HTML5 Browser Support

HTML5 is slowly and surely making it's way out there, despite getting a bad rap a few years ago.

More and more browsers, not just chrome, are supporting HTML5 web apps, graphics, audio/video and more.

Here's a chart for web apps:

Here's one for graphics and embedded content:

You can find more of these charts showing HTML5 and CSS3 support per browser at http://fmbip.com/litmus




By the way, would  you like to test your own browser to see how well it supports HTML5?

Check out http://html5test.com

As soon as you access the page, it will score your browser in regards to how well it supports HTML5. Very cool!


The results for the browser I am using right now was a good 503 of 555.
You can see a portion of the scoring in the pic below. Go head and try it out yourself.

There are a lot of other tools out there to help you check browser support like Modernizr. The software runs when a page is loaded to detect HTML5/CSS3 features, then creates a JavaScript  object showing the results of the test.


You can also check out http://www.w3schools.com for a complete list of HTML5 tags.


There are tons of really useful resources on the web to aid HTML5 development....and for free, too.


If you haven't started with HTML5 yet, now would be a great time. Don't miss out on the boom that is creeping up!

Hidden Champions of the App Economy

As mentioned in a previous post, overall cost performance for cross platform tools by users are quite high, reaching 85%. However, Research2Guidance, a research firm in Germany, finds that despite high satisfaction rates for such tools, less than 5% of apps in major app store are developed with them. (Ref: Mobile app development: Cross-platform tools realize 30% time and cost savings for most developers)

The article goes on, explaining that 75% of developers say that they do not see problems with building cross platform apps at similar quality levels with native apps, thus nullifying the assumption that cross platform leads to low quality, which would in turn lower cross platform tool user rates.


Cross platform tools = high satisfaction rates, no problems with the quality of resulting apps, high cost performance...

So why aren't more developers using cross platform tools?



After analyzing results from their worldwide study, it seems that the tools are not the problem -- awareness of cross platform tools as a whole is low and information about them are not reaching devs.


Research2Guidance offers the following advice to developers:

"For app developers, IT managers, but also app services buying companies, the research results suggest checking if one of the existing CP Tools fits with the project requirement before starting the next app project. With the overall positive user feedback cross-platform tools have received and the low awareness they have in the app market, they are really the hidden champions of the app economy."

With increasing fragmentation, varied devices, OS, screen sizes and the like, cross platform development should definitely be a part of any developer's agenda. The benefits that could be reaped by developing once to accommodate numerous platforms is only a dream come true especially when considering time and cost.

As more and more of these tools are surfacing, don't settle for big name brands that simply have the marketing power to catch developer's eyes like Sencha and Kendo UI. They are great tools, but there are probably other tools out there that suit you better that you just don't know about.

Smart Cars on the go

You might recall Nokia's unveiling their connected car platform 'Here Auto' this past summer, in which an embedded infotainment and navigation system contains all the key features of its Windows Phone 8 app accessed through a PC browser.

But it's not only Nokia that is making ground in this field -- Obigo has also released their HTML5 car platform that boasts of a custom home screen, dynamic mash-up, more interactivity, and better responsiveness. It also has an engine, defroster, ventilation and temperature control system.

Other features of the automotive HMI include bluetooth & WiFi support for mobile connectivity, multimedia players (music/video), systems to obtain vehicle information (driving info, HVAC info), as well as internet radio, weather, and news applications. 

Here is an outline of the system's components:

By using HTML5 for the platform, a rich, dynamic UX can be created and cross-platform app development becomes a reality. The system will always be connected to cloud so users can update contents at any time -- no need to worry about an outdated GPS and maps as push updates will add in new info whenever and wherever you go.

DaVinci Lab just announced our partnership with Obigo in this exciting new field. Obigo will continue with working on it's platform and DaVinci will be providing the tools and technology needed to create applications for it. 

Certain Hyundai models have already been successfully mounted with the Obigo system and we can expect more and more to be released in the market from both western and eastern automobile manufacturers.


Perhaps we are on the road to the futuristic car Michael J Fox road in Back to the Future?

Hm...

Maybe not quite yet, but something like this may not be too far away:

DaVinci is paving the way to the future -- not only for smartphones, but also for smart cars and beyond!

Cross Platform Tools

In a report recently released by Research2Guidance on cross platform tools, we see that more developers opt to use tools and are quite satisfied with them.

Here is a quote for the report,

"Overall, CP Tools are rated well by developers. A high rating has been indicated for platform coverage (83%) availability of pre-installed apps (57%), API cloud service (52%), access to device hardware features (64%) and support (63%). The overall cost-performance of CP Tools is rated by 85% of the users as high or very high."

However, it does point out that many developers are still not quite aware of many tools available out there. As overall user ratings are quite high, it is easy to say that developers should serious consider investing in a cross platform tool to increase efficiency and especially platform coverage.


Another subject that the report makes note of is that many of the tools out there concentrate on support smartphones and tablets without giving attention to lingering needs for PCs as well as newer media such as TV-sets, games consoles, and in-car devices. Many of the tools had emerged when smartphone use started to rocket -- but we can't just stop there. TV and in-car HTML5 platforms will become a major app platform within the next few years and we must prepare for it now.

DaVinci is one of the first that do address these needs, allowing for easy development across a wide spectrum of devices.

As you can see, DaVinci offers the widest range of device optimization among oter web app toolkits, including Kendo UI.


Research2Guidance also showed how access to hardware features is important to app developers -- thus, we can conclude that the more their tool gives them access, the more satisfied they are.

DaVinci also scores high in this area with 10's in every platform that it supports. Take note that although Kendo UI covers more of the mobile OS, it lags quite a bit for both desktop and other devices.

DaVinci also shows high marks for accessibility to pre-installed apps on phones:

Although DaVinci is new to the market, it is definitely make a name of it's own. If you are looking into HTML5 or work with jQuery, DaVinci might be the solution you've been looking for.

The World of Difference Between N-Screen and Multi-Screen

We went a little over "multi-screen" support in a previous blog about responsive design, when a web page "responds" to device screen size and automatically alters it's layout and appearance.


However, when it comes to video, things get a little more complicated.
Many of the videos even on YouTube cannot be played on smartphones due to the resolution and size of the video.

Thus, in order to go around this, many devs resize their videos and apps to accommodate multiple screens.


In other words, for "multi-screen" support, you simply have different versions that are used for different screen sizes.


So what is "N-screen" support?


Taking you back to basic algebra, the "N" here is a variable for an unknown value.

In other words, you are supporting all screen sizes without a defined size to support.

This happens through transcoding, in which one source will be automatically re-coded and optimized for not only the detected screen size, but network speed and screen resolution.


Now I would say that's a HUGE difference.


With the various smartphone sizes and tablets, not to mention smart TV and soon to be HTML5 car navigation in the works, N-screen support will become a must when choosing your SDK.


Just imagine creating an animated ad or even a video ad that could be play across all devices without having to alter it manually for specific screen types.


Now that's efficiency.

"New Excellent Technology" Certified

DaVinci was officially deemed as NET (New Excellent Technology) on September 3. This certification is given by the KOITA (Korea Industrial Technology Association) and recognizes DaVinci as state of the art, new technology.  

Here is DaVinci Lab CEO receiving the certification at the ceremony.

KOITA searches for and hand picks new technology developed by companies, research institutes, and universities and certifies them for their excellence, also denoting the reliability of products resulting from the application and use of such new technology. 


By the way, DaVinci was also selected as GS (Good Software) Certification by  Korea's Telecommunications Technology Association in April of this year. 


Don't take it from us -- government institutions have given us their nod of approval.

Web Design and Dev Trends to Watch For

Web design and development has changed quite dramatically over the last few years due to the increasing use of smart devices and SNS platforms. Here are a few of the most recent trends of this year.

Fixed Headers

We've seen these before and they are not something new. But fixed headers are coming more and more into play, possibly because we see them so much when we use social networks.

I'm sure this screen looks quite familiar.

Users can go through content and still be able to navigate throughout the site with ease. Gives your site a organized look. 

Just by using CSS property "position: fixed", you can attach any header you want to most layouts.

CSS Transparency

You can use CSS3 to control opacity and transparency shown in the browser for the elements you choose, thus omitting the need to use Photoshop to create a picture and upload the whole thing.

Here's an example:

Just give the background container the property "background: transparent".

Or, you can use "r gba()" syntax to manipulate transparency. This is a fairly new technique as it alters specific colors -- red, gree, blue, and alpha-transparency values.

Thus, rgba(255,255,255,0.3) would generate the color white at 30% opacity. 

Infinite Scrolling

This, too, is not something new, but has really become mainstream just recently. 

Click to see more and more, without having to number pages. This simplifies the design and structure of search results.

Responsive Layouts

This part was already covered in a previous blog, but it's definitely something worth mentioning again. Responsive design has become a must due to the widespread use of smart devices. We are accessing the web more with these devices than our PCs, making designers change the way they think regarding design flexibility. What better way to accommodate various screen types than having the site respond to the user's device?

Retina Display

Apple released iPhone 4 with a Retina Display, allowing for higher pixel density and clearer screens. Designers are forced to keep these new vibrant screens in mind, implementing larger images with double the resolution.

It's just a slight difference...but definitely a huge impact.

Sliding Page Panels

As touch screens are now the norm, we see a lot more sliding panels to give sites a dynamic kick. Instead of just clicking buttons or scrolling, you can actually move the panels to find the button you want.

To wrap it all up, we see better user experience, more simplicity, and convenience for both designers and users. Web technology is giving us more freedom every day.