When mobilized, people certainly do not want to fire up a browser and search ? that is why mobile widgets are the perfect solution for any mobile phone user. I think that anyone would want to have access to their favorite web communities straight from their cell phones. Who wouldn't want to stay on top of things all the time and know what their friends are up to? It would be great to communicate with them and stay in touch just as if they were right next to you. With mobile widgets you can do all that - and more: you can get traffic alerts, news, blogs, gossip, restaurant reviews, weather reports and loads of other stuff that you would normally get through a web service, without having to wade through hundreds of websites. It seems that the widgets ? these web communities to go ? have already taken the mobile chat concept to a higher level.



Generally speaking, a widget is a small application, a little bit of code, that does one simple thing but does it well. In order to be able to run a widget, you need a ?Widget Engine?, which is the framework needed to run these micro applications. This approach fits particularly well on mobile world, where space on screen is limited, and where it is not easy to switch between applications. A widget engine is so hassle free that there is no need for you to click from site to site, refresh, or browse for what you want - the information is updated to your cell phone automatically. The mobile chat is very popular and since those mobile widgets have appeared, chatting through your cell phone has become much easier. Some companies have developed widget engines, but not all of them have the same approach. Most of them are personal newsreaders, but there are some other companies which allow some interaction with the user.

The second important thing about a mobile widget is that it can be combined with other widgets. These applications were previously called plug-ins, components, extensions, or gadgets, but the real innovation is that now it is up to the users: they can combine these mobile widgets to create their own unique application. For example, the user can choose to have CNN News, Paris weather etcetera. Some companies come up with technologies that allow complex widgets for communities; they also facilitate user created applications ? you can create an application for your business or one for your blog. You can find companies on the Internet which offer you a series of advantages, like reading your favorite blogs on your mobile phone, checking your horoscope daily, meeting new people, finding the latest sport results, being alerted when a friend is near you etc. Some companies also encourage the mobile chat by offering free local chatting. Those services are very affordable, taking into consideration that they are totally free; you can use them as much as you want, create as much as you want, and share with others to the point that you can't share anymore.

Although it sounds more useful for the users, the interest of mobile widgets is both for users and for developers. The user can create his own application by choosing and customizing his mobile widget set, while the developer can easily develop and deploy application for users; widgets actually open mobile service development out to the web development community. Of course, not all applications can fit into the widget description, but maybe more needs will be fulfilled by developers in the future. So what can we expect in the future? Messaging between mutually trusted widgets and mash-ups between mobile widgets maybe ? although that poses higher technology and security challenges. The widgets are good for business too because large groups of people can customize their own widget after their needs. The mobile chat is more popular every year, which means that technologies like mobile widgets are still going to appear on the market.