S60 Open to new features

Here is a guest blog entry by Dennis Knothe, hope you find it useful!

Hello MWS fans,

I work as software architect in Nokia's Services and Software organization. The other day, I sent an email to Jukka describing how the Nokia Podcasting Application (http://www.nokia.com/podcasting) can subscribe to a RSS feed that is hosted by the Mobile Web Server (MWS) on the same device. I'm sure you think "why would I do that?". Well, this way it is possible to load episodes in the Nokia Podcasting Application without the need for a network connection in the phone. You can download episodes using the PCs Internet connection and copy them into the Nokia Podcasting Application. Furthermore, this example shows nicely that any S60 Internet application can be extended by accessing the MWS through a local URL. And because the MWS can be easily customized through Python scripts, this could be used to implement all sorts of exciting features.

If you have been toying with an idea to do something with Mobile Web Server, check this out:

Mobile Web Server Challenge is open!

It's a lengthy read but worth it. If you have any specific questions about the challenge just comment here!

On other news:
- Our WidSet widget just got updated, it is now able to open up the mobile site via browser (like the Yahoo! widget). Kudos to WidSets guys for helping us out with this one!
- Mobile Web Server known issues document is published. More about that later..

-Jukka

Running a web server on a mobile device still seems to be quite, let's say, exotic for many people. And it is understandable, as the technology itself doesn't translate directly into things such as user value. For generating value we need some use cases for the server such as 'read and respond to SMS messages via your browser', or 'publish your presence information on the Facebook automatically'. (Those being simplistic examples on what you can do today, you are free to come up with better ones. And implement them if you have the skills.)

The latest mobile platform to get a web server is Android, as announced here:

The Jetty servlet on Android allows users to serve data stored on the phone such as contact details, system settings and call log within a browser window. It also adds functionality that will let users modify and save changes, view and listen to multimedia files and make phone calls. The goal of these features is to let users access the information on their phones from more familiar web browsers running on their usual computers over wifi, Bluetooth and 3G networks.

Looking on the evidence, porting a HTTP server into a new mobile platform is not that hard, one might even say trivial. However to be able to actually serve clients from the server might prove difficult in a mobile device. Today devices with cellular connectivity don't usually have public, permanent Internet addresses and even if they had any incoming traffic is likely blocked by multiple firewalls. This is why we have developed a gateway-based system that by-passes the nasty real-life obstacles, giving the mobile device a permanent URL and universal access from any network. I haven't seen comparable functionality being implemented and available anywhere else, have you?

Bonus links:
Nokia Research paper describing the original HTTP connectivity solution
Web server for Android
Web server for Windows Mobile
Web server in iPhone

-Jukka

Marton has now posted his comments on desktop widgets experience so far. Check it out at Beta Labs blog.

-Jukka

There is at least a couple of hobby projects being develop on Facebook, that use Mobile Web Server technology.

Arthur has made an application that will show a badge in the Facebook profile, to promote your mobile site. It will show the live status of the site. I gathered he has more ideas brewing, so let's stay tuned.

Wai has another approach, where he's showing the actual content from the mobsite inside the Facebook page. I already suggested it would be nice if anybody could take it into use by just giving the domain name for the application.