(2008-08-21) Mozilla Future Browser

Mozilla got together some folks to envision the future of the Web Browser.

Jamais Cascio helped with some Scenario Planning.

• Stowe Boyd was the most strident advocate of the position that the "browser" will cease to exist, as we know it, and instead, we will switch to a multiplicity of tools that interact with the Web in very specific and different ways than the all-purpose swiss army knife approach that we take for granted today.

  • I certainly agree the videos puts too many things that are already in other apps into the browser. I don't know how many people will install custom other fat apps to do a better job of things the browser does ok now. I guess FlickR utilities to make uploading easier would be a counter-argument...

Adaptive Path put together a series of Video and other materials to flesh out this "Aurora" vision

• http://adaptivepath.com/aurora/

• http://www.adaptivepath.com/blog/category/aurora/

• Data Synch for your Mobile experience

Videos

• vid1 shows 2 people sharing data and presentations of that data

  • one interesting thought: even though Semantic Web automation may be unrealistic, it's not unreasonable to have some lite Open Standards (e.g. JSON) for data that a graphic tool can work with, since it's not doing any joining of multiple data sets to do so.

    • but does this stuff really belong in the Web Browser?

      • hmm, getting OpenDoc flashback

  • frame icons remind me of OLPC Sugar UI

  • desktop browser interface is very VRML

• vid2: 2 people using MID-type device outside with Social Software, mapping, etc.

• vid3: RFID/BarCode captured by MID to drive Product Review info, etc.

• vid4: giant wall display with IChatAV-type experience integrated and gestural interface