14 DAY TRIAL // Mozilla has just announced a new project aimed at bringing web applications on mobile phones, namely WebAPI, which is set to come up with a basic HTML5 phone experience in a matter of months.
This goal is not something new to Mozilla, which announced only several weeks ago Boot to Gecko (B2G), an operating system for the Open Web, also expected to bring web apps to mobile phones.
Mozilla's plan is simple, and involves bringing the web to the next level. The company plans on coming up with consistent APIs across web browsers, operating systems and devices, so that web developers can build applications for all users.
However, the Open Web is currently separated from native APIs, yet the company seems set to reduce this gap and even make it disappear.
“WebAPI is an effort by Mozilla to bridge together the gap, and have consistent APIs that will work in all web browsers, no matter the operating system. Specification drafts and implementation prototypes will be available, and it will be submitted to W3C for standardization,” the company explains.
“Security is a very important factor here, and it will be a mix of existing security measurements (e.g. asking the user for permission, like Geolocation) or coming up with new alternatives to ensure this.”
For the short term, the goal is to come up with Telephony and Messaging APIs, Contacts APIs, Camera API, Filesystem API, Device Status API, Settings API, Accelerometer API, and more, so as to be able to take advantage of the various features and capabilities smartphones have to offer.
There should be APIs for a phone's dialer, for the Address Book and messaging area, camera, Settings, gallery and even Maps, as well as for entertainment and more, Mozilla explains.
Overall, the project seems to be a bold one, but, the same as B2G, it is aimed at making a change when compared to what proprietary mobile operating systems offer at the moment.
Mozilla calls for all those who would like to contribute to have a look at what the WebAPI project is all about and see whether they could help the project evolve or not.