iOS 4.2 updates Safari with accelerometer API, WebSockets, better HTML5 support

Multi-tasking wasn't the only thing that got rolled out to the iPad in iOS 4.2, Safari also got an under the radar update. Mobile Safari now has improved HTML5 support with greater W3C future standards compliance, including WebSockets, improved SVG support and better JavaScript data-type implementation. On the whole that means better support for advanced Web-based systems and apps, but that's not all that was updated in Mobile Safari with iOS 4.2.

Safari also got API implementations for the accelerometer and gyroscope (currently only found in the iPhone 4 and fourth-generation iPod touch). Soon you could see orientation-aware sites which display a different version of the site depending on the way you hold your iPhone or iPad. Imagine a site that reformats itself, giving you a desktop-like appearance in portrait, but a landscape-optimized gallery-type display when rotated -- the possibilities are endless. In the meantime, if you want to have a play with the orientation detection built into iOS 4.2, hop on over to Mobile Web Programming for all the details and try Maximiliano's rolling ball demo.

Tags: accelerometer, Apple, gyroscope, HTML5, iOS, ios 4.2, Ios4.2, Mobile Safari, MobileSafari, orientation, Safari