HTML5 video on mobile browsers

This paper reports on research investigating the current ability of HTML5 to play video in mobile browsers. Smartphones and the Mobile Internet are rapidly becoming an important platform for access to information anytime and anywhere. HTML5, the new HTML standard incorporates features like video playback that have been previously dependent on third-party browser plug-ins but there are no browsers that currently provide 100% support for HTML5. All the tests reported in this paper were carried out using smartphones with screen sizes 3.0 to 4.8 inches and the ability to replay videos of a range of formats, move directly to time points in the video and display closed captions were investigated. Key findings were that: video cannot be started programmatically; only selecting on the screen can trigger playback; no visual elements sitting over the <video> will receive click events while the video is visible (playing or paused); there are many HTML5 video players but MediaElement.js was found to currently be the open source player satisfying the greatest number of requirements

Perspectives for Electronic Books in the World Wide Web Age

While the World Wide Web (WWW or Web) is steadily expanding, electronic books (e-books) remain a niche market. In this article, it is first postulated that specialized contents and device independence can make Web-based e-books compete with paper prints; and that adaptive features that can be implemented by client-side computing are relevant for e-books, while more complex forms of adaptation requiring server-side computations are not. Then, enhancements of the WWW standards (specifically of XML, XHTML, of the style-sheet languages CSS and XSL, and of the linking language XLink) are proposed for a better support of client-side adaptation and device independent content modeling. Finally, advanced browsing functionalities desirable for e-books as well as their implementation in the WWW context are described

Adaptive Hypermedia made simple using HTML/XML Style Sheet Selectors

This paper addresses enhancing HTML and XML with adaptation functionalities. The approach consists in using the path selectors of the HTML and XML style sheet languages CSS and XSLT for expressing content and navigation adaptation. Thus, the necessary extensions of the selector languages are minimal (a few additional constructs suffice), the processors of these languages can be kept almost unchanged, and no new algorithms are needed. In addition, XML is used for expressing the user model data like browsing history, browsing environment (such as device, location, time, etc.), and application data (such as user performances on exercises). The goal of the research presented here is not to propose novel forms or applications of adaptation, but instead to extend widespread web standards with adaptation functionalities. Essential features of the proposed approach are its simplicity and both the upwards and downwards compatibility of the extension

The Quest for Appropriate Remedies in the Microsoft Antitrust EU Cases: A Comparative Appraisal

The Microsoft cases in the United States and in Europe have been influential in determining the contours of the substantive liability standards for dominant firms in US antitrust law and in EC Competition law. The competition law remedies that were adopted, following the finding of liability, seem, however, to constitute the main measure for the “success” of the case(s). An important disagreement exists between those arguing that the remedies put in place failed to address the roots of the competition law violation identified in the liability decision and others who advance the view that the remedies were far-reaching and that their alleged failure demonstrates the weakness of the liability claim. This study evaluates these claims by examining the variety of remedies that were finally imposed in the European Microsoft cases, from a comparative perspective. The study begins with a discussion of the roots of the Microsoft issues in Europe and the consequent choice of a remedial approach by the Commission and the Court. It then explores the effectiveness of the remedies in achieving the aims that were set. The non-consideration of the structural remedy in the European case and the pros and cons of developing such a remedy in the future are briefly discussed before more emphasis is put on alternative remedies (competition and non-competition law ones) that have been suggested in the literature. The study concludes by discussing the fit between the remedy and the theory of consumer harm that led to the finding of liability and questions a total dissociation between the two. We believe that it is important to think seriously about potential remedies before litigation begins. However, we do not require an ex ante identification of an appropriate remedy by the plaintiffs, since this could lead to underenforcement or overenforcement.antitrust, remedies, Microsoft, complementarity, innovation, efficiency, monopoly, oligopoly, media player, interoperability, Internet browser

Synote mobile HTML5 responsive design video annotation application

Synote Mobile has been developed as an accessible cross device and cross browser HTML5 webbased collaborative replay and annotation tool to make web-based recordings easier to access, search, manage, and exploit for learners, teachers and others. It has been developed as a new mobile HTML5 version of the award winning open source and freely available Synote which has been used since 2008 by students throughout the world to learn interactively from recordings. While most UK students now carry mobile devices capable of replaying Internet video, the majority of these devices cannot replay Synote’s accessible, searchable, annotated recordings as Synote was created in 2008 when few students had phones or tablets capable of replaying these videos

A Review on Web Application Testing and its Current Research Directions

Testing is an important part of every software development process on which companies devote considerable time and effort. The burgeoning web applications and their proliferating economic significance in the society made the area of web application testing an area of acute importance. The web applications generally tend to take faster and quicker release cycles making their testing very challenging. The main issues in testing are cost efficiency and bug detection efficiency. Coverage-based   testing is the process of ensuring exercise of specific program elements. Coverage measurement helps determine the “thoroughness” of testing achieved. An avalanche of tools, techniques, frameworks came into existence to ascertain the quality of web applications.  A comparative study of some of the prominent tools, techniques and models for web application testing is presented. This work highlights the current research directions of some of the web application testing techniques