Jun 032014
 
chrome-logo-2011-04-27

A browser is one of the most resource-intensive things you can run on a computer. Start a multi-tab workload and it’s not uncommon to quickly gobble up multiple gigabytes of RAM. To help deal with the Web’s ever-growing thirst for system resources, Google is catching up with the Internet Explorers and Safaris of the world by releasing a 64-bit version of Chrome.

The new version was announced on the Chromium blog, along with a list of benefits that the switch to 64-bit brings to the table. Thanks to compiler optimizations and a more advanced instruction set, Google says it is getting big speed boosts.

via 64-bit Chrome is faster, more stable, and more secure | Ars Technica.

 

 


 

May 282013
 

 

Opera has built a new Web browser from the ground up, and it’s available now on Windows and Mac.

The new Opera, which the organization is calling Next, its channel for what used to be known as “beta,” was built from scratch, it claims. What has resulted is a much cleaner interface and a host of features that Opera says, will make it easier for users to find contents.

The big change is that Opera has replaced its proprietary engine Presto with the Chromium engine. That will allow the company’s browser to load more quickly and handle slow network connections more effectively.

MORE:   Opera Next makes its debut on Windows, Mac | Internet & Media – CNET News.

 

 


 

Mar 112013
 

 opera

Last month Opera announced it would be abandoning the Presto rendering engine that has been the basis of the browser since its inception. Instead the company will use the WebKit rendering engine for all its future releases, starting with this Opera Mobile for Android beta.

The revamped Opera for Android isn’t just different under the hood, Opera has redesigned the entire browser from the ground up opting for a more Android-native look. The new user interface is cleaner and reminiscent of Chrome for Android with a single menu button at the top of the screen rather than the space-eating toolbar found in the old Opera Mobile. While I prefer the new UI, it’s worth noting that the new design is decidedly less thumb-friendly.

Other cosmetic changes include combining the URL bar and search bar, and a new tab switching interface also similar to what you’ll find in Safari on iOS.

However, while the first WebKit-based Opera Mobile is clearly different it manages to retain, and even improve on, much of what made (makes) Opera unique.

For example, Opera Mobile’s trademark “Speed Dial” page

READ MORE: Reborn Opera Mobile Sings on Android | Webmonkey | Wired.com.

 

 


 

Mar 052013
 

opera-beta

The first results of Operas WebKit brain transplant are now available for people to try: a beta version of Opera for Android.The new version uses Android-native user-interface elements but preserves many Opera features such as Speed Dial. It gets some new features, too, such as Off-road Mode to enable a proxy-browsing technology designed for slow network connections and the Discovery tool for people who want to browse content tailored to their interests.

READ MORE:  Operas overhauled Android browser now in beta | Internet & Media – CNET News.

 

 


 

Feb 052013
 

internet-web

If you ever need a quick scratchpad to just write, not save what you write, but just write, you can quickly turn your web browser into an ultra-basic notepad with a single line of HTML.

This clever trick comes from developer Jose Jesus Perez Aguinaga who says that “sometimes I just need to type garbage. Just to clear out my mind. Since I live in the browser, I just open a new tab and type”

data:text/html, <html contenteditable>

Thanks to the HTML5 contenteditable attribute and the modern browser’s ability to handle data URIs, your browser is now a notepad — just click to type.

MORE:  Turn Your Browser into a Notepad With a Single Line of HTML5

 

 


 

Jul 252012
 

Drag and drop a folder of files and you’re out of luck. Currently browsers just ignore folders dropped into them. Chrome, however, recently added folder support to its bag of drag-and-drop tricks. You’ll need to be using Chrome 21 or better (currently in the dev channel).

If you’d like to see how the new folder parsing works, HTML5Rocks has a quick little tutorial on how you can add support for folders to your web app.

The JavaScript required to support folders consists of an extra loop to tunnel through folders and get to “Entry” objects. That’s a slightly different syntax than what you might have seen if you’ve read tutorials on the File API in the past — using “Entry” instead of “File”. There are two new properties as well — .isFile and .isDirectory.

MORE:  Chrome 21 Adds New Drag-and-Drop Tricks | Webmonkey | Wired.com.

 


May 292012
 

Fresh off Facebooks acquisition of Instagram for a whopping $1.17 billion and following a lackluster initial public offering punctuated by more fizzle than sizzle, Mark Zuckerberg and company are reportedly interested in scooping up Opera Software, the Norwegian outfit behind the semi-popular Opera browser, and the only browser maker that puts out entertaining press releases.

Word of a possible acquisition comes from Pocket-Lint.com, which is getting its information from one of its “trusted sources.” This “man in the know” tells Pocket-Lint that Facebook wants its own browser, one that would allow its users to interact with the site through baked-in plug-ins and special features on the menu bar.

SOURCE Maximum PC | Facebook Eyes Browser Acquisition, Wants to Throw an Opera Party.

 


Oct 122011
 

Total revenue for Mozilla in 2010 was $123million, up approximately 18 percent, according to the newly released State of Mozilla report.

The browser giant’s revenue is generated mostly by partering with the major search engines for the search functionality in Firefox, as well as donations and grants.

via Mozilla revenue up 18% | News | .net magazine.

Sep 062011
 

 

 

Facebook quietly launched a Like button browser extension for Chrome a couple months ago, TechCrunch has discovered today. The extension appears as a button to the right of the search and address box in the Chrome interface, and as an option in the right-click menu. As one might expect, it lets you like any web page, share content and your commentary back to Facebook, and see the number of other Facebook users who have liked a post.

via Facebook’s Unannounced Like Button Extension for Chrome Is Live and Waiting for Users.

Aug 202011
 

So why does Mozilla want to ditch the version number? In the words of Asa Dotzler, director of Firefox, “we’re moving to a more web-like convention where it’s simply not important what version you’re using as long as it’s the latest version. We have a goal to make version numbers irrelevant to our consumer audience.”

via Firefox: The Emperor Wears No Versions | Webmonkey | Wired.com.

 

Does not seem entirely rational. -JA