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PWAs: Will The Web-based Apps End Big Tech App Store Tyranny?
July 12, 2024
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Progressive Web App(PWA) is basically a website built to function as a native desktop software or mobile app. The main advantage of a PWA is that it is apps store-independent and cross-platform.

Opening a PWA-optimized website like 'Gab.com' for example, on a standards-compliant browser like Brave would immediately trigger an instal prompt on the top-right corner of the browser window within the address bar.

On mobile browsers, the PWA prompt may be 'install Gab' or 'add Gab' [to the homescreen]. In the absence of the prompt, just adding the website to the homescreen will do the trick.

Once installed, the PWA functions more like a native app. This circumvents app stores like Google Play and Apple's App Store where free speech apps like Gab are banned.

Other browsers that support PWA include Gab's own Dissenter, Microsoft Edge, Google chrome, Apple's safari and Opera mobile. PWAs are supported on Windows 10, android and iOS.

For a website to be a PWA, it must run on certain core web technology components. And while User Interface frameworks like Angular and React support and have all the components for PWAs, it is important to note that PWAs are not framework-dependent.

PWAs store data as HTML files, use CSS and images from the browser cache which makes them load faster and also work offline by utilizing a specific set of components.

Critical components of a PWA includes Service worker, JSON manifest, App shell and other tools that continue to be added as UI frameworks and standards evolve.

A service worker is a type of web worker. It’s a JavaScript file that runs separately from the main browser thread, intercepts network requests, caches, and delivers push messages. If there is no network connection, a service worker will pull data from the cache using the browser’s cache API.

JSON manifest is a file that contains metadata of the app describing the UI. The manifest controls whether the app will have a more native rendering, the icon to be displayed on the home screen when installed, the orientation, the full-screen rendering, and so on. The manifest is responsible for creating an app-like experience.

App shell is the container where the data is stored. The app shell architecture consists of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and allows some lightweight settings to be quickly loaded during the first visit, which reduces the time required the first time the PWA is launched. The app shell is responsible for the UX of the PWA.

Note that PWA components are based on common and open web technologies, hence keeping the development independent of any one app store software development kit(or SDK).

Google and Microsoft are working together to support the PWA ecosystem. Google has been adding PWA components -- like workbox, chrome Devtools and lighthouse -- to their UI frameworks.

The technologies behind PWAs are not new. Steve Jobs tried this in 2007 with HTML5-based standard for web apps on iphones. Apple later changed course with the introduction of iOS SDK.

Web technology development has since advanced, and JavaScript is becoming a computational power. Most PWAs are more feature-rich than their traditional native counterparts.

Advocates claim that with PWAs, smartphone users don't need to worry about app updates and storage space; and developers don't have to grovel to the big tech app store duopoly of Apple and Google, to distribute their PWAs. Gab social and other apps banned from Play store and App Store, are taking advantage of PWAs to great success.

Ironically, the tech giants are embracing PWAs, probably for different reasons and the fact that the general trend is towards 'stream everything.'

ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley reported last year that Microsoft is building an Azure-powered 'Cloud PC' service to be launched this year. With such service, Windows 10 operating system users can access and interact with the OS via a browser, making windows 10 accessible on any 'thin client.' A windows 10 PWA on android, iOS or Mac can give one access to the OS without having to worry about updates and graphics power of your device. The crunching of data is done behind the scenes on Microsoft servers.

Microsoft has also released popular apps like Office and outlook as PWAs. The tech giant accepts PWAs from developers who wish to distribute via their windows 10 app store.

Google has released their popular services as PWAs. These include YouTube music, map, photos, Drive, Keep and stadia. Google Play store also supports PWAs. Twitter Lite is a PWA.

With gaming being the only holdout for now in the 'stream everything' race, it may not be too optimistic to say that in 5 to 10 years, the tyrannical regime of the app store duopoly -- Google and Apple -- will be have ended. Though they obviously will not go down without a fight.

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President Donald Trump praised the American Eagle advertisement campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney, stating she is a registered Republican and calling the ad "the HOTTEST ad out there" in a Truth Social post Monday. He highlighted other figures and brands he associates with "woke" messaging, including pop singer Taylor Swift, and Jaguar and Bud Light, claiming their ad campaigns were disastrous and led to massive financial losses.

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Trump’s endorsement came after reports, that Sweeney registered as a Republican in Monroe County, Florida, in June 2024, around the time she purchased a $13.5 million home in the Florida Keys. He expressed delight upon learning this, saying on Sunday, to reporters in Pennsylvania, “She’s a registered Republican? Oh, now I love her ad… You’d be surprised how many people are Republicans.”

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Swift was booed at the Super Bowl last year while attending the game to support her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce against the Eagles. Some fans booed when she was shown on the Jumbotron, while Trump who also attended was met with a roaring applause.

 

 
Dunkin' Donuts Ad Controversy

Meanwhile Dunkin’ Donuts is also facing 'woke' far-left backlash for a new advertisement featuring actor Gavin Casalegno, which has reignited a cultural debate following the controversy surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad.

The ad, released on July 29, sparked criticism for its use of the term "genetics" in reference to Casalegno’s tan, drawing immediate comparisons to the previous controversy and leading to accusations of promoting racial or eugenic ideals.

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SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, topped with the Crew Dragon Endeavor spacecraft launched from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center(KSC) on Aug. 1, at 15:43 UTC. Falcon 9's first stage booster(B1094), returned to Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, adjacent to KSC, about eight minutes after liftoff; while the Dragon spacecraft separated from the second stage and began its journey to the International Space Station (ISS), carrying 4 Crew-11 astronauts.

The four astronauts aboard are headed to the International Space Station (ISS) for a roughly six-month mission. The Crew-11 team consists of NASA astronauts Zena Cardman (mission commander) and Mike Fincke (pilot), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, both mission specialists. This is Cardman’s and Platonov’s first spaceflight, while Fincke is on his fourth mission and Yui his second, having previously spent 142 days on the ISS in 2015.

Cardman was originally slated for the Crew-9 mission but was reassigned due to that mission launching with only two astronauts to accommodate the return of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Their Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which launched in June 2024, faced propulsion issues, leaving them without a dedicated return ride.

After Endeavor docks with the ISS, scheduled for 0700 UTC 3 on August 2, Crew-11 will relieve the Crew-10 astronauts, who launched in March 2025. The two crews will overlap for about a week to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities, including science experiments and station operations. Crew-10 will then return to Earth aboard their Crew Dragon spacecraft.

Crew-11’s mission includes conducting experiments such as simulating lunar landings, studying plant cell division in microgravity, protecting astronaut eyesight, and producing human stem cells and nutrients on-demand. These experiments aim to advance scientific knowledge and support future space exploration.

NASA is considering extending Crew Dragon missions, including Crew-11, from six to eight months, according to ISS Program Manager Dana Weigel. This potential extension is under review to optimize mission objectives and station operations.

During their stay, Crew-11 will also witness the arrival of the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-28 mission in November 2025, carrying NASA astronaut Chris Williams and two cosmonauts, as well as a Northrop Grumman resupply spacecraft. These events will support the ISS’s continuous operations and resource needs.

Crew-11 is SpaceX’s eleventh operational mission under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, which also included Boeing’s Starliner Crew Flight Test in June 2024, making it the twelfth flight overall. The program reflects NASA’s strategy to partner with private companies to maintain a consistent human presence on the ISS. This is also SpaceX Dragon's 19th human spaceflight mission.

Today's Falcon 9 first stage landing Zone, LZ-1, located at Launch Complex 13, will be leased to private companies Phantom Space and Vaya Space, as announced by the U.S. Space Force in March 2023. SpaceX can still request landing zone capabilities at its own launch complexes, subject to an extensive evaluation process, and continues to operate another landing site, Landing Zone 2, at the Cape.

Crew-11 launch was delayed by a day due to a scrub on July 31 caused by intruding clouds with just a minute left in the countdown.

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