19
Open Web Camp III
I had this wonderful opportunity to speak at OpenWebCamp III at Stanford University on this weekend, and I feel very honor to be there with so many great speakers and attendees.
Apparently, I have been doing mobile development longer than most of people, I picked the subject on developing mobile web, and how it has been changed and what we can do next.
I covered the topics including:
- How the mobile development has changed from WML, XHTML-MP, HTML4 and finally HTML5 with CSS3
- Legacy to HTML5: using input attributes to make easier for a user to type on phone
- Dealing with smarter phones: Viewport and Media-queries
- High DPI display: CSS pixel != Device pixel
- Device API
My slides, “WAP to HTML5: Mobile web – past, present, and future” is available in html5, not Powepoint or Keynotes so I couldn’t post it on SlideShare!
15
So it’s not a secret anymore -HP TouchPad
So, this is what has been keeping me busy (not blogging) these days. Announcing HP TouchPad!
I have been working as a part of the development team for the secret weapon, which was just announced at the HP’s press event at Fort Mason, San Francisco on Feb. 9th, for a while (especially hardware development take a lot longer than software!). Literally, my heart was beating during the live demo but when the crowd applauded, I felt great and so relieved.
At the evening’s developer event after the press event, we have announced the new and better JavaScript framework, Enyo. I probably write up something on HP/Palm’s developer blog later (yes, the site still has the Palm brand!), so stay tuned if you’re interested developing for webOS!
The photo is by HP Startup Central, on Flickr
5
iPhone Cocoa App development with JavaScript
Hello, I have neglected my blog since September although there have been some blog-worthy events like N900 meetup (plus Droid experience and new Fennec demo. See the videos by Tnkgrl from the link!), California Data Camp, release of Net2Streams Pro (the streaming radio app for Palm WebOS I helped writing) etc… Well, I keep microblogging on Twitter almost daily basis so follow me if you’d like!
One of the interesting I have been independently doing is that writing an app for iPhone with JavaScript, and this time, not an web app but a “native” Cocoa app. Yes I said a native iPhone app in JavaScript! But how? -I used this excellent open-source platform, called Titanium by Appcelerator! Without bothering Obj.C or Java, Titanium allows developers to write iPhone and Android apps with the familiar web technology.
So, as a test run, I have created the iCuteoverload app for iPhone again. (Originally, I made the web app for iPhone, using iUI in 2007)
I will not release this app on AppStore -not because of the technical issue but the agreement with the business decision. (Yes, this app contents are not mine and copyrighted!) But I should be able to show the video capture as a demo to tell you what Titanium can do for web devs like me!
27
QuirksMode on Mobile!
One of the recent awesome news for mobile web developer is that “the browser guy” Peter-Paul Koch, known as PPK of Quirksmode.org has jumped onto mobile world, backed up by Vodafone. (See his blog).
I have been working for mobile phones since I joined Nokia in 2005, then Yahoo! later, I have been frustrated with luck of information on mobile browsers. Although Nokia was pioneering sharing information on S60 WebKit browsers, still there was not enough so I had to run many tests by myself without much help from anybody else, and recorded some quirks found a little bit at the time. So PPK’s work on compatibility test table is the one of the best resource I can have!
Anyway, PPK made his visit to Yahoo! last week and the video of his presentation is now on YUI Theater!
Also, his slides are availabe at SlideShare:
28
My LOLCats Week Ends with Capshuning
Eric Nakagawa and Kari Unebasami, co-founders of I Can Has Cheezburger were in Bay Area from Hawaii to meet with Lolcat fans this week, for HappyCat Happy Hour and LOLZoo at San Francisco Zoo, also made visit to Yahoo! Sunnyvale campus for LOL Talk too.
I have fixed some bugs on my ICHC Yahoo mobile widget, attended the talk, got an autographed ICHC book, participated LOLZoo at San Francisco Zoo, and now I am “capshun” ing for the animal pics.
Yes, I am officially a crazy cat lady.
See the LOLZoo pics at Flickr!
10
oneConnect Announcement at CTIA (and 49ers)
My big boss, Marco took to the keynote stage at CTIA at Moscone West today, to announce a few things including Blueprint update and (insert drum roll here) oneConnect iPhone application.
Yes, Yahoo’s iPhone app is finally out and available at iPhone App store now! Congrats iPhone app team! Go home and sleep!!!
Also, those who attended CTIA, hope you guys didn’t miss Roger Craig and Dana Stubblefield at Yahoo! booth.
31
Dev.mobi Event at Palo Alto
Today, I had a chance to attend dev.mobi developers’ session at Palo Alto.
I am actually a user of their web tools and documentations, and really like the way they are trying to set standard for developers.
In today’s session, I was able to find out more about their ongoing projects. Paul Nerger of dotMobi, explained the interesting new product from them is called Device Atlas. This is a comprehensive database of mobile device information, such as hardware info, OS, browser. supported graphic format etc., with easy-to-follow GUI. The first version was just released a few months ago and they are now working on new features such as integrations with Ready.mobi test suite, W3C checker Firefox plugin, providing analytics and competitive benchmarking.
One of the biggest pain for me to work on mobile web is a cross-browser issue. Surely there’re thousands of mobile devices means thousands of different browsers. I already appreciate for the OMA and WURFL for the data, so with more partners like Nokia, Vodafone, Volantis etc. Device Atlas seems to be so promising fore more accurate info.The data is available as json files. So for example, to get the screen resolution of a certain device, get the UA and simply call its json data.
By the way, just like me, Paul doesn’t like the term “WAP”. I do use the term to distinguish it from desktop web, but I always felt some sort of awkwardness to say it. Yeah, WAP rhymes with crap, right Paul!
16
have been busy (again) for MWC
OK, I guess 3GSM is an old name, now it’s called Mobile World Congress.
Anyway, although it’s been pretty crazy and sad weeks for Yahoo, inc., my team kept me busy working on WAP products to be announced on MWC.
For this beta, despite we wanted virtually all WAP2 xhtml-devices, I barely managed the popular devices including Blackberry 87xx/88xx and Razr V3/6/9 excl. the original V3.
Although there’s more work to be done, at least the beta was launched during MWC. However, RIM had Blackberry network outage at that time…
Also, Blueprint dev kit is now available.
9
Yahoo! Mobile Beta finally launched so we can sleep.
We finally launched Yahoo! Mobile Web beta (http://beta.m.yahoo.com) for limited high-end devices including iPhone, Nokia N-Series, also Windows Mobile incl. Moto Q, Palm Treo this morning.
Next project – launching for more devices, and int’l support for 3GSM. Nearly all engineers gave up Vegas… so can we go to Barcelona next month instead? Pretty please por favor?
7
Live from CES in Vegas…. not!
canceled my flight for Vegas, working my @ss off here in Sunnyvale…The official launch for the new Y! Mobile web beta is tonight. I need some rest.
Oh well, here’s some Y! stuff for CES (Opening Video for Jerry’s Keynote):
