science

MicroB

MicroB is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand MicroB rather than just read about it. In short: MicroB was a mobile web browser developed by Nokia for use in smartphones and mobile devices that run the Maemo operating system. The browser is Mozilla-based and uses the Gecko layout engine.

Key takeaways

MicroB belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect MicroB to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of MicroB from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

MicroB was a mobile web browser developed by Nokia for use in smartphones and mobile devices that run the Maemo operating system. The browser is Mozilla-based and uses the Gecko layout engine. It is shipped with Nokia's N800, N810 and N900 Internet Tablets, and is also available for the 770 via the 'Hacker Editions' of the operating system. In place of Mozilla's XUL-based user interface, MicroB uses the Maemo-native (GTK-based) Hildon API and widgets.

History MicroB was initially released as a public beta for Internet Tablet OS 2007 on July 17, 2007 to allow third-party developers and community members to develop and port plugins, and help shape the development of the browser. It was updated several times before it replaced Opera as Internet Tablet OS's default browser with the release of Internet Tablet OS 2008 on November 18, 2007 with the N810.

Architecture MicroB is Mozilla-based and uses the Gecko engine, but a number of features are omitted due to platform-specific limitations. In particular, SVG support is disabled due to unacceptable performance, and XUL is not included to reduce size and decrease memory consumption. As XUL is not included, most Firefox plugins require porting and repackaging before they can be used with MicroB. In place of XUL, MicroB uses GTK and the Hildon UI toolkit to provide a native interface.

Add-ons Add-ons usually need to be ported. The Maemo Browser Extras project is responsible for a large number of the available add-ons.

Some MicroB Plugins

Adblock Plus Adobe Flash 9 (bundled with Maemo) Flashblock Gears (partial functionality) Greasemonkey – All scripts that work on the desktop version of Firefox work fine in MicroB, extending the capabilities of the browser and even replacing the need for some extensions which are not available for MicroB. MPlayer plugin Windows Media Player Stream and RealPlayer stream supports via the built-in Media player WML browser

Notes

References

External links MicroB Homepage Archived 2008-04-21 at the Wayback Machine Maemo Browser Extras

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with MicroB

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what MicroB claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to MicroB before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about MicroB ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of MicroB

In research: MicroB appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses MicroB in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: MicroB is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Discontinued mobile web browsers, Embedded Linux, Mozilla, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for MicroB outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study MicroB in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what MicroB means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain MicroB out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is MicroB in simple terms?

MicroB was a mobile web browser developed by Nokia for use in smartphones and mobile devices that run the Maemo operating system. The browser is Mozilla-based and uses the Gecko layout engine.

Why does MicroB matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study MicroB?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on MicroB.