Schema Support Strengthens Toolkit in Updated XHTML Modularization Standard

2008-10-08: W3C updated its XHTML Modularization standard today with support for designing modular languages using XML Schema. The addition of schemas to XHTML Modularization 1.1 is an important step towards the XHTML2 Working Group's goal that XHTML support rich Web content and be extensible, while remaining interoperable. A modularization standard allows language designers to reuse elements defined by multiple parties (including other W3C standards such as SVG and MathML) and combine them into new formats to meet specific application needs. The standard allows people to use schema-enabled, off-the-shelf tools to immediately begin authoring and validating documents written in those new languages. The XHTML2 Working Group, which gained experience using Modularization 1.1 to build some modules and languages, now plans to add schema support to other XHTML standards. Learn more about the HTML Activity. (Permalink)

Seven OWL 2 Drafts Published

2008-10-09: The OWL Working Group published seven documents yesterday relating to the OWL 2 Web Ontology Language. OWL 2 extends OWL, a core standard of the Semantic Web, adding new features that users have requested and that software providers are prepared to implement. The documents are:

1. Structural Specification and Functional-Style Syntax
2. Direct Semantics
3. RDF-Based Semantics (First Public Draft)
4. Mapping to RDF Graphs
5. XML Serialization
6. Profiles
7. Conformance and Test Cases (First Public Draft)

The first three documents form the technical core of OWL 2, which has both a traditional "direct" semantics (for OWL DL) and a new "RDF-based" semantics (for OWL Full). Documents 4 and 5 specify two different serializations for OWL ontologies, one based on RDF and one using XML more directly. Document 6 defines useful subsets of OWL which may be easier to implement or may better meet certain performance requirements. Finally, document 7 specifies conformance and will later enumerate the OWL 2 test cases. Five other documents are under development; but they are not yet ready for public review. Learn more about the Semantic Web Activity. (Permalink)

Widgets 1.0: Updates

2008-10-09: The Web Applications Working Group has published the First Public Working Draft of Widgets 1.0: Updates. This specification defines a model to allow a widget user agent to locate and replace a widget resource with a new or different version of a widget resource. The updates model is designed to work both over HTTP and from local storage. For updates performed via the Web, the model makes use a simple XML documents that authors place on a Web server to indicate, amongst other things, where the next most suitable version of a widget resource can be retrieved from. It also defines a mechanism that allows authors to be notified of installation errors or success. This specification also describes how to renegotiate security policies when widgets are updated. Learn more about the Rich Web Client Activity. (Permalink)

Call for Review: Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL 3.0) is a Proposed Recommendation

2008-10-06: The SYMM Working Group has published the Proposed Recommendation of Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL 3.0), pronounced "smile." SMIL 3.0 allows authors to write interactive multimedia presentations. Using SMIL 3.0, an author may describe the temporal behavior of a multimedia presentation, associate hyperlinks with media objects and describe the layout of the presentation on a screen. SMIL 3.0 is a modular XML application: its components may be used in other XML formats. SMIL also defines mobile profiles that incorporate features useful within the industry. Comments are welcome through 6 November. Read more about the Synchronized Multimedia Activity. See also W3C's new Video on the Web Activity. (Permalink)

XMLHttpRequest Level 2 Draft Published

2008-10-03: The Web Applications Working Group has published the Working Draft of XMLHttpRequest Level 2. The specification enhances XMLHttpRequest with new features, such as cross-site requests, progress events, and the handling of byte streams for both sending and receiving. Learn more about the Rich Web Client Activity. (Permalink)

W3C Talks in October

2008-10-02: Browse W3C presentations and events also available as an RSS channel. (Permalink)

• 2 October, London, United Kingdom: Working Across Borders.José Manuel Alonso participates in a panel at OASIS Open Standards Forum.
• 2 October, Utrecht, The Netherlands: 'Sterke verhalen' over standaardisatie.Steven Pemberton participates in a panel at HubHolland.
• 2 October, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: On the Way to the Semantic Web.Klaus Birkenbihl, Ivan Herman present at Rio Info 2008.
• 6 October, Nice, France: Les applications et services de l'Internet mobile.Philipp Hoschka participates in a panel at Internet of Things Internet of the Future.
• 7 October, Göteborg, Sweden: Webben, Open Source och standarder.Olle Olsson presents at DFS-seminarium.
• 8 October, Kista, Sweden: Webb 2.0 och bortom.Olle Olsson presents at ISOC.SE seminarium.
• 13 October, Las Vegas, NV, USA: Accessibility in a Web 2.0 World.Shawn Henry presents at Web Builder 2.0.
• 14 October, Las Vegas, NV, USA: Getting Real with Accesibility.Shawn Henry presents at Web Builder 2.0.
• 16 October, Bålsta, Sweden: Klarspråk och förståelighet på webben - webben som utmaning och möjlighet.Olle Olsson presents at Klarspråkskonferensen 2008.
• 17 October, Poznan, Poland: The Policy-Aware Web meets Virtual Goods.Renato 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 Data.Michael Hausenblas, Ivan Herman, Ben Adida give a tutorial at 7th International Semantic Web Conference (ISWC2008).
• View upcoming talks by country
• More talks...

W3C Organizes Workshop on Security for Access to Device APIs from the Web

2008-09-30: W3C invites people to participate in a Workshop on Security for Access to Device APIs from the Web to be hosted by Vodafone in London (UK) on 10-11 December 2008. The goal of this workshop is to bring together people from a wide variety of backgrounds (API designers, security experts, usability experts, ...) to discuss the security challenges involved in allowing Web applications and widgets to access the APIs that allow to control these features (e.g., cameras, gps, address books, etc.). Participants will also advise the W3C on appropriate next steps for any gap that needs to be addressed with new technical work. Position papers are due 30 October. W3C invites you to read more about the Workshop scope. (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)

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)

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)

Last Call: Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) Tiny 1.2 Specification

2008-09-15: The SVG Working Group has published the Last Call Working Draft of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) Tiny 1.2 Specification. This specification defines the features and syntax for Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) Tiny, Version 1.2, a language for describing two-dimensional vector and mixed vector/raster graphics in XML. Its goal is to provide the ability to create a whole range of graphical content, from static images to animations to interactive Web applications. SVG Tiny 1.2 is a profile of SVG intended for implementation on a range of devices, from cellphones and PDAs to desktop and laptop computers. Comments are welcome through 13 October. Learn more about the W3C Graphics Activity. (Permalink)

Tim Berners-Lee Announces Creation of New Foundation to Bring the Web to All People

2008-09-14: Before a gathering of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in Washington, D.C. (USA), Tim Berners-Lee announced today the creation of the World Wide Web Foundation. The mission of the Foundation is:

• to advance One Web that is free and open,
• to expand the Web's capability and robustness,
• and to extend the Web's benefits to all people on the planet.

Following Berners-Lee's speech, Alberto Ibargüen, Knight Foundation's president and CEO, announced a $5 million seed grant in support of the mission. Learn more about the World Wide Web Foundation at www.webfoundation.org, which also includes a FAQ and video and photos from the event. (Permalink)