New W3C Working Group Brings Location Information to the Web
2008-09-19: The number of location-aware Web devices has increased dramatically as of late: built-in Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and mobile phone tower triangulation services have made mobile phones location-aware, Wifi triangulation services brings location information to Wifi enabled devices, GPS receivers now have Web connectivity. Location, location, location!
Thus far there has been no standard method for these devices to make their location available to Web applications, and so in response to requests from the community W3C has created the new Geolocation Working Group, which is chartered to develop a standardized interface to provide location information to Web applications and thus enable an exciting new class applications. This new group is part of W3C's Ubiquitous Web Applications Activity. (Permalink)
Call for Review: Device Description Repository Simple API Proposed Recommendation
2008-09-22: The Mobile Web Initiative Device Description Working Group has published the Proposed Recommendation of Device Description Repository Simple API. Web content delivered to mobile devices usually benefits from being tailored to take into account a range of factors such as screen size, markup language support and image format support. Such information is stored in "Device Description Repositories" (DDRs). This document describes a simple API for access to DDRs, in order to ease and promote the development of Web content that adapts to its Delivery Context. Comments are welcome through 31 October. Learn more about the Mobile Web Initiative Activity. (Permalink)
Last Call: Widgets 1.0: Requirements
2008-09-19: The Web Applications Working Group has published the Last Call Working Draft of Widgets 1.0: Requirements. A Widget is an interactive single purpose application for displaying and/or updating local data or data on the Web, packaged in a way to allow a single download and installation on a user's machine or mobile device. Typical examples of widgets include clocks, CPU gauges, sticky notes, battery-life indicators, games, and widgets that make use of Web services, like weather forecasters, news readers, e-mail checkers, photo albums and currency converters. This document lists the design goals and requirements that specifications would need to address in order to standardize various aspects of widgets. Comments are welcome through 13 October. Learn more about the Rich Web Client Activity. (Permalink)
Last Call: Efficient XML Interchange (EXI) Format 1.0
2008-09-19: The Efficient XML Interchange Working Group has published the Last Call Working Draft of Efficient XML Interchange (EXI) Format 1.0. EXI is a very compact representation for the Extensible Markup Language (XML) Information Set that is intended to simultaneously optimize performance and the utilization of computational resources. The EXI format uses a hybrid approach drawn from the information and formal language theories, plus practical techniques verified by measurements, for entropy encoding XML information. Using a relatively simple algorithm, which is amenable to fast and compact implementation, and a small set of data types, it reliably produces efficient encodings of XML event streams. Comments are welcome through 07 November. Learn more about the Extensible Markup Language (XML) Activity. (Permalink)
Last Call: WebCGM 2.1
2008-09-17: The WebCGM Working Group has published the First Public Last Call Working Draft of WebCGM 2.1. Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM) is an ISO standard, defined by ISO/IEC 8632:1999, for the interchange of 2D vector and mixed vector/raster graphics. WebCGM is a profile of CGM, which adds Web linking and is optimized for Web applications in technical illustration, electronic documentation, geophysical data visualization, and similar fields. First published (1.0) in 1999, WebCGM unifies potentially diverse approaches to CGM utilization in Web document applications. It therefore represents a significant interoperability agreement amongst major users and implementers of the ISO CGM standard. Comments are welcome through 01 November. Learn more about the Graphics Activity. (Permalink)
W3C Questions and Answers Blog 
Upcoming Meetings
Upcoming Talks
- 23 September, London, United Kingdom: Standardisation vs. Openness vs. Proprietary Systems - Examining in which Direction the Mobile Web Industry is heading and why this really MattersDominique Hazaël-Massieux presents at Mobile Web Europe 2008.
- 23 September, York, United Kingdom: How web accessibility guidelines apply to design for the ageing populationAndrew Arch, Shadi Abou-Zahra present at Accessible Design in the Digital World.
- 24 September, Washington, DC, USA: Introducing the W3C eGovernment Interest GroupKevin Novak presents at The Next Generation of Our Public Record:Many Voices, One Voice.
- 24 September, Vienna, Austria: Introduction to the Semantic WebIvan Herman gives a tutorial at 2nd European Semantic Technology Conference.
- 24 September, Berlin, Germany: Auf dem Weg ins Semantische WebKlaus Birkenbihl, Ivan Herman present at W3C-Tag.
- 26 September, Corfu, Greece: Improving Access to Government through Better Use of the WebJosé Manuel Alonso gives a keynote at 2nd International Conference on Methodologies, Technologies and Tools enabling e-Government.
- 30 September, São Paulo, Brazil: On the Way to the Semantic WebKlaus Birkenbihl, Ivan Herman present at W3C Brazil meeting.
- 2 October, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: On the Way to the Semantic WebKlaus Birkenbihl, Ivan Herman present at Rio Info 2008.
- 2 October, London, United Kingdom: Working Across BordersJosé Manuel Alonso participates in a panel at OASIS Open Standards Forum.
- 6 October, Nice, France: Les applications et services de l’Internet mobilePhilipp Hoschka participates in a panel at Internet of Things Internet of the Future.
- 13 October, Las Vegas, NV, USA: Accessibility in a Web 2.0 WorldShawn Henry presents at Web Builder 2.0.
- 14 October, Las Vegas, NV, USA: Getting Real with AccesibilityShawn Henry presents at Web Builder 2.0.
- 17 October, Poznan, Poland: The Policy-Aware Web meets Virtual GoodsRenato Iannella gives a keynote at 6th International Workshop for Technical, Economic and Legal Aspects of Business Models for Virtual Goods.
- 26 October, Karlsruhe, Germany: RDFa—Bridging the Web of Documents and the Web of DataMichael Hausenblas, Ivan Herman, Ben Adida give a tutorial at 7th International Semantic Web Conference (ISWC2008).
- 14 November, Paris, France: La mode se démode, le Style jamaisDaniel Glazman presents at Paris Web 2008.
- 5 December, Turn, Italy: Overlapping User Experiences: Mobile Web Usability and Accessibility for People with DisabilitiesShawn Henry presents at UPA Europe 2008, Usability and design: cultivating diversity.
- 6 December, Turin, Italy: How New Web Accessibility Standards Impact User Experience Design Shawn Henry presents at UPA Europe 2008, Usability and design: cultivating diversity.
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