The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) announces the release of the Composite Capability/Preference Profiles (CC/PP): Structure and Vocabularies 1.0 Recommendation. CC/PP 1.0 is a system for expressing device capabilities and user preferences, using the Resource Description Framework (RDF). Used to guide the adaptation of content, a CC/PP profile describes device capabilities and user preferences.
In simple terms, it's been clear that there needed to be a standard way for a cellphone or a personal digital assistant with Web access to be able to say to a Web server, "I am a cellphone. My display size will not allow me to see a framed site. Please deliver the content in detailed lists instead." This is an example of what is known as a "delivery context," where the device characteristics, user preferences, and constraints put requirements on how content can be effectively displayed on the device for the user.
Also on Mobitopia Chris Davies has an interesting post suggesting that his operator should be using MMS to send him his voice mails. It seems that he currently has to wait an incredibly long time for SMS notifications of new messages but, like other commentators to the post, I certainly don't have that problem with Vodafone in Ireland.
However, I still think this this idea has much merit for the purpose of being able to store voice mail on your PC. In my experience of using AMR audio encoding it certainly achieves terrific compression ratios and would be ideal for storing a library of voice messages.
Now it may seem unlikely that you'll wish to archive regular voice messages for the long term but let's imagine alternative uses here. How about being able to accept community reports (eg. traffic and football match reports) for a community portal? Setup your Symbian mobiel to sync with the portal each morning and play them back through a bluetooth headset while you commute. Certainly beats radio :-)
The excellent Mobitopia IRC Channel tips us off to a great story by Chad Dickerson in InfoWorld about how Bluetooth saved the day for a few ordinary people in an ordinary, every day situation. But, as much as Chad sings the praises of techology, he rightly points out that its not technology for technology sake which is so wonderful but various technologies working together seamlessly to make our lives that bit easier -
"This experience encapsulated so many benefits about technology that I don’t really know where to begin. There’s the wireless angle, the smart phone angle, the utility of Bluetooth, and the maturation of the Internet itself as a tool for the average person to get things done in daily life. For me, though, the experience demonstrates something more transcendent than any one technology: when quick thinking and the right solution come together at the right time, technology can be downright heroic."
Wasn't it the great Arthur C. Clarke who said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguisable from magic".
"Redknee has announced the delivery of its Synaxis Multi-SIM integrated network service solution to O2 Germany. The service unifies the delivery of mobile services (voice, SMS, MMS, USSD and location based services) to multiple devices (SIMs) for one mobile user. The service could enable a mobile user to talk on the phone using one device, while browsing WAP content on a second device and receiving SMS/MMS on the third device. All devices can be profiled and controlled independently through web and device based self-care."
I'm not sure I understand the implications of this but it must be useful, right? :-/
"The Symbian OS, which grew out of the EPOC operating system originally used on Psion handheld computers, will win the most smartphone market share by 2008, largely because of wide support by mobile phone makers. Most major handset makers, including Nokia, Samsung, Siemens and Sony Ericsson, have licensed the Symbian OS and also own stakes in the company."
