IE8 is the last version of the Internet Explorer Web browser. At least, that’s what I’m hearing through the grapevine. It seems that Microsoft is preparing to throw in the towel on its Internet Explorer engine once and for all.
snydeq writes “InfoWorld’s Randall Kennedy reports on rumors that IE8 may be Internet Explorer’s swan song: ‘IE8 is the last version of the Internet Explorer Web browser,’ Kennedy writes. ‘It seems that Microsoft is preparing to throw in the towel on its Internet Explorer engine once and for all.’ And what will replace it? Some are still claiming that Microsoft will go with WebKit, which is used by Safari and Chrome. The WebKit story, Kennedy contends, could be a feint and that Microsoft will instead adopt Gazelle, Microsoft Research’s brand-new engine that thinks like an OS. ‘This new engine will supposedly be more secure than Firefox or even Chrome, making copious use of sandboxing to keep its myriad plug-ins isolated and the overall browser process model protected.'” The sticking point will be what Microsoft does about compatibility for ActiveX apps.
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An anonymous reader writes “After many years of release-free development, FFmpeg, the most widely used audio and video codec library, has finally returned to a regular release schedule with the long-awaited version 0.5. While the list of changes is far too long to list here, some high-profile improvements include the reverse-engineering of all Real video formats, WMV9/VC-1 support, AAC decoding, and of course vast performance improvements across the board. To commemorate the ‘lively’ discussions predating the release, 0.5 is codenamed ‘half-way to world domination A.K.A. the belligerent blue bike shed.’ The new version can be downloaded from the official website.” As another reader points out, FFmpeg is what makes some open source multimedia apps (like MPlayer, Xine, VLC and Kdenlive) so versatile.
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Canceling accounts you’ve created on the Web isn’t always easy. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to ditch social networks, online retailers, blogging services, and more.
Computer scientists affiliated with the Center for Research on Computation and Society (CRCS), based at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), in collaboration with scientists at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) in Belgium, deployed the first practical, web-based implementation of a secure, verifiable…
The Telegraph has reportedly become the latest high-profile website to be hacked into – potentially compromising thousands of subscribers’ passwords and personal details.
Al writes “A company called Presto hopes to exploit the painful amount of time it takes for Windows computers to start up by offering a streamlined version of Linux that boots in just seconds. Presto’s distro comes with Firefox, Skype and other goodies pre-installed and the company has also created an app store so that users can install only what they really need. The software was demonstrated at this years’s Demo conference in Palm Desert, CA. Interestingly, the company barely mentions the name Linux on its website. Is this a clever stealth-marketing ploy for converting Windows users to Linux?”
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An anonymous reader writes “It’s not sci-fi, but rather advanced robotics research which is leading Intel to envision shape-shifting smartphones. ‘Imagine what you would do with this material,’ says Jason Campbell, a senior researcher at Intel’s Pittsburgh Lab who’s working in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University. ‘If you want to carry the device, you’d make it as small as possible by making it pack itself as densely as possible. When you go to surf the Web, you’re going to make it big.’ The material being studied is transparent silicon-dioxide hemispheres, which can roll around each other under electrical control to create different shapes. The lab has built 6-inch long actuators, which it’s working to reduce to 1-mm tube-sized prototypes. When will we see a shape-shifting phone? ‘In terms of me being able to buy it, that’s a difficult forecasting problem, because I have to guess about manufacturing costs,’ Campbell said. ‘I won’t do that. But we hope the science will be proved out in three to five years.'”
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One of my favorite web design blogs, Digital Web Magazine is shutting down. The site has been around since 1996 and I’m sure web designers everywhere are sad to see it go.
foxxo writes “I’m a library worker, so I get lots of questions about our collection when I’m out in the stacks. I’d love to be able to access our online catalog and give patrons more comprehensive guidance without directing them to the reference desk. What options are available for a portable device with Wi-Fi connectivity, full-featured Web browsing, and (most importantly) no cellphone-style activation and service fees? Size is important, too; I need something I can carry in my pocket, not a micro-notebook with full keyboard. (And I am a library worker, so low cost is key!)” One device that sounds interesting in this category is the GiiNii Movit (not yet released, but shown off at CES). What can you recommend that’s out there now?
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