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TechSpot Mobile version ready for testing!

Discussion in 'Site Feedback and Suggestions' started by Julio Franco, Mar 2, 2011.

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  1. Julio Franco TechSpot Editor Posts: 6,050   +121

    Before making an official announcement on the homepage we wanted to give you the chance to test TechSpot's Mobile site and help us troubleshoot any unforeseen bugs that might arise.

    It's an ambitious project that integrates all of the site's main sections: news, reviews, guides and the forums, with complete commenting functionality from the get go. Thank Mario, our front-end developer for the immense effort :).

    TechSpot Mobile was developed with modern smartphones in mind, meaning that it's primarily optimized to work on iPhones and Android devices. We haven't tested on any WP7 phones, but if you own one please report back to us about how the site looks.

    The site is available at this location:
    http://m.techspot.com

    Thank you for your support!

    Edit: On a a mobile device you should use the default url (www.techspot.com) and it will automatically detect if your browser should be redirected to the mobile site. - Mario
    Julio Franco, Mar 2, 2011
    #1

  2. mario TechSpot Developer Posts: 384   +6

    [IMG]
    mario, Mar 2, 2011
    #2

  3. Technochicken TechSpot Paladin Posts: 900

    It looks great, and is much faster on my iPod Touch than the regular site! I have noticed one small issue with logging though. After I type in my username and password, the login box just shows the little loading animation forever. The site only shows that I am logged in once I load another page in the forum. Also, the next page button on threads shows the same loading animation, but does not actually load the page. This is on a 1st gen iPod Touch with iOS 3.1.3.
    Technochicken, Mar 3, 2011
    #3

  4. Benny26 TechSpot Paladin Posts: 1,515   +36

    interesting...
    Benny26, Mar 3, 2011
    #4

  5. mario TechSpot Developer Posts: 384   +6

    Technochicken thanks for your feedback, I'll try to get a device running iOS 3.1 or some SDK for my emulator, the latest Xcode update has the simulator with SDKs back to iPad's iOS 3.2.

    The site uses a lightweight javascript framework (Zepto.js) for mobile WebKit browsers which provides us with snappier loading and interaction, but most of the development is tested against current versions of webkit so some of it's functionality might not support older versions of iOS. We'll do our best to implement some progressive enhancement to support older webkit versions.

    If you wan't to help us you can enable console logging in your Mobile Safari preferences (Settings.app -> Safari -> Developer [bottom]) and post any console errors that might appear after trying to log in or changing the page in the forums.
    mario, Mar 3, 2011
    #5

  6. Technochicken TechSpot Paladin Posts: 900

    No new errors show up when I try to log in or change the page. The only error I get comes as soon as a page loads.
    Technochicken, Mar 3, 2011
    #6
     

  7. mario TechSpot Developer Posts: 384   +6

    Mmm then I'll have to find someway to debug it because that error always appears and is generated buy our ads system, it doesn't actually cause any troubles.

    When was the first time you tried the mobile site? Was it just a few hours ago or did you try it yesterday? If you did try it yesterday you'll need to close the site and clear the cache, there where some issues in the site yesterday with HTML5 app cache caching all of the ajax calls.

    Thanks! :)
    mario, Mar 3, 2011
    #7

  8. Technochicken TechSpot Paladin Posts: 900

    I tried it just before my first post, which was a few hours ago.
    Technochicken, Mar 3, 2011
    #8

  9. ansh1993 TechSpot Enthusiast Posts: 107

    excellent...
    ansh1993, Mar 3, 2011
    #9

  10. poertner_1274 secroF laicepS topShceT Posts: 4,745

    It might be my phone, but using Opera on my Storm2 does not allow me to login. It shows my username and password (as astericks) at the top, but when I click on login it doesn't do anything.

    Other than that, I think this will be a great addition to the site!
    poertner_1274, Mar 14, 2011
    #10

  11. mario TechSpot Developer Posts: 384   +6

    Opera mini or Opera mobile?
    mario, Mar 14, 2011
    #11

  12. poertner_1274 secroF laicepS topShceT Posts: 4,745

    Opera mini
    poertner_1274, Mar 23, 2011
    #12

  13. Arris TechSpot Evangelist Posts: 4,307   +17

    All on Android 2.2 on HTC Desire HD:

    Firefox 4.0 : Login button top right, and even in the forums the link at the bottom "you have to login to post" does nothing.

    Opera Mobile 11.00 : Login prompt shows at the top all the time. After logging in shows logout button all the time. Can't see tabs underneath.

    Android webkit browser : Login/logout correctly shows/hides when clicking the Login/Name tab top right of the page.

    Guessing this is currently being worked on but thought I'd submit a little feedback anyway. Hope it's of use.
    Looks good in portrait and landscape, everything seems to resize nicely. Looking good, nice work.
    Arris, Mar 24, 2011
    #13

  14. mario TechSpot Developer Posts: 384   +6

    @Arris, yes currently the site works 100% on mobile webkit browsers. We'll be adding support for more mobile browsers in the near future, especially when Firefox 4 Mobile gets released.

    The reason why we currently only support webkit browsers is because we use a lightweight JS framework, mentioned above, and currently it only supports webkit browsers. We'll be looking for alternatives and we wight also fork the Zepto source to add support for other engines but I think it will really boil down to the popularity of other mobile browsers using the site.

    By the way, today we launched the immediate redirect to the mobile site for supported browsers, let us know if you see any problems.
    mario, Mar 24, 2011
    #14

  15. captaincranky TechSpot Addict Posts: 8,777   +278

    Everything I post in the regular, desktop version of TS, seems to provoke the response, "why don't you get a life". Sorry, but I'm afraid I'm going to pass on this, as it might cause me to have no life in actuality. Plus, I don't have a cell phone, or the desire to own own one. That's three strikes isn't it? :eek:

    EDIT:

    After a considerable amount of soul searching and introspection, I've decided to recant, and embrace TS's mobile technology to spread my "joie de vivre" to mobile maniacs everywhere! While I'm still adverse to owning a mobile phone, I can "reach out and touch someone" from the miserable loneliness of my desktop.

    This should provide a two pronged solution to "getting a life", as it were. First, I can live vicariously through you, by watching the world whiz past your faces as you slaver into your tiny screens and peck frantically at those tiny keys! And second, as an homage to peer bonding and empathy, I plan to handicap myself by doing all my typing with only my two middle fingers. Visualize children.....! :rolleyes:
    captaincranky, Mar 24, 2011
    #15

  16. dustin_ds3000 TechSpot Chancellor Posts: 1,096

    I like the normal site better on my droid x. The mobile site feels to bulky.
    dustin_ds3000, Mar 25, 2011
    #16

  17. Julio Franco TechSpot Editor Posts: 6,050   +121

    Bulky? Seriously? :)

    In anticipation to this we included the option to use the full site on your smartphone if you prefer to do so. Look for the link at the bottom of the site, that will save a setting cookie for future visits.
    Julio Franco, Mar 25, 2011
    #17

  18. Arris TechSpot Evangelist Posts: 4,307   +17

    I think by bulky he probably means chunky/big? The buttons and everything are quite big. Reminds me of the size of clickable things in the android facebook app.
    Arris, Mar 25, 2011
    #18

  19. dustin_ds3000 TechSpot Chancellor Posts: 1,096

    Yea just about everything on the moilbe site is to big, wasting space. With the normal site on my droid x I can read everything just fine, I might have to zoom in to click on a link once in a while.
    dustin_ds3000, Mar 25, 2011
    #19

  20. mario TechSpot Developer Posts: 384   +6

    Well, things are big/bulky because in mobiles you 'click' with your finger. But anyways, I don't find the mobile site bulky, I made it, actually sometimes I prefer using it on my desktop instead of the normal version.
    mario, Mar 25, 2011
    #20
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