The internet was around for about two decades before the arrival of the web supercharged its growth. The ease of using a web browser made broad consumer adoption possible. Mobile payments were around for at least a decade before they started to take off. Again the key factor to adoption was ease of use – this time in the form of wallets that are actually integrated with in-app payments and widely accepted at the point of sale such as Google and Apple Pay (in other parts of the world adoption ...

Today is the wrap up of the initial web cycle. Last Tech Tuesday, I introduced Javascript as determining the behavior of a web page and interacting with HTML (the content of the page) and CSS (the look and feel). Now it makes sense to revisit the Web Browser, which needs to put all those pieces together to actually display the web page and let the user interact with it. By now it should come as no surprise that this is in fact quite a difficult job and that the web browser is a rather elabora...

We have now reached step 6 of the web cycle and are back at the web browser. The web browser is receiving an initial HTTP response from the web server. The first part of this response tells the web browser is whether or not the web server is delivering some useful information. That happens via the response status, which will be 200 OK if the HTTP request is being properly fulfilled. The second part are additional so-called response headers which provide information about the content that is c...

Following up to yesterday’s post, here is what I think folks should do about the threat of platform lock-in at the application/content layer. First, recognize that this is directly related to net neutrality. The ability of existing platforms and content owners to try to force the web back into walled gardens is limited by the ability of entrepreneurs to start open competitors and reach people directly and on a level playing field. Second, start voting with your mouse. At the moment we have en...

The likelihood of my switching to an iPhone is rising rapidly. Earlier this year I switched from a Pearl to an 8900 (both on T-Mobile). At first, I was very happy with the 8900, especially the wifi calling capability that T-Mobile offers is super handy as I have no cell coverage in my house. Also, tethering my laptop was easy and I use it frequently. But the browser is simply atrocious. I am not keeping track precisely, but it feels like at least 20% and possibly 30% of links that I click on ...