HTML5

What Progressive Web Apps are and how to install and use them on iPhone and iPad

Thanks to modern web technologies like HTML5, Progressive Web Apps (PWA) run in a browser, don't require separate distribution, combine features of native apps with the benefits of a mobile experience and let you keep them on the Home Screen without the hassle of an app store.

In this tutorial, we'll help you install Progressive Web App to your iPhone or iPad Home Screen.

Chrome 54 for Mac is out, replaces old Flash-based YouTube embeds with HTML5 player

Google stopped using Adobe Flash for YouTube's desktop video player back in January 2016, replacing it with an HTML5 counterpart that doesn't require any special browser plug-in to function.

Last evening saw the release of Chrome 54 for Mac, Windows and Linux which continues on Google's mission to ditch Flash in favor of HTML5: the new version replaces old Flash-based YouTube embeds on websites with HTML5.

How to delete a contact group from iCloud

Contact groups can be useful, but as your list of contacts changes over time, you may outgrow the need for some you already have, or develop a need to make more. In this tutorial, we'll show you how you can delete a contact group from iCloud.com.

Spring-cleaning your contact group list helps reduce clutter in the Contacts app and makes it easier to find the contacts you want right when you need them.

OS X Yosemite adds HTML5 video support for Netflix

During the OS X Yosemite portion of its WWDC keynote yesterday, Apple announced a handful of improvements for Safari. Among them was HTML5 video support for Netflix, which according to Apple, will add an extra two hours of video watching on a single battery charge.

Netflix confirmed the news today, saying that its engineers have been "working closely with Apple" to allow Safari to use the Premium Video Extensions. This enables browsers play streaming videos without the need for overweight plug-in programs like Microsoft's Silverlight...

Good deal: name your own price on this ‘learn to code’ bundle

I don't know about you, but when I hear stories about app developers becoming near-overnight millionaires, it makes me want to get into the business. Unfortunately, I know very little about programming, and even less about programming for iOS.

That can be changed, though, by taking some educational courses on the subject. And wouldn't you know it, our friends over at deal site Stack Social are running one of their infamous 'name your own price' promos on a set of 8 online coding courses...

Gartner: more than half of mobile apps will be HTML5/native hybrids by 2016

A convergence of mobile trends is setting the stage for a day when more than half of the applications will support both HTML5 and native iOS/Android environments. That's the word from research giant Gartner, who predicts companies must support multiple platforms as well as native features, such as mapping, cameras and location-based services. Additionally, the researcher forecasts brand-name smartphone makers could be pushed out of the low-cost market as countries such as China and India produce home-grown alternatives priced as low as $50...

Apple reportedly acquires web app firm Particle

It's been a busy year for Apple acquisitions. The company has picked up Chomp, an app discovery startup, AuthenTec, who makes NFC chips and smart sensors, and there was even talk of it buying The Fancy.

Well it looks like we might be able to add another one to that list. Reports are coming in tonight that Apple has acquired Particle, a San Francisco-based creative consulting firm that specializes in HTML5 web apps...

NYT introduces news web app for iPad

The New York Times today announced a new web app to read news, optimized for Apple's iPad and written using common HTML5 web technologies. The paper cautiously deems the app "an experiment" of sorts, though it looks and feels superb. The web-based software reminds us a lot of the Fortune 500+  and Financial Times web apps.

There's no denying these have effectively set the stage for what a decent web-based magazine / newspaper experience should be like. NYT's web app requires a subscription to NYTimes.com with tablet access and is available free of charge to home delivery subscribers who link their account for digital access...

Sun is an awesome new weather web app for iOS

Developers are doing some downright amazing things with HTML5 as a late, and Sun is just the latest example of the ongoing trend.

First noted by 9to5 Mac, Sun is an HTML5 based web app for weather forecasts. It can handle up to 4 different cities at once, including a city based on your current location.

For fans of Clear — the popular task app for the iPhone, you'll feel immediately at home with Sun, because it too relies on simple gestures for navigation.

Needless to say, I came away mighty impressed with Sun. I've always said that one way to tell a good web app is if you can't tell it's a web app. With Sun, you'd be hard pressed to do so...

iTether returns as an HTML5 app [update]

Late last year, a new application surfaced in the App Store called iTether. The software allowed you to share your iPhone's 3G data connection with your Mac or PC using a USB cable.

But the app wasn't even around for 48 hours before Apple pulled the plug on it. The company likely got pressured into removing it by carriers who didn't like subscribers getting unlimited data tethering for free.

But today, iTether makes its triumphant return...

Should Apple be worried about HTML5 apps?

Apple's handset has been seemingly unstoppable as of late. The company sold more than 37 million iPhones last quarter, making it the top smartphone manufacturer in the world over the three month period.

But what is it about the iPhone that makes it so popular? What sets it apart from the competition? Is it the sleek hardware? Is it the polished operating system? Sure. These are both big factors. But a lot of folks will tell you that it's all about the apps...

Clear to-do app gets the HTML5 treatment, try it for free

Realmac Software's Clear to do application has gotten an enormous amount of media attention over the past few weeks. One publication said that Clear's innovative, gesture-based UI "had the potential to change how we use our devices."

But if you haven't had the chance to try the app out, then it may be hard for you to see what all of the fuss is about. Luckily, developer Evan You has created an HTML5 replica of the Clear application so folks can give it a free test drive...