Topix.net announced last week that they have released Topix.net/ZIP, a quick way to get local news via your mobile phone.

It’s simple to use; just enter Topix.net/ZIP, where ZIP is your zip code. Here’s one you can try from your cell phone: http://topix.net/90210.

If you try this URL from a regular browser, the URL will redirect to Topix’ regular page of news about Beverly Hills California. However, if you access this URL from a cell phone you will get a compressed page of headlines and news with good-sized summaries and clickable links to the full story. I found it loaded very quickly on my phone, though occasionally when I tried to link to a specific story I would have some trouble (I blame this more on the story source than Topix.)

Topix isn’t always perfect about story selection. One of the current Raleigh area stories is about two women who were killed when an inflatable artwork blew away; however, this happened in Durham County, England, not Durham, North Carolina. These errors are few enough and obvious enough however that I’ve bookmarked a few pages on my phone for when I need a quick news fix.