Trio propose Web timed data spec

Microsoft, Macromedia and Compaq have jointly submitted to the W3C an extension to HTML to provide links between the Web language and multimedia data. Dubbed HTML-TIME (Timed Interactive Multimedia Extensions), the system is designed to allow presentations to interact with HTML elements. The W3C has already recommended -- the closest it gets to saying a spec is a near as dammit standard -- the use of SMIL (Synchronised Multimedia Integration Language), which allows Web developers to synchronise various multimedia elements. However, the HTML-TIME trio reckon SMIL is seriously limited by the way it forces developers to work within a specific SMIL environment -- essentially, SMIL presentations have to run in their own window. HTML-TIME is designed to allow synchronised multimedia elements to be placed within Web pages. If it wins a W3C recommendation, HTML-TIME will at last make Web pages truly dynamic. ® See also Motorola heralds voice-operated Web click for more stories