Year 2008 has been a 'happening' year for Nokia Web Technologies.  Web Runtime handsets (e.g. N95 8GB, N78, 6220 classic, 5320 XpressMusic..etc) started shipping in consumer hands in mass quantity at the beginning of 2008. All the latest S60 3.2 onwards handsets are WRT compatible. Some of the latest S60 3.1 handsets (e.g. E66, E71..etc) are supporting WRT. We are putting up a filter on the forum.nokia.com device page for you to easily to find out which are the WRT compatible handset. Stay tuned for that...

For consumer, they can find the library of widgets here, http://widsets.mobi/library. From the library, you can find widgets related to news, weather, blogs, travel, tool and etc.. This is one of the steps for Nokia to educate consumers on widgets. Not only finding widgets, users can also share their favourite widgtets with their friends via sms.

In April, Nokia announced that the new version WRT widget (WRT 1.1) which can access to S60 phone's Platform Services like calendar, location, contacts..etc The first handset with this capability is Nokia 5800 which started shipping in Nov. This open up an existing opportunity for web developers to provide a better web experience to their customers. For example, when an user search for restaurant, he will get the list of restaurant according to his location without entering the location. The widget is able to provide a seamless experience by detecting his location and provide the list of restaurant near his location. Here is an example from the lastminute.com fonefood widget

In regards to WRT tool, we have released the public beta version of WRT plug-in for Aptana Studio. This is the first WRT plug-in release for an existing web IDE tool. We want to allow the Aptana tool users to use the familiar Aptana studio environment to build their first widgets. We have been receiving lots of valuable feedback on this tool and the tool team is continuously working to make the WRT tools offer better. You are encouraged to provide feedback at the discussion board and also sign up the coming webinars to learn more about the WRT plug-in.

Not only on the S60 phones, the new Series 40 6th edition handsets (Nokia 6260 slide, 7510 Supernova) has the WebKit browser which allow users to browse full web. This gives web developers to have direct access to the huge market represented by these users. Many of them could be from emerging markets who have their first Internet experience via mobile. see this recent article from the Wall Street Journal, Poorer Nation go online on Cellphone.

Last but not least, the N97 with widgets on its home screen is the latest kids on the block. The personalised homescreen (with widgets) provides users an 'always open' window to social networking sites and Internet destinations. Stay tuned for more info about the home screen widget. Meanwhile, you can study the current Web Runtime Widgets materials at forum.nokia.com/widgets. The widgets on N97 homescreen is based on the same technology but with more advanced features...

Wish all of you have a happy holidays. See you all in 2009!

Have you been thinking about creating Web Runtime (WRT) widgets, but you have not had an easy development platform to use?

We have just released the public beta version of the WRT plug-in for Aptana Studio. The private beta has been running for 1.5 month and the feedback has been valuable for us to release this public beta version. Do download the plug-in here, http://www.forum.nokia.com/Resources_and_Information/Tools/Runtimes/Web_Runtime/Aptana_Plugin/, and tell us what you think at the discussion board, http://discussion.forum.nokia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=153523

I am curious to know if you guys like the plug-in and if that helps in your WRT development...

cheers!

Ung-Ping 

During the Symbian Smartphone Conference in London back in Oct, I came across Lastminute.com widget and have been following up with them on their works.

They have created a widget for Nokia 5800 (http://m.lastminute.com/fonefood/fonefood.wgz). I tried it on my 5800 and it is working pretty well..:) You can search restaurant deals/offers and do the booking on the widget. This is one good example where the existing web service providers leverage on widget technology to extend their content to Nokia users...

If you have a 5800, give me a try and let me know your thoughts.

cheers!