Put on a sombrero because the bright minds at Nokia are shining

Ever since "Nokia, the computer company?" was published I’ve received at least one email a day asking me to link to it. I’ve been holding back because I wanted to spend a fairly large portion of my time discussing, analyzing and building on it. Michael Mace did a fantastic job at putting into perspective where Nokia (NYSE: NOK) currently is and what steps they are taking to evolve.

Please take the time to read "Nokia, the computer company?" at least once before tackling on this blog post. While you’re at it, check out the links below since you’ll get a better idea about what I’m trying to explain:

February 06 2002: The "Metapad" was unveiled to the public and this IBM prototype was heralded as the future of computing.

November 26 2006: I had an epiphany that stemmed from my hate of the Nokia PC Suite and the fact that I didn’t understand why I had to install Outlook just to manage my calender appointments.

November 28 2006: Johan Wikman sends me an email with information about Raccoon, the Symbian port of Apache.

May 17 2007: Phil Schwarzmann mentions the "Nokia Mobile Web Server Project" and drops a code name I never heard before: Sombrero.

May 22 2007: Johan informs me (via a comment on a blog post) that Sombrero is a product based on Raccoon.

May 25 2007: I get an email (can’t say who, sorry) with a link detailing what exactly Sombrero is.

Mobile Computing, the hardware approach:

When IBM showed off the metapad in 2002, their vision of mobile computing was a portable device with a dock connector enabling multiple usage scenarios:

For example they could:

Attach it to a small touch screen and carry it like a handheld personal digital assistant, but with all the power and functionality of a desktop

Place it into a cradle which is attached to a keyboard and display at home, work or in a hotel

Place it into a laptop-like shell and use it like an IBM ThinkPad

Attach it to a wearable harness with a small head-mounted display for use in certain work environments that require hands-free computing

Place it into a connector in an airplane seat that is linked to a touch screen display

IBM was onto something with this little guy:

Sony Ericsson filed a patent earlier this year using the exact same concept, except this time the computer was actually a mobile phone:

The limitations of a small screen and numeric keypad are now eliminated, but there are a few problems:

• How much will this dock cost?
• How portable is this dock?
• Will the connector for the dock be standardized so all mobile phone manufactures can use it?

When I see this patent I see the same problems that exist with software today:

• What platform does it run on?
• Do I have to install a program?
• Will the file format work with other applications?
• If a newer version of your program comes out, will it be a free upgrade or at least affordable?

Mobile Computing, the software approach:

Nokia is taking a radically different approach. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Mobile Web Server aka Sombrero:

Instead of requiring a hardware connection to escape the design constraints currently imposed by mobile devices, Nokia has decided to create a web server that runs on your S60 3rd Edition device which allows you to access all the features and information on your mobile phone.

Want to try it out for yourself? Just go to http://demo.mymobilesite.net

The username is "guest" and password is "mobilecamp"

Don’t thank me for this information, thank Mike Rowehl!

MWS (Mobile Web Server) was demonstrated publicly for the first time at MobileCampNYC by Juha Pusa, Product Manager. His presentation is available on the demo site listed above, but I’m going to be discussing it below. Feel free to download the PDF version I created from the original powerpoint: MWS_Presentation.pdf

The technology behind the MWS is as follows:

• A S60 3rd Edition or higher device
• Python S60 1.14
• Python 2.2.2
• Mod_python 3.2.10
• Apache 2.2.3
• HTTP 1.1 protocol

Remember my rant from 5 months ago about how Python + Apache for S60 would make a mobile web server possible? Either someone at Nokia was paying attention or I have ESP.

Here are a few of the applications Nokia plans to include with the MWS:

• Welcome Page: For greeting the visitors
• Blog: To conveniently share your stories
• Gallery: To share the images you have already taken
• Camera: To send live images to web browsers
• Guestbook: To see who has been visiting your site
• Messaging: To allow visitors send you messages
• Calendar: To see or share your timetables
• Send SMS: Send text messages from web using your own device as sender
• Phone Log: For checking the last calls
• Contacts: To see the contact information of your friends

Now you can’t test all those applications out on the demo site, but they were definitely shown off in NYC. This picture taken on a Nokia N80 running MWS proves it:

Key features of the MWS:

• Every MWS has its own domain. You can create an account for your own domain at the gateway.
• MWS settings are managed in the UI application installed on the mobile device. The Web site appearance is defined through browser.
• The gateway can block unwanted visitors based on the filtering rules defined in the MWS settings.
• Access identities are based on device Contacts.
• You can give user accounts and groups access to your Web applications.
• When your Mobile Web Server is unreachable, a message is shown to the visitor. You can edit the message in the MWS settings.

Nokia, an internet company?

I’ve heard from multiple Nokia employees that the every time the phrase "Internet Company" is mentioned people would just shrug their shoulders and have no idea what it really meant. What Nokia plans to do with MWS is still up in the air, but I think it will be the platform of innovation that will truly transform them into the internet company Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo keeps talking about.

Mace has some information to back that up:

Nokia said it’s working very closely with Adobe on Apollo, the new software operating layer derived from Flash and Acrobat. The implication is that Nokia will distribute the mobile version of Apollo on its phones, just as it distributes Flash today.

This is good news indeed! A month ago I brought up the powerful capabilities that Apollo can offer. Powerful enough to smite the PC Suite!

If you can’t tell by now, I’m in a state of extreme happiness. Everything I’ve been ranting about for the past 6 months is coming into fruition. This one picture is the pinnacle of everything I’ve been looking forward to:

Juha only put a picture of laptop, desktop and mobile phone there, but think about how many more devices and form factors that we haven’t even dreamed about yet will have access your devices information.

Everyone currently testing the Nokia N800 in the blogger relations program has complained about a lack of PIM. With the MWS your N800 essentially turns into a large touch screen that can manage all the personal information on S60 device!

Back on topic, what will the MWS mean to developers and end users?

• Developing a web application is much easier than developing with C++ or Java
• Access to information such as location, pictures and phone numbers will enable a new breed of applications to be created
• People no longer have to pirate Outlook
• Social networks become very personal (assuming all your friends have Nokia S60 devices)
• … I’m blank for ideas

It’s 05:23 and this blog post is rough, but I’m very excited about this and want to share the information with you guys. I’ll edit, expand some thoughts, probably create a new blog post once I wake up.

Night.

Edit: Is there a possibility that the MWS can work over Bluetooth?