A promising solution to this problem is the Zoominator, which allows users of any Internet-enabled device to magnify portions of a Web site with a single touch. Created by Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Geophoenix, this patented technology can convert any Web content and bring it into "Zoom space."

Intuitive Interface

Geophoenix marketing director Nora Ferguson compared the experience of using the new interface to that of a visitor at an art gallery who sees a wall with many paintings and then moves in closer to examine a particular piece before moving back out again.

The Zoominator works on any type of device, with any type of screen, and has applications for future electronic devices, such as smart appliances.

"It is much more intuitive than any other current navigation technology, which requires clicking from page to page to get to the content a user is looking for," Ferguson told NewsFactor, "and the content can be formatted for any type of screen."

That bodes well for handheld users who typically must enter a separate request for each Web page and then struggle to read what appears on the tiny screen.

Pursuing Licensing Pacts

Instead of using multiple pages, an e-commerce retailer, for example, can put product descriptions, images and company information on a single page. The user, given an eagle-eye view, clicks on a text box or photo, literally zooms in on that portion of the content and then zooms out again. Viewers also can scan the page either horizontally or vertically.

Geophoenix has targeted both device manufacturers and content providers, Ferguson said, adding that the technology is currently available in a demo version on the Sony Clie PDA and supports both the Palm and Pocket PC operating systems. Cost will depend on licensing agreements.

An official product launch is expected in the coming weeks, said Ferguson, following six years of research and development initiated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Who's Zooming Who?

Other companies, such as Clipmark, have offered screen-scraping technology that identifies key portions of a Web site and directs viewers to specific information on a site, but Ferguson contends that the Zoominator is unique.

While the technology does address menu and content congestion issues for handheld devices, it dances around concerns about screen space and Web access, according to IDC analyst Keith Waryas. "You still have to absorb content designed for a 17-inch screen and put it on a 2-inch screen," he said.

Nevertheless, the Zoominator could prove useful among individuals who know what they are looking for, said Waryas, including field workers who need access to specific applications. He does not see it providing an immediate benefit for mobile commerce, though. Most businesses still face an uphill climb in convincing consumers to buy products using their cell phones, he noted.