Tag Archives: Mozilla
What Is Boot 2 Gecko? A Look At Mozilla’s Chrome-esque Cloud OS
Posted on 08. Aug, 2011 by Nicholas Greene. 
0 Comments
Mozilla’s been having a pretty rough time lately. Their browser, Firefox; started out in a pretty sweet spot- as an excellent alternative to Internet Explorer. Now, it seems as though their browser is the one people are seeking an alternative to- and that alternative just happens to be Google Chrome. It’s no secret that both Firefox and IE have been losing market share to Chrome lately- and if they keep going at the rate they’re going, Chrome could very well end up as the dominant browser in the market.
Recently, Google nixed Firefox’s Google Bar. While versions that already had the bar designed for them still kept the addon, any version beyond 5 no longer offered it. Naturally, there were a lot of fans of the browser who were rather unhappy with Google’s decision- and a great many people who felt that a move like this only underscored that Google no longer saw Mozilla as an ally; but an enemy instead. I won’t go into the details of the Google bar’s demise- because honestly, they’re irrelevant to us. What we are going to focus on is an announcement that Mozilla made shortly after Google officially cut support for the Firefox addon.
Apparently, Mozilla is working on a web-based operating system.
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Firefox 4 Going the Auto-Update Method
Posted on 08. Aug, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 4 Comments
It was a big deal when Google released Chrome and decide that the browser needed to be updated automatically without user prompting. While somewhat controversial, the method works and keeps Chrome as current as possible, thwarting it from malicious attacks. Indeed, a recent study has shown that 97% of Chrome users are running the most recent version because of the auto-update method.
Now the new version of Firefox, the fourth installment, will go down this route and Mozilla will quietly update their browser automatically. Not only does this keep the browser safer, it allows Mozilla to better compete directly with Chrome by being able to stream updates to users.
Take a look at these graphs on update cycles for both Chrome and Firefox.
You can see that Chrome users in the past have been recipients of browser updates that allow previous versions to simply die off. Consider that if Microsoft had been doing this method some time ago, they wouldn’t be confronted with the Internet Explorer 6 scrutiny they’ve been under; instead they have opted to promote Windows 7 instead which does version 8 of IE.
Google Ups the Reward For Chromium Security Fixes
Posted on 20. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 2 Comments
For the past six months, those who have been able to find a flaw in Chromium were awarded cash prizes for doing so. Now that this program has been ongoing for some time, the Chromium team has decided increase the amount given out for the most critical of flaws found, moving from $1,337 to $3,133.70. Most awards will remain at the $500 level, depending on the published severity guidelines.
The Chromium project has lead to Chrome being one of the most secure browsers on the market. The annual conference where researchers try to compromise browsers and other computer platforms, Pwn2Own, had no takers for Chrome browser this year. It could be because Chrome is still the newcomer on the market. Nevertheless all of the other major browsers ended up getting hacked at Pwn2Own.
It’s unknown whether or not the decision from the Chromium team relates to Mozilla recently raising their Security Bug Bounty Program award up from $500 to $3,000. With that being said, moving the amount just above Mozilla’s while keeping the cachet of the original award may mean something when thinking about Firefox versus Chrome: actions speak louder than words.
Inside Chrome 6: Video
Posted on 19. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 2 Comments
This article on video is part of a series of posts discussing the new features and technology that will come with the official newest release of Chrome browser – Version 6.
The rise of video on the internet is going to really change the web – although that has been said for years, it’s taking advances in broadband and browser technology for it to happen. We’re getting close, and the fact that Google TV is coming later this year with a version of Android and the Chrome browser on top, new technology in Chrome 6 will propel web-based video even further.
Chrome 6 will support the WebM standard, which runs on the recently opened-up video codec called VP8. WebM is supported by Mozilla, Opera and Google among other technology companies. The early beta of Firefox 4 is the first browser to support WebM.
Earlier this year, Google bought On2 Technologies, which owned the patent to VP8. Once the acquisition was made, several open source groups such as the Free Software Foundation asked Google to open up VP8, and they did. The On2 acquisition was big for the development of HTML5 video in newer generation browsers. With WebM, HTML5 video is run through an open standard, a process that in the past has been handled by Flash and a video technology called H.264, which is not open.
So what does this all mean? Improved quality of video as well as overall performance, no matter where you are. Plus, we’ll see more capability to mash-up, modify and generally edit videos in ways we probably have not yet even though of.
Need some proof? Consider this Chrome Experiment called “Destructive Video” by Sean Christmann. Although it uses the Ogg video codec instead (WebM just came out), you are able to break up a clip into pieces whilst the video is play. Also, check out the YouTube mobile site, which is HTML5-based and very snappy. Although the codec used here is H.264, the WebM format will be introduced as mobile devices get WebM, which Android is expected have implemented later on this year.
thechromesource Daily: Links for 7/14/10
Posted on 14. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Linux will dominate mobile devices by 2015, owning a 62% share of the market according to a report by ABI Research.
In a bid to fix user input issues with ever-smaller computing devices, MIT researchers are working on an invisible mouse.
Mozilla may be working on an open App Store that works across all devices, but will anyone actually use it?
Ten percent of all Google Search queries are now from mobile devices.
eWeek’s Clint Boulton says that Google is for pandas and Facebook is for lobsters, although the two aren’t mutually exclusive.
w3schools: Chrome Adoption Growing Fast
Posted on 12. Jul, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Back in January, I remarked about how quickly Chrome browser had been gaining share of the early adopter market. Back then, 10% of those who used the w3schools.com web developer site were browsing with Chrome. Now six months later that figure has jumped to over fifteen percent. Here is the month by month stats for 2010.
Those growth numbers are pretty impressive, don’t you think? They are markedly different from other browsers, whose numbers do move nearly as fast as Chrome.
So the data here tells one that those who develop for the web are increasingly interested in at least checking out what Chrome is all about. Recently Chris Blizzard from Mozilla told Gizmodo that they aren’t afraid of Chrome, and the data here suggests he’s right about that notion: Firefox has not lost any share to Chrome, it has mostly come at Microsoft’s expense.
NetApplications is reporting that worldwide use of Chrome is somewhere around 7%, so those who are using it to develop and otherwise create for the web are double that amount. That seems pretty logical to me.
thechromesource Daily: Links for 6/16/10
Posted on 16. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Remember the Chromium repository files that listed Dell, Acer and HP? They’ve been replaced by different ones now.
While Google has not launched its own storage service, it has given Memeo permission to use the “GDrive” name for Google Docs.
Social networking-focused browser Flock has replaced its Mozilla underpinnings with those of the Chromium browser.
The next version of Android will be focused on the user interface, hoping to avoid having manufactures put their own UI on devices.
Here’s a video of the the Logitech Revue, which will be a companion device for Google TV.
thechromesource Daily: Links for 5/23/10
Posted on 23. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
In response to the Chrome Web App Store, Mozilla has announced on its blog an initiative for an Open Web App Store.
Here is the FTC’s official statement on their decision to let the Google-AdMob deal go ahead.
GNU founder and open source maven Richard Stallman talks to Mashable about how open Google really is these days.
PCWorld looks at how Google’s search engine results have helped hackers get their software on unsuspecting users’ computers.
Amazon has been quietly successful in the cloud computing market, but should they now be concerned about Google?
Google I/O Day 1: HTML5, Open Source Video and Interesting Apps
Posted on 19. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
While many expected big announcements at Google I/O, Day One featured mostly a build-up to what is expected to be much larger announcements at the second keynote that is happening tomorrow morning. Some of the rumors that have been heard about Android and Google TV did not come to fruition, at least for today.
A big revelation is the fact that Google’s $124.6 million purchase of video codec firm On2 will allow the company’s VP8 technology to be open sourced in a initiative known as WebM. This is going to be embraced by an array of web-centric companies, including Opera, Mozilla and Skype.
Some interesting web-based software companies were featured like the TV-Guide-ish Clicker.tv and MugTug, which is a browser-based image editing software that is powered by HTML5′s 2D canvas technology:
Heavily presented at today’s keynote were advancing technologies that are propelling the web. Interestingly, the CEOs of both Mozilla and Opera had a chance to talk and then the Chrome Web Store was announced which clearly will only be run within Google’s own Chrome browser and eventually Chrome OS.
We’ll be intently watching tomorrow, however, and keep posting updates as fast as we can.
thechromesource Daily: Links for 5/13/10
Posted on 13. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
The Chromium Blog has a sneak peak at how their Native Client software development kit will allow for development of Chrome applications.
ARMDevices speculates that the Native Client SDK will allow complex web applications to run on ARM processors.
ReadWriteWeb has an article out that is about Mozilla’s plug-in checker, which now works with all browsers.
It’s clear that Google Apps plans to offer more than just the document and spreadsheet package common with productivity suites.
Those behind the Linux-based Ubuntu OS are contemplating switching from Firefox as the default browser over to Chromium.
Chrome 5 – Bigger, Badder and Faster
Posted on 05. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 2 Comments
No doubt that it has been big news about all of the new features included in the new release of Chrome 5, which is a beta yet should be going stable quite soon. Some of the biggest features include integrated Flash, a revamped V8 JavaScript engine and geolocation. Also: an overhauled HTML based bookmarks manager, an extension-capable Incognito Mode and the ability (finally) to organize your extensions the way you want them.
Let’s also not forget the fact that although Chrome has been known for its speed, this element has been amped up even more for the newest realease. Look at how much faster Chrome has gotten since its inception in 2008.
With all of the new elements in Chrome browser, one has to start to wonder what Mozilla, Microsoft and Apple will do with their respective browsers. Quite frankly, I’m not sure that these other companies are going to be able to keep up with all that Google is doing to build the best browser available, especially since it is available for all of the major operating systems. This coupled with the fact that Chrome also has its own open source community, Chromium, certainly lends itself even more credit.
Let’s also not forget slick marketing. The ads that have been released touting Chrome are thoughtful and very original. Who else is trying to sell you their browser technology this way, or even at all?
Analysis: Who Benefits Most From the Chrome-Flash Collaboration?
Posted on 30. Mar, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 5 Comments
We all thought it was dead; in one fell swoop its back on the map.
It was rumored yesterday that Google and Adobe would work together to integrate Flash into the Chrome browser, and that rumor indeed came true. Now the development version of Chrome is capable of having Flash baked in, if you so choose. At some point in the near future, this will be implemented to all versions of Chrome. I think many are surprised by the move here, but at the same time this was decision that must have been was months in the making as Google becomes more of an adversary to Apple.
What happens here is a lesson of competitive advantage: Google plans on having a big share of the mobile market since they have watched what Apple has been able to accomplish with wireless phones and the hype over the iPad. So creating a strategic partnership with Mozilla and Adobe makes sense. Sure, Flash is not open source but it would not surprise me that there is some sort of agreement between Google and Adobe to start heading that way with Flash, seeing as how Google supports it with Chrome, Android, Chrome OS and other projects.
So Google gets a competitive advantage over Apple. What does Adobe gain? Well, in the future, everyone who uses Chrome will get Flash installed. Since most browsers today have it installed anyways, a logical step is to integrate it. Plus, most people don’t spend time updating Flash unless thye need to for running something in their browser that needs it, and that leaves users vulnerable to attack since older versions are more susceptible than the latest and greatest.
An auto-update allows users to be worry-free when it comes to Flash. Because most people don’t really care about Flash itself, they just want the interactive web to work as it should, right?
It’s been said that Adobe has struggled to keep Flash from being exploited, most likely due to the fact that before now Flash wasn’t a target of hackers. That’s no longer the case and it makes one wonder how this will affect Adobe’s other popular free software, Reader, which uses rather large PDF file formats that could contain malicious code.
So who gains the most? While Google getting a standard format integrated into Chrome is certainly a plus, it does make one wonder whatever happened to the huge push to HTML5, where video codecs are browser embedded and can play clips using a tag. Perhaps this is a reaction to the metrics recorded from the YouTube HTML5 beta, with Google realizing that Flash is so ubiquitous it is better off increasing support of the format that powers the biggest and potentially most profitable video site in the world.
Adobe gets exposure for their formats as a result of this, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone now that a seemingly resurrected Flash will allow them to continue to provide all sorts of web content to end users. They get the backing of Google which will challenge Steve Jobs’ assertion that Flash is full of bugs, and allow for a more secure experience because security sandboxing will be implemented. Not to mention the fact that auto-update will limit the amount of widespread attack that could possible. This could potentially motivate hackers to take on different, and perhaps more exploitable, targets that exist.
So for now Google wins, until we see Flash integrated in all the major browsers – which could be the next move since Mozilla also has an interest in this new collaboration.
