web service you can now automatically convert your favorite websites into touchscreen-friendly content for your smartphone. The conversion is mostly seamless and makes web browsing on your mobile phone more enjoyable.
I recently noticed how often I tolerate web browsing and consuming content on my iPhone and iPad instead of enjoying the experience. Browsing the web on a touch screen should not resemble browsing on a computer which has tiny text, hard to find links, advertisements, headers, footers, Flash, etc. Fortunately, the developers of Surfboard have found a way to take your favorite existing web content and, with the help of HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript, present you with an interface designed to play nice with finger taps and swipes. Instead of clicking “Next” or searching for a list of articles, you just swipe from right to left. If you find interesting content and would like to read more, just tap on the headline. Simple.
Touch devices were everywhere at CES. It was difficult to keep up with all of the Android tablets, Smartphones, and occasional iPad 2 rumors. However, the focus was consistently hardware. Who’s using the fastest processors, who has 4G, etc. Any discussion of how we actually consume content was sadly left out of the party. With Surfboard, content providers can quickly offer touch versions of their websites using Surfboard’s dead simple integration. All it takes is 1 line of code.
While Surfboard may not be the ideal solution for geeks who are passionate about RSS apps, we’re sure normal users who rely on bookmarks will absolutely love it. Instead of creating a bookmark like www.intomobile.com, try http://ridesurfboard.com/www.intomobile.com. This will convert IntoMobile’s articles, photos and videos into the elegant experience you expect on a large touchscreen.
You can give Surfboard a try now at http://ridesurfboard.com. It’s easy to get a quick demonstration by selecting one of their “fave” websites. Let us know what you think about the experience in the comments. Keep in mind Surfboard is ideally used on tablets and smartphones. You may not realize the full benefits on your laptop or desktop.