Jacek Wojciechowski's Forum Nokia Blog

Jacek Wojciechowski's Forum Nokia Blog http://blogs.forum.nokia.com/blog/jacek-wojciechowskis-forum-nokia-blog Thoughts on new mobile technologies and development areas. P.S. Use Nokia barcode reader to read the code ;-) jack44 2009-11-23T14:21:33Z Widgets: One more step to simplicity... http://blogs.forum.nokia.com/blog/jacek-wojciechowskis-forum-nokia-blog/2009/06/29/widgets-one-more-step-to-simplicity... There's no doubt that widgets still remain in the spotlight. It was not so long ago when <a href="http://www.nokia.com/press/press-releases/showpressrelease?newsid=1321415">Nokia WRT plug-ins</a> for <a href="http://www.forum.nokia.com/dreamweaver">Adobe Dreamweaver</a>, <a href="http://www.forum.nokia.com/visualstudio">Microsoft Visual Studio</a> and <a href="http://www.forum.nokia.com/aptana">Aptana Studio</a> were released (IMHO, these represent about 80%-90% of the web development environments, so it was a well-thought-out decision from Nokia). Then, <a href="http://www.forum.nokia.com/Technology_Topics/Web_Technologies/Browsing/Introduction_to_Templates.xhtml">Nokia Mobile Web Templates</a> were released (I hope I'll get back to these components in my next post). Now, we can test <a href="http://www.forum.nokia.com/Tools_Docs_and_Code/Tools/Runtimes/Web_Runtime/Platform_Services/">Platform Services 2.0 JavaScript API</a> (beta release). What is it? It's a set of JavaScript extensions for the Web Runtime environment on Nokia devices that enables developers to access device features with one or two lines of JavaScript. Apart from access to key device features like GPS unit, sensors, contacts records, calendar entries, messages, landmarks, media files, log entries, and system status information, new API adds access to device’s camera. The API also includes startEditor to enable use of native application editors for user data entry (e.g. calendar.startEditor(onStart, null)). The documentation notes: "This method has the advantage of presenting the user with a familiar data entry UI. It also requires the user to confirm data entry in the normal way, making the addition of data transparent and adding to the user’s trust in the application." There's one more sentence that catches my eye:  "The Platform Services 2.0 JavaScript API is also designed to be platform independent, offering the possibility for its implementation on other web browser and Web Runtime implementations on Nokia devices, as well as in PC and other mobile browsers." Wouldn't it be great to see this API coming to WebOS/Palm, Android/Google, mobile Firefox (Fennec) than runs on many mobile platforms,... ? Is there a chance for "write once, run anywhere" slogan to become reality on many mobile web platforms? Currently, Platform Services 2.0 JavaScript API is compatible with the Nokia 5800/5530/N97 and the emulator supplied in the S60 5th Edition SDK for Symbian OS (most of the functionality should also work on selected S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2 devices).   Browsing S60 WRT widgets 2009-06-29T20:51:23Z jack44 S60 5th Edition: widgets and security http://blogs.forum.nokia.com/blog/jacek-wojciechowskis-forum-nokia-blog/2008/11/18/s60-5th-edition-widgets-and-security When I first heard about <a href="http://blogs.forum.nokia.com/blog/jacek-wojciechowskis-forum-nokia-blog/2008/11/05/s60-5th-edition-enhancing-widgets...-let-s-get-widgetized">S60 Platform Services enabled widgets</a> I started to ask myself about security. The first thought was, "I'll have to sign new widgets with something similar to <a href="http://www.javaverified.com/">Java Verified</a> or <a href="http://www.symbiansigned.com/">Symbian Signed</a>". Such solution wouldn't be great for many reasons (killing great ideas for widgets, web developers coming from desktop environment wouldn't like it too, signing costs, etc.). Therefore there's no "widget signing" at all. But, is it safe for the end-user? The first thing to note is that S60 widgets access the network through the Web Browser for S60. In this respect, widgets are as safe as running web pages in the browser. WRT widgets also implement a sandbox security model (it makes me think of Java ME here), and they only have limited access to the S60 Platform Services. Widgets are always considered untrusted by the device. This means that access to platform services (such as user data, location) is controlled and that mobile device users must grant permission before a widget can access network services.   <div style="text-align: center"> <img src="http://blogs.forum.nokia.com//data/blogs/resources/15055/S60_PlatServSec.jpg" alt="WRT, S60 Platform Services, security" /> </div> From developer's point of view, WRT 1.1 utilizes a common component called Runtime Security Manager to enable access control to platform services - it registers a widget when it is installed; when running, the security manager performs runtime access control to platform services (prompts the user) according to the access policy; finally, it unregisters a widget when it is uninstalled. Access policy is defined by a set of capabilities (ReadUserData, WriteUserData, Location, NetworkServices) that are allowed automatically or granted to the user via prompts, and by duration of access (one time or session based). It's a pity that access policy for WRT 1.1 is not customizable by the widget developer (OK, I agree here!) or the user (Why not? Because of security policies! Thus, S60 5th edition Application Manager doesn't show 'Suite settings' for widgets). BTW, I know that it will not happen, but... wouldn't it be great to have all this goods based on WRT 1.1 running also on S60 3rd FP2 devices (via firmware upgrade)? Browsing S60 WRT widgets 2008-11-18T19:37:36Z jack44 S60 5th Edition: enhancing widgets... Let's get widgetized! http://blogs.forum.nokia.com/blog/jacek-wojciechowskis-forum-nokia-blog/2008/11/05/s60-5th-edition-enhancing-widgets...-let-s-get-widgetized As you probably know, <a href="http://www.forum.nokia.com/main/platforms/s60/#5th">S60 5th Edition</a> brings WRT 1.1 with support for S60 Platform Services through JavaScript Service APIs. Of course, the new Web Runtime environment is backward-compatible, so widgets created for WRT 1.0 run normally with WRT 1.1 (but you should take touch UI or different display sizes into consideration when running WRT 1.0 widgets on newer mobile devices). It follows logically that widgets created using the WRT 1.1 Service APIs do not work with WRT 1.0 <img src="http://blogs.forum.nokia.com/js/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-wink.gif" border="0" alt="Wink" title="Wink" /> What's new in widgets? In addition to "old" widget, menu, MenuItem objects and Systeminfo Service API (sysinfo object) developers get new S60 Platform Services and Service APIs that allow to:  <ul> <li>access and launch applications on a device using the AppManager Service API (e.g. retrieve a list of user/pre-installed applications; launch an application as embedded or stand-alone, based on an application ID or given document or MIME type), </li> <li> </li> <li>access and manage calendar information using the Calendar Service API (e.g. access, create, and manage calendars and calendar entries stored on a device; import and export calendar entries), </li> <li> </li> <li>access and manage information about contacts using the Contacts Service API (e.g. retrieve information about contacts, contact groups, and contacts databases; create, edit, and delete contacts and contact groups; import and export contacts; organize contacts into contact groups; also worth mentioning is that the information can reside in one or more contacts databases stored on a device or in the SIM card database, so you have all you need!), </li> <li> </li> <li>access and manage information about landmarks using the Landmarks Service API (e.g. retrieve information about landmarks, landmark categories, and landmark databases; create, edit, and delete landmarks and landmark categories; import and export landmarks; organize landmarks into landmark categories), </li> <li> </li> <li>access device location information and perform location-based calculations using the Location Service API (this API relies on the GPS capabilities of the device to provide location information), </li> <li> </li> <li>access device logging events using the Logging Service API (e.g. access mobile device logging events such as call logs, messaging logs, and data logs), </li> <li> </li> <li>access information about media files stored on a device using the Media Management Service API (widgets can retrieve metadata about the media files stored in the Media Gallery of an S60 device, so you can create widgets such as a custom photo viewer or audio player, that display or otherwise incorporate media), </li> <li> </li> <li>send, retrieve, and manage messages such as SMS and MMS using the Messaging Service API (widgets can use the Messaging Center of an S60 device to send, retrieve, manage or notify the user when new messages arrive or even change the status of a message), </li> <li> </li> <li>access data from the physical sensors of a device using the Sensors Service API (The data from a given sensor is mapped to one or more sensor channels, which the API can listen to. That is, you can search for sensor channels available on a device; listen for data provided by one or more sensor channels; retrieve information about and modify sensor channel properties; notify the user when a sensor channel property is changed; Of course, the available sensors depend on the device.), </li> <li> </li> <li>access and modify system information on a device using the SystemInfo Service API of WRT 1.1 (as opposed to 'old' SystemInfo Service API of WRT 1.0, you can also modify system attribute values). </li> </ul> That's all for this time - next time I'm going to write about security of widgets, so stay tuned for some interesting facts... Now, let's get widgetized! <a href="http://lol.forum.nokia.com"> <div style="text-align: center"> <img src="http://blogs.forum.nokia.com//data/blogs/resources/15055/lets_widgetize.jpg" alt="Getting widgetized..." /> </div> </a>     Browsing S60 WRT widgets 2008-11-05T19:02:48Z jack44