MobileCatcher from Verkata is a new RSS (Really Simple Syndication) news reader for Java-enabled (J2ME, MIDP 2.0) mobile phones. It aggregates news from major sources like Reuters, New York Times, BBC, Sports Illustrated and ESPN as well as from blogs and Web sites.

RSS short course: RSS is an XML format for syndicating Web content. A Web site that wants to allow other sites to publish some of its content creates an RSS document and registers the document with an RSS publisher. Syndicated content can include news feeds, events listings, feature stories, headlines, project updates, excerpts from discussion forums or even corporate information.

With MobileCatcher, users can customize the news they wish to receive and read full articles from these sources in any language. The software also automatically refreshes content from all chosen news sources.

Verkata says MobileCatcher overcomes the limitations often placed by wireless bandwidth by intelligently compressing and retrieving relevant articles in the background while users are reading another one. "MobileCatcher is a Mobile 2.0 application that combines superior user interface with speed, taking usability to the next level," asserts Verkata CEO Alper Turgut.

            

Currently, MobileCatcher supports text, but in the future the company says it plans to to full motion video news and interactive content as well.

MobileCatcher is offered as a free beta download. It supports Java-enabled phones form LG, Motorola, Nokia, Pantech, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

Verkata expects to add RIM BlackBerry and Brew-based phones to the list before the end of the fourth quarter 2006, while support for Palm Treos and the Windows Mobile platform is due until the first quarter of next year.

Today, a wide variety of smartphone users can access RSS content through Avantgo, one of the oldest mobile Internet services, however.

With RSS for AvantGo users can add any RSS feed to their account, without installing additional software, and then synchronize using a wireless or desktop Internet connection to receive the feed items in a format optimized for their device. It requires no additional software, as optimization takes place completely on Avantgo's servers.


Create RSS Channel on Your Handheld

The solution allows users to view new RSS feeds, save RSS items, personalize channels, and subscribe to RSS feeds with AvantGo's AutoChannel for RSS.

Avantgo touts photo sharing for its new RSS service. So if an RSS feed channel includes photos, a Slideshow link will appear at the top of the channel homepage. Users can select the Slideshow link to flip through the photos in the feed. Since photos are already delivered to the device during AvantGo syncs, users can share pictures from their mobile device without waiting for each image to be retrieved over the wireless network. Users of photo sharing sites that offer photo feeds can make AvantGo their mobile photo album.

Internet content publishers—such as bloggers, online media and magazines—can use an AvantGo button creation tool to generate code for a button to place on their Webs site, making it easier for readers to take the site's feed mobile.

RSS works with Avantgo’s usual array of supported device platforms, including Palm, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Symbian UIQ and Symbian Series 60 and BlackBerry.