Browser developer Opera has launched a software development kit designed to bring to mobile phones dynamic Web applications using Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX)-based technologies — which are becoming increasingly popular on desktop PCs.
Mobile Web applications created on the Opera Platform Software Development Kit give users access to online resources while providing software developers the ability to integrate mobile phone applications with online content, according to Opera (Oslo, Norway).
AJAX-based Web technologies are becoming more prevalent in desktop applications, driving new Internet services such as Google Maps and Amazon A9 Search. The emerging Web-based techniques, for example, create script on a client while allowing — in the background — XML communication with a server.
As a result, users can grab only the information they need without having to wait for large files to be reloaded onto their screens. “This enables a much more efficient use of bandwidth,” said Jan Standal, strategic product manager at Opera. Thus, it’s “much more applicable to mobile phones,” he added.
For smartphone users, the kit provides a major upgrade from traditional WAP-based applications, which offered only a basic user interface. Opera has offered the kit to mobile network operators so they can create unique “home screens” on their handsets, using their logos and special links to content.
By releasing the same kit to a larger group of software developers, Opera is hoping richer, dynamic Web applications will proliferate for mobile phones. “This will let software designers develop small, Web-based applications much more rapidly and simply,” said Standal.
Starting this month, cell phones can access Google Maps. Google’s application can be used on more than 100 current phones that use the Java Brew programming language that can download the Google Local application. From there, they can conduct searches in a specific location and view results plotted on a map.
Google’s application and service is free, but users will need an Internet data plan from their cellphone provider, which adds $10 to $25 to monthly bills. Google Mobile and Yahoo Mobile currently provides search on cell phones, but the services are more text oriented.
Google Maps is getting some competition from Yahoo Maps Beta. Local maps have geoRSS feed for searches, showing local traffic conditions, for example. The default view is Flash-based, with an Ajax version of the API available.
Yahoo will introduce its own cell phone, through a partnership with SBC. Operating on the Cingular Wireless network, the phone will link music, photos and e-mail with consumers’ existing online Yahoo accounts, address books and preferences. It have an MP3 player, a 1.3-megapixel camera and a removable memory card. The SBC/Yahoo phone will be manufactured by Nokia and is expected to be available early next year for $200 to $300.
Google Location Search can find any number of local resources. O’Reilly has a terrific Collection of Map Hacking Goodies. You can create a real-time GPS tracker using Google Maps API. Don’t worry about having a GPS device, you can emulate a garmin using GPSGate.
Yahoo’s Konfabulator lets developers create mini applications called widgets (Gallery) used to make customized desktop applications composed like stock prices, traffic conditions or news feeds. AJAX or Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, is a framework that allows client side code to work with server side code. It’s exemplified by Google Maps and Yahoo’s Flickr photo-sharing site. Like LAMP, it’s is not a technology in itself, but a term that refers to the use of a group of technologies together. Server interactions are minimized — data is cached locally. Here’s why AJAX is cool and some free source code.
The Mobilized Software Blog follows the field, while The Wireless Athens Project has dozens of great prototypes, proven in the field.
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