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W3C finally publishes Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0
Okay, so we saw W3C's Mobile Web Best Practices offered up in "near-final form" in June of 2006, but we're just now (August of 2008, for those parked under a rock or tuning in from a parallel universe) seeing a final release. Talk about taking their sweet time. Hopefully said document has been updated over the past two years, and hopefully webmasters will grab hold and actually implement some of the suggestions. In essence, these guidelines seek to make web browsing easier on more handsets, but we're still in dire need of more robust browsers before any server-side tweaks make a noticeable difference.[Via the::unwired]
Get your Firefox on: Firefox Download Day
Just a reminder, as Robert hinted half an hour ago today is "Download Day" for Firefox 3. If you haven't yet downloaded the official 3.0 release, be sure to do it today! Firefox is trying to set a Guinness World Record for the most software downloads in 24 hours. At 10 AM PDT (1:00 PM EDT) head over here to get your official download. Note: Only downloads from Mozilla's official site count towards the record.It's not all about Mozilla's pride, really! Firefox 3 will bring many changes for all Mac users (mostly good), as this is the first release of Firefox that is built primarily using Cocoa for the underlying Gecko 1.9 engine (a project that's been in the works for years). Along with better redraw speed (CoreGraphics vs. the older QuickDraw API) and improved memory handling, the new engine provides the groundwork for a pure-Cocoa, 64-bit clean version of Firefox in the future. Firefox 3's UI is more Maclike now, with Aqua-style widgets improving the view. You can read more about the architectural changes to Firefox 3 and Gecko 1.9 at developer Josh Aas' blog.So head on over to Spread Firefox, we're sure you can't go wrong! If you're in the mood to party with the Firefox launch day crowd, check Mozilla's party site for activities near you.
Digia @Web brings finger-controlled web browsing to UIQ
If there are two words that are music to the ears of anyone looking to browse websites effectively on their phone, they've gotta be "WebKit" and "finger control." S60 Touch is moving Nokia squarely in that direction, and the other half of the Symbian puzzle, UIQ, is getting some love now as well. Digia is preparing its @Web browser, which claims to allow effective finger-based control of its WebKit-based browser -- though we're not lighting the fireworks and popping the champagne just yet since the effectiveness of finger control varies widely from implementation to implementation, and @Web's public beta won't be ready until some time later this month. Stay tuned, G900 owners (and G702 hopefuls).[Via PHONE Magazine]
Hacker puts BBC's iPlayer on PS3; official version coming "in due course"
Not willing to wait for the BBC to get its act together and release a PS3-compatible version of it's iPlayer streaming video web site, an enterprising hacker has pieced together his own version and put it out for the world to share. PS3iplayer.com works by making the PS3's web browser pretend it's the Wii's Opera browser, tricking the BBC web-site to serve up the official version designed for Nintendo's system. Compatibility is reportedly a little spotty, but the site does seem to show how easy it would be to port the web site over to the PS3's built-in web browser, despite vague complaints of Sony's controlling imposition.For his part, the BBC's head of digital media technology, Anthony Rose, writes in a blog post that the hack is impressive but not necessarily "the best possible iPlayer proposition for that console." Rose assured readers that his team is looking into creating an official version of the player for the PS3 "in due course." Like when someone on the digital media team gets a free lunch hour, perhaps?
Move over, Opera Mini: TeaShark to offer desktop-quality browsing, too
We're not sure what money there is to be made in the mobile browser game at this point -- especially with giants like Opera and Firefox throwing their hats fully into the ring -- but that's not really our problem, now, is it? TeaShark borrows the same basic concept as Opera Mini, offering full-fledged desktop style browsing while requiring nothing more than Java MIDP 2.0 support to get the job done. It also supports tabs, two levels of zoom, and an integrated RSS reader -- in other words, just about everything a modern mobile browser's gotta have to survive. If you give it a go, drop us a line and let us know what you think, k?[Via Phone Scoop]
Mobile Firefox team shows off a few mockups
It's really early along, but the Firefox peeps are taking their first baby steps to try to flesh out exactly what Mobile Firefox is going to look like, and they'd like to know what you think. Mockups posted to Mozilla's wiki talk about the main display, history and bookmark displays, and tabbing functionality in great detail, noting differences in operation between standard and touchscreen devices (which are further subdivided between those that have QWERTY keyboards and those that do not). Though you can put aside any hope of getting an early build onto your own device, the team has posted XUL / Javascript code that'll run in Firefox on your PC and give you a partly functional idea of what's going on.[Via Mobility Site and Mozilla Links]
TwoStick system offers quicker on-screen text entry
With web browsers and text messaging becoming a bigger part of the "console experience," some sort of method for quick text input is definitely a must. Sure, you can plug in a USB keyboard or a thumbboard controller attachment to enter text faster, but who wants to keep track of yet another peripheral? All we want is a quick way to enter text using our standard dual-stick controllers.Enter the appropriately named TwoStick text entry system, which speeds up text entry using a 9 x 9 Sudoku-style grid of letters and symbols. The left stick highlights the desired 3 x 3 sub-section while a quick flick of the right stick enters the appropriate letter within the section. This means that every letter is only two flicks of the thumbs away, rather than a potentially slow trek across the entire screen.After roughly 20 practice sessions, users were an average of about two words per minute faster with TwoStick than standard on-screen QWERTY controller input. That might not seem like much, but remember that every second you save sending that Halo 2 match request is another second you could actually be playing Halo 2. Check out a video of the system in action after the break.
Cartoon Network develops web-based games for consoles
Cartoon Network recently announced plans to begin developing flash-based games specifically for the web browsers included with the PS3 and Nintendo Wii. The MEGA series games will be more than just simple puzzle games, inviting the player to "stream movie clips to mesh together the most realistic cartoon experience ever." We're intrigued. After all, the MEGA series will be free, flash-based games and utilize the often-overlooked simple capabilities of the PS3. We're actually surprised no one has yet catered to our whims through this method before. However, as is typical with free content, pay-to-play content will likely follow if Cartoon Network's test run with the MEGA series games proves potentially lucrative. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to get a taste of what Cartoon Network has to offer once the MEGA series games begin finding their way to a PS3 web browser near you.
Safari 3 for Windows
Sign one more up for the browser war, Apple is shipping the third version of its well received Safari WebKit-based browser over to foreign shores to duke it out with the likes of IE, Firefox and Opera... on Windows. The Mac-only browser has already attained a 5% market share, and it seems the Apple folks plan to use it in much the same way they've used iTunes to grow the Mac fanbase by giving Windows users "a glass of ice water to somebody in hell!" Apple claims their browser is up to twice as fast as the competition, and the public beta of Safari 3 is being released today as a free download for Mac OS X, Windows XP and Windows Vista.
Are game system web surfers an untapped market?
We're not really that big on the whole web browsing on a gaming system thing -- the home computer does a fine job for most of our 'net surfing needs. There must be some people out there who disagree though, because a recent press release from sci-fi eBook provider NextGenBooks reveals that "over half of its traffic coming from Nintendo Wii, DS and Sony PS3 and PSP users."Perhaps this isn't too surprising, given that the site offers optimized versions of its free eBooks for all four systems (and the site's overall traffic doesn't even cause a blip on monitoring sites like Alexa). Still, the explosion of game-system-browser-friendly versions of everything from YouTube to Virgin Radio to porn sites seems to show that at least some people think the surfing-on-a-system audience is going to be big big big.Do you use your favorite game console for web browsing? Are you perhaps reading this on your favorite system right now? Or do you think the web is meant for computers?
Microsoft releases "Deepfish" browser for Windows Mobile
Nothing, and we mean nothing, can distract us from sleep like a new and cool bit of software and a bit of spare time late in the evening. Microsoft's Live Labs threw down an interesting take on mobile browsing today with a technology preview of their new mobile browsing interface, Deepfish. The Deepfish gimmick is the ability to see an entire web page on your Windows Mobile screen and then zoom in on the bits that you want to read, click, and the like. The software takes a screenshot of the webpage and uses it as a map; the rub here is that because of this approach, no dynamic content is supported. The controls are dead simple: hit the joystick on your Windows Mobile device to bring up a small gray focus window, move it where you like, hit it once more and bam! Zoomed. Poking the joystick again displays an arrow to tackle the clickable elements on the page and fill in forms. A fun first effort, and only Microsoft knows where it may end up, so hit the link to download a copy, but hustle, the preview is of the limited variety.
Opera hits the OLPC XO
It looks like those not satisfied with the OLPC XO laptop's pre-loaded browser will have another, less open source option at their disposal whenever they manage to get their hands on one of the little green machines, with the Opera team reporting that their browser "runs beautifully" on it. Getting it running in the first place, however, took a slight bit of effort, requiring them to enter the somewhat hidden shell mode and install the browser from the command prompt. Once that business was taken care of, they went into full hyperbole mode, with Opera CTO Håkon Wium Lie saying that seeing Opera run on the OLPC for the first time was a "revelation" and that "no browser has ever been more beautiful" -- due in no small part to the screen's 200 dpi resolution. Not so revelatory, however, is the browser's ability to handle extensive Javascript, which apparently caused the laptop to freeze on occasion, though they say they're working on that, as well as an OLPC skin so it won't look too out of place next to the other apps.[Via Slashdot]
Playing Nintendo's Donkey Kong on Sony's PS3
Since Nintendo's Virtual Console service isn't live, we decided to do the next best thing: fire up a Flash version of Donkey Kong inside the PlayStation 3's web browser. Sites like everyvideogame.com require Java, so we had to settle for a Flash implementation. Even though the PS3 browser's Flash implementation churns though YouTube video like butter, it has some difficulty with most of the web games we tried. Take this version of Donkey Kong, where our poor Jumpman has managed to get himself stuck in the first ten seconds of gameplay. We'll wait for the VC version, thanks.
The first ever blog post written completely on a PS3 [update 1]
[Update: Added the above picture of the PS3 blogging experience from my laptop. Our picture upload tool did not work on the PS3 browser]This blog post is being constructed completely on the PS3's web browser using an IBM keyboard, a Microsoft mouse and a Panasonic HD projector (isn't it great when technology companies can work together?). The experience isn't completely seamless, though -- the browser doesn't render our web-based blogging software very well and essential blogger features like copy/paste and spell check are unavailable.Still, the PS3's web browser provides a relatively full-featured surfing experience that's remarkably similar to that on the PSP browser (except without all the memory errors). Major props: Flash support, multiple windows and easy navigation using the PS3 controller. Major gripes: No Java support, a clunky text-entry interface and no easy way to stop pop-up windows.We look forward to being able to download the Wii's Opera browser and doing a little compare and contrast once Nintendo's online service is up and running.
Opera asks you guess the web page for free stuff
Opera is running an interesting contest which rewards those who know the net the best with a DS Lite and Opera web browser. By heading on over to their contest page, you'll be asked to identify four different webpages by merely seeing a zoomed in snapshot of the page's contents. The 4 different pictures on the site are tough to identify, however we're reminded of Nintendo's Touch Generations page by the fourth picture. That isn't the correct answer though, as we've scoured every inch of the site and failed to find a matching graphic.Anyone else want to contribute some guesses?[Thanks Captain Seagull!]
Wii Opera browser: Built-in, easy to use
A recent Cubed3 interview with Scott Hedrick, executive vice president of Opera for Devices, confirms that the Wii's web browser will come loaded on the system, though he thankfully never resorts to that Dreamcast-era phrase, "internet right out of the box." Unlike the DS version of the browser, there will be no need to purchase an additional cartridge in order to enjoy the many wonderful sights sites the internet has to offer.More interestingly, when questioned about the browser's ease of use, Mr Hedrick notes that surfing the web while at the helm of the Wii should be "as easy if not easier than using Opera on a desktop. For Opera desktop users, surfing on the Wii will be a very familiar experience. Opera will be integrating its unique rendering technologies to compensate for the lower resolution of TVs and the added distance of the user from the TV screen." There's also a question about the confirmed DS-Wii functionality, though Hedrick wouldn't comment specifically on whether the portable and console versions of the Opera browser would interact at all. With vaguely similar interfaces, it doesn't seem entirely unlikely, but then surely you'd prefer looking at your favorite websites with a Wii in your hand? L0LZ0RZ!We'll be here all week.[Via Moz La Punk, Thanks Nushio!]
Opera: Wii's World Wide Web solution
IGN recently chatted with Opera for Devices' executive vp Scott Hedrick about the company's commitment to develop a web browser for Wii. When asked about the lack of keyboard support, Hedrick had this to say:"Opera plans to use [the Wiimote] to its full advantage and it will provide an intuitive way to surf the Web. Imagine the possibilities in terms of surfing with a motion sensitive remote control. I cannot specifically comment on the lack of keyboard, but many devices running Opera don't have keyboards ... and feature on-screen keyboards to solve this problem."Hedrick also confirmed that the browser will "not be sold as a separate item," but declined to elaborate further.See also: Opera on the DS.
Wii: first a symphony, now Opera
Nintendo's keynote on Tuesday began with a symphony: Miyamoto came out onto the stage conducting with the Wiimote. The following day they announced an Opera ... web-browser for the Nintendo Wii. According to Nintendo's Genyo Takeda:"For our Wii console launch in 2006, we required a browser that was fast and secure with support for the latest standards including AJAX. Opera proved perfect for our purposes and is an exceptional addition to both the Nintendo DS and the Wii console."Nintendo made a similar arrangement with Opera in February to bundle the browser with their Nintendo DS handheld system. Sony has their own (Gecko-based) browser for the PSP. Question is, will the PS3 ship with a built-in browser, and why hasn't Microsoft dropped their own Internet Explorer onto the 360?[Thanks, greatslack]
OmniWeb 5.5 public beta
Earlier this month, the Omni Group offered a sneak peek of their upcoming 5.5 release of OmniWeb, their feature-rich web browser that pre-dated Netscape by a year. If the preview piqued your interest, you might be interested in their public beta. While this new release doesn't pack in a boatload of up-front whiz-bang features, they have implemented some great back-end stuff like using a more recent version of WebKit than Safari, a Site Inspector (also known as a DOM Inspector) and allowing site-specific CSS rules that update in real time.John Hicks of hickdesign has a few more details of what's new and upcoming in the final 5.5 release, and if you want to get in on the public beta, you'll have to register in the Omni Group's forums in order to see the forum thread with details on how to download your own copy.
DS Lite: Japanese news video
Footage from a Japanese TV news program detailing the DS Lite and its forthcoming web browser and TV tuner add-ons is now available online for your deeply personal watching pleasure. The clip contains plenty of DS Lite action shots, a brief demonstration of the Opera browser and above all, an unmatched level of politeness. Note: "Read" link points to an AVI video file.[Via Engadget]
