Progressive Web Apps
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Progressive web apps are websites with a look and feel of a native application. Even better they have similar functionality to native apps. In a mobile first, device heavy world, this allows us to build web applications that are able to access the native features of the device while running an application via the web. These features can include offline functioning, notifications, and app caching.
Doug Parker is a web developer with Google focusing on HTML/JavaScript/CSS with Polymer. He is currently working on Bulletin, a Progressive Web App which enables users to tell the untold stories of their communities by creating these stories in an impactful, open, and effortless way. In his spare time he plays a lot of video games and works on some personal development projects for fun.
IoTease: Project
Start Building with Web Bluetooth and Progressive Web Apps
This tutorial, from another Google developer, uses Web Bluetooth which allows you to control BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) devices such as appliances, sensors, and monitors via the web. Basically, it connects the bluetooth network to the web. This will allow one application across multiple device types and platforms. The tutorial goes on to show how to control BLE IoT devices from your browser but doesn’t stop there. To get that native feel of having an app downloaded on your control device (phone, tablet, etc) he then goes through building a progressive web app for controlling your devices. It’s an interesting combination of PWA into the IoT world.
Tricks of the Trade
Editor’s Notes:
Since this was recorded remote using VOIP not in the studio the audio quality isn’t the best. We removed most of the pops and clicks.