KaiOS talks smart feature phones and app developers
Wednesday, June 13, 2018 by Richard Harris
KaiOS is a Linux-based mobile operating system built on a fork of Firefox OS that first appeared in 2017 and was developed by KaiOS Technologies Inc. in San Diego. We recently chatted with Tim Metz, Marketing Director at KaiOS Technologies, about KaiOS' emerging operating system for smart feature phones. We discuss why these devices are becoming relevant again, what...
What You Need to Know about BYOD Security
Wednesday, December 2, 2015 by Jayaraman Gopal
As employees bring their own devices to work, IT teams face an assortment of challenges, from managing mobile apps on a myriad of different devices to backing up and restoring business data. But bar none, the greatest burden for IT staff is securing business data on mobile devices.The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (in Reverse Order)The UglyThe BYOD phenomenon has spawned ...
Mozilla Taps Tappx for Firefox OS Collaborative Cross Promotion Advertising
Thursday, May 14, 2015 by Richard Harris
Mozilla has announced that Tappx, an open cross-promotion community for app developers, will offer its no-cost advertising service to Firefox OS developers. Tappx is based on a collaborative sharing economy, where members host advertising on each other’s apps. Tappx runs on credits (called Tappix) that are earned whenever a developer advertises another member’s app...
Mozilla Releases New Trainspotting Blog Series to Track Firefox Releases
Tuesday, April 28, 2015 by Richard Harris
The Firefox team is hosting a new blog series called Trainspotting on Mozilla Hacks which is designed to help Web developers keep up with what’s new, what’s changed and what is coming soon in all of the Firefox's, the Web platform, and the Mozilla tools for building the Web.The Trainspotting name comes from the way Mozilla develops Gecko and Firefox on a “train model” a...
Firefox Smartphone OS is Now Available in 24 Countries
Wednesday, October 15, 2014 by Richard Harris
Mozilla has announced that the Firefox OS is now available on three continents with 12 smartphones offered by 13 operators in 24 countries. Mozilla has been pushing its Firefox OS as an opportunity to use Web as a platform, outside the proprietary mobile operating systems.Three new smartphones have been launched in India and one in Bangladesh over the last few weeks as ...
New Marmalade 7.4 SDK Optimizes Cross Platform Development for Windows Phone 8.1 and iOS 8 and Xcode 6
Wednesday, September 3, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
Marmalade has launched the latest edition of its cross-platform app development tool with the release of Marmalade 7.4.The updated SDK includes a number of new features to assist developers in deploying their apps to a broad range of platforms. Marmalade uses a core C++ tool to give game developers the ability to publish native like performance for games in the app stor...
Two Low Cost Smartphones Launched in India Running FireFox OS
Tuesday, September 2, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
Mozilla is betting on the potential of low cost phones running its open Web standards/HTML5 FireFox OS to make it a viable option as a mobile operating system. Recently two new low priced phones have been launched in India running FireFox.Intex Technologies has launched a FireFox powered smartphone with introductory pricing of Rs. 1999 (around $33US). The Intex Cloud FX...
Top Minds Across the Globe Give Their Thoughts on Advances in Security and Privacy
Friday, July 11, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
Sometimes we forget that its not just companies within our industry that are providing thought leadership on relative topics concerning the mobile app industry. The top minds at universities across the globe are also analyzing current and future developments.This May in San Jose, California, the Mobile Security Technologies (MoST) conference brought together r...
Mozilla’s WebIDE Offers Developers In Browser Building and Editing Features to Create HTML5 Apps
Wednesday, June 25, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
Mozilla is adding in-browser editing features across devices with WebIDE, built directly into Firefox, providing a functioning blueprint app and tools needed create, edit, and test a new Web application right from a browser. WebIDE provides the ability to install and test apps on Firefox OS devices and simulators and integrates the Firefox Developer Tools...
Latest Firefox OS 1.3 Release Helps Game Developers Improve User Experience
Monday, May 12, 2014 by Richard Harris
Mozilla has released the next update to Firefox OS which offers app developers the arrival of new platform technologies such as WebGL, asm.js and WebAudio for creating more immersive games with better audio effects.Highlights from the release:Improved support for Graphics and Gaming: The update will ship WebGL, asm.js and WebAudio supp...
Google Believes it Will Rule Smart Wearable App Market With New SDK
Thursday, March 13, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
Sundar Pichai with Google has dropped the news that Google will release an SDK for the wearable’s market in a couple of weeks. He discussed the SDK during a presentation at SWSX on Sunday.It’s the latest salvo in the war for app domination by the two biggest players in the market. Last week Apple launched CarPlay with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Hyunda...
Trends That Will Drive HTML5 This Year
Monday, March 3, 2014 by Robert Grossberg
2014 promises to be a big year for HTML5 mobile games. As
the CEO of a NYC-based mobile web game distribution company, I see three trends
application developers should look for this year that will drive the HTML5
resurgence.
Trend Number 1:
HTML5-based mobile web app demand will skyrocket
There is a growing set of HTML5 app stores that are all
looki...
Mozilla Announces New Dual Core App Developer Reference Phone, Firefox OS PhoneGap Integration
Monday, February 24, 2014 by Stuart Parkerson
It’s going to be a week of announcement overload as companies try to maximize their access to media at the Mobile World Congress so hold on as a cornucopia of mobile news is served.Mozilla joins the fray with a number of announcements, including a 4.5-inch dual-core reference phone, enabling developers to test new Firefox OS features and apps against different memo...
Panasonic to Adopt Mozilla Firefox OS Open Platform for Next Generation Smart TVs
Sunday, January 12, 2014 by Richard Harris
Mozilla has scored another win in its efforts to expand its Firefox Os with the announcement that it is joining with Panasonic to bring Firefox to the next generation of smart TVs. Here is what Panasonic and Mozilla has to say about the partnership:The development of the new Firefox OS platform aims to deliver more expansive access into smart TVs by...
Mozilla and Goo Promote US$45K Game Creator Challenge to HTML5 App Developers
Wednesday, December 11, 2013 by Stuart Parkerson
Mozilla and Goo are looking for all developers, from experienced game creators and JavaScript coders to those with just a little coding knowledge, to enter the Game Creator Challenge and a chance to win a part of US$45K. The contest is running now through January 14.
To create games, contestants will use the Goo platform consisting of Goo Engine – a 3D J...
HTML5 App Development: Insight into Choices for Mobile Developers to Bring Web Apps to Market
Monday, November 11, 2013 by Stuart Parkerson
How HTML5 mobile app developers decide between four fundamental choices to bring web apps to market is the basis of a recent report by Vision Mobile.
The report is taken from data derived from four different sources: raw data from Vision Mobile’s Q2 Developer Economics survey (6,000 respondents, April-May 2013); analytics from 30,000 plus Android apps available in Goog...
Mozilla Announces Firefox OS Update (1.1), Hosts Second Round of Firefox OS Market Launches
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 by Richard Harris
Mozilla has announced that Firefox OS smartphone partners are planning future expansion into more markets. Also announced was version (1.1) of the Firefox OS.
The ALCATEL ONE TOUCH Fire and the ZTE Open Firefox OS phones are currently available from Telefónica in Spain, Colombia and Venezuela and Deutsche Telekom in Poland. There are plans to launch Firefox OS phones i...
Mozilla Temps App Developers With Round 2 of Free Firefox Phones
Thursday, September 5, 2013 by Stuart Parkerson
In May Mozilla launched the Phones for Apps for Firefox OS to encourage app developers to port their HTML5 apps to the Firefox platform. The free Geeksphone Keon phone program maxed out and many developers were unable to get a free phone.
Mozilla has restocked its phone inventory and is again enticing developers to port their current HTML5 app. The company is not guara...
One Click Carrier Billing Payments Now for Firefox Phone Developers Too
Wednesday, August 7, 2013 by Richard Harris
Mozilla Firefox developers will soon have a new choice in how they monetize their Firefox phone apps for the soon to be released Firefox phones, by choosing to use Bango - a carrier billing platform that will let users pay for apps, and in-app purchases with one simple tap and no real billing process.Mozilla has signed mobile payments company Bango to allow op...
Programming for Firefox OS
Tuesday, March 26, 2013 by Richard Harris
Getting started on a new platform is usually a more daunting thought process than actually going through with it. Firefox announced their OS accepting apps late last year and I have to admit, I haven't had the time or interest to really get going with it.As a brief intro into how to program for Firefox OS, I came across this "hello world" demo that only takes a few minu...
MWC 2013 Nokia highlights and awards
Friday, March 1, 2013 by Richard Harris
If MWC were the Oscars, no doubt Nokia would be one of the most talked about winners of the night! They had many new announcements at the show, and walked away with several awards. Here are the highlights.AnnouncementsOn Monday they introduced the Nokia Lumia 520, the Nokia Lumia 720, the Nokia 301 and the Nokia 105. They also announced the HERE suite (HERE Maps, H...
Four new mobile OS platforms at Mobile World Congress
Friday, March 1, 2013 by Richard Harris
While the Android vs. iPhone vs. Windows Phone vs. BlackBerry vs. HTML5 war rages on, Firefox OS, Ubuntu Touch, Tizen, and Sailfish all put a footprint down at MWC this year.Make room in the pie charts for the newest platforms to come into mobile! Firefox OSBuilt entirely using HTML5 and other open Web standards, Firefox OS is free from the rules and restrictions o...
Build a Firefox app and sell it anywhere
Thursday, February 28, 2013 by Richard Harris
The Firefox Marketplace for Firefox OS may look similar to the iOS Apple Store or Google Android Play Store but there is something different lying under the hood for developers. It does not lock you into Mozilla or into using a Firefox OS phone for apps you create.The Firefox market enables developers to sell a web app that will run on any open web device by way of...
Firefox phone arrives for HTML5 developers
Tuesday, January 22, 2013 by Richard Harris
Add another notch to the Firefox gun - they just sent the Keon and Peak to a few lucky mobile developers to give them a preview of more to come for mobile developers wanting to put apps into Firefox OS.The 3.5-inch Keon is a modest little number: it's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 processor clocked at 1GHz, with 512MB of RAM. There's 4GB of storage and the camera ...
Everything.me, can it really bridge HTML5 and Native apps
Wednesday, November 28, 2012 by Richard Harris
Native apps are stealing the show when it comes to usage and functionality on mobile devices these days, but a lot of companies continue to hold out hope that more open HTML5-based mobile web services will ultimately win the day. In the meantime, those who can straddle the two worlds beautifully and effectively may end up the winners.One example comes in the form of Eve...
