Got Widget?

[codenode]

Hi,

very interesting. I was yesterday atending a local mobile meeting (mobile times in düsseldorf [www.mobile-times.de]), to listen to presentations, and to hold one about qt mobility (as there isn't still much to say about Bada).
To my suprise the top topic wasn't iphone or android, nor java (it was sponsored by java groups and vodafone).
The topic a lot of people were talking about, were widgets. A mix of html, css and js, beeing capable to run on almost every platform, as the webview (mostly webkit, kind of the standard mobile browser for now) on the smartphone is just running them.
Also this technique is used by palm as some might know. So, is the future building widgets apps, instead of local ones?

What is the opinion on this?

regards,

Jens

[wit]

Under "widget" I understand those mini-apps that you usually see on a smart-phone home-screen, like the battery-life-widget or the clock-widget.

What you are talking about are server-based apps that work on a server and deliver output through a webclient to the device. Javascript, Webkit and all associated and derived technologies offer astonishing GUI possibilities that mostly overcome those offered by the host API itself

Further advantages are numerous like:

• cross platform
• no piracy (ARRR!)
• instant updates to everybody. When you release a new version, it is there, in an instance, on all devices
• flexible payment options, like subscription or pay-per-use
• ...

As cloud solutions grow and become more and more accessible (as well as Internet connection on mobile devices), we will see more and more of such apps appear.

Ask sparky! As far as I know most apps he developed for Android were central/server-based

[Nour]

My ex-comapny had several departments. One department was doing mobile software and they were working for Nokia. I had good relation with main guys there and they told me that widgets for future.

However, looking at the simple widget developments in Symbian or TouchWiz platforms, I don't see how a developer can make profit from them?

They are simple Html, JavaScript and CSS after all.

[sparky]

Hmm, it depends on the widget. If under "widget" you mean server-based web-apps (they might look and be used like widgets on the home screen): You can still "sell" them, rent them, stuff them with ads like a pork .. etc

There are enough ways to make a buck, which might not be straightforward at the first sight.

[remy_david]

I think your are confusing things here:

- widget -> small app on a customizable home screen (used by Symbian 5th, Android)

- server-based web app -> app running from a server using the phone's browser engine (webkit), the app code (JS/HTML/CSS) is managed on the server (ex: Google apps). That's the "Cloud", "SaaS" model.
This kind of app cannot use phone's API (until HTML5 arrives...), and need a network connection.

- phone-based web app -> app running localy on the phone and rendered in the phone's browser engine (webkit). The application code (JS/HTML/CSS) is downloaded on the phone at installation and runs localy. This kind of app can use the phone API (through a JS wrapper framework) and don't necessary need a network connection. Exemple: Nokia WTK framework.

A Widget can be a phone-based web app (Nokia WTK widgets) or a native app (Android widgets).

Phone-based web app is seen as the future by some people as they allow advanced app (access to phone's API) to be developed by web people (HTML/JS/CSS developers). Which means easy, fast and cheap to develop as well as cross platform (as webkit becomes a standard).

[Nour]

Phone-based web app is seen as the future by some people as they allow advanced app (access to phone's API) to be developed by web people (HTML/JS/CSS developers). Which means easy, fast and cheap to develop as well as cross platform (as webkit becomes a standard).

That what I was told by the guys.

There are good number of web developers ready to switch to mobile development. JavaScript rules [I like this language]

[benm]

Widgets do not run server side, they run locally using the browser runtime as their execution environment. If the phone provides a widget loader then third-party widgets can be installed. I published a few widget papers on Samsung Mobile Innovator, see http://bit.ly/be7ovZ - the context was Symbian but the point about widgets is that they are cross-platform. Widgets are a fab technology, but are constrained by (1) performance, UI interaction especially can be noticeably slow (2) lack of native API access. JIL on Vodafone 360 and BONDI are initiatives to standardise APIs for widgets enabling access to functionality like location, network services, local filesystem, sensors, etc. My assumption is that bada phones will support widget install via the widget store. And JavaScript BTW is a very nice language.

[sparky]

There are good number of web developers ready to switch to mobile development. JavaScript rules [I like this language]

Hehe Nour, you like JavaScript, but you don't like his big brother: Java?

JIL on Vodafone 360 and BONDI are initiatives to standardise APIs

True, I wish they would move faster in order to give the developers some constancy in a rapidly-changing mobile environment. You can do great things with CSS/DHTML/Javscript (JavaScript frameworks like JQuery, MooTools, Prototype ARE the future). The big drawback I found is the lack of access to native device functionality. Projects like http://phonegap.com/ are trying to close that gap.

And yes, JavaScript is awesome!

[Nour]

There are good number of web developers ready to switch to mobile development. JavaScript rules [I like this language]

Hehe Nour, you like JavaScript, but you don't like his big brother: Java?

What are the family ties between Javascript and Java? Absolutely nothing
I worked 2 years with JavaScript at my ex-logistic company

True, I wish they would move faster in order to give the developers some constancy in a rapidly-changing mobile environment. You can do great things with CSS/DHTML/Javscript (JavaScript frameworks like JQuery, MooTools, Prototype ARE the future).

Check the API wishlist. I asked for JavaScript frameworks from the beginning

And yes, JavaScript is awesome!

wow, we like the same language .. I guess JavaScript is a nice alternative to c++ and Java, powerful, flexible, easy and fun.

[sparky]

wow, we like the same language .. I guess JavaScript is a nice alternative to c++ and Java, powerful, flexible, easy and fun.

Hah!! I knew we would find a common ground!