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Because Apple is intentionally limiting the mobile web to force your hand to create an app. I've been working on hardware that we've been trying to ship using

Because Apple is intentionally limiting the mobile web to force your hand to create an app. I've been working on hardware that we've been trying to ship using open technology for the protocols so it doesn't need apps. So focusing on things like WebBT and WebUSB which is almost magic, a user can unbox your device go to a website and then do anything you'd possibly want with. But yeah all falls apart the second it needs to work on an iPhone and you're back in the world of having to build an app. Whole thing works flawlessly with just a webdev team on computers and android devices but because of Apple to ship this vision we need to build a solitary iOS app too. I say this as an iPhone user too, unfortunately I feel too locked into their platform to leave now.

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Jcowell 5y ago
Is there anywhere I can try out this application?
- whywhywhywhy 5y ago
  Nothing I can show of it yet, but I encourage you to look into the WebUSB and WebBT APIs with an open mind. I know a lot of HN users don't like them because they see it as a gateway to fingerprinting, not sure how much truth there is to that but for me I see there is a huge benefit to devices being able to communicate with our computers over open and understandable protocols. Currently today, say you buy an IOT device you have to download a smartphone app. On a long enough timeline that smartphone app will stop being updated and then eventually it will stop working after an OS update, especially if its iOS and then at that point the device basically becomes landfill fodder. If it were WebUSB or WebBT you just need to ship a web page, there is a greater chance that web page will still work down the line with newer browsers, if it doesn't rely on a server you could even archive that web page and at least it's easier to reverse engineer. Not to mention the web app will work on Linux too, no need to ship platform specific executables. For me WebUSB and WebBT are great moves towards more sustainable and maintainable hardware.

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Jcowell 5y ago

Is there anywhere I can try out this application?

whywhywhywhy 5y ago
Nothing I can show of it yet, but I encourage you to look into the WebUSB and WebBT APIs with an open mind. I know a lot of HN users don't like them because they see it as a gateway to fingerprinting, not sure how much truth there is to that but for me I see there is a huge benefit to devices being able to communicate with our computers over open and understandable protocols. Currently today, say you buy an IOT device you have to download a smartphone app. On a long enough timeline that smartphone app will stop being updated and then eventually it will stop working after an OS update, especially if its iOS and then at that point the device basically becomes landfill fodder. If it were WebUSB or WebBT you just need to ship a web page, there is a greater chance that web page will still work down the line with newer browsers, if it doesn't rely on a server you could even archive that web page and at least it's easier to reverse engineer. Not to mention the web app will work on Linux too, no need to ship platform specific executables. For me WebUSB and WebBT are great moves towards more sustainable and maintainable hardware.