News
Comments added February 8, 2010
The SMIL 3.0 examples are tested with Ambulant 2.0.2
date 2009-04-20, Windows version running on Wine, Ubuntu 8.04.
The next version is in beta, give it a try.
Help improve Ambulant by sending your comments.
Anyone using Ubuntu and would like Ambulant
added to its repositories vote here:
Ubuntu Brainstorm
Added December 11, 2009
SMIL 3.0 example
'Traditional Probiotics'
online or download
tested on Windows Ambulant 2.0.2
on Wine on Ubuntu 8.04
Previous News
This website is about SMIL, but with the current patent system, SMIL cannot shine. Fortunately the US Congress is starting the process of patent reform :) With genuine reform the country can start moving forward as it did in the 1990's and IT can lead the way. If this Congress needs help to get the job done then ipaction.org is there to help, by sending more candidates looking to balance the system of our IP law.
When the Congress gets done with patents, copyright law can use some work also. Congress has continually extended copyright law from the original, 1790 of 14 years plus 14, to current law, life of the author plus 70 years. We now have a law that is stealing from the public by preventing images, audio, text to be recycled into new works of art. A byproduct of the long copyright law are monopoly monsters, such as the RIAA, MPAA, which are hell-bent on controlling the progress of technology, in turn the progress of society. Now back to SMIL :)
The Multimedia developments related to SMIL, to keep an eye on in 2008 are the following, with special attention to Timed Text, the W3C is now working to standardize Text Media. Add your input Timed Text Mailing List Archive.
- Vorbis audio
- Theora video
- W3C's Timed text
- Helix, SMIL playing everywhere
- AMBULANT multi-OS SMIL players
On this website are some examples of SMIL, a language like HTML, where with a simple text editor, anybody in the world can communicate their ideas as effectively as a Television commercial. SMIL 1.0 allows you to create the areas for media objects and then determine when to play them. SMIL 2.0 adds interactivity, transitions. XHTML + SMIL give SMIL 2.0 abilities to XHTML elements.
Have fun, and remember the best way to learn SMIL, is with an example on your computer, that you can make changes to and observe for yourself, the power of a simple text-based language.