Responsive Is Not Just Visual: Three Useful Web APIs

Mobile users are on the go. They’re rushing to get a train or busy meeting people. They don’t have much time and they’re on a slow connection. Right? The answer of course is not necessarily. So-called mobile browsing could include shopping online while tucked up in bed, sending messages while watching TV or giggling at … Continue reading Responsive Is Not Just Visual: Three Useful Web APIs →

My Two Favourite (underused) HTML5 Media Features

Both of these are stable, simple and useful, yet they don’t seem to be used much in the wild (yet). Maybe it’s just lack of awareness so here are a couple of demos to hopefully generate a bit of interest. Page Visibility API In first place it has to be the Page Visibility API. Supported in all … Continue reading My Two Favourite (underused) HTML5 Media Features →

How to Convert Videos to WebM With FFmpeg/AVConv

After lots of trial and error each time I convert a video to WebM, I finally got around to posting this so I don’t forget next time. In a nutshell, here’s the conversion command that works for me: avconv -i myvideo.mp4 -acodec libvorbis -aq 5 -ac 2 -qmax 25 -threads 2 myvideo.webm What is this … Continue reading How to Convert Videos to WebM With FFmpeg/AVConv →

Free HTML5 Template

After being asked for a bit of advice by a colleague, I decided to make a very simple starter template for creating an HTML5 page. You can download it here: Download HTML5 template Notes The tricky part is making sure it works in older browsers, for which I used the following two steps: 1. Normalize.css(Click on … Continue reading Free HTML5 Template →

Song: Mailing List of Fire

With apologies to Johnny Cash, the sorry tale of a mailing list that takes no prisoners. On a totally unrelated note, how’s HTML5 coming on? https://www.youtube.com/embed/HCwgKtiu1II Mailing list of fire on YouTube (with captions): www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCwgKtiu1II Downloads For your downloading pleasure, here are the video and audio–only files. Video (WebM): mailing-list-of-fire.webm (9.3 MB) Audio (Ogg): mailing-list-of-fire.ogg (1.5 MB) License is Creative … Continue reading Song: Mailing List of Fire →

The HTML5 <ruby> element in words of one syllable or less

Opera colleague Bruce Lawson thought it might be spiffing if the description of the <ruby> element that appears in the HTML5 spec was clarified a bit, so here’s my attempt. I’m using Japanese as an example although it applies to Chinese and possibly other languages as well. Please note my definition of one syllable may differ from yours. Step 1: The Japanese … Continue reading The HTML5 <ruby> element in words of one syllable or less →

How to create Ogg videos in Linux (with GUI)

Following up on my previous post about converting videos to Ogg Theora, there’s also an easy way for those who like a GUI. Although it’s possible to use VLC for Ogg encoding, I had problems with the audio and video being out of sync. Fortunately I found another way – enter OggConvert. Written in Python by Tristan Brindle, … Continue reading How to create Ogg videos in Linux (with GUI) →

How to create Ogg videos in Linux

Ogg Theora is the codec most supported by modern HTML5-capable browsers, so how can you convert your videos to it? Pretty easily, it seems. There’s a cross-platform command-line application called ffmpeg2theora which does a good job of converting videos to Ogg Theora. Usage couldn’t be simpler: ffmpeg2theora input.mpeg If the audio is out of sync with the video, … Continue reading How to create Ogg videos in Linux →

Song: HTML5 it is a-changin’

Off sick with a cold, what better way to recover than by singing a song? A performance, requested by Futomi Hatano, of the tune by Bob Dylan with lyrics by Jeff Allen, suggested by Molly Holzschlag and inspired by Shelley Powers.Details and lyrics: http://www.molly.com/2010/01/05/bob-dylan-meets-html5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2s8AU8PkBU Video URL (with captions): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2s8AU8PkBU Downloads For your downloading pleasure, … Continue reading Song: HTML5 it is a-changin’ →

Opera’s (potential) HTML5 compliance

With HTML5 on its way I thought I’d take inspiration from http://www.w3.org/QA/2008/09/top-500-html5-validity.html who in turn took inspiration from Opera’s QA team and test the front page of a few of Opera’s websites for HTML5 conformity. Firstly, an important caveat. The HTML5 validator is beta so may have erroneously missed or mis-detected issues. In addition, at … Continue reading Opera’s (potential) HTML5 compliance →