MobiWebApp

Back in February, I announced the start of a series of updates for a standardization roadmap for Web applications on mobile devices, a compilation of the most relevant current and upcoming technologies to develop Web applications well-fitted to mobile devices, which was again updated in May and August 2011.

I have just released a fourth update to that document that takes into account the many changes that have occurred in the past 3 months. Among the highlights:

• the publication of the first draft of the Web Real-Time Communications APIs, including work on the API to access the camera and microphone;
• progress on device APIs such as the Vibration API (first draft), battery status (last call), touch events (last call), accelerometer/gyroscope support (last call).

The next smaller iteration of this document will be provided end of February, in time for Mobile Word Congress 2012. Stay tuned!

I’ve just published on the W3C blog an illustration on another aspect in which mobile Web applications create new opportunities: given how ubiquitous the Web is becoming, it is now offering ways for devices to complete one another, making what I call “hyperdevices” (by analogy to hypertext).

I’ve built two demonstrations that illustrate this, and that you can either run by yourself, or simply watch as a video:

• the remote whiteboard exploits touch-capabilities from a mobile device to draw on a computer (video);
• the 3D explorer uses a mobile device with an accelerometer as a way to manipulate a 3D object on another screen (video).

The work happening in the Device APIs Working Group — in particular around device discovery — will be a critical component in making this type of interactions a natural extension of what we think of using the Web.

W3C just announced an upcoming workshop on one of the key aspects of the development and deployment of Web applications, in particular on mobile devices: the ability to install them and keep them working while offline.

The workshop aims at identifying a clear path forward for innovation in the Open Web Platform related to offline Web application invocation and use.

The workshop will be held on November 5 2011, hosted by Vodafone in Redwood city in California, right after the W3C annual TPAC week of meetings in Santa Clara.

If you want to contribute to the discussions, please submit a position paper by September 30, as described in the call for participation.

Back in February, I announced the start of a series of updates for a standardization roadmap for Web applications on mobile devices, a compilation of the most relevant current and upcoming technologies to develop Web applications well-fitted to mobile devices, which was again updated in May 2011.

As the project reaches the end of its first year, I have now just released a more complete version of that roadmap, with perspectives on what’s coming up over the course of the next year.

It also takes into account the latest changes in this space, with new drafts from the Web performance Working Group, a new charter for the Device APIs group, an early editors draft for Web Real-Time communications and much more.

This document is extracted from the equivalent page in the W3C wiki, where contributions from the larger community are more than welcomed. Many thanks to those who already contributed to it!

The next smaller iteration of this document will be provided end of November. Stay tuned!