SMART DevNet Launches First HTML5 Dev Day in Davao City

The SMART Developer Network (SMART DevNet) launched its very first HTML5 Dev Day in Davao City on July 21. This event aimed to expose local developers to HTML 5 and to inspire them to create HTML 5 websites and apps for the web and mobile devices. The one-day developer event and hackathon is the first event in the SMART Jump in Tech Week held in the University of South Eastern Philippines to encourage local developers to develop globally competitive mobile applications and websites.

 

SMART DevNEt is a developer community program, specifically for desktop and mobile platform developers interested in using SMART's technology platforms, network tools, and APIs (application programming interface).

 

Jim Ayson, Partner Manager for SMART, was excited by how enthusiastic Davaeno developers were in welcoming SMART Dev Net and the HTML5 Dev Day. “The event was sold out under 4 hours and we didn’t even do any serious marketing for it. We just posted the event of Facebook and talked to some Davao developers.”

 

Paul Pajo, SMART DevNet's Digital Evangelist, said that the event aimed to encourage “techpreneurship” by providing developers tools and support.

 

De La Salle University - College of St. Benilde Prof. Ronald Ramos then showed the developers the basics of HTML5, giving a brief history of how HTML5 was developed; how it’s different from HTML4; illustrating the potential uses of HTML5; and why the standard is now used by most browsers.

 

According to Pajo, what makes HTML5 better from HTML4 is that it makes coding easier and faster, reduces the need for external plug-ins like Flash, is device independent, and is capable of local storage. These capabilities of HTML5 were highlighted by Davao’s own techpreneur, Eric Su from social media startup Piclyf, where he showcased the different websites that are already using HTML5. 

 

Su also gave the audience a glimpse of PicLyf's capabilities, and how the service uses HTML5. PicLyf has been garnering acclaim for its easy-to-use lifeblogging capabilities.

 

Mozilla's Bob Reyes created quite a stir at the event by presenting what he touted as the first phone in the Philippines to run on Mozilla Firefox OS, a Samsung Nexus S. The Mozilla Firefox OS was built on its B2G (Boot to Gecko) project, which aims to be create an open alternative to existing mobile operating systems and address the limitations of mobile web development. The end goal is to be able to surf the Internet on a mobile phone with the ease and speed as one would expect from a laptop.

 

Meanwhile, Google's Dan Delima talked about the challenges of porting the YouTube experience to mobile phones and how HTML5 helped in achieving this goal.

 

The last speaker for the day was Maui Millan, social techpreneur and founder of Mobile TAO. He shared how his start-up was able to make use of SMART DevNet tools to make his mobile apps, Mobile TAO and MyLegalWhiz, easier to access, use and paid for by subscribers.

 

The event was highlighted by a hackathon, wherein participants were given three hours to create an app with the theme, “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” 

 

The Best Student Team award was bagged by ArJay Dela Cruz and Jed Adrian Varon from AMA Computer College - Davao, with the “Find My Dok” app. The winner for Best Use for HTML5 was from Phillyf, with their Facebook Cover Maker. The Best Use of Smart API was won by Project NOAH for Mobile. The Special Jury Award was given to Project Banthalos for their “appception” (an app-making app). — TJD, GMA News