The latest development of Ubuntu for phones and tablets is on show at this year’s Mobile World Congress – including the visually stunning “scopes”, a new mobile UI paradigm.
Ubuntu has announced partnerships with Meizu, a hot manufacturer of phones in China, and BQ, a specialist European phone manufacturer, to bring the first range of Ubuntu devices to market in 2014. The industrial design of those devices is on show at MWC for the first time.
Ubuntu’s scopes are at the heart of its content-centric interface. They enable users to find content directly in the home screen. This gives industry partners extensive opportunities to customise the core interface of Ubuntu around their services and content.
Ubuntu’s tablet experience has also made substantial progress, its amazing multitasking fluidity has come to the fore and makes a great impression on devices between 7” and 10”.
Interested developers can join the GSMA’s WIPJam for a Web Tech Hack session on writing HTML5 apps for Ubuntu, and on integrating them with native devices using Apache Cordova. Look out for the Nexus 7 prize Canonical is giving away as part of the associated hackathon.
Ram Babu S 