New device APIs for web browsers

The “Device APIs and Policy Working Group” (DAP) is working on several interesting APIs:

• Accessing a devices’s contacts and calendar
• Accessing camera and microphone via forms and an API
• Messaging (SMS, MMS, emails)
• Systems info and events (CPU, network, etc.)
• Permissions for device API access
• And more...

As for who edits what, it is nice to see a broad range of vendors that each bring important experience to the standards: Nokia edits the media capture standards, RIM edits the messaging API, Intel edits the system information API, etc. I’m surprised that we don’t see more of Google as I would expect that Chrome would have plenty of relevant APIs.

Bruce Lawson mentions the DAP when asked what new browser technologies he is most excited about:

HTML5, of course — and also DAP (“Device APIs and Policy Working Group”). This thrillingly-named set of specifications is further extending the capabilities of the Web by specifying APIs that allow access to device features like camera, contact books and calendar — much like Geolocation gives browsers access to the device’s GPS capabilities. Like HTML5, the DAP are adapting existing proprietary APIs that have been road-tested, and other manufacturers have committed to supporting the specifications.

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