Cracking the Code: Developing for Mobile Devices The Most Exciting Mobile Community on the Planet Luca Passani, AdMob, WURFL Development Non-Proprietary and Non-Confidential ;)

One Look at the Past of the Web First Generation Mobile Content wasn’t so cool by today standards (it was very cool in 1994) Authors of first generation web content did not know how to monetize . In fact, they were not even thinking about it. Thank Heaven companies that wanted to monetize the new opportunity came in and content got waaaaay cooler… Thank heaven, by that time, HTML, HTTP and other basic Internet standards were already established and the “monetisers” could not screw it up…. These are all rough approximations….but you get the spirit

First Generation Mobile Content wasn’t so cool by today standards (it was very cool in 1994)

Authors of first generation web content did not know how to monetize . In fact, they were not even thinking about it.

Thank Heaven companies that wanted to monetize the new opportunity came in and content got waaaaay cooler…

Thank heaven, by that time, HTML, HTTP and other basic Internet standards were already established and the “monetisers” could not screw it up….

These are all rough approximations….but you get the spirit

One Look at Today’s Mobile Web Companies are trying to monetize before mobile browsing is an established consumer reality From a usability view-point, support for Internet-related features is obviously an “afterthough” in most mobile devices on the market Device Fragmentation : can’t find a device like the other! Also the result of technology innovation and evolution. Drive to differentiate It’s a jungle: some arrogate the right to break established standands and practices, blatantly ignoring the needs of customers and other content providers: VodafoneUK and Novarra are breaking the mobile web!

Companies are trying to monetize before mobile browsing is an established consumer reality

From a usability view-point, support for Internet-related features is obviously an “afterthough” in most mobile devices on the market

Device Fragmentation : can’t find a device like the other!

Also the result of technology innovation and evolution.

Drive to differentiate

It’s a jungle: some arrogate the right to break established standands and practices, blatantly ignoring the needs of customers and other content providers:

VodafoneUK and Novarra are breaking the mobile web!

Stop VodafoneUK and Novarra! VodafoneUK has transitioned all of its subscriber to the Novarra reformatting proxy. Content-providers can’t figure out device capabilities User-Agent string and UAProf url are removed from request Voda has introduced a whitelist of non-reformatted sites. Everyone is angry but Vodafone ignores every complaint … Just imagine what would happen if each ISP asked each website to register themselves on their whitelist! Vodafone is messing with the foundation of the Mobile Internet!

VodafoneUK has transitioned all of its subscriber to the Novarra reformatting proxy.

Content-providers can’t figure out device capabilities

User-Agent string and UAProf url are removed from request

Voda has introduced a whitelist of non-reformatted sites.

Everyone is angry but Vodafone ignores every complaint

… Just imagine what would happen if each ISP asked each website to register themselves on their whitelist!

Vodafone is messing with the foundation of the Mobile Internet!

Standards In the history of the Internet, never was so much said by so many meaning so little to so few Winston Churchill (adapted) , in a slightly different context

In the history of the Internet, never was so much said by so many meaning so little to so few

Standards in Mobile: OMA and W3C OMA did a decent attempt to address device fragmentation by introducing UAProf Varying levels of support from OEMs Not always rich enough in terms of actual capabilities Actual exploiting of UAprof left as an exercise. W3C Answer to Device Fragmentation is One-Web That’s denying that the problem is there in the first place! Neither OMA nor W3C (and in fact NO major organization ) has had the guts to tell VodafoneUK to stop messing with the HTTP protocol. Who will safeguard the mobile environment? Those who should are not doing that: Too busy with petty strategic moves Too scared to mess with the big guy

OMA did a decent attempt to address device fragmentation by introducing UAProf

Varying levels of support from OEMs

Not always rich enough in terms of actual capabilities

Actual exploiting of UAprof left as an exercise.

W3C Answer to Device Fragmentation is One-Web

That’s denying that the problem is there in the first place!

Neither OMA nor W3C (and in fact NO major organization ) has had the guts to tell VodafoneUK to stop messing with the HTTP protocol.

Who will safeguard the mobile environment?

Those who should are not doing that:

Too busy with petty strategic moves

Too scared to mess with the big guy

Mobile Developers and the WURFL Community WURFL (Wireless Universal Resource File) Device Description Repository Public Open Open-Source WALL (Wireless Abstraction Library) Serving Different Mark-ups to different devices in one easy step with on $5 a month hosting. Vibrant community of at least 3000 developers probably many more Continuous Scrutiny of the Gory Details of Mobile Development: New Devices, New Technologies, Operator configuration changes. Drive behind WURFL is not monetization Of course, all members own or work for companies, but the spirit is to share…

WURFL (Wireless Universal Resource File)

Device Description Repository

Public Open Open-Source

WALL (Wireless Abstraction Library)

Serving Different Mark-ups to different devices in one easy step with on $5 a month hosting.

Vibrant community of at least 3000 developers

probably many more

Continuous Scrutiny of the Gory Details of Mobile Development:

New Devices, New Technologies, Operator configuration changes.

Drive behind WURFL is not monetization

Of course, all members own or work for companies, but the spirit is to share…

WURFL Public Repository pppp <device fall_back=&quot;root&quot; id=&quot;generic&quot; user_agent=&quot;&quot;> <group id=&quot;product_info&quot;> <capability name=&quot; brand_name &quot; value=&quot;&quot;/> <capability name=&quot; model_name &quot; value=&quot;&quot;/> <capability name=&quot; unique &quot; value=&quot;true&quot;/> <capability name=&quot; is_wireless_device &quot; value=&quot;true&quot;/> <capability name=&quot; device_claims_web_support &quot; value=&quot;false&quot;/> <capability name=&quot; has_pointing_device &quot; value=&quot;false&quot;/> <capability name=&quot; has_qwerty_keyboard &quot; value=&quot;false&quot;/> <capability name=&quot; can_skip_aligned_link_row &quot; value=&quot;false&quot;/> : Today In a few weeks…

pppp

WURFL Specialized Communities In addition to browsing (WMLProgramming), new sub-communities have been created: WURFL and J2ME WURFL and Adobe FlashLite WURFL and Video Members are recognized figures in their respective areas. All forums are moderated for top signal/noise ratio… … already active today (URLs at the end of the presentaion)

In addition to browsing (WMLProgramming), new sub-communities have been created:

WURFL and J2ME

WURFL and Adobe FlashLite

WURFL and Video

Members are recognized figures in their respective areas.

All forums are moderated for top signal/noise ratio…

… already active today (URLs at the end of the presentaion)

From Current WALL…. <wall: menu colorize=&quot;true&quot; autonumber=&quot;true&quot;> <wall: a href =&quot;http://url1&quot; title=&quot;Games&quot;>Games</wall: a > <wall: a href =&quot;http://url2&quot; title=&quot;Horos&quot;>Horoscopes</wall: a > <wall: a href =&quot;http://url1&quot; title=&quot;Kids&quot;>Kids</wall: a > <p align=&quot;left&quot; mode=&quot;nowrap&quot;> <select> <option onpick=&quot;http://url1&quot; title=&quot;Games&quot;>Games</option> <option onpick=&quot;http://url2&quot; title=&quot;Horos&quot;>Horoscopes</option> <option onpick=&quot;http://url1&quot; title=&quot;Kids&quot;>Kids</option> <option onpick=&quot;http://url2&quot; title=&quot;Movies&quot;>Movies</option> <option onpick=&quot;http://url1&quot; title=&quot;Music&quot;>Music</option> <option onpick=&quot;http://url2&quot; title=&quot;Radio&quot;>Radio</option> <option onpick=&quot;http://url2&quot; title=&quot;TV&quot;>TV</option> </select> </p> WML Openwave <p> <a href=&quot;http://url1&quot; title=&quot;Games&quot;>Games</a><br/> <a href=&quot;http://url2&quot; title=&quot;Horos&quot;>Horoscopes</a><br/> <a href=&quot;http://url1&quot; title=&quot;Kids&quot;>Kids</a><br/> <a href=&quot;http://url2&quot; title=&quot;Movies&quot;>Movies</a><br/> <a href=&quot;http://url1&quot; title=&quot;Music&quot;>Music</a><br/> <a href=&quot;http://url2&quot; title=&quot;Radio&quot;>Radio</a><br/> <a href=&quot;http://url2&quot; title=&quot;TV&quot;>TV</a><br/> </p> WML Nokia <ol> <li><a acceskey=&quot;1&quot; href=&quot;http://url1&quot; title=&quot;Games&quot;>Games</a… <li><a acceskey=&quot;2&quot; href=&quot;http://url2&quot; title=&quot;Horos&quot;>Horoscop… <li><a acceskey=&quot;3&quot; href=&quot;http://url1&quot; title=&quot;Kids&quot;>Kids</a></… <li><a acceskey=&quot;4&quot; href=&quot;http://url2&quot; title=&quot;Movies&quot;><b>Movie… <li><a acceskey=&quot;5&quot; href=&quot;http://url1&quot; title=&quot;Music&quot;>Music</a>… <li><a acceskey=&quot;6&quot; href=&quot;http://url2&quot; title=&quot;Radio&quot;>Radio</a>… <li><a acceskey=&quot;7&quot; href=&quot;http://url2&quot; title=&quot;TV&quot;>TV</a></li> </ol> XHTML MP Standard XHTML-MP (advanced) & Compact-HTML (iMode)

…to WALL Next Generation! Forward-looking Basic “Validated” Components New categorization of mark-up family XHTML- Advanced XHTML-Simple WML <wng: navigation_bar separator=&quot; | &quot; background_color=&quot;#FEEB99&quot;> <wng:css> <wng:css_property name=&quot;font-size&quot; value=&quot;9px&quot; applies_to=&quot;advanced&quot; /> <wng:css_property name=&quot;font-weight&quot; value=&quot;bold&quot; /> <wng:css_property name=&quot;margin-bottom&quot; value=&quot;0.5em&quot; /> </wng:css> <wng:link href=&quot;search.html&quot; text=&quot;Search&quot; css_ref=&quot;.tblsyellow&quot;/> <wng:link href=&quot;myEbay.html&quot; text=&quot;My eBay&quot; css_ref=&quot;.tblsyellow&quot;/> <wng:link href=&quot;category.html&quot; text=&quot;Category&quot; css_ref=&quot;.tblsyellow&quot;/> </wng: navigation_bar > xhtml_support_level WURFL capability Supports graphics multiserving Relies on Object Model CSS Focus Initially Java Integrates with JSTL for Powerful Conditional Programming

Forward-looking

Basic “Validated” Components

New categorization of mark-up family

XHTML- Advanced

XHTML-Simple

WML

xhtml_support_level WURFL capability

Supports graphics multiserving

Relies on Object Model

CSS Focus

Initially Java

Integrates with JSTL for Powerful Conditional Programming

Popular first Page Rebuilt in WNG Advanced XHTML Simple XHTML WML xhtml_support_level = 3 or 4 xhtml_support_level = 1 or 2 xhtml_support_level = -1 or 0 iPhone (Safari), HTC Mogul (Windows Mobile Explorer), BlackBerry Pearl, SonyEricsson W610i, Nokia E61 (built in WAP Browser) Motorola V3xx (Opera 8), Nokia 7373 (Nokia Browser), Sanyo RL 4930 (Netfront 3.1) Nokia 7210

References WURFL and WALL http:// wurfl.sourceforge.net WMLProgramming (WURFL Mailing List) http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/wmlprogramming/ Vodafone Rant (you can sign too!) http://wurfl.sourceforge.net/vodafonerant/ Global Authoring Practices for the Mobile Web Better than W3C BPs! http:// www.passani.it /gap/ WURFL J2ME mailing list http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/wurflj2me/ WURFL Video http:// tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/wurflvideo / WURFL FlashLite http:// tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/wurflflashlite / AdMob, simple and effective way to monetize your mobile site: http:// www.admob.com

WURFL and WALL

http:// wurfl.sourceforge.net

WMLProgramming (WURFL Mailing List)

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/wmlprogramming/

Vodafone Rant (you can sign too!)

http://wurfl.sourceforge.net/vodafonerant/

Global Authoring Practices for the Mobile Web

Better than W3C BPs!

http:// www.passani.it /gap/

WURFL J2ME mailing list

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/wurflj2me/

WURFL Video

http:// tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/wurflvideo /

WURFL FlashLite

http:// tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/wurflflashlite /

AdMob, simple and effective way to monetize your mobile site:

http:// www.admob.com

Luca Passani, WURFL Development luca@admob.com | passani@eunet.no www.admob.com | http://wurfl.sourceforge.net/