In NYC This Week? I’m Speaking at HTML5 Live on Tuesday.

Posted on by Rob Larsen

Just in case you missed it the first time I mentioned this event, HTML5 Live is just a couple of days away and I’m getting excited for my presentation. It’s on a topic I love, getting people up and running with emerging standards, it’s in New York and the rest of the lineup is excellent. It should be a great event. If you’re going to be there please make sure to say hi. I’m there just for the event so I’m going to be happy to talk about this stuff as long as there are people willing to listen đŸ™‚

Here’s the description:

HTML5 From the Front Lines: What to Embrace Today (and What to Avoid)

As an engineer working on big, consumer sites and applications, Rob Larsen has had hands-on, production experience with pretty much every emerging technology that’s available in a modern browser. In this session Rob will draw on that experience to walk through the current standards landscape and share his take on what technologies are worth using right now and which should be avoided.

This is also the first presentation I’ve done since I moved to Sapient Global Markets, so that’s another exciting wrinkle. For those of you waiting on the post about my new job, I’ll be writing that over the next couple of days.

It’s an exciting opportunity so I want to do it justice when I share it with all of you.

My Last Day At Isobar

Posted on by Rob Larsen

Today is my last day at Isobar. While I’m going to talk more about the new job on Monday, I won’t keep you in suspense. I’m going to Sapient Global Markets to build out their front end engineering practice.

Before I move on, I just want to talk a little bit about Isobar. All things considered, Isobar has been great for me. I left Cramer to get closer to emerging technology and to work on harder problems on a daily basis. That’s worked out perfectly as I’ve had real-world experience with just about every new feature out there. Other people might be talking about the web platform and HTML5, I’ve been knee deep in it for over a year and a half.

That’s been very cool.

While that technology experience has been invaluable, the thing about Isobar that will drive me the most at my new job is the challenge of trying to put together a front end engineering team that will match the quality of the one I’m leaving behind. The makeup of the team has changed a lot since my first day*, but the one thing that has remained constant is the exceptional quality of the people we’ve hired and the outstanding quality of the work we’ve produced. It’s been a real pleasure and I’m sure the team will continue to operate at a very high level.

*day one my colleagues included Paul Irish, Nick Cooley, Adam McIntyre and we even had John Hann in as a contractor (working with Sue.) Not a bad lineup.

I’m Speaking At HTML5 Live (New York City, November 1, 2011)

Posted on by Rob Larsen

Like the subject says, I’m going to be presenting at HTML5 Live in November.

Here’s the description:

HTML5 From the Front Lines: What to Embrace Today (and What to Avoid)

As an engineer working on big, consumer sites and applications, Rob Larsen has had hands-on, production experience with pretty much every emerging technology that’s available in a modern browser. In this session Rob will draw on that experience to walk through the current standards landscape and share his take on what technologies are worth using right now and which should be avoided.

It’s a good lineup and it’s in New York. What more could you want?

I’m Writing a Book. Announcing: Mobile Web App Cookbook

Posted on by Rob Larsen

As the title says, I’m working on a book. I signed the agreement yesterday so I’m finally be able to share the news with all of you. It’s been in the works for a while, so getting it to the point where it’s something I can talk about is a pleasure.

The book is with Manning Publications and the title is Mobile Web App Cookbook. As of right now, it looks like it’ll be out in the first half of 2012.

It’s going to be multi-author book dealing with, you guessed it, mobile web app development. I’m the lead author, setting the tone for the book and providing the framing chapters. As of now, I’m planning on introducing the factors driving mobile web app development; providing an in-depth examination of the full range of technologies in play and then wrapping up the subject in a closing chapter. In addition to my contribution, several other authors will provide detailed examples using technologies like Sencha Touch, jQuery Mobile and pure HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript.

It’s going to be a serious, technical introduction to an increasingly important branch of web development.

I’ll be sharing more details as I get them.

Why Mobile?

While I’m happy to be writing a book at all, I’m especially excited by the mobile focus of this project. To me, getting people and organizations excited about mobile web development and the continued evolution of the web platform is vital. I believe that a free and open web is a force for positive change in the world. For the web platform to remain viable and win out over app stores and other proprietary, closed ecosystems, people need to have the knowledge and tools to develop world class, cross-device applications for mobile devices. This book will help people do just that.

That’s pretty cool.