Web applications are becoming more and more sophisticated with new techniques and users flocking to AJAX-based rich internet applications. Now the Maemo Browser still feels very much stuck in the "document-based web" idea although there would be potential to much more.
Brainstorm
Make the browser feel more a part of the system
Posted on 2009-10-13 17:27 UTC by Henri Bergius. Status: Under consideration, milestone: Fremantle, Categories: Internet & Networking.
Solutions for this brainstorm
0
0
0
Solution #1: Shake to reload
Posted on 2009-10-13 15:25 UTC by Henri Bergius.
Some iPhone applications like the Facebook application use a very natural device gesture to perform data reloading: shake the device to reload. This gesture could be easily brought to the Maemo Browser using the accelerometer on the N900.
0
0
0
Solution #2: Expose device orientation via Javascript
Posted on 2009-10-13 17:36 UTC by Henri Bergius.
Latest Firefox is able to expose device accelerometer information to web applications using quite simple Javascript:
window.addEventListener("MozOrientation", function(e) {
/* 3 values: e.x, e.y, e.y */
}, true)
If this feature was ported to Maemo Browser we would be able to provide exciting new browser interaction, even bringing games to the device that way, like the Mario Kart demo.
0
0
0
Solution #3: Use native text entry widgets
Posted on 2009-10-13 17:39 UTC by Henri Bergius.
Currently Maemo Browser seems to use XUL-derived text entry widgets on Maemo. This means that they do not support features that normal text widgets do, like auto-capitalization.
0
0
0
Solution #4: Expose device location via Javascript
Posted on 2009-10-13 18:44 UTC by Henri Bergius.
Location is important contextual information that can make web applications smarter. Browsers like Firefox 3.5 and Mobile Safari already provide the W3C Geolocation API, and Maemo Browser should too.
