Windows 8 Pin METAs
Windows 8 allows for adding websites as apps (or maybe "bookmarks" is a better term) to the home screen, much in the vein that iOS allows users to do the same. Like iOS devices, Windows 8 allows users to accomplish this same task using custom META tags embedded within the page HTML:
<meta name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#FF0000" />
<meta name="msapplication-TileImage" content="/windows8-icon.png" />
The image size should be 144x144 and you'll want to define a custom background color with the META tag above. Tags like these are invaluable -- very little HTML to add but a giant convenience to users. Remember that the easier it is to get to your site, the more likely they will come back often!
![From Webcam to Animated GIF: the Secret Behind chat.meatspac.es!]()
My team mate Edna Piranha is not only an awesome hacker; she's also a fantastic philosopher! Communication and online interactions is a subject that has kept her mind busy for a long time, and it has also resulted in a bunch of interesting experimental projects...
![Convert XML to JSON with JavaScript]()
If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I've been working on a super top secret mobile application using Appcelerator Titanium. The experience has been great: using JavaScript to create easy to write, easy to test, native mobile apps has been fun. My...
![Introducing MooTools LinkAlert]()
One of my favorite Firefox plugins is called LinkAlert. LinkAlert shows the user an icon when they hover over a special link, like a link to a Microsoft Word DOC or a PDF file. I love that warning because I hate the surprise...
![QuickBoxes for Dojo]()
Adding to my mental portfolio is important to me. First came MooTools, then jQuery, and now Dojo. I speak often with Peter Higgins of Dojo fame and decided it was time to step into his world. I chose a simple but useful plugin...
I wonder if there are HTTP headers that allows to do the same.
How do you actually go about adding the website as an app in windows 8?
Even though we *can* do this… it really bugs me that we have 8 different ways to set this kind of stuff per browser/device.
IMHO, it would have been much better if all browsers used the same “link” “favicon” in PNG/GIF/JPG format… and it had attributes for different size icons (device/browser to choose the best size for its needs)
Instead we have IE searching the at the server root for an icon in *.ico format, special meta tags for iOS, different tags for Windows8, etc. From a *lightweight* mobile perspective… cramming umpteen meta tags in to handle all the potential devices is totally counter productive!
Oh well… I guess this is progress!
why iOS allows users to do the same.
I agree with Stephen, with every other OS and social media site adding their own meta tags it’s bloating up the element.
That should have read head element.