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Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, others to launch new Web standards resource
Apple is just one of quite a few big tech companies signed on to help support the Worldwide Web Consortium (known as the W3C) in developing a brand new web standards resource called WebPlatform.org. The new site is simply designed to get all available information about how to code for the various web standards out there (from HTML and CSS to newer tech like the Canvas API and various Audio plugins) all together in one clean, easy-to-find place. If you do coding for the web, the site is probably a valuable resource already, and all of the companies involved are trying to convince content creators to help them grow it by contributing to the forums, docs and tutorials currently available on the site. Apple's got lots of reason to support a movement like this, especially as its various Macs and iDevices claim more and more of the web's browsing audience. So it's no surprise that Cupertino is contributing to make a resource like this available. [via TheNextWeb]
Dude recreates first-gen iPod in-browser, won't put 1,000 songs in your pocket
Here's a bit of web fun to liven up your weekend: a digital artist by the name of Pritesh Desai has recreated a fully functional first-generation iPod that you can play directly in your browser. In remembrance of Steve Jobs, Desai built the faux iPod using HTML5, CSS3, and a touch of jQuery. You can drag the click wheel around just like with the real deal, change the volume, hit play / pause and even skip tracks. Especially nice is the addition of Extras like the Clock and the Calendar. Unfortunately, you won't be able to play any of your own tunes, but Desai had compiled a list of Creative Commons songs, so you can see how the player works. The next step is for someone to fill this up with hits of the early aughts ("Last Nite" by The Strokes, perhaps?) so you can truly travel back in time to the heydays of Windows XP and the Enron scandal.
The New York Times launches HTML5 web app for iPad
The New York Times has launched an experimental HTML5 web app specifically for viewing content on the iPad. The web app has a few different features from the regular iPad app, including the ability to find out which articles are trending on Twitter and a continuous wire feed. It supports swipe gestures and orientation for portrait or landscape viewing. The Verge theorizes that the newspaper launched the app to sidestep Apple's subscription fees, but NYT Corporate Communications Manager Linda Zebian told the site that it was a push to get content across to all mobile platforms, and that the iPad was a natural testing ground to make sure that it worked. "It is not an attempt to avoid Apple's purchase fee and we have no plans to eradicate our native iOS apps, it's just another way our subscribers can access Times content," Zebian said. The web app is only for subscribers that have tablet access in their subscription package. Those subscribers can visit app.nytimes.com via Safari on the iPad to install it.
Chrome Beta adds video engagement APIs, promises higher-quality video chats sans plugin
After concentrating on gaming and visual improvements in previous releases of Chrome, the browser's latest focus appears to be in video engagement. The latest beta includes a PeerConnection API that lets developers create real-time video chat applications without a plug-in. This builds upon existing WebRTC integration with a new getUserMedia API that should result in higher-quality video, audio, and data communications. The Beta also bundles in track support for HTML5 video, letting developers add in subtitles, captions, and other metadata -- the above photo, for example, is a screencap of a bike ride video enhanced with Google Map and Street View data. Another nice addition is a MediaSource API which adjusts video quality based on computer and network environments, which should put an end to those agonizing waits while the dancing inmate version of Gangnam Style buffers. Those interested can get their mitts on the new Chrome Beta today.
New York Times releases 'experimental' HTML5 iPad app, puts Twitter trends front and center
The New York Times isn't beyond a little "experimentation" -- not when it comes to iPad apps, at least. The old gray lady today is showing off its "experimental" iPad web app, an HTML5-powered reading experience available to digital subscribers with its Web + Tablet and All Digital Access packages. The app's got four ways to consume all the news that's fit to digitize, including the Trending format, which offers up the past hour's top 25 trending stories on Twitter and the more traditional Today's Paper, which recalls those days when people used to get their news from dead trees. More info can be found in the press release after the break, and if you're on an iPad, you can access the site via the source link below.
Adobe Edge swells to include Tools & Services, streamlines the designer web
Adobe really wants web designers to kick things up a notch. Not satisfied with where Edge has gone so far, it just released a full-fledged Edge Tools & Services suite to cover the bases for polished desktop and mobile pages on most any modern platform. Motion tool Edge Animate (formerly Edge Preview), automated previewing tool Edge Inspect (formerly Shadow) and mobile app packager PhoneGap Build have all arrived in the suite as version 1.0 releases, and come with both Edge Web Fonts as well as TypeKit to spruce up text. A pair of pre-release utilities, Edge Code (Brackets) and Edge Reflow, are also joining the group to tackle the nitty-gritty of editing web code and layouts. Any of the apps will readily cooperate with third-party software, although they won't always be cheap: while most of the Edge suite is free to use in at least a basic form as long as you have a Creative Cloud membership at any level, Edge Animate is only free during its initial run and should eventually cost either $15 per month or $499 in a one-time sale. For pros that want to burnish their corner of the web to a shine, the result just might be worth the expense.
W3C says HTML 5 will be finalized in 2014, HTML 5.1 to follow in 2016
HTML 5 has been a buzz word around the interwebs for so long you'd be forgiven if you thought it was a well-established standard looking for a successor. In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which helps establish the primary standards used online, didn't actually intend to complete HTML 5 until 2022. Thankfully, the group has reconsidered that seemingly absurd timeline and now plans to have this whole mess wrapped up by the end of 2014. The revised plan calls for an HTML 5 Candidate Recommendation (sort of like a feature-frozen beta) to be submitted by the end of 2012, before being finalized in 2014. All existing bits of the standard that are unstable or that suffer interoperability problems will be pulled from that candidate and pushed to a draft version of HTML 5.1. While HTML 5 is being completed, its evolutionary successor will begin the process of marching towards standardization, with a target completion date of 2016. For a more detailed exploration of the future of HTML hit up the source link.
Vellamo benchmark adds CPU and memory tests, here's how it rates the One X and GS III
Qualcomm's Vellamo app has been a part of the furniture in our Android benchmarking suite for a while now, providing a fun little test of browsing and networking speeds on almost any Android device. Version 2.0 adds something extra, however: a section called "Metal" that is all about putting your processor and memory through the wringer. As a quick taster, we ran the new HTML5 and Metal tests on the HTC One X (both global and AT&T) and the Galaxy S III (global and Sprint), settling on the average of three consecutive results. Conspiracy theorists who think that Qualcomm's app favors its own processors will only find further ammunition in the CPU results, however the HTML5 scores actually give the QCOM devices much less of a lead than the old Vellamo did, scoring all four handsets roughly equally. You'll find the table overleaf, along with a publicity video that explains the update.
Chrome experiment explores new types of navigation, degrees of embarrassment
What you're about to see, should you choose to click the source link below, is far from perfect. On the other hand, it's clearly had a lot of effort and expertise put into it -- not only by HTML5-savvy coders, but also by a troupe of performers from the Cirque du Soleil. It's called Movi.Kanti.Revo, which is a fancy way of saying Move.Sing.Dream, and it involves navigating through an ethereal and slightly laggy landscape using only swaying gestures, your singing voice (mournful sobbing sounds also worked for us) and a bunch of APIs that conveniently fail to work on FireFox, Safari or Internet Explorer. It's well-suited to those with a mic and webcam, preferably sitting in a open-plan and bully-ridden workplace, and if you don't like it there's always Bastion.
Chameleon Launcher for Tablets v1.0 available on Google Play for $10 (video)
After a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign (twice) and a month or so beta period, the highly anticipated Chameleon launcher is finally available for Android tablets. In case you were at your summer home and out of reach, check out our Insert Coin post concerning this home screen replacement that promises a dynamic environment, capable of responding to its user's location, connection or time of day. Its claim to fame are some slick HTML5-powered widgets, and the developer API site has also been updated to help third party sources become a part of the action. Even at 1.0 there are still some rough edges and the team's blog post mentions problems with the Gmail, Google+ and calendar widgets as known issues. Pre-orderers and Kickstarter backers can keep the beta app they've been using as it will continue to be updated and tied to their Google Play profiles, while those who were or are still on the fence should check out a video preview embedded after the break. If you opt to buy, it's in the store ready to roll on tablets running 3.2 and above for $10.26.
Zuckerberg: betting on HTML 5 for Facebook mobile app was a 'mistake,' native Android version on the way
Remember the days before Facebook's iOS app ditched HTML 5 and sped things up with some native code? It turns out that there's some regret in Menlo Park about relying on the web markup language. Betting on HTML 5 for the app is "one of the biggest mistakes if not the biggest strategic mistakes we've ever made," Mark Zuckerberg said in an interview at TechCrunch Disrupt today. The firm's CEO also mentioned that new features will be making their way to the app and a snappier Android version is coming down the pike "when it's done."
Escape Goat makes a break for your browser this weekend
While Escape Goat has been available on the PC and Xbox Live Indie Games for quite a while now, the titular goat and his mousy companion are coming to a browser near you. This HTML5 port includes the full game, which centers around a goat and a mouse who are trying to escape from a prison full of ever-changing rooms. That old chestnut.No matter your browser or operating system, you can play Escape Goat this weekend through Sunday, September 9, after which point a demo version will remain. So, feel free to go play it right now. While we'll leave it up to speculation why the two were imprisoned in the first place, know their escape is a noble cause – we'd never throw our support behind two guilty convicts.
Grooveshark circles back again, swaps app for HTML5
It's hard to keep up with whether Grooveshark is in the Google Play store, or out again, but now it doesn't matter. The music streaming service has decided to ditch its yo-yoing app, and instead opt for a flashy new HTML5 website for all devices. It's gone live in the US with an international launch "in the coming months", although this London-based editor didn't have any trouble using it. If you've been missing your favorites list, then jump over to Grooveshark.com and get listening -- after all, you might see it disappear again soon if a fresh lawsuit from EMI has any impact.
Flash for Android briefly returns to Google Play Store in UK, zombie-style
Adobe was last seen burying mobile Flash and moving on with its life. Like the stars of George Romero movies, however, Flash is back to walk amongst the living -- if just temporarily. The developer tells the BBC that Flash for Android is back in the UK's Google Play Store for a short while after "strategic partners" pushed it into action, including the British broadcaster. While the link isn't explicitly confirmed, it's strongly implied that the BBC and others want a little more time to wean Android apps like iPlayer off of their Flash dependency and toward web technologies like HTML5. Adobe is quashing any hopes of a permanent revival with a disclaimer that there's no support for the download; any bugs will remain there forever. Those attached to their dearly departed plugin may still appreciate one last look before the code is once more put six feet under. [Thanks, Kevin]
Atari ports classic games to HTML5 for web and Windows 8, lets developers craft their own (video)
Atari is big on nostalgia this year, but it hasn't had much in the way of software to reflect the trip down memory lane beyond the existing mobile apps. Its remedy to that shortfall is full of 2012 buzzwords. The new Atari Arcade includes modern takes on eight classic Atari 2600 games, all built entirely with HTML5 and free to play. As fun as that promises to be, our interest is most piqued by the game library's open-ended nature; this isn't just an alternative to firing up a smartphone. A new Javascript kit lets developers not only build their own games but make money as they see fit, whether it's through ads or in-app purchases. Whether they're new or old, titles work in multiple contemporary browsers, although Microsoft would really, really like you to know that the games are ad-free and touch-optimized for both Windows 8 tablets as well as Internet Explorer 10. We'll try to remember that when we look to relive our Combat memories on a Surface.
LG's Smart TV alliance grows, promises first cross-platform HDTV apps in September
The Smart TV Alliance consisting of LG and TP Vision (Philips) is still hammering away at its dream of platform-independent Smart TV apps, and as IFA 2012 gets under way it has a few new announcements. After promising Japanese manufacturers would join back in June it has welcomed Toshiba to the fold, as well as other supporters like Qualcomm, Mstar, Onigo and YuMe. At IFA 2012, LG is showing off the first apps built to the original SDK 1.0 spec built by Accuweather, Eurosport, online music channel Vilanoise and others. It's not stopping there however, as the SDK 2.0 we'd heard about is still due before 2012 is out, and has been built to take advantage of the new more powerful SoCs that companies like Qualcomm (the S4 family) and Mstar can provide to HDTV manufacturers.
Telenav Scout for Apps comes to Android and Windows Phone, Scout Drive Button released for website-based nav
iOS app devs got Telenav turn-by-turn navigation access in March of this year, and now the same can be said for folks programming for Android and Windows Phone. In case you forgot, the Scout for Apps platform allows developers to incorporate Scout's personalized navigation directly into their applications. Not only that, but Telenav's making it easier for website owners to do the same for their websites with the release of the Scout Drive Button. The button puts the power of browser-based GPS mapping in an easy-to-implement widget, for free, with no coding expertise required. It also allows users to click the Drive button in their desktop browser to send a link to their phones that'll launch navigation directly, as opposed to inputting the address into a nav app manually. Interested? More info awaits after the break, and devs can get down and dirty with both Scout for Apps and the Drive widget at the sources below.
PSA: Adobe halts new installs of Flash on Android as of tomorrow
Adobe has been broadcasting as much as possible that Flash on Android is going away, although it's been offering a grace period for those addicted to the plugin. It's now time to wean yourself off. As Adobe warned earlier in the year, new installations from Google Play won't be an option from August 15th onwards. Any downloads after that point will be limited to updates for existing installations or to those willing to raid Adobe's archives -- assuming would-be users aren't already running Android 4.1, that is. While we'd still expect Flash to preserve some of its relevance in mobile as long as phones ship with it preinstalled, and alternatives like Skyfire persist, we'd strongly suggest getting comfortable with HTML5 and native apps from now on.
Pulse Reader launches browser-based app, you'll need IE 10 for certain gestures
Until now, if you've wanted to use the Pulse reader app for browsing Engadget your favorite blogs you had to own an Android or iOS device. Now, though, the startup is launching a browser-based version of the service, making it accessible on desktops and mobile platforms for which there's no standalone Pulse app. The site will run in any browser, including mobile ones, but there are certain gestures you'll only be able to pull off in IE10, like using two fingers to expose the reading pane. For that reason, Microsoft is promoting this announcement almost as enthusiastically as Pulse (see the source link below if you don't believe us). As for the new website, we could go on about the slick UI and brisk performance, but it's probably easier if you just check out the screenshots below and then peek the quickie demo video after the break.%Gallery-162029%
MMObility: Stomping around the world of The Missing Ink
If there's one phrase that gets me excited for a new MMO, it's "cross-platform." I know that's not very slick-sounding, but when I hear those words, I envision playing the same game across multiple devices. I can sit at my PC, move over to my bar, take a seat on my patio, sit down in the bath (with the tablet carefully held over the side) and finish off a dungeon while I'm lying in bed. The Missing Ink is not only attempting to be a unique title by offering the type of access that we normally see only from Spacetime Studios or HTML5 browser MMOs but presenting a very unique-looking game, one of paper cutout figures and Burton-esque curly trees dotting a wavy landscape. There's also a building mode promised, although I haven't experienced it yet. But will this multi-platform approach work? Well, I took a look at the alpha and have enjoyed what I've seen so far, but I must warn you: This is not a review. It's hardly even a preview. It's just a peek into a strange, new game. The following opinions and gameplay bits are subject to massive, sweeping changes.
