The Emerging Widgets Ecosystem

Daniel Appelquist

5 Sept 2009

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The mobile Web isn’t what It used to be…

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Opera’s Mobile Web Usage Data (Jan 2009)

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Top 11 Mobile 2.0 Trends (from 2008)

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W3C Work on the Mobile Web

• World Wide Web Consortium (http://www.w3c.org.za) – Organization created by (Sir) Tim Berners-Lee in 1994– Web Standards – HTML, XML, CSS, etc…

• W3C Mobile Web Initiative (http://w3.org/Mobile)– Umbrella for mobile activities, created 2005

• Mobile Web Best Practices and MobileOK

• Web Compatibility Test for Mobile Browsers– http://www.w3.org/2008/06/mobile-test/

• Mobile Web Application Best Practices

• Widgets Specifications

• Geolocation API

• New Device APIs Working Group

• Experimental Widget Test Framework

WWW2009 - 22 April 2009

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Mobile Web Application Best Practices

• The Web has grown from a page-based metaphor into a full-blown application platform

• Most things you used to need a special application for you can now do on the Web

• The Mobile Web is going the same way

• Advanced browser features enable interactivity and application-like behavior

• Mobile Web pages become compelling user experiences

• Guidelines for Mobile Web Applications developers in progress in W3C:

http://www.w3.org/TR/mwabp/

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Widget Test Framework (Experimental)

• Built on top of MobileOK Checker

• http://qa-dev.w3.org:8001/widget/ (URL will change)

• Checks the level of compliance against the W3C Widget Specifications

• Code available here:– http://dev.w3.org/cvsweb/2009/widget-checker/

• Keep watching this space

WWW2009 - 22 April 2009

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W3C Standards is a Public Process

• All these working groups operate “in public” – on public mailing lists.

• W3C process includes a rigorous public comment period

• They want your feedback!

• Check out:– W3C Web Applications public mailing list:

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-webapps/ – W3C Mobile Web Best Practices public mailing list:

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-bpwg/– W3C Device APIs public mailing list:

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-device-apis/

And follow progress at http://w3.org and http://w3.org/Mobile

WWW2009 - 22 April 2009

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Widgets

• Take Mobile Web Applications to the next level

• Build mobile applications using Web technologies familiar to millions of developers

• Package these Web applications up in a standard cross-platform way (W3C)

• Enable these applications with (secure) access to device capabilities through APIs

• Deploy into a Web Run-Time environment (analogous to a Web browser, but windowless and integrated into the device UI)

• Create a clear proposition for the developer and a route to market

• Cross-platform mini-applications, built on open Web standards that are easy to write and deploy and leverage a well-understood security model

Mobile Widget Programme11

Widgets Extend the Web

• Widgets use existing Web technologies– HTML, JavaScript, CSS

• Packaging and configuration standards being developed in W3C– In development in Web Applications working group

• Complimentary to off-line capabilities of HTML5

• Widgets may be updated automatically

• Access to device capabilities will be standardized as well– W3C Geolocation API working group – referenced by OMTP BONDI, already

implemented in iPhone 3.0 browser, Android, Opera test builds, Mozilla…– OMTP BONDI interfaces

Widgets are at the epicenter of the Mobile <-> Web Convergence

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The Twiggy Story

Twiggy – the Mobile Twitter Search Widget

• Built by Carsonified for Vodafone to help promote mobile widgets

• Built in 4 days

• Employed normal Web developer techniques

• Resulting application was wigitizable and also worked as a WebApp

• Social search use case – ideally suited for mobile widget

• Case in point that it’s easy for Web developers to build Widgets

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Widgets: The Next Chapter• Standard, secure access to device capabilities

– Location– Camera– Address book– Calendar– Media– File system– Sensors

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Widget Standards

• W3C standard for “Widget Packaging and Configuration” completed this summer

• W3C standard for “Widget Signing” completed this summer

• W3C standard for Widget APIs and Events pending

• W3C standard for Widget Updates pending

• Widget content is built on Web standards (HTML, CSS, JavaScript)

• Widgets are part of the Web ecosystem

• Fragmented implementations are out there especially around APIs and security model– Nokia widgets, Opera Widgets, BONDI widgets, JIL widgets, etc…

• New W3C Device APIs working group working on one agreed set of APIs– All players at the table: Opera, Nokia, Vodafone, BONDI, Google, Mozilla, Microsoft– Nokia and Vodafone co-chairing this effort– Delivery probably in 2010

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Mobile Widgets Are Made for the Social Web

• Social applications for people on the go

• New mechanisms for communication

• Bringing your social network with you

• Proximity-based applications

• Location-aware social apps

• Mobile location-based gaming

• Ubiquitous access to information and communication

Resources

Widget blog: http://betavine.net/widgetblog

W3C: http://www.w3c.org.za

OMTP BONDI: http://www.omtp.org/bondi