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10.03.06

Nikolaj Nyholm

Nikolaj Nyholm

Mobile 2.0: Nokia launches WidSets

widsets_300x217.shkl.jpgNokia today announced the release of WidSets, a mobile widget platform available for Java MIDP 2.0 phones, including of course non-Nokia phones. Put short, WidSets is for the mobile what Netvibes is for the browser.

I've played around with WidSets for an hour on both my SonyEricsson K750i as well as a more recent - and higher resolution - Nokia N80, and I must say that I am impressed. Even at the 176 x 220 pixels on the K750i navigation is a charm.
WidSets already has an impressive number of widgets available for use (mostly all based on RSS feeds) and creating new based on the RSS template is easy. More advanced widgets can be created using the already available WidSets SDK, seemingly borrowing a lot of the (good) ideas from Opera Platform.

The release of WidSets has the potential to stand out as the starting point for a debate on the standardization of widgets, and I'd be surprised if it's not picked up on soon by W3C or an independent ad-hoc standards body. Already today we have the abovementioned Netvibes, Mac OSX Dashboard, Opera Platform, and more recently even Chumby and now WidSets.
The counterpoint could obviously be that the pipe is enough of a standard, giving further traction to RSS and the arguments Ray Ozzie put forward at this spring's Etech.



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Comments: 10

Nick Lothian   [10.03.06 03:53 AM]

There is widgets standard (kind-of) - it's called WSRP. I'm not convinced it's that great, but it does exist.

Matt Turner   [10.03.06 07:46 AM]

That is pretty awesome! I've been thinking something like this was needed to help bring the wider internet to the mobile format for a while. For those of you without new phones or data connections I blogged a short video of the experience on my site.

Mark Baker   [10.03.06 08:30 AM]

Actually, the W3C is standardizing on Widget packaging already. Interestingly, it's being done in the Web Application Formats WG, which is chaired by ... Nokia.

http://www.w3.org/TR/2006/WD-WAPF-REQ-20060821/

Widsets seems to be Java based, and not HTML/CSS based though. Shame.

Lee Davis   [10.05.06 03:48 AM]

Thanks for the heads-up. Pity it's not available yet for the HTC/JasJar. At least, not that I could see.

Herbie   [10.07.06 10:33 AM]

Too bad data plans are still too expensive for most people to take the plunge.

John Hood   [10.10.06 07:20 AM]

WidSets personify portability and extensibility.

Gregor J. Rothfuss   [10.13.06 01:47 PM]

But will the carriers with their locked-down phones be swayed once enough people clamor for this? Another round in the battle between handset makers who want open phones, generally, and carriers, who don't.

Christian carter   [10.14.06 12:35 PM]

That is pretty awesome! I've been thinking something like this was needed to help bring the wider internet to the mobile format for a while. For those of you without new phones or data connections I blogged a short video of the experience on my site.

Simon Rönnqvist   [01.11.07 05:57 PM]

All (mobile) widget platform developers, check this out :-)
http://www.w3.org/TR/2006/WD-widgets-20061109/

Carole   [03.19.07 12:30 AM]

I download it on my cell phone but it didnt work? what is his problem with a T-Mobile (my phone Nokia 6230i- T Mobile)


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