I often think that the most interesting mobile applications aren’t on the mobile web (or available as downloadable apps).

Voice, text and photo usage on cell phones far exceeds mobile web usage. I suggest that it always will.

That alone would be reason enough to keep coming back to them. But integrated thinking across modes also leads to more interesting applications. Technical limitations and carrier issues also lead to solutions with attractive novelty.

If I’m going to do anything with social networking and my phone, I’d really like it to account for the fact that my phone gets used for voice.

Tim O’Reilly brought to my attention a TechCrunch article:

Skydeck… marries your address book to your cell phone bill so you can see your real social network based on who you call the most. [They’re also] opening up APIs so that other Web developers can tap into this new source of social data.

This sounds like a smart way to unlock the information my cell phone carrier has until the carriers get decide to free it themselves. Opens nifty possibilities to enhance the way we do lots of little things.

UPDATE 4-JUN-08: TechCrucnch reports on Yahoo opening it’s address book today. Google and MSN released APIs to theirs earlier this year.