9to5Mac’s Mobile First Responsive Design Works Everywhere

New Site Added to the Wap Review Mobile Directory   Mobile Link: 9to5mac.com Rating:Content  Usability  Doctype: HTML5 Home Page Weight: 502 KB Category: Science & Tech/Apple Description: 9to5Mac is a popular news and rumor blog covering Apple Inc. The site was the first to report on a slew of new Apple products and features including Siri and the iPhone 4s’ dual core A5 processor, Last August 9to5Mac and sister sites 9to5Google and 9to5Toys (consumer electronics and deals) got a mobile first responsive  redesign. It … Continue reading

Switch Browser App – Adds an “Open With” Menu to All Android Browsers

When you are developing mobile web apps it’s important to test in as many browsers as possible. There are lots of Android browsers and I have most of them installed on my phone for testing purposes. I just discovered a great little Android app that makes cross browser testing a little easier. It’s  Switch Browser by Vimperator and it adds an option of the same name to the Share menu of every Android browser that’s installed on your phone or tablet. To use … Continue reading

New Nokia Web Tools 2.0 Makes Creating Series 40 Web Apps Easier Than Ever

In my Nokia Series 40 Browser V 2.0.2 Review, I mentioned that the phone supports running Series 40 web apps. They have a look and feel similar to native apps and can use device features including geolocation and messaging. This post takes a look at Nokia Web Tools,  a set of applications for creating, testing and deploying  these apps. Series 40 web apps are built using the familiar web technologies of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. While you  theoretically could  create web … Continue reading

Seeking Alpha Website Is Broken in Opera and Firefox Mobile

Seeking Alpha is a big US based stock market analysis and financial site. I recently discovered that it has a mobile formatted layout which it seems to only serve to Android and iOS devices. In Safari, the Android default browser and Android Chrome, the mobile layout is attractive and seems user friendly, although scrolling in both Android browsers feels a bit laggy. On other mobile platforms like bada, Symbian, S40 and WebOS, Seeking Alpha delivers its desktop layout, which is … Continue reading

Thematic (In)Consistency Hall of Shame No. 5 – Google+

!= Thematic Consistency is the principle that a web link should serve essentially the same information to all browsers. Adapting content to better fit the target platform is good but redirecting requests for a specific image or news item to your site’s homepage spoils the user’s experience and discourages them from using or linking to your site or web service. Sites that break thematic consistency get a place of honor in the WapReview Thematic (In)consistency Hall of Shame. The latest honoree is … Continue reading

New To Me: Static Site Generators and A JavaScript Blog

I’m working on improving my meager JavaScript skills. One useful resource I’ve found is Adventures in JavaScript Development (rmurphey.com. ). It’s the lively technical and personal blog of JavaScript guru Rebecca Murphey, who writes eloquently on everything from personal experiences and social issues to JavaScript control structures. Almost as interesting as the site itself is that it’s built using Octopress, a new to me, blog aware, static site generator that claims to create a mobile first, “responsive design” layout. Unlike traditional blogging platforms, such as … Continue reading

WPMU’s Mobile First, Responsive Design

WPMU.org is a great resource for WordPress publishers and developers. Don’t be put off by the site’s name which suggests it’s about the “MU” multi-user/multi-site version of WordPress (which no-longer exists as a standalone product). Actually, WPMU.org is the most popular independent site covering WordPress and BuddyPress. Packed with WordPress lore, news, tips, tutorials and theme and plug-in downloads, it’s a site that should be of interest to anyone who runs a WordPress or BuddyPress site. Last July WPMU.org was redesigned in the … Continue reading

Update – Partially Fixed: Thematic (In)Consistency Hall of Shame #4 – Microsoft Skydrive

Thematic (In)Consistency Hall of Shame is an irregular feature of WapReview where I call out sites and services for violating the principle of thematic consistency. That principle says  that a web link should deliver the same essential information to all browsers. Adapting content to better fit the target platform is good but redirecting requests for a specific image or news item to your site’s homepage breaks hyperlinking, which is what makes the Web a web. This time the culprit is Microsoft … Continue reading