Frequently Asked Questions

Zumobi is a widget application for your mobile phone. Widgets are small applications that usually have a singular purpose and can run together on the same platform, in this case Zumobi. Featuring a lush user interface, Zumobi is optimized for on-the-go experiences across a variety of mobile phones. It can be enjoyed using simple, one-handed operation of your phone, and will look good on a variety of screen sizes and orientations, even handling orientation changes on the fly.

It is a free application, and can be easily downloaded to Windows Mobile and BlackBerry phones.

While Zumobi is compatible with most phones running Windows Mobile 5 or 6, we find the application runs best on Windows Mobile 6 or higher phones given their faster processors and higher memory capability.

For BlackBerry devices, Zumobi is currently optimized for Pearls (81xx) Curves (83xx), and 88xx series phones with operating systems 4.2 and above. Phones produced since approximately June 2007 and later are likely to run better, given their faster processors and higher memory capability.

What is a Tile?

A Tile is a small widget-like application. Tiles can be stand-alone (such as games), or can display content from customized Zumobi feeds (such as Flickr). Some Tiles can be personalized so that they show you the content that you are specifically interested in, or you can even create your own Tiles with the Tile Wizard feature. (See our section about making your own Tiles for more detail on this feature.)

New Zumobi Tiles can be shared between users, downloaded from Zumobi.com, or accessed from your phone.

Tiles sit in your Zumobi “zoom space.” Zumobi's user interface can have up to 16 active Tiles at once, and Tiles can be displayed in thumbnails, quarter-screen, or full-screen views. When Zumobi first starts up, it shows your initial zoom space in zone view with 4 active Tiles. From the zone view, you can zoom in further to use a particular Tile. Once you add additional Tiles beyond the initial four, you can zoom out from the zone view to the zoom space view.

What makes Zumobi different?

Zumobi provides a user with an experience that is uniquely designed for phones from start to finish.

The way that you obtain, select, manage, and use Tiles are all optimized for the mobile phones' small screen, orientation and limited bandwidth. Zumobi is free and can be easily shared from phone to phone provided that the phones are supported by the latest version of Zumobi.

Zumobi's dedicated back-end servers obtain content from a variety of sources, restructure the data so that it is optimized for your phones bandwidth, and then push customized content to your Tiles throughout the day. As a result, you see content refreshed on an on-going basis without having to wait for it. This content refreshing is the reason we recommend having an unlimited data plan.

An engaging, unique user interface allows you to get to the content you want quickly. You can easily add, remove, and rearrange Tiles in the Zumobi zoom space. Zumobi's dedicated back-end servers obtain content from a variety of sources, restructure the data so that it is optimized for your phones bandwidth, and then push customized content to your Tiles throughout the day. As a result, you see content refreshed on an on-going basis without having to wait for it. This content refreshing is the reason we recommend having an unlimited data plan.

Unlike standard mobile RSS readers, Zumobi Tiles can be full applications including games, shopping, and personalized information via sites like Flickr.

How much does it cost?

Zumobi is free to end-users. Zumobi requires a mobile phone internet data plan, which your wireless provider may charge for. We strongly recommend an unlimited data plan for using Zumobi.

What kind of phone do I need?

Zumobi runs on Windows Mobile and BlackBerry phones.

Zumobi currently runs on phones featuring Windows Mobile 5 or 6. While Zumobi is compatible with most phones running Windows Mobile 5 or 6, we find the application runs best on Windows Mobile 6 or higher phones given their faster processors and higher memory capability.

For BlackBerry, Zumobi is currently optimized for Pearls (81xx) Curves (83xx), , and 88xx series phones with operating systems 4.2 and above. Phones produced since approximately June 2007 and later are likely to run better, given their faster processors and higher memory capability.

Does Zumobi develop applications for the Apple iPhone?

Zumobi recently extended its mobile widget platform to the iPhone with a branded application for the Olympic Games in Beijing, which was available for download in the iTunes application store.

What kind of data plan do I need?

You need a plan with internet data access. We strongly recommend that your plan provides unlimited data.

How do I start Zumobi?

For Windows Mobile: Click on the Zumobi icon, which can be found either in the quick launch menu along the top of the home screen, in the devices Start Menu, or in the Programs area.

For BlackBerry: Click on the Zumobi icon on your home screen.

For best performance, Zumobi recommends allowing the application to continue running in the background of your phone when not in use.

How do I navigate and make selections in Zumobi?

When explaining how to use Zumobi we use the terms “navigate to” and “select.”

We define these as the following:

Navigate to: using whatever navigation method you choose, move to the appropriate place on the Zumobi screen. This can include using various types of direction pads, trackballs, touch screens, and alpha-numeric keypads.

Select: using whatever selection method you choose, after you have navigated to the item you wish to select use the appropriate method to choose it. This can include pressing the center key on a directional pad, pressing in a trackball, touching the item on a touch screen, or pressing the corresponding number on an alpha-numeric keypad.

How do I open a Tile?

Tiles are organized in the Zumobi zoom space, which holds up to 16 Tiles. When Zumobi opens, you will see the four Tiles. This is called the Zone view.

When you decide you want to open a Tile, navigate to that Tile and select it to zoom into the full Tile view.

Select the Z icon to zoom out from your current view. For faster navigation, the numbers displayed on the Zumobi Flower are also mapped directly to your phone's keypad.

Notice that you can use either the 5 key or the back arrow key on your phone to zoom out. When you're at the highest level (16 Tiles in view - your zoom space), the back key will leave Zumobi.