Mippin, the startup which converts RSS feeds for easier reading on mobiles, is launching a “new” feature it calls the Mippin Mobilizer. This allows bloggers to create a mobile version of their site which automatically optimised for any mobile phone with a web browser. This is useful – there are over 2000 different handsets out there and they all render web site differently (maybe except the iPhone). Mippin’s business model is to cut revenue share deals with publishers by inserting ads into the feeds it runs. Mippin has signed up a bunch of clients including Incisive Media (including Gizmodo, VNUNet), UK blog network Shiny Media (including TechDigest, Shiny Shiny), the BBC, The New York Times and T3 magazine. Here’s a video explaning how it works.
But – although the Mobilizer is a new new interface onto their application, wasn’t this what they were supposed to be doing anyway?
It’s slightly hard to see what is new here other than a broader ability for sites to add feeds. It recently brought on VC Judy Gibbons as CEO – a move which slightly bemused the market, and cast doubts on whether Mippin ‘had legs’ moving forward. So the jury is out on whether this feature will be enough to supercharge the service – but aiming at web sites that need to go mobile easily is a good move at least.