Tablet Detection, Console Detection, API Update & New Features for Sites
Published August 15, 2010 by Richard Uren
Todays update, out in a few hours, contains support for Tablets and Consoles accessible via our new API call : detectall.
Attention people using API Kits : There is a change to the behaviour of the detect API call which may impact you. Back in the pre iPad days there was an assumption that the detect call was the way to tell if something was a mobile, or not. Detect only returned handset information, so if it found something then that something was always mobile. Then iPads arrived, which complicated things. In the main redirecting iPads to a mobile site is not desired which meant inspecting detection results and excluding iPads from redirection. So here’s the change, from today detect will only detect devices classed as mobile. Performing a detect on an iPad will return Not Found, just like a normal browser.
To detect Mobiles, Consoles and Tablets in the one request use the new detectall API call and inspect the ‘class’. Class will be Unknown, Mobile, Console or Tablet. As we add more types of device into our database we’ll expand Class.
Sites gets isConsole and isTablet tests as well.
Thats all for todays update. As always if you have any problems then drop a note to hello@handsetdetection.com
If you’re using the PHP or Java API Kits then I recommend updating to the latest kit to take advantage of the automatic load balancing features, plus the new detectall call for Consoles & Tablets.
Stop Press : This release also includes a swanky new footer and a few bug fixes : most notably a problem preventing quota emails being sent.
Related posts:
- Forrst, New Relase and API Kit Updates
- New Release, Database Download & We Turned 2.
- Pricing Released
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Maintenance Sunday 12th September & Sunday 19th September.
Published August 12, 2010 by Richard Uren
Serverbeach have just informed us that there will be up coming power maintenance at their Virginia data center. They’re not anticipating any effect to service during the maintenance windows. Their message is below.
FYI : Handset Detection runs two active sites at any one time. Either site is able to handle our usual load by itself, plus about 50%. This is really just a heads up in case you’re doing something funky with fixed IPs at your site, or if your DNS is slow to update (which is how we take a site out of circulation).
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In a continuing effort to improve the ServerBeach service offering, we will be
performing two proactive repairs of the critical electrical system during the
following windows:
Sunday, September 12, 2010 from 7:00 AM EST – 7:00 PM EST
Sunday, September 19, 2010 from 7:00 AM EST – 7:00 AM EST on Monday, September 20, 2010.
The purpose of the two maintenances is to replace two static transfer switches
that feed our Herndon, Virginia Data Center. One static transfer switch will be
replaced during each maintenance window. The projected duration of the
maintenance window scheduled for Sunday, September 12, 2010 is 12 hours and the
maintenance window scheduled for Sunday, September 19, 2010 is 24 hours.
Please be advised that engineers will be doing both maintenances on the
emergency power system that feeds your server(s) while it is still energized.
This means we will not be shutting off power to your solution, but there is a
certain amount of risk involved with working on electrical systems while they
are energized. We will have staff and infrastructure in place to act in the
unfortunate event something does go wrong. We are not expecting any power
interruptions, but we will be prepared to react quickly.
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Forrst, New Relase and API Kit Updates
Published August 2, 2010 by Richard Uren
I’ve never been a big fan of wood grain. I mean its great on trees, polished wood floors, exposed timber beams but in design I cant really say that its my cup of tea. Perhaps its child hood trauma over 70′s laminex ? Or sympathizing with my friend Pete who once accidentally purchased a pair of very expensive woodgrain’esq Bolle sunglasses thinking they we’re tortise shell (sure Pete, .. we’ve all made that mistake). So I find surprising that I completely adore the slick use of wood grain over at Forrst. Perhaps its the awesome design or the even more awesommer community that have won me over ? Anyhow – if you’re a designer or developer check Forrst out. Its well worth it.
Somewhat tangentally related to Forrst is tomorrows updates. We’ve done away with our janky old Amiga Guru Meditation inspired Error/Info messages and taken a sweeter more Forrst’y approach. Plus Error/Info messages now stack so you can get a couple at the the top of the screen if you whack all the wrong keys. :-)
Under the hood there was a significant upgrade of our framework from CakePHP 1.2.6 to CakePHP 1.3.3 and bug fixes for Sites which wasn’t logging handset stats correctly. We’ve also kicked off a week of API Kit updates, starting with our Java Mobile Detection API Kit. New features include configurable read and connection timeouts, http proxy configuration, automatic fail over in the event of connection timeout, an easy to use config file and support for downloading our Mobile User Agent Database (which we’ve had for a while and its finally making its way into the api kits).
TL;DR : Java API Kit out now, Website updates out tomorrow 3rd August 2010, 2pm (GMT + 10), check out Forrst. :)
Related posts:
- Mobile Detection Just Got 1000x Easier
- New Look & New Release, Sneak Preview
- Upgrades – fast fast fast !
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