Section, Header, Footer, Nav, Article tags that replace all those divs we typically use for the same purpose
The Aside tag, which is similar to a blockquote tag, but used for pullquotes, notes or sidebars of information
Progress tag, with value and max attributes that can be used as a progress bar for processes in your page
Video and Audio tags, to replace those messy object and embed tags
I’m excited to see how browsers implement the new spec, and how Javascript will be used to interact with the new elements (especially the progress bar).
Before the iPhone came out there was the announcement: the official SDK to make applications on the iPhone was HTML and Javascript, displayed in a web browser. I read a lot of comments complaining about that, programmers that wanted real hooks into the iPhone system. For instance, you can’t access the phone’s address book, voice mail, or photos with a web browser.
But I think Apple made a smart move. Making a web browser the official software platform allowed many more applications to be developed in a really short amount of time, since a lot more people can make web apps than can create native applications for OS X. And since a web browser is already the defacto communications conductor on the Internet, integrating the phone with information on the Internet is already done.
Why do I love developing for the iPhone?
I get a fixed screen size. It’s almost like designing for print again. I get 320×480 to work with on my web app, and I can bet that won’t change for quite a long time. No more designing to work within a range of resolutions, I know my app will fit in the screen as I intended. It also forces me to be creative with the space I have, which is a refreshing coming from developing for desktop browsers.
I only have to code for one browser. Actually, the best part is I don’t have to code for Internet Explorer. I know my site will render exactly as I wanted it to when I originally made it. The CSS will render predictably, and the Javascript will work like I planned. Also, Safari on the iPhone is a full-fledged browser that can do just about everything a desktop browser can do, not some crippled smartphone browser.
It makes me think differently about user interfaces. The only time I’ve developed for a touch screen was for a small kiosk project that lived in a museum. Most people don’t have the opportunity to develop a site that will be used with your fingers. It changes your perspective on designing web applications when you don’t have the typical mouse and keyboard setup. It gave me ideas and inspiration to take with me back to the desktop world.
It opens up a whole new range of applications. Ideas that were pretty good on the desktop are now more useful than ever. Location-based searching and apps like to-do lists and mileage logs make a lot more sense when the user can have it with them all the time, and not tied down to a desktop.
I have a feeling Apple will eventually open up the iPhone to allow developers to create native applications, but the web browser based SDK will probably stay the most popular. If I could develop iPhone web apps exclusively, I would. It would be so much more fun.
A Dateline NBC reporter shows up and tries to go undercover with a hidden camera at DefCon 15, a hacker convention in Las Vegas last weekend, apparently trying to get some coverage of people to make them look bad. DefCon organizers know from the beginning she’s coming, and even offer her a free press pass if she wants to cover the event openly. Instead she tries pass off that she’s just a regular attendee and gets outed in front of a crowd during a ’spot the reporter’ stage gag (specially cooked up just for her).
I’ve never been to a DefCon, and it’s probably way out of my league, but I’ve heard these conferences are full of relentless people who are trying to outsmart each other.
Lesson: if you’re going to try to outsmart a group of people, don’t choose a crowd of computer geeks. And don’t do it at a convention that attracts the uber-geeks.
Here’s a video of the ’spot the reporter’ at the event, including shots of people walking with the reporter as she runs to her car and tries to get away.
In 1989 I was 11 and my life revolved around my NES. Unlike most normal children, I wasn’t out playing, I was in the basement trying to beat Zelda II and reading my Nintendo Power Magazines. As if my obsession weren’t already at it’s peak, a movie came out called “The Wizard” starring Fred Savage and Christian Slater (and a young Jenny Lewis) that was all about a few kids traveling to California to get to “Video Armegeddon”. I won’t go into the whole plot but basically Fred Savage’s little brother is some kind of autistic genius and he can kick anyone’s ass at any video game ever made. So on the run from his parents who want to keep his brother in a home for ‘mentally challenged’ kids, Corey (Fred), Jimmy (some kid), and Haley (Jenny) hatch a scheme to get Jimmy to this video game competition to win some cash. Don’t ask me what some 9-13 years old kidswould do with the cash…buy out all the Jordache jeans and friendship bracelets? Anyway, at one point in the movie they are all at a park in California that has big ass dinosaur statues, and aside from Universal Studios where they had Video Armegeddon, it’s the only recognizable place one could pay homage to the movie that has been ingrained in my mind since childhood. (Nevermind it was just one big Nintendo commercial…this is my childhood we’re talking about!)
A couple weeks ago Stacy and I took a week-long road trip to Reno, through San Francisco and then down to Los Angeles. I found out where this park is, and we took a little side trip out there. I figured all you people who grew up on the NES have seen this movie at least once, and would want a little report on my findings.
1. The Location
These huge dinosaur statues are located in Cabozon, California, which is a few miles west of Palm Springs. From Los Angeles, it’s about an hour’s drive. Cabozon’s main attraction is an outlet mall. This park is on the outskirts of the city (which apparently isn’t even a city anymore, read the Wikipedia entry) and is surrounded by a Burger King, a gas station, some kind of military convoy parking lot, and a couple restaurants. The day we were there it was 104 degrees and sunny. I imagine this is a typical summer day there.
2. The Dinosaurs’ History
The dinosaur statues were built by Claude Bell, who made sculptures for Knott’s Berry farm as a way to get people to come into the Wheel Inn Cafe (which serves a mad amount of homemade pie). The brontosaurus (named ‘Dinny’) houses a gift shop, and the T-Rex can be toured for $2 ($1 for kids). The gift shop was originally a museum featuring naturalist and evolutionary content…ironically it was purchased by a Christian family recently and it now promotes the ‘intelligent design theory’ of creationism. (Check out the Wikipedia Entry)
3. Finally, the fun movie stuff!
At one point in the movie Jimmy was hiding inside ‘Dinny’. When they find him he’s sitting there with his lunch box that he carries around all the time, and we finally get to see what was in the box. In the hiding spot in the gift shop, there now sits a lunch box with Jimmy Woods’ name on it. I don’t know if it’s an original, but I thought it was awesome to have that there for people like me who actually did look in the hiding spot Jimmy was found.
Across the street from the park, there’s Spanky’s BBQ Restaurant. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know that there is a trucker named Spanky that helps the kids get to California (and win some money at a casino). The restaurant looks pretty new so I don’t think the movie character got it’s name from here…but I wonder if the owners of the restaurant named it Spanky’s because of the movie? If not it’s an awesome coincidence.
The dinos also appeared in Pee-wee’s big adventure and in a Tears for Fears video.
Unfortunately I can’t find any clips on Youtube of a scene from The Wizard in this park, but for your viewing pleasure, here’s the best part of the movie:
