By Chris Maxcer LinuxInsider Part of the ECT News Network
05/16/07 4:03 PM PT
Joey, a new project in development at Mozilla Labs, is designed to allow users to sling content -- even non-static content not designed for viewing on mobile devices -- to a mobile phone. "The idea is that you take some of your important stuff along with you," Doug Turner, lead engineer of mobile technology at Mozilla, told LinuxInsider.
Mozilla Labs, the division of Mozilla focused on developing new technology, is working on a new Firefox browser add-on that will let a mobile phone user collect interesting Web content, aggregate the content in Firefox and then access it via a mobile phone.
The project is called "Joey," named after a baby kangaroo.
"The idea is that you take some of your important stuff along with you," Doug Turner, lead engineer of mobile technology at Mozilla, told LinuxInsider. Turner is the creator of Joey, but he's quick to point out that he has received a "ton of help" from the open source community.
Joey's Components
In addition to the Firefox add-on, Joey is also a server and a Java MIDlet.
"Some of the coolest ideas now are the ability to select an area of a Web page and have just that area of the Web page appear on your phone -- always up-to-date," Turner explained.
"In addition, there's the ability to grab video and media from a Web site and send it to your phone in the proper format and scaling," he said.
The server component of Joey would be responsible for the fetching, processing and transcoding of the content to make sure it's in the right format for the mobile phone. This server process means that users might be able to view video content on a mobile phone even if that content was not originally formated or intended for mobile phone video viewing -- for example, a YouTube video.
Essentially, once users install the add-on, they would use the PC cursor to select the area of content on a Web page that they want Joey to capture. That could be news headlines, stock tickers or sports scores. All of those items tend not to be static, but that's not a problem. The user would view the latest version of content via their phones.
Basic Tools Needed
Joey is designed for someone with a mid-range phone, a data connection and a desktop or laptop running the Firefox Web browser. While Mozilla doesn't yet plan to turn Joey into a full-fledged product, users can download the components and source code from the Mozilla Labs Joey Web site and get started, as well as use Joey's Mozilla servers.
The phone application, on the other hand, would have to be developed by the user, but Mozilla plans to provide phone applications for many models by the end of the month.
The Serious Synergy Between SOA and Open Source May 15, 2007
The proposed SOA Runtime Framework Project could show how user organizations such as DPWN can swiftly catapult mission-critical infrastructure for service-oriented architecture into an open source community, with the potential for significant disruption in the world SOA marketplace.
Related Stories
Mozilla Minimo 0.2 Enters Crowded Mobile Browser Market April 02, 2007
Mozilla last week released the 0.2 version of its Minimo browser, though it may be the last of its line for quite some time. Citing tough market conditions and too few users, Doug Turner, Minimo's project leader, is stepping away from Minimo for now. Cell phone vendors have already tied themselves in with other browsers, and handheld surfers are still few and far between.
Mozilla Hangs Out Shingle in China February 03, 2007
Mozilla has opened an office in China, apparently with an eye to spreading the popularity of its open source Firefox browser to that country's huge Internet user base. While Firefox is the only browser that has succeeded in taking a noticeable chunk of Internet Explorer's dominant market share, its growth appears to be stagnating of late.
Mozilla Beefs Up Security in Firefox 2.0 December 21, 2006
Mozilla's latest update to its open source Firefox browser includes security measures targeting phishers. Phishing scams that use social engineering techniques to dupe Web surfers into revealing personal financial information have become an effective way for cybercriminals to conduct their nefarious activities on the Internet.
Related News Alerts
More by Chris Maxcer
The iPad's Cruel Teaser March 09, 2010
The iPad ad that debuted on Sunday was remarkable in how many functions it managed to cram into just 30 seconds. Document creation, email, e-books, media viewing -- all that and more was demoed using just two hands and a hip soundtrack. However, the ad left quite a few important questions about the iPad unanswered.
The iPad Catalyst Will Light a Lot of Fires March 02, 2010
I think we're going to get a lot of fantastic content options for mobile devices in 2010, even if you don't pony up for an iPad. While the iPad will likely be a raging success, it'll also help generate a market for alternatives. The question is, can we credit -- or blame -- the iPad for generating all this mobile action? Maybe not the iPad alone, but it's certainly the latest catalyst.
With Smut Ban, App Store Exposes a Jiggly Set of Rules February 23, 2010
Apple's stance on risque iPhone and iPod touch apps is understandable, but the whole incident does underscore the App Store's frustratingly fickle nature. Apple should either draw up a precise, crystal-clear set of guidelines for app developers or just admit it's completely subjective -- "If we like it, it's in; if we don't, it's rejected." Right now, its policy seems to be somewhere in between.
Headline Feeds
phone user collect interesting Web content, aggregate the content in Firefox and then access it via a mobile phone.
Talkback: 
