![Screen shot 2009-12-02 at [ December 2 ] 2.55.34 PM](http://www.mobilecrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/Screen-shot-2009-12-02-at-December-2-2.55.34-PM-630x331.png "Screen shot 2009-12-02 at [ December 2 ] 2.55.34 PM")
As mobile platform makers grant more and more system functionality to their browsers, the once distinct lines between native applications and web applications are beginning to blur. Over the past few months, HTML5 and other advances in web technology have allowed developers on various platforms to access to GPS coordinates, accelerometer data, and more.
Plenty of limitations still exist (it’s still mostly impossible to access the microphone/camera on most smartphones from the browser, for example), but one big hurdle might be on the way out: hardware-based acceleration, otherwise known as the goods required for graphic-heavy gaming.
The key here is “WebGL”, a Mozilla project which is aiming to bring the popular OpenGL 3d library to the browser via Javascript. The advantage of this approach is compatibility; as long as your hardware supports OpenGL ES 2.0 and your browser supports Javascript, it should work with minimal tweakage.
Not all smartphones are packin’ the required OpenGL support – in fact, very few are. The iPhone 3GS, Sony Ericsson Satio, and the N900 are the only ones I can name off the top of my head, the last of which the guys behind WebGL have already managed to get a demo up and running on. They’ve slipped WebGL support into the N900′s Firefox browser, with plans to add it to the publicly available nightly builds sometime soon.
Check out the demo video, as posted by Vladimir Vukićević :
As you can see, things seem to already be working pretty well. While these demos may not seem all that complex, this could be a pretty huge first step toward something bigger. If Apple chose to fully support webGL (they already sort of do – Safari’s rarely used CSS animation engine works by way of webGL), iPhone web apps could eventually offer up graphics in line with their native brethren. If Palm were to start packing OpenGL ES 2.0 into their handsets and webGL into the webOS platform, it might just do away with the game-hindering qualms that have turned so many potential developers away.
This approach isn’t without it’s faults, of course; whether the functionality is there or not, only time will tell if the mobile development community will ever drop their grudge against web apps.
If I’m not mistaken Palm DOES have OpenGL built into its curent device (the PRE), as the bloggers at precentral.net have been encouraging the use of WebGL for some time.
As far as I recall, Palm’s only supporting OpenGL ES 1.1. Dug through the specs, couldn’t find anything claiming 2.0 support (as required by WebGL) in either the Pre or the Pixi.
If I’m wrong, lemme know – I’ll gladly fix the post.
It never ceases to amaze me how little techcrunch seems to understand about technology. The more you guys try to explain tech, the more obvious it becomes that you don’t know what you’re talking about. Stick to business analysis. No wonder you had to partner with someone to produce the crunchpad, my guess is that you had little input on the device. No surprise that they feel like the tech is their own. Epic CrunchFail.
Pre and Pixi both support Open GL ES 2.0. WebOS does not have a path to either of their GPU’s yet but it is possible…
This is amazing. I’m definitely going to keep track of its progress.
I think that if this technology keeps developing and does become a reality and an option when buying phones or GPS systems even, it would be an amazing tool; especially based on the reliance of digital devices in today’s world. Something that can be used by police forces when reconstructing an accident scene and even act as an extension to forensic divisions, not to mention the at-home applications that this could have.
Something like that can not only be useful, but it can break old barriers and advance a lot of organizations and services that are out there today. It’s truly unique and its applications, I think are endless, like incorporating it into something like Google Maps or GPS systems. It could be a very resourceful addition to digital applications.
The BlackBerry Storm 2 and Curve 8530 support Open GL ES.
Some great stuff. I suspect technology like this and Google’s O3D will usher in the next wave of virtual worlds.
Pretty neat. Windows Mobile is Open GL 1.1 for the most part but the HD2 is running 2.0 and they are working on a FireFox browser for WM (it’s pretty slow currently) so WM should also be added to the list
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i luv tht nokia N900 video…this will be really awesome!!
Sam
http://www.isopurewater.com/
3D on iPhones and other mobile platforms is already possible with Kaon Interactive, http://www.kaon.com/static/kaon_v-stream.html