QuirksBlog monthlies

This is the monthly archive for September 2009.

CSS width unreliable on Android?

Permalink | in Google
12 comments (closed)

Having tested mobile phones for the last seven months or so, I have become pretty well inured to odd, or even disastrous, results. Still, after encountering the following bug on the Android, even I started to doubt my sanity.

I don’t usually spend a blog post on a single browser bug, but this time I break that rule because this is doubtlessly the weirdest bug I found so far, and possibly also the most serious one.

CSS width may be unreliable on the Android — in certain situations.

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Google Chrome Frame — technical notes

Permalink | in Chrome, IE
10 comments (closed)

Well, Google Chrome Frame has certainly taken the web dev world by storm. It’s almost as if people are fed up with Internet Explorer and welcome an alternative.

Many useful things have already been said about Frame. I’d like to add a few technical notes I haven’t yet encountered anywhere else.

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The HTML5 drag and drop disaster

Permalink | in HTML5
56 comments (closed)

After spending about a day and a half in testing I am forced to conclude that the HTML5 drag and drop module is not just a disaster, it’s a fucking disaster.

The module should be removed from the HTML5 specification straight away, and conforming browsers should disable it at their earliest opportunity pending a complete rewrite from the ground up.

Web developers MUST NOT (in the sense of RFC 2119) use HTML 5 drag and drop. They should use old-school scripts instead.

Before we continue I’d like to say that in general I thoroughly approve of the HTML5 specification. Exactly because the spec has such an overall quality I was so surprised (and, frankly, a bit confused and hurt) to find drag and drop a steaming pile of bovine manure.

In fact, it’s so outrageously bad that I’ve gone on strike. I refuse to do any more research on drag and drop. Go do it yourself. Or don’t bother. Whatever. I don’t care.

What follows is a rant laced with profanity. No apologies. Drag and drop deserves no better.

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Fronteers 2009: many speakers, no tickets

Permalink | in Conferences
5 comments (closed)

Now follows the most anti-climactic speaker announcement ever. We’ve got tons of new excellent speakers to announce for Fronteers 2009, such as Dion and Ben from Ajaxian, Chris Heilmann, Pete LePage, and Stephen Hay, but we’re about sold out. If you don’t have a ticket already you can’t come and see them.

The full list of Fronteers 2009 speakers has been published, and as you can see this promises to be quite a conference. I like the line-up, if I may say so myself.

We’re almost sold out. Currently ticket sale has been halted while we figure out exactly how many tickets we can still sell. We expect a very few tickets (less than 10) to be released somewhere next week. When these are gone we’re completely sold out. Price is € 350, there are no more discounts, and there is no way of reserving tickets beforehand.

The release will be announced at our @fronteers09 Twitter feed first.

I hope to meet some of my readers at Fronteers 2009.

Meanwhile, if you don’t have a Fronteers ticket but still want to see Chris Heilmann or me speak, as well as a load of other JavaScript people, head over to Brighton to Full Frontal. 20 November, ticket is £ 100 now.

Testing mobile phones, or the masochist’s guide to gleeful self-flagellation

Permalink | in Mobile testing
18 comments (closed)

After seven months of mobile testing (as well as a wealth of inventive invective aimed at mobile devices) I think it’s time to share some of my experiences with others who are inclined to violent self-punishment.

Welcome to my world! Bring your whip, bring a first-aid kit, and let’s have some fun punishing ourselves.

Today we’ll discuss the process of testing mobile browsers. We will not talk about the test results or their interpretation, we’ll leave that gorefest for another time.

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A list of all app stores — please help

Permalink | in Mobile
17 comments (closed)

As everybody who’s even slightly interested in mobile knows, the creation of the Apple App Store has caused a perfect flurry of activity among everybody else having to do with the mobile web.

Currently I’m making a list of all existing app stores. I’ve found a few, but I’m reasonably certain that I missed a few, too. So I’d like to ask you if you know of an app store I’ve forgotten. I’m especially looking for information on T-Mobile and HTC.

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How Twitter should make money

Permalink | in Society
10 comments (closed)

When I was in San Francisco back in April it didn’t take long for me to get introduced to the most popular social game in town: how will Twitter make money? I played the game in three or four different groups, made some obvious beginner’s mistakes, and had fun.

Unfortunately for those still playing the game I think I solved the problem. I now know how Twitter should make money. Judge for yourself.

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See the August 2009 archive.

This is the blog of Peter-Paul Koch, web developer, consultant, and trainer. You can also follow him on Twitter or Mastodon.
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