Around the Browsersphere #12
Posted on March 7th, 2009 | No Comments »
Whoa. Has it really been like eight months since the last time we went around the browsersphere? Not good. I guess we should do something about it…
General
- Lifehacker recently put the major players through some browser speed tests after some boasting by the Safari 4 folks.
- In Mobile Browser Wars, Ed Hansberry takes a look at the browser alternatives available for mobile devices (via Web Browsers News and Reviews).
- Ten Web Browsers that You May Have Never Heard of covers iRider, Lunascape, Ultrabrowser and Shiira, among others.
Avant Browser
- Avant Browser 11.7 Build 22, which appears to be a minor release, was released back on the 26th.
Camino
- Camino 2.0 Beta 2 was released back on the 27th.
- If you’re interested in the Camino schedule, get updated.
Chrome
- Read about improvements in the spellchecker used in Chrome.
- It is believed that extension support is coming to Chrome this May (via Web Browsers News and Reviews).
- See the first screenshots of Chrome running on Mac.
- Full-screen browsing has come to Chrome, but apparently doesn’t live up to the way the feature is supported in Firefox and IE7.
Firefox
- Daniel Glazman takes an in-depth look at monetizing Firefox extensions.
- A new mascot, Foxmosa, was recently added to the Mozilla family.
- Firefox Extension Guru’s Blog discusses the Firefox 3.1/3.5 release schedule and how advancements in other web browsers’ JavaScript engines have impacted the schedule.
- Some interesting file uploading ideas came up at a recent Firefox design lunch.
- Jesse Ruderman sheds some insight into the issues surrounding “continuous integration,” which from what I can tell involves how and when code is checked in and how build machines and tinderbox displays are impacted.
- John Slater, Creative Director at Mozilla, is looking for an intern.
- Take a look at the Mozilla Community Calendar.
- Firefox 3.0.7 was recently released.
- At first it was under consideration, and then the decision was made to version the Shiretoko release of Firefox, formally versioned as 3.1, as version 3.5.
- Here’s a granular look at the type of minor performance improvements that eventually make a web browser faster overall.
- Gotta love bugs that are simply titled things like “Make location bar autocomplete faster” and “Make location bar autocomplete even faster.”
- There is a call “for new Web apps that can help people make a difference while browsing the Web.”
- Is Firefox faster on Windows or Linux?
- Firefox is dominating in Antarctica.
Flock
- Apparently the Flock folks thought Flock would make a good Valentine’s Day gift? Personally, I’m glad I didn’t heed their advice for my wife’s gift this year.
Though, it looks like the Flock folks weren’t the only ones with this bright idea. - “People using Flock’s Eco-Edition conducted 80% more searches per user as compared to Flock’s overall population of users.”
Internet Explorer
- The Cost of Internet Explorer attempts to track all the “wasted time and effort” on the part of web developers trying to make websites compatible with IE.
- IE8’s Compatibility View explained (and a recap).
- IE8 Beta testers are making a difference.
- It’s not every day anymore that you see browsers like Internet Explorer 4 and 5.5 mentioned.
- An IE8 Reliability Update has been made available for Windows 7 users (like myself) who are using IE8 (unlike myself).
- It looks like the IE team will be pretty busy at MIX09.
- Check out a video that goes into detail about IE8’s new rendering engine (via Robert O’Callahan).
- Here’s a comparison between the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of IE7.
- Is the codename for IE9 “Triton?”
- Sarah Dutkiewicz wonders why Microsoft is held to a different standard when it comes to bundling IE with its operating system, Windows.
Maxthon
- Check out a chromed-out Maxthon icon.
- I think MaxthonGuy and I may have reached some kind of virtual truce. That is, until the next time the madness reappears over at his blog.
- Learn how to use the custom search feature in Maxthon (via Maxthon Resources).
- A new version of Maxthon 2.5 was released recently.
- At least one Maxthon user is frustrated that his favorite browser isn’t included in the browser reviews found in PC magazines, etc.
Opera
- Avencius’ coverage of the Opera 9.64 release uncovers some details about some platform-specific code that should make Windows users’ browsing experiences more secure.
- Opera unveiled Opera Turbo last month at Mobile World Congress 2009 and it was later discussed at Opera Watch.
- Take a look at a speed comparison between the browsers developed for the Nintendo DS and the DSi.
- Similar to my recent post about various web browser vendors claiming ‘First!’, Choose Opera touches on the topic of whether it matters who developed a feature first or not. Then, the very next day, they answered their own question.
- Opera Fingertouch is “a technology designed to make interacting with the Web easier and simpler on touch-based devices.”
- Apparently there is a demand out there for making Opera look like IE7 (via Daniel Glazman).
- Check out the Carakan FAQ for more information on Opera’s new JavaScript engine (via Opera Watch).
- Combining Opera with a touch UI.
Opera Mini
- Armenia, a country with around three million people, saw its Opera Mini usage grow by 2800% last year. See this and other interesting statistics in the State of the Mobile Web report (via Choose Opera).
- “Yahoo! is expected to begin distributing Opera Mini via Yahoo! Mobile and also as a standalone download from Yahoo!’s mobile Web sites in the near future.”
Orca Browser
- The first build of Orca Browser 1.1, Build 1, was released back on the 25th.
Safari
- Avencius’ review of Safari 4 Beta is a very positive one, and some details regarding branding of the new JavaScript engine are ironed out in the comments.
SeaMonkey
- Read a draft of the new SeaMonkey vision (via Mozilla Developer News).
- SeaMonkey 2.0 Alpha 3 was released this past week.
Skyfire
There was a lot to cover this time around, and there’s much more I haven’t yet covered. Hopefully that means we’ll see the 13th installment of “Around the Browsersphere” sooner than November.