What is HTML5?

With all the hype and buzz and excitement about HTML5 bringing...

Wed, 23 May 2012 11:25:49 -0600

With all the hype and buzz and excitement about HTML5 bringing richer interactions to browsers, one important detail isn’t getting a lot of attention until now. An article on ReadWriteWeb covers a recent test which shows that mobile browsers are seriously lagging their desktop counterparts in ability to handle complex HTML5 rendering.

Web developers who are eyeing HTML5 for mobile projects need to be cautious about expectations regarding performance and test thoroughly to ensure the desired results.

Adobe is still trying to push Muse as an HTML5 authoring tool....

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:02:55 -0600

Adobe is still trying to push Muse as an HTML5 authoring tool. It will have its place in the product ecosystem, for sure, but that place is at the bottom. Muse isn’t the wonder-tool that Adobe is trying to pitch it as, just as Dreamweaver isn’t the tool of choice for true web professionals. Serious HTML5 web developers aren’t likely to embrace Muse anytime soon.

Microsoft is working on a web version of Skype that will...

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:01:09 -0600

Microsoft is working on a web version of Skype that will leverage HTML5. Apparently they’re hiring HTML5 web developers so if you’re in the market (and don’t mind working for Microsoft) this might be a good opportunity.

For HTML5 web developers looking for status on support for HTML5...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:01:35 -0600

For HTML5 web developers looking for status on support for HTML5 video, be sure to check out this site.

HTML5 Web Developers: If you’re going to be in Barcelona...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 09:28:54 -0600

HTML5 Web Developers: If you’re going to be in Barcelona later this month, be sure to check out the HTML5 DevUp conference.

Sencha has released a scorecard update for the new Apple iPad,...

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:55:02 -0600

Sencha has released a scorecard update for the new Apple iPad, and the results are mixed.

In a nutshell, the new iPad is a mixed bag. The new iPad’s display is incredibly fine grained and web site text now appears unbelievably sharp. On the other hand, the browser experience is noticeably slower with stutters and redraws on complex web pages and web apps. Images that haven’t been updated for retina displays now appear blurry in contrast to the sharp text. iOS 5.1 doesn’t offer many new features, and it does take a step backwards. For hybrid apps (web apps packaged in a native shell), iOS 5.1 breaks localStorage and WebSQL persistence, so developers can’t rely on them anymore.

For HTML5 web developers, there is definitely some bad news here. The loss of persistent local storage is terrible for companies with hybrid apps. Sure, there are some workarounds, but Apple has made things very painful. Additionally, the step backward in performance isn’t something any web developer is happy to hear.

We’re usually effusive about the latest mobile browser and hardware from Apple. But this latest offering is a mixed bag at best and a disappointment at worst. For the last few years, we’ve grown accustomed to Apple leapfrogging the competition each year with superior hardware and even better HTML5 browser software. The latest set of Apple hardware has regressions compared to the iPad 2 including slower JavaScript performance. And with iOS 5.1, the removal (or breaking) of features that developers have trusted is a real letdown. While we believe that the iPad is still the best tablet in the market, it’s the first time a new Apple product hasn’t categorically outshone its predecessor. Particularly for business applications, there is no reason to choose the new iPad over the iPad 2.

Gaming in the browser is making big leaps thanks to HTML5....

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 06:41:18 -0600

Gaming in the browser is making big leaps thanks to HTML5. Here’s a list of 15 gaming engines which are leveraging HTML5 to bring sophisticated graphics and interaction to the browser.

Mozilla has created a demo of real-time video chat in the...

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:28:47 -0600

Mozilla has created a demo of real-time video chat in the browser with no plugins. The great thing is that this is using the upcoming WebRTC standard, which other browser makers are also working to support.

Usablenet, a company which provides mobile websites for many big...

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:47:12 -0600

Usablenet, a company which provides mobile websites for many big brands, is claiming that adding HTML5 boosts website usage up to 28%. I’m a big fan of HTML5 and all that it offers (and promises to offer in the future). I think, however, that this is mostly a publicity play by Usablenet. They aren’t saying what the 28% increase is compared to. One of the examples they list is adding location detection, but is this in comparison to the same site with only a zip-code field? They also refer to expandable and collapsible boxes, which doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with HTML5.

I think what they’re really saying is that well-designed sites with helpful interactive capabilities perform better than those which are hard to use. HTML5 can definitely play a role in that, but it’s a huge stretch to say that HTML5 will boost usage by 28%.

Here’s a good, quick read on some HTML5 best practices for...

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 07:00:06 -0700

Here’s a good, quick read on some HTML5 best practices for web developers. It’s fairly basic but has some good info worth reading.

Check out Ringmark, a mobile test suite created by Facebook and...

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 07:00:06 -0700

Check out Ringmark, a mobile test suite created by Facebook and Bocoup. This is very helpful for HTML5 web developers looking for a way to discover which HTML5 features a mobile device supports.

Facebook has joined the W3C Mobile Web Platform Core Community...

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:39:28 -0700

Facebook has joined the W3C Mobile Web Platform Core Community Group in the hopes of helping to push mobile standards along. With Facebook leveraging HTML5 heavily, I’m sure they’re feeling the pains that other HTML5 web developers are feeling with mobile fragmentation.

Apparently Mozilla has taken the lead in HTML5 accessibility...

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:00:05 -0700

Apparently Mozilla has taken the lead in HTML5 accessibility with Firefox. For HTML5 developers who care about accessibility this is good news.

From the article:

According to the HTML5 accessibility website, Firefox for Windows has zoomed ahead of its rivals regarding support for HTML5 accessibility. In the site’s tests, the browser scores an impressive 92/100. All other browsers score 24/100 or less, bar Safari for Mac, with a credible 74/100.

Sencha is trying to woo Flex developers to their HTML5...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:00:05 -0700

Sencha is trying to woo Flex developers to their HTML5 platform.

From the article:

To help Flex developers ramp up fast with new HTML5 technologies, Sencha has developed an educational curriculum and tools designed specifically for Flex developers.

Check out this post which lists 9 sites for HTML5 web developers...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:00:06 -0700

Check out this post which lists 9 sites for HTML5 web developers to learn and improve their craft.

Google’s new Chrome beta for Android is getting good...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:00:05 -0700

Google’s new Chrome beta for Android is getting good reviews so far. This is good news for HTML5 web developers as it is another move forward in making sure web browsers support the features web developers need.

OK, this article isn’t really about HTML5 but it’s a...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:00:05 -0700

OK, this article isn’t really about HTML5 but it’s a good, relevant read nonetheless. Every HTML5 web developer has been asked the question “native or web?” for a client who wants a mobile app. Clearly, both have their advantages, but this article has some good information about the costs and process of building a native app which can be helpful when educating a client.

SoundCloud has switched from Flash to HTML5 for their audio...

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:00:05 -0700

SoundCloud has switched from Flash to HTML5 for their audio player. HTML5 web developers are definitely anxious for better browser support for HTML5 video so that Flash isn’t necessary for audio/video!

Now this is something every HTML5 web developer should be stoked...

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:00:06 -0700

Now this is something every HTML5 web developer should be stoked about! As an Android owner, I’ll confess that the Android browser is mediocre, which is shameful considering how great the Chrome desktop browser is. HTML5 web apps should get a boost from having Chrome on the phone (once the browser is actually available to more than the few people who have Ice Cream Sandwich).

According to the article, the Chrome for Android beta “will include a hardware-accelerated canvas, overflow scroll support, HTML5 video specs support along with Indexed DB (for offline caching, presumably), WebWorkers and WebSockets.”

Here’s an article about HTML5 and its growing use in...

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:52:51 -0700

Here’s an article about HTML5 and its growing use in mobile advertising.