Last night I downloaded the full release of Opera Mini 4.1 and so far I have to say I am impressed. The new URL location bar works like a typical browser which is great! The new integrated download is fantastic too. The application feels faster, but I’m lacking in any data to support that claim. I was able to upload a small image to Flickr so it all seems as advertised.

There are some things that still don’t work though. You still can’t select a page URL within the application and say mail it to a friend. Also, WordPress 2.5.1 doesn’t seem to work fully because of AJAX issues. Generally, if the site/app your accessing is AJAX based, it won’t work. The input fields in forms still require clicking on them to bring up the input interface. JQuery library doesn’t seem to work correctly either, in fact support under 4.0 seemed better.

I also found the constant permissions nagging about accessing the local device content frustrating. That’s no fault of the software, but rather the applications permissions. However, the dialog from the phone often was unreadable due to a UI glitch. Blindly selecting “Yes” seemed to power through it. Opera should provide a guide to users installing the application so they can get assistance navigating the sea of permissions when installing. If you’re like me, still without a full browser bundled with your phone, I strongly recommend taking a look at Opera Mini.

I’ve been experimenting with twitter a lot lately. Generally, I find it’s something I use more away from my computer than while I’m at it. However, I’ve been frustrated by my mobile experience more than a few times and I’m not sure where to head next. I have a BlackBerry Curve with service via AT&T. I’m reasonably happy with the phone. If you think of twitter as SMS² you’ll start to understand how I’ve been using it. When I’m at my computer, I reach out to individuals, I connect with co-workers via IM, Skype, Email, Facebook, MySpace etc. When I’m away from the full glory of my machine, I do lighter communication - SMS and twitter. Keep in mind, this is a generalization.

Currently as a BlackBerry user, you’ve got a few options for accessing twitter (options are good right?), each of which I’ll get into more detail about below:

1. m.twitter.com - the mobile phone optimized version
2. twitter.com - the full blown site
3. TinyTwitter
4. TwitterBerry
5. GTalk

This chart summarizes my experience using the different methods of accessing twitter, but keep reading for more detail.

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