If one is to believe Techcrunch Facebook is building its own mobile app platform-- one aiming specfically at Apple.

Dubbed "Project Spartan", it is HTML5-based, with its initial target being no other than mobile Safari-- the one area on iDevices the likes of Facebook can (mostly) control. 

Rumour or not, the idea does make sense. After all, a MIT Technology Review blog entry from a few weeks ago predicts web apps will beat out mobile apps in the online app store race-- a race Facebook will probably want to take part in some time or another. 

Facebook itself has "nothing to share" so far, but Techcrunch claims of seeing Project Spartan. The platform's partners supposedly include Zynga and Huffington Post, with around 80 outside developers currently working on it. 

If "Project Spartan" does turn out to be fact, it will do Apple one favour-- getting developers to move away from the Flash standard, particularly when it comes to gaming. 

Go Project Spartan (Techcrunch)

Go Mobile Apps: to Go the Way of the Dodo?

Microsoft releases an Android version of its API mapping tool-- a package for Android developers to help them  learn Windows Phone 7-- which the company hopes will help boost WP7 app numbers by making the porting process simpler

The company already released something similar for iPhone developers last April.

The package consists of the API mapping tool itself and “Windows Phone 7 Guide for Android Application Developers”, a Microsoft whitepaper on the subject. 

Also offering help is Microsoft's own "App Guy", aggregating online developer discussions to answer questions on Windows Phone development. Will this herald a new flood of Windows Phone 7 development? 

Go Windows Phone Guidance and API Mapping Tool for Android Developers

Avaya expands the range of devices its one-X soft client supports-- now including Android, iPhones (3G and 4) and Blackberry devices in addition to Symbian and Windows devices. 

A one-X version now also supports Mac OS, together with a new SIP client for iOS devices (enabling UC and voice over wireless or cellular networks). 

The software unifies call logs, contact lists and voice messages across all endpoints and software clients, and also handles team member presence status across Avaya endpoints, soft clients and mobile devices. 

Avaya says it consolidates mobile UC client applications, management and administration into a single virtualised server-- reducing IT support requirements and costs. 

The one-X client works with Avaya's Aura System Manager, which also helps provide a unified experience across all clients. 

Go Avaya 

That's what MIT's Technology Review predicts in a blog post titled "Why Mobile Apps Will Soon be Dead". The reason for such a prediction? Web apps.

Web apps download on one's device through a web browser, and allow offline access to their content-- whether it's a game, news or any sort of utility. We can assure you this does work, but don't let anyone else know that infamous time waster Angry Birds is now available for free on the Chrome browser. 

One has to keep in mind apps are are what make smartphones so attractive to customers.

Thus, app store batt will not be the one taking place between the iOS and Android platforms, but the one MIT predicts of smartphones vs HTML5-capable browsers. Former Google engineer Brian Kennish puts it like this:

"One word: distribution. There are 2 billion web users versus 50 million iOS users."

The only web app-specific problem Kennish finds is their getting access to device-specific features-- but MIT also says that "with web apps, developers could code once and be reasonably confident their app will work on any object... with a standards-compliant browser." Surely an enticing prospect for time- and resources-deprived developers. 

Will, therefore, as Kennish predicts, the native app go the way of the dodo? Perhaps, but only if developers will make money selling web apps as opposed to smartphone apps. Is this why Google charges a mere 5% commission on Web App Store sales? 

Go Why Mobile Apps Will Soon be Dead

http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/26778/