Bitstream has announced the public beta of its BOLT mobile browser. Previously available by invitation-only, BOLT is a browser built optimized for mobile phones, providing a desktop-like view of web pages on even the most basic feature phones. People now can download the public beta version of the BOLT mobile browser for free by visiting: http://boltbrowser.com/.

Bitstream began offering BOLT in a private beta that included more than 30,000 users around the world. From the data collected and comments received, Bitstream made improvements to the user experience and added device-specific features.

BOLT features speed, conservation of battery life, and minimization of data transmissions, allowing people to browse longer without recharging batteries while consuming less data.

The BOLT mobile browser lets people view full websites as they would on a personal computer. It does so using a patented magnification technology that scales both text and images, letting users navigate to specific sections of large web pages and then zoom in to display clear text and images. BOLT supports streaming video from websites such as YouTube, vids.myspace.com, video.yahoo.com, blip.tv, dailymotion.com, and metacafe.com.

Built with proprietary compression, navigation and rendering technologies, BOLT enables users to find and read information quickly and easily. BOLT enables users to quickly toggle between a full-page view or a split screen/magnifier zoomed view and offers five different levels of zoom.

Features of this BOLT public beta release include:

- Fast, secure, desktop-style web browsing on both high-end and low-end handsets

- Streaming flash video capabilities

- WebKit rendering engine offers high standards compliance

- Support for XML, ATOM and RDF formats of RSS feeds

- Support for JavaScript and AJAX

- Split screen and full screen modes for easy navigation and viewing

- Intuitive keystroke shortcuts for easier navigation and content selection

- 128-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption for secure access to web pages

- Server filtering to protect users from spyware and other malware

Certificate error notification

Easily add and select favorites and view browsing history

Ability to clear history and cookies

BOLT beta is available for virtually any handset with Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) 2.0 support that can run mobile Java (J2ME) applications, including BlackBerry devices.

The beta release of the BOLT mobile browser is compatible with the majority of the world's 4 billion mobile phones.

BOLT is built using the WebKit rendering engine to deliver the same web page layout as found on desktop browsers and includes high standards compliance such as AJAX nd flash video support. Bitstream's client/server technology, mobile fonts and font rendering technologies speed content delivery enabling mass market deployments, improved readability and allowing BOLT to fit more information into smaller screens. BOLT's underlying ThunderHawk mobile browsing technology supports both J2ME platforms, as well as non-J2ME environments though a C++ SDK.