W3C and the Mobile World

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), 24th of April, 2006

W3C and the Mobile World

Slides of the presentation held at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), on the 24th of April, 2006.

What is “Mobile”?

There are a number of “mobile” devices (in cars, phones, shop floors…)
We concentrate here on mobile/cell phones and network aware PDA-s
- but a workshop on Ubiquitous Web has just been announced!
Question: what does W3C contribute to this environment?

Characteristics of Mobile

Extremely dynamic market
Big business in Europe and Asia, with US catching up fast
- extremely dynamic market: ≈800M units sold in 2005, 63% of installed phones are Web capable (est.)
Potentially huge number of users
- 40 Million new users per year in China alone!
- future: one PC per family, but one (or more!) mobile per person…
- Potentially huge number of users in developing countries (where, for many people, mobile is the only gateway to the Web/Internet!)

Restrictions, Constraints

Restrictions:
- small memory, slower processors, small bandwidth
- these are cited often, but less and less relevant
  - modern mobiles are like PC-s 10 years ago and getting stronger every day
Constraints:
- small overall size, screen and keyboard (or no keyboard at all)
- different usage environments (on the street, on a train…)
- hands-free, one handed, or two handed usage
- most users are non-technical
Technical restrictions may become less relevant, but the constraints are bound to stay!

Drive to Innovation

These are not only constraints but also possibilities!
- merge of cameras, PDA-s, and phones in one device (made possible by the small size)
- develop new types of interaction (made necessary by lack of keyboard and mouse)
- location-specific services (your provider knows where you are, why not making use of this?)
Constraints drive innovation…
- new types of devices, new paradigms come every day
- contrast with PCs: no major paradigm shift in the past 15 years!
Mobile is one of the most innovative areas these days!

The web usage is still evolving

50% of web-capable phones not set up to use the Web
24% of web-capable phones used only once for Web access
Total: 74% of web-capable phones not really used
But there are also positive signs:
- Browsing is number one data packet usage these days (Nokia Study, 2005)

Still a Multipolar World

Variety of hardware architectures
- Nokia, HP, Samsung, Palm, Motorola, DoCoMo, Sharp, SonyEricsson, KDDI, Sony, Dell, Sagem, Fujitsu, …
- they represent different architectures, processors, displays, user interface styles, …
Operating systems evenly spread the field
- proprietary, Symbian, PalmOS, Windows Mobile/CE, Linux, …
- none of them dominates!
Thriving software industry for all variants

Where We Are

But… we are still at the beginning
- systems and application software not always mature yet
- infrastructure under constant development (eg, network)
- more simplicity is needed for average user
Standardization is (even more) important!

Standardization is (even more) important!

Source: T-Mobile

A World of Varieties

Collection of a number of mobile phone photos

The Players

Lots of hardware and software vendors (of course)
Two main industry consortia outside W3C:
- Open Mobile Alliance (OMA):
  - integrated some older consortia (WAP Forum, SyncML Initiative, …)
  - specifies interoperable technical specification for Mobile devices
- 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)
  - specifies technical specification for 3rd Generation GSM networks
- roughly: 3GPP is the radio, OMA is the application level
  - but there are overlaps; they try to cooperate and synchronize

Position of W3C

OMA and 3GPP often integrate existing technologies (when available and possible)
- only if the technology does not exist, do they define it themselves
W3C’s expertise lies in the development of the basic Web architecture
- W3C provides already a number of “building blocks”; these are integrated in 3GPP/OMA specifications
Bottomline: there is good cooperation among W3C, OMA, and 3GPP

An Enabling Technology: Modularization

Large specifications are defined in terms of small units
- e.g., for XHTML: link, basic table, list
“Profiles” are defined by choosing some units only
A technology developed by W3C for XML and CSS
- for XML, it was introduced in “XHTML Modularization” (W3C Rec.)
- used by XHTML, SVG, SMIL, …
- CSS 3 is defined in terms of profiles, too
Largely adopted by OMA and 3GPP

XHTML Basic/CSS Mobile

XHTML Basic: a “minimized” profile of XHTML
- no frames, scripting; only simple tables (no colgroup, tbody/thead/tfoot, justification in cells)
- had an early adoption for WAP 2
CSS Mobile: under development
Important for simple devices
For higher end devices, XHTML Basic may not be that relevant any more…
- there are browsers that can manage XHTML 1.1+CSS

SVG

SVG has two “Mobile profiles”: Tiny and Basic
- In Basic: simpler geometry, limited numerical precision, optional scripting, subset of SVG fonts and filters
- In Tiny: like Basic, plus no gradients and pattern fills, no CSS styling, no filters, opacity control, or scripting
Newer phones come with SVG built in (108 different types in March 2006)
- some Web Browsers have SVG Tiny built in (Opera, NetFront, …)
W3C is working on SVG 1.2 Tiny (in strong synchrony with 3GPP)
SVG Mobile becomes the vector graphics tool for Mobile!

SMIL

Synchronized Multimedia Intgegration Language (SMIL) is an integrator language:
- coordinates the display of other media in time (audio, video, …)
- relies on other media formats for real display
W3C has first defined several profiles, harmonized with 3GPP:
1. SMIL 2.1: the full set of possibilities
2. SMIL 2.1 Mobile Profile: essentially the Multimedia Messaging Profile of 3GPP
  - no complicated synchronization within media, no transition effects, …
3. SMIL 2.1 Extended Mobile Profile: looking toward the future for more elaborate devices
  - it contains transition effects or animation, …

3GPP’s MMS (“Multimedia Messaging”)

3GPP’s MMS format (Version 5) defines media formats, too, with W3C formats playing a major role:
- includes PNG for bitmap images
- SVG Tiny for vector graphics (Basic as optional)
- (essentially) XHTML Basic for text
Version 6 may include SVG 1.2 Tiny
- this is still under development

“Traditional” Interaction: XForms

(courtesy of solidapp.com)

XForms aims at an enhancement of traditional HTML forms
- firmly rooted in XML technologies
- includes datatypes
- strict separation between the form’s “intent”…
  - what types of data are collected
  - abstract terms for lists, multiple or single choices
- … and its presentation
  - usage of fancy buttons, or simple interaction
- 80% of javascript usage in today’s forms becomes unnecessary!
XForms (full) is a W3C Recommendation
XForms Basic should become a Rec later this year
- e.g., very restricted requirements on XML Schemas

W3C’s Mobile Web Initiative (MWI)

“Making Web access from a mobile device as simple, easy and convenient as Web access from a desktop device”

Complements the work of OMA and 3GPP and the work done elsewhere at W3C
Launched in May 2005 with a separate set of directed sponsorship
The general approach:
- solve interoperability and usability issues for end users and content providers
- not geared at new technology
- explain how to use existing technology and improve implementations

Industry Cooperation is Required

Key players that need to cooperate for making mobile web work

Current MWI Sponsors

Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group

Audience: Web content providers/Web developers
Issue: how to make Web content work on mobile devices?
- rules to follow
- things to look out for

Best Practices

Studied existing “tips and tricks” (W3C Accessibility, iMode, Opera, Openwave, Nokia,…)
60 “Best Practices”; examples:
- thematic consistency/“One Web”
- no table for layout, no spacers-GIFs, no frames
- screen estate constraints: small top navigation, avoid large graphics
  - has an overview of the typical current set of devices
- provide informative error messages
- scrolling should be in one direction
- …
Document approaching final approval, but still under review!

Device Description Working Group

Issue: how do I reliably find out the technical characteristics of a device?
- currently: all providers make their own testing
Device description needed for content adaptation
Ongoing Work
- “landscape” document: survey of existing technology
- “ecosystem” document: understand who does what and why
Probable future work: shared, open device description database

Potential Future Work MWI

“MobileOK” validator
Device Description Database
Test suites
Training
…

Further Information

Home page for W3C: http://www.w3.org, has further links to: MWI, XForms, SVG, SMIL, XHTML,
More information about W3C: http://www.w3.org/Consortium/; http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Contact; http://www.w3c.org.hk
My email address:: ivan@w3.org