WML - Finally taking off???

[bcarl314]

Well, I see here in the states several compaines are now starting to push the "Wireless web". Verizon being one of them. The technical mags I subscribe to are more and more involved with deploying wireless applications. This leads to the following conclusion.

Wireless application development is about to take off.

My question to you fine folks is, do you agree? If so, are you planning on hitting some WML tutorials and the like? Are you planning on entering the WML development community? I've been putsing around with WML for about 18 months now, and was about to give it up, but now it seems that my patience may pay off.

Any thoughts?

Also, does anyone know how they plan on addressing security for wireless apps? I've heard it's really poor right now, especially if you're talking credit cards and the like.

[KevinG]

i think wireless internet access is going to be huuuuuge. A forum should be created for it.

I'm ready and waiting to develop this mobile net portal - http://www.pdamobile.com (colours look better on small screen devices). I'm going to learn how to the build wml content in the new year. Again I expect the US of A to be at the forefront. I'm in the UK :mad:

[Mhtml]

Well I'm off to learn it then. I'm planning on launching my web dev business in the new year as I think Australia is about ready for another internet boom. I may as well have WML under my belt to further my position in the market.

[Mhtml]

Done, including WMLScript .. Not hard at all.
Plus I'm using DW MX and I just checked then and it supports WML so it will make it even easier because it can tell me when I'm wrong which is not likely sa it's not hard...

Question though, do you think that it will ever become more powerful?

Thanks for the heads up! bcarl314:)

[brothercake]

I'm in the UK, where we're waiting for 3G :) As soon as analogue TV broadcasting is turned off - currently looking like somewhere between 2008-2010 - then all that bandwidth will be used by the mobile phone networks.

End result ... 2mbps downstream into our mobile phones :D

[bcarl314]

I couldn't agree more. I think wireless is on the verge of exploding. Currently rhe only barrier seems to be price (about $90 / month for access in my area) but I would have to assume that economies of scale will reduce that price as more and more people sign up.

Now, on to security. My understanding is that there is no "SSL" for WAP. Or at least no equivilant. How can you secure wireless transactions? I've heard that it's really easy to "listen in" on wireless conversations. Also, what about the FED? If a company tries to deploy a technology for secure wireless transmissions, you can bet the FED (read FBI / CIA) will want to be able to crack it. After all, that's why there's only 128 bit encryption right now.

Content based wireless site should provide alot of business over the next 2-3 years, after that everyone will want e-commerce too, so security will need to be addressed. The team that figures that out first will make a fortune! (And all the developers using it) Just prey it's not MicroSquash! :D

[dauvm]

I agree with you guys, good question bcarl314!

Things always get smaller and more powerful... now there is GPS in cars and email on phones... the next step is pretty obviously integrating the mass power of the web into the handheld wireless device.

I followed Mhtml's lead and seeked out a WAP tutorial (an excelent one is here (http://www.w3schools.com/wap/)).

If you know any HTML, then you can learn XHTML VERY easily, and if you know XHMTL, then WML is easy to learn.
... if only I had something to test it out on :rolleyes:

-Doug

[jkd]

Originally posted by dauvm
if only I had something to test it out on :rolleyes:

-Doug

Can't Opera render WML pages?

[dauvm]

yea it can ...shhh!

i want a reason to get more toys ;)

[Mhtml]

Well what do ya know, I'm going to boot up opera now then.
Thanks for that.

Question! At the moment there is there a way to make it so that ecommerce can occur through wml?

[jkd]

Yes. But from what has been said, it appears you cannot do it securely.

[KevinG]

actually you can shop on your mobile phone and pay for goods using sms. you send a special text message (usually a six digit number) to a predefined phone number and the cost of your goods is added to your phone bill. no good if you want buy a mercedes, but ok for small items - sock and pants etc.

btw, mobilepants.com is available

[bcarl314]

KG-

That sounds similar to the "wallet" that AOL had when they started a decade ago. If that's where WML / WAP is today, imagine where it will be in 10 years. :eek:

I suppose one way is to have users set up their accounts online (ie html pages) and store the cc data in a database, then when they login via a wml page, the necessary info is there. Use secret questions and the like for added security. The problem remains that the transmissions are public. So you have to treat the data as such. (for the time being at least)

[Mhtml]

Ok, So you could have the wap page displaying the prices and description of products as well as the code for the sms to buy it.

They should have some way of passing info to html pages, although I think that there are sites which are setup to catch sms messages and then forward the approriate data to wherever but they are expensive.

Can't remeber where I saw this, think it may have been in PC Authority or something.