TouchWeb - browser of xPad got an upgrade

Here's a sneak preview of our next xPad release, the WebKit-based browser, TouchWeb, has been enhanced for finger browsing. Including:

• Tap-and-hold (long press) gesture for right click
• New Tab/Window handler
• Safari-like URL bar and reload/stop button

And we even got the Chromium OS overview function implemented:

Stay tuned! ;-)

xPad 0.1 released!

What if Chrome OS Tablet concept UI get implemented?

Don't you love the Chrome OS Tablet concept UI above? I fell in love as soon as I read about it on the wiki, but Eric Schmidt crush my dream by stating that "Chrome OS aimed at keyboard based solutions".

I don't know either the actual roadmap of Chrome OS nor what Google has in mind, but since it's an open source project and I'm a FOSS developer, I decided to build it on my own. After a weekend of hacking, let me introduce to you:

the xPad - tablet edition of xPUD

Download: xpad-0.1.iso (47MB)

Due to the limitation of hardware support in this image, it can only boot on Virtualbox. But we have already integrated this touch and virtual keyboard solution onto MeeGo Netbook UX, and ported to some selected platforms like OMAP3 and Moorestown. (Any demo or customization request please feel free to send me a mail ;-)

Main Features

• finger scrolling browser - it's basically a simple GtkWebKit browser with a custom GtkScrolledWindow widget from the Midori project. We also wrote a QtWebKit version in case you want to demo it on MeeGo.
• enhanced WebKit - that rendering fast and with less library dependencies, we also patched WebCore/HTMLInputElement to hint input method with different input type, including password field.
• auto showing/hiding of input method - by patching against scim-bridge, we made the Gtk and Qt4 immodule brings up the keyboard while focus in, and hide it when focus out.
• virtual keyboard that can actually use - we add Toggle feature into fvkbd, that can toggle input method as well as switch keyboard layout; also applied the MODE_STATUS_TEMP patch from sayamindu to support CKJ users.
• input method panel - we fixed the ToggleVkb feature of scim-panel-vkb-gtk, also adjust the layout to integrate SCIM and different input methods well.
• multi-lingua keyboard layout - we carefully crafted a "bopomofo" friendly keyboard layout, that shows how flexible the fvkbd can be.

Known Issues

Apparently it's still buggy and unstable, the browser doesn't have much features like Tap-and-Hold or right click, nor tab or hiding scroll bar support, sometimes you have to toggle the keyboard and change input method to English to get it right.

But we'll keep working on that, maybe replaced it with a custom build of chromium, or some Qt-based browser like IXS-Browser from Movial.

While xPUD team are busy working on the next generation of TableWare UI, this is something you can play with during the Christmas holiday! :-)

All the best,
penk

xPUD 0.9.5 - Re-implemented everything, again

Download: xpud-0.9.5.iso (65MB)

Notice

This is a technical preview release, which only suits developers. If you're looking for next stable release please follow us on twitter.

New Features

Ubuntu 10.10 base and Linux kernel 2.6.35.7, alone with an updated build system.

TableWare platform

Starting with this version we launch a new project called TableWare, a web-based window manager, which replaced the old XPCOM/MozPlugger implementation with following software components:

• new NPAPI plugin
  
• new XCB-based window manager
  
• Node.js and WebSocket support
  
• new daemon with inotify and D-Bus support
  
• new WebKit-based runtime

So the fun starts here!

How cool will it be if you can write a window manager using CSS/HTML and JS in 297 lines of code?

Known Issues

• only tested in virtualbox
  
• still very very buggy
  
• iframe-shim doesn't work in webkit

What to expect next?

• re-designed plate UI
  
• compositor of tableware platform
  
• ARM port and xPad, THE tablet edition! :-)
• If you've got any question or request, feel free to drop me a mail

Tweet

xPUD 0.9.5 - 宇宙最美麗的 OS 出世了!

世上最不穩定的 xPUD 終於姍姍來遲了!


下載: xpud-0.9.5.iso (65MB)

作者的忠告

這是開發中的版本, 只適合想自己寫程式或修理錯誤的開發者使用, 若要等穩定版釋出請追蹤 xpudos 的推特帳號.

新功能

升級到 Ubuntu 10.10 系統與 Linux 核心 2.6.35.7, mkxpud 也同步更新.

TableWare 平台

自 0.9.5 開始我們正式啟動 TableWare 計畫, 它將取代 XPCOM/MozPlugger 成為下一代 xPUD 的主力平台, 新元件如下:

• 新的 NPAPI 外掛
  
• 新的 XCB 視窗管理員
  
• Node.js 和 WebSocket 支援
  
• 可用 D-Bus 和遙控器操作
  
• 新的 WebKit 核心

用新平台寫視窗管理有多酷呢? 請見「輕滑頓幻舞 (Sliding Effect)」展示影片:



一共只用了 297 行 HTML/CSS/JS!

已知問題

• 只在 virtualbox 測試過
  
• 非常多 bug, 常常掉東西
  
• 沒有中文輸入法
  
• iframe-shim 壞了

下集節目預告

• 全新打造的 plate UI
  
• 圖形加速功能
  
• ARM 版本以及 xPad, 平板電腦介面! :-)
  
• 有任何問題或需求歡迎和我聯絡

按這裡貼到噗浪

Daily Bookmarks 10/17/2010

The Wilderness Downtown: How it was Made

http://ajaxian.com/archives/the-wilderness-downtown-how-it-was-made

Video Conferencing with the HTML5 Device Element

http://ajaxian.com/archives/video-conferencing-with-the-html5-device-element

jQuery Data Binding, Templates, and Mobile: John Resig at FOWA

http://ajaxian.com/archives/jquery-data-binding-templates-and-mobile-john-resig-at-fowa

Yo Yo, develop killer cross platform mobile Web apps with Jo

http://ajaxian.com/archives/yo-yo-developer-killer-cross-platform-mobile-web-apps-with-jo

Behind the scenes: Customer Wall

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2616-behind-the-scenes-customer-wall

How to Create a Successful MMO

http://www.guildwars.com/events/tradeshows/gc2007/gcspeech.php

Customizing web forms with CSS3 and WebKit

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2609-customizing-web-forms-with-css3-and-webkit

Ryan's talk at Future of Web Apps 2010, London

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2608-ryans-talk-at-future-of-web-apps-2010-london

Here's what we've learned about doing UI for mobile web apps with WebKit

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2603-heres-what-weve-learned-about-doing-ui-for-mobile-web-apps-with-html5

Redesigned: The new 37signals.com

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2596-redesigned-the-new-37signalscom

Why non-profit pricing?

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2580-why-non-profit-pricing

Weaving Design and Development

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2579-heres-a-video-of-my-talk-on-weaving

Loading spinner animation using CSS and WebKit

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2577-loading-spinner-animation-using-css-and-webkit

Newton Never Dies

http://www.panic.com/blog/2010/09/newton-never-dies/

jQuery Events: Stop (Mis)Using Return False

http://fuelyourcoding.com/jquery-events-stop-misusing-return-false/

Linux 無調注音輸入法 - ibus-pinyin-bopomofo

http://yurinfore.blogspot.com/2010/10/linux-ibus-pinyin-bopomofo.html

吃了蘑菇的 gnome-shell

http://yurinfore.blogspot.com/2010/09/gnome-shell.html

Bloomberg Game Changers: Steve Jobs

http://www.bloomberg.com/video/63722844/

互動素描標記法 v0.1

http://blog.bobchao.net/2010/10/v01.html

Stuxnet：事實 vs. 理論

http://www.zdnet.com.tw/enterprise/technology/0,2000085680,20147815,00.htm

jQuery Code Style

http://blog.othree.net/log/2010/10/17/jquery-code-style/

WAI-ARIA 介紹之一

http://blog.othree.net/log/2010/10/10/introduction-to-wai-aria-1/

Arcade Fire - Funeral

http://pulp.bluecircus.net/archives/014699.html

Daily Bookmarks 09/06/2010

A couple of interesting UI techniques at Flickr

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2552-a-couple-of-interesting-ui-techniques-at-flickr

Quoted by 37signals on September 1 2010

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2532-if-you-ask-an-artist-why-the-greatest-artists

The first step is to start

http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2538-the-first-step-is-to-start

iTunes 10 hands-on: snappier performance, questionable UI choices

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/09/itunes-10-hands-on-snappier-performance-questionable-ui-choices.ars

Palm Details webOS 2.0, Releases Beta SDK

http://www.osnews.com/story/23749/Palm_Details_webOS_2_0_Releases_Beta_SDK

Judge Rules Fusion Garage, TechCrunch Were Partners

http://www.osnews.com/story/23744/Judge_Rules_Fusion_Garage_TechCrunch_Were_Partners

Simplicity vs. Choice

http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2010/08/19.html

Entelligence: A tale of two TVs

http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/05/entelligence-a-tale-of-two-tvs/

Switched On: FaceTime prepares for prime time

http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/04/switched-on-facetime-prepares-for-prime-time/

Chromium Graphics Overhaul

http://blog.chromium.org/2010/08/chromium-graphics-overhaul.html

The Node.js now running on webOS – and more Web improvements

http://ajaxian.com/archives/the-node-js-now-running-on-webos-and-more-web-improvements

How to Become a JavaScript Badass

http://www.clientcide.com/deep-thoughts/how-to-become-a-javascript-badass/

美國觀察：Google Android 帶來的副作用

http://www.zdnet.com.tw/enterprise/technology/0,2000085680,20147210,00.htm

NOISE IS THE NEW AQUA

http://jiwostudio.com/archives/2581

【中國觀察】含著滷蛋講話的中國時報!

http://sophist4ever.pixnet.net/blog/post/27124496

在桌面應用程式中使用 WebKit

http://zonble.net/archives/2010_09/1369.php

42年的鴻溝 – Dyna Book與iPad

http://blog.vgod.tw/2010/08/31/dynabook-and-ipad/

水果牌電視之我是一片雲

http://potatoplan.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-post.html

Android 淺探 (二), 2010 – 系統廠商

http://mmdays.com/2010/08/30/android-2/

Daily Bookmarks 08/11/2010

北京 WebRebuild 演講，收獲滿檔！

http://josephj.com/entry.php?id=336

Javascript的模块化开发

http://threecups.org/?p=129

如何確認出版社有製作電子書的能力？

http://www.readgoing.com/?p=585

iPhone 軟體的無障礙支援

http://zonble.net/archives/2010_07/1339.php

black hat 與 DEF CON 2010 的投影片與程式碼上線了

http://armorize-cht.blogspot.com/2010/08/black-hat-def-con-2010.html

ELASTIX DIRECTOR ANSWERS THE COMMUNITY

http://www.elastix.org/en/home/475-Elastix%20Director%20answers%20the%20community.html

Coda Notes for Safari: Now Available!

http://www.panic.com/blog/2010/07/coda-notes-for-safari-now-available/

Groundhog Day, or, the Problem with A/B Testing

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2010/07/groundhog-day-or-the-problem-with-ab-testing.html

Domain Names

http://blog.stackoverflow.com/2010/07/domain-names/

Valuable to others, or only you?

http://sivers.org/starving-artist

Looking at JS emulator core for GameBoy

http://ajaxian.com/archives/looking-at-js-emulator-core-for-gameboy

Perl 6 十周年慶: Pugs：黃金年代 (五之三)

http://pugs.blogs.com/pugs/2010/07/perl-6-十周年慶-pugs黃金年代-五之三.html

Frugal: saving session to entire partition

http://bkhome.org/blog/?viewDetailed=01731

USB settling time

http://bkhome.org/blog/?viewDetailed=01723

Google、Verizon 共提網路中立架構

http://www.zdnet.com.tw/news/comm/0,2000085675,20146988,00.htm

Big Think Interview With David Heinemeier Hansson

http://bigthink.com/ideas/21596

Competition

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/08/competition.html

iPad入手和當作電音樂器的未來可能

http://jeph.bluecircus.net/archives/music/ipad_as_an_instrument.php

Introducing: Peppermint Ice

http://peppermintos.com/2010/07/introducing-peppermint-ice/

Nokia's App Development Strategy: Qt, Qt, Qt

http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/05/nokias-app-development-strategy-qt-qt-qt-video/

My first post, introducing iX.

http://blog.ixproject.org/?p=6

Build a web-based notification tool with XMPP

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/tutorials/x-realtimeXMPPtut/index.html

Peppermint Ice: a faster, lighter cloud-focused Linux OS

http://www.geek.com/articles/news/peppermint-ice-a-faster-lighter-cloud-focused-linux-os-20100719/

Google executive frustrated by Java, C++ complexity

http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/354210/google_executive_frustrated_by_java_c_complexity/