A number of bloggers are today reporting a noticeable change to Facebook’s website when viewed from the built-in Safari web browser on the Apple iPad: videos now work . Previously, videos appearing in a user’s News Feed wouldn’t play on the iPad due to Facebook’s use of Adobe Flash technology, which is not supported. Apple has, somewhat notoriously, banished Flash from its mobile devices, including the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, in favor of supporting the HTML5 web standard instead. Although still in development, HTML5, the latest revision to the markup language used to create web pages, offers a feature that allows videos to play in a web browser without the need for a plugin like that used by Adobe Flash. But has Facebook actually implemented HTML5 on its site? Sponsor ReadWriteWeb’s Jared Smith provided essential technical perspective for the writing of this report. Transcoding, Not HTML5 In our tests this morning, it appears that Facebook isn’t actually using HTML5 to display the videos. Instead, what appears to be going on is that Facebook.com is detecting that you’ve arrived to the website via the Safari web browser on the iPad. When you then attempt to play a video on the iPad, it doesn’t play inline (something that would have been a clear confirmation of an HTML5 implementation). Instead, Facebook is linking out to the actual video, transcoded to MP4, a video format that plays on Apple devices. We confirmed this by uploading a video file to Facebook in WMV format (a non-iPad compatible video format) and then attempting to play it on the iPad. It played as an MP4 file. Still Being Rolled Out Also interesting: this implementation of transcoding (converting one format to another) appears to be still in the initial stages of rollout. We went to one user’s News Feed (belonging to our own Marshall Kirkpatrick, in fact) and discovered he had uploaded two video files last night using iCamcorder. On the iPad, the earlier video played, launching as a full-screen MP4. The other, when clicked, informed us that we needed Flash in order to view it. Both videos were uploaded around the exact same time last night – sometime after midnight EST and the newer one is the one that plays. We’ve asked Facebook to confirm what’s going on here but have not yet heard back. Why Not HTML5? It’s interesting that Facebook has chosen to do transcoding instead of a full HTML5 rollout, especially considering how many other major media sites are making the switch. A number of publishers , when alerted to the iPad’s impending launch, quickly pushed out HTML5-compatible versions of their websites. In many cases though, those changes are just skin-deep. Despite Apple’s claims (via the “iPad-ready websites” section on the company’s website) that many major publishers have switched over to the new web markup language, it’s not an entirely accurate statement. For some of the sites listed, only portions of their content has been made “iPad-ready.” Reuters, Time and MLB.com, for instance, were recently called out for claiming iPad-readiness when, in fact, they don’t offer 100% of their website content for iPad visitors. MLB.com directs you to download an iPad app if you want to see videos, for example, while the other two only offer some of their content in an iPad-ready format. Apparently, using HTML5 throughout the site isn’t required to be dubbed “iPad-ready” by Apple. Now it appears that Facebook is making changes to get on that list, too. Discuss

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In a little under 3 weeks time, we will host our second unconference: the ReadWriteWeb Mobile Summit . It’s a 1-day event at the lovely Computer History Museum, in Mountain View, California. In preparation for the RWW Mobile Summit, we’re going to outline the 10 leading trends of the Mobile Web in a 3-part series of posts. We’ll delve more into these trends with you at the Summit, because our unconferences are all about audience participation. In this, the first post, we’ll outline 3 important design and development issues for the Mobile Web. Register now to discuss these and other topics at our unconference. The RWW Mobile Summit is being held on Friday 7 May, directly after the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco (2-6 May). Sponsor Native App and/or Browser Based? Just as businesses in the PC-based Web spent years in the 90’s wondering if a desktop app or web browser based service was the best choice, in 2010 the same question applies to mobile phone applications . Organizations are asking themselves: should we build a native mobile phone app, or should we build a cross-platform browser-based mobile service? If they choose the former, which platform(s) do they focus on first? The choices include iPhone, Android, RIM, Palm, Windows Mobile and Symbian. In February, mobile search company Taptu released a detailed report showing that the future of the Mobile Web is likely to be dominated by cross-platform browser-based mobile web sites – rather than apps built specifically for iPhone, Android, or any other platform. The company estimated that there were 326,000 Mobile Touch Web sites worldwide at that time, compared to 148,000 iPhone apps in the App Store and 24,000 apps in the Android market. What’s more, Taptu expects the browser-based mobile web market to grow much faster than the app market. One factor to consider is that both options, native app and browser site, still have something of a ‘wild west’ element to them. We can see evidence of this in the stand-off between Apple and Adobe over Flash on mobile phones. Apple’s iPhone platform and its default mobile Safari browser do not run Adobe’s Flash technology, despite Flash having an almost ubiquitous presence on desktop PCs. Apple has been pushing HTML5, the latest generation of the Web’s mark-up language, as a replacement for much of the functionality in Flash. This battle is yet to be won – but it’s not looking good for Adobe, because it’s hard to bet against the next version of HTML. Privacy Location-based mobile apps have been a big trend in 2010 (we’ll cover this in Part 2 of this series), but there are significant privacy implications for these apps. Sites like Foursquare, BrightKite and Gowalla encourage their users to “check-in” to places, so that their social network knows where they are at any given time. While these apps have privacy controls that allow you to (for example) send a check-in update to just a select group of friends, a lot of times the updates are sent to the entire network. In a recent analysis post, Sarah Perez asked: are location-based social networks privacy disasters waiting to happen? She added that many web and mobile apps are using location data now, including Google , Facebook and user review site Yelp . The privacy dangers were highlighted earlier this year by a social experiment called PleaseRobMe , which displaying aggregated real-time updates from Foursquare users who used the social sharing feature to broadcast their updates publicly on Twitter. Although PleaseRobMe has since been shuttered, the point they were trying to make still resonates: sharing your physical location with a public network is potentially dangerous. For more details, read our February review of the short-lived PleaseRobMe. Emerging Wireless Standards Think your smart phone is cool now? Wait till it gets RFID chips, then it’ll truly be ’smart.’ That’s the promise of two emerging RFID-based mobile technologies called NFC and DASH7. NFC (Near Field Communication) holds great promise as an enabler of mobile payments. DASH7 is a wireless sensor networking standard that complements NFC; it will enable things like advanced location-based services, long-distance mobile advertising and mobile coupons. Both NFC and DASH7 may soon be a part of the mobile phone that you carry around everywhere. Nokia already deploys NFC, and Apple and Google are rumored to be working on NFC implementation. There are a group of other emerging mobile standards and technologies to look out for, such as WiMax, ZigBee and 4G. They all play an increasingly important part in the evolving Mobile ecosystem. In Part 2 of this series outlining 10 big trends in Mobile in 2010, we look at Next Generation Apps. We’d love to discuss these and other mobile topics with you at our ReadWriteWeb Mobile Summit 2010 . See our announcement post for more details. If you’re a company in the Mobile Internet market, you may be interested in becoming a sponsor for this event. Please contact our COO Sean Ammirati for more information about sponsor packages. And a big thank-you to our current event sponsors: CallFire , WorldMate , Alcatel-Lucent and Ipevo . Discuss

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CBS.com is apparently adding itself to the line up of big-name media properties scrambling to get their websites ready for the upcoming Apple iPad, due out on April 3rd. Recently, both the Wall St. Journal and NPR.org confirmed that they were revamping their sites using HTML5 markup language, the upcoming web standard that supports video playback without a web browser plugin. The reason for the overhauls? Apple does not support Adobe’s Flash technology on their mobile devices, a lineup which also includes iPhones and iPod Touches. That means that CBS.com’s Flash-based streaming video wouldn’t play on Apple’s new slate computers – devices expected to land in the hands of anywhere from 1 to 6 million customers this year, depending on which analyst predictions you go by. Sponsor CBS iPad Tests Spotted in the Wild A blogger at TheOtherMacBlog , Colum ODwyer, spotted what appeared to be HTML5 video tests late last night when two odd clips appeared on the CBS.com homepage. Screenshots were snagged showing accompanying text that read “iPad – test – dan config.” (Oops, Dan, it looks like you pushed the wrong button!) Another blogger from MacRumors , Arnold Kim, then followed up on this news by delving into the CSS of the CBS.com website itself to discover multiple references to HTML5, the technology that would be needed for viewing videos like these on the iPad. Kim also loaded up the CBS.com website using the iPad SDK Simulator, a tool provided to developers testing iPad applications. Since he was coming from a device which would appear to CBS’s servers as an iPad, he was shown a different version of the site. Here, videos displayed with accompanying text that again read “iPad – test – dan config.” Without a doubt this is hard evidence that CBS is at least testing HTML5 technology with the iPad in mind. Whether or not CBS’s website will actually be iPad-ready by April 3rd is unknown at this time. We have a call into CBS.com and will update this story with their comment when they phone back . Update: CBS will neither confirm or deny their iPad plans. A CBS spokesperson said the company “is constantly putting our content on a variety of platforms,” and is “ready to test any idea that brings that content to the widest possible audience.” iPad Owners Want Their Free TV The iPad is clearly meant to be a more of media consumption device than media creation device. Without a hardware-based keyboard (it’s sold separately) or camera, consumers buying the iPad are expected to use it more for reading books and magazines, watching video and playing games than for creating media like videos, photos or even long-form text. For for media publishers, the launch of the iPad means more pressure to convert their websites, either whole or in part, to HTML5 since the Flash-based portions of their websites will not display on an iPad. Although Flash is used for more than just video, publishers, and most notably sites featuring streaming video news reports or entertainment offerings like online TV shows, will be among the most heavily affected by the iPad’s lack of Flash support. In this case, CBS.com hosts a large library of videos in both standard format and HD. There are short clips as well as full length TV shows, all of which are offered for free to site visitors and are supported by in-stream ads which generate modest revenue for the broadcaster. Although you can find some of the company’s content indexed on Hulu , the joint venture between NBC, Fox, ABC and others, clicking through on the links there redirects you over to CBS.com’s own website. CBS also has a shaky relationship with Apple’s iTunes, keeping popular shows like Big Bang Theory and The Mentalist either out of the store altogether or offering only limited seasons. (Neither appear to be available now). In other words, if you want to watch CBS video from your computer, CBS.com is the most reliable place to find it. In that case, the company needs to get its website working on the iPad soon or it will lose out on an audience that will potentially number in the millions by year-end. Image credits: Videos, TheOtherMacBlog ; CSI, MacRumors Discuss

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Researchers at Stanford University have just made a major breakthrough that may impact the technology industry for years to come: they’ve built a better battery. The project, an attempt to use lithium-sulfur in place of the lithium-ion technology that is used in batteries today, has been in development since 2007. Recently, the scientists’ efforts were rewarded when they created a battery that lasts four times as long as its lithium-ion counterparts while also having the benefit of being “significantly safer” than today’s batteries which occasionally explode after short-circuiting. Although still a ways off from commercial viability (and availability), the lithium-sulfur batteries promise advances like 80% more capacity, 10 times the power density and, theoretically, the ability to last four times as long as modern batteries. Sponsor The new battery technology represents the final step in our quest for always-on connectivity to the mobile web. We already have Wi-Fi hotspots, 3G and 4G networks for Internet everywhere and a host of mobile gadgets from netbooks to iPads and mobile phones to notebook computers. But what we haven’t had yet is a way to keep our gadgets powered up for more than a day or so without a charge. That may be soon about to change. An Always-On Mobile Web With these sorts of improvements, lithium-sulfur batteries could lead the way in the next phase of the mobile revolution. They could allow us to fully enjoy the web from anywhere in the world, without having to worry about dying batteries, access to power outlets or having to carry around battery replacements when planning long-lasting mobile computing sessions. Far more than just a convenience, better battery technology would impact how our mobile devices are designed and how they behave. For example, Apple currently imposes numerous restrictions on members of their mobile device lineup for the sake of battery performance. On Apple iPhones, iPod Touches and the forthcoming iPad, applications aren’t permitted to run in the background and Adobe Flash technology has been banned altogether, supposedly for its CPU usage which rapidly drains battery juice. Other mobile smartphone makers, while not necessarily as restrictive as Apple, still have to weigh the benefits of providing these same types of features with the performance hit their gadgets will take if they do so. And as anyone who regularly fires up their smartphone web browser knows, too much Internet surfing during the day means a phone that dies out before nightfall. Another example of the technology’s potential impact: e-Readers. Today, if you want to pack your Kindle or Nook device to take with you on vacation, you still have to go through the thought process: how long will I be gone? Will my battery last? Should I pack the cord? Now imagine that you could just throw your e-Reader into your bag without a second thought, just as if you were packing the paperback novel or newspaper these sorts of gadgets aim to replace. Would that encourage more people to make the switch from the analog formats to digital? The Impacts of Better Batteries What if, in the future, concerns like these were no longer a worry? What if phones, netbooks, e-Readers and other mobile devices could be used for days on end without the need for a charge? That would radically impact the way we think about and use our mobile devices. There are a million other use cases that could benefit from this technology change, too, including sensor networks, computing from remote areas, faster news dissemination from areas impacted by disasters (either natural or man-made) where power outages have occurred, gadgets for hikers, campers and other explorers who spend weeks away from civilization and, therefore, away from electricity, mobile location-based services that run in the background on smartphones and other personal mobile gadgets and – OK, we’ll admit it – the ability to Twitter all day long without a recharge. For the nitty gritty technical details about this new battery technology, MIT’s Technology Review explains everything from the cathodes to the conductivity as well as the challenges still ahead for this breakthrough technology. Most notably, the scientists still need to figure out how to maintain capacity. After five discharge/recharge cycles, the batteries lost one-third of their initial storage capacity and after 40 to 50 cycles, they ceased to function altogether. However, if the researchers can overcome that final hurdle and a few others, the new technology could one day become commercially viable. It’s too soon to know if that will actually occur, but as gadget lovers ourselves, we’re hopeful. Discuss

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In a recent interview, Hulu CEO Jason Kilar told technology reporter Om Malik that his company was “very bullish” on mobile, even going so far as to say “we will embrace every device.” That’s a funny statement, considering that the company has been touting that same sentiment for years but has yet to launch anything for mobile, be it an app or simply a mobile-ready streaming site. Now, with the launch of the iPad just around the corner, the rumors of an iPhone/iPad Hulu app are rising up again. But there’s a bigger mobile web than just the one accessible via Apple products, and that may be what Hulu has its eye on now. “We don’t think about one device only,” Kilar said. However, going mobile is going to be a challenge for Hulu. And it’s not as simple as re-encoding a few videos, no matter what you may have heard. Sponsor Problem A: Hulu’s Business Model Needs Work The fact that Hulu exists at all is somewhat of an amazement. Through tenuous connections with major studios, the collaborative, experimental effort to bring streaming TV to web (and make it profitable) has managed to attract a number of users in the U.S. Although the audience size varies widely depending on who’s counting, the company has managed to become a household name thanks to eye-catching commercials on NBC featuring actors from the network’s top shows. But there’s a problem facing Hulu: in-video advertising is, apparently, not as profitable as once hoped. In fact, it’s just too expensive , says Marc Ruxin, the Chief Innovation Officer for ad agency network McCann Worldgroup. Hulu has been aware of this problem, though, and has been hinting towards the launch of a subscription service , with News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch telling an investor conference last fall that the company, was looking at “adding subscription services and pay per view” options. Through the subscription model, Hulu could potentially generate enough revenue to keep the studios happy and maybe even encourage them to offer up more programming. Unfortunately, the subscription model has yet to launch and the profits from video ads have been far too lean for some Hulu participants. Recently, for example, Viacom pulled two of the top shows – The Daily Show and the Colbert Report – from the site, claiming that they simply weren’t earning enough money via the advertising model currently in place. Viacom Inc. Chief Executive Officer Philippe Dauman said that “on the current economic model for Hulu, there’s just not much in it for us to continue at this time.” And so the situation degrades. So what is Hulu doing now? It’s trying to attract more viewers to its site with the launch of ” If I Can Dream ,” an original series that premiered earlier this month. The fact that they’re now making the foray into this sort of online programming is somewhat worrying. After all, if hit video webisodes alone made for a profitable service, then YouTube would have achieved profitability ages ago, instead of (maybe) getting there this year , five years post-launch. Let’s face it, original programming is a bonus for Hulu users, but it’s not going to take the place of hot shows like the now-departed Comedy Central fare. Problem B: Will Apple Allow a Hulu App on the iPhone/iPad? Another problem? Hulu has been planning to delay its iPhone app launch until a subscription model was in place, according to earlier reports . But with the biggest names pulling out, subscriptions could be a harder sell. Still, even if Hulu was able to make subscriptions happen, there are no guarantees that Apple would ever allow them into the iTunes store, especially considering they’re offering a competing product. (See: Google Voice banishment from the iPhone , for example). Meanwhile, Hulu’s online site doesn’t work in the iPhone’s web browser because it was built in Flash. If Apple rejects the Hulu app from iTunes, the company’s other option is encoding all their site’s content in H.264 and make that available via HTML5, the new web language that offers streaming video sans plugin. Since this has already been done, a Hulu app could launch a player on the iPhone or iPad, if, of course, Apple allowed them to do so. If not, then a mobile site would have to be built in HTML5 – video controls, overall UI, advertisements and all. That’s no simple process. What’s Hulu Doing Now? So is this the plan Hulu has decided on now? It’s hard to know for sure. Like Apple, the company is incredibly secretive about their plans and product roadmap, often refusing to respond to calls and emails entirely, even to say “no comment.” And yet, the Hulu iPhone app exists. We’ve spoken to someone who’s seen it…but that was ages ago. For all we know, iPhone/iPad app plans have since been scrapped to work on a new solution that works around any potential Apple restrictions. But sources inside Hulu have clammed up lately, meaning they’re either building something top, top secret…or perhaps nothing at all. We hope it’s the former, because frankly, an iPad without Hulu is a sad, sad affair. But will we ever see a real app? At this point, we’re not holding our breath. Discuss

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