FOWA: Predicting the Future of Web Apps (Edwin Aoki)

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Here are my live notes of this Future of Web Apps (FOWA) session. They are probably incomplete and may contain mistakes, though I do my best to be accurate. Chances are I’ll be adding links to extra material and photos later on, so don’t hesitate to come back and check.

1. A new industry consortium will develop standards for building web apps and concente for low-cost, reduced capability devices

2. AOL will announce a major push for HTML and JS applications on the desktop

3. A new mobile computing device, with a modern OS and open developer platform. The hardware will include a hard drive, harndwriting recognition, and a touch screen.

All these predictions have already come true… 10 years ago!

1. The Network Computer Reference Platform.
2. 1997: Netscape Crossware
3. AT&T/EO communicator (1994)

All these ideas are still relevant today. It’s not about the technology, it’s about the ideas.

The web apps of the future need to run everywhere. AJAX browser in the pocket (iPhoto), or on your Wii.

But you can’t be everywhere all at once.

Lessons:

• small and beautiful beats big and clunky
• sweat the details but not the infrastructure (let service providers do the heavy lifting for you)
• standards and openness are really important (employ them with an eye towards security and trust)
• technology moves faster than society (laws, education, customs), so use these tools responsibly — it’s up to us

Edwin predicts “Future of Stuff”, 5-10 years from now.

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