Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sat 5th Jan 2013 14:53 UTC
And so this situation is starting to get ridiculous - and consumers are, as usual, caught in the middle of it all. Google has just blocked Windows Phone devices from accessing Google Maps on their phones. In addition, it also seems Windows Phone users are now restricted to the basic HTML version of the mobile GMail website. While understandable from a defensive perspective - Microsoft's extortion scheme targeting Android device makers and all that - it's still a massive dick move that only hurts consumers. Update: the media attention has worked - Google is backpedalling, and will remove the redirect. "We periodically test Google Maps compatibility with mobile browsers to make sure we deliver the best experience for those users. In our last test, IE mobile still did not offer a good maps experience with no ability to pan or zoom and perform basic map functionality. As a result, we chose to continue to redirect IE mobile users to Google.com where they could at least make local searches. The Firefox mobile browser did offer a somewhat better user experience and that’s why there is no redirect for those users. Recent improvements to IE mobile and Google Maps now deliver a better experience and we are currently working to remove the redirect. We will continue to test Google Maps compatibility with other mobile browsers to ensure the best possible experience for users."
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RE: We are talking about IE here!
by Nelson on Sat 5th Jan 2013 20:24
in reply to "We are talking about IE here! "
Member since:2005-11-29
RE: We are talking about IE here!
by Brendan on Sun 6th Jan 2013 01:56
in reply to "We are talking about IE here! "
Member since:2005-11-16
Hi,
So as a web developer many hours extra are put into supporting IE. We only just stopped supporting IE7,and now you get a not supported/out of date browser warning. The web thinks nothing of that practice. The death of each new IE version is celebrated.
So you're saying that the reason (some) web browsers don't bother complying with W3C standards properly is that they don't need to bother, because web developers will work-around issues anyway?
In that case, the only people we should be blaming is web developers. They should comply with the relevant standards (and nothing else - no browser specific extensions); and if a browser sucks dog balls that's the browser developer's problem and not the web developer's problem.
Instead of putting many extra hours into supporting a broken browser, do nothing, or just add a warning at the top of the page.
- Brendan
Edited 2013-01-06 01:57 UTC
RE[2]: We are talking about IE here!
by Nelson on Sun 6th Jan 2013 03:36
in reply to "RE: We are talking about IE here! "
Member since:2005-11-29
I think web devs can use browser extensions, but should also provide un-prefixed versions of said extensions to "future-proof" their site.
This way you get the best of both worlds:
- You can prototype with many browsers
- You can implementations which are in a state of flux separate
- You are sure to support the unprefixed version when the standard is ratified and less volatile.
So for example if "StandardA" is finalized, you can use a prefixed version of it for say IE if Microsoft's implementation differs (say they implemented a Working Draft) and you can always keep the unprefixed version up to date.
The bigger issue imo is that these things need to happen faster. It shouldn't take years for a group of people to agree on things. It reminds me of the US Congress.
RE[2]: We are talking about IE here!
by lucas_maximus on Sun 6th Jan 2013 12:07
in reply to "RE: We are talking about IE here! "
Member since:2009-08-18
RE[2]: We are talking about IE here!
by l3v1 on Sun 6th Jan 2013 16:30
in reply to "RE: We are talking about IE here! "
Member since:2005-07-06
In that case, the only people we should be blaming is web developers. They should comply with the relevant standards (and nothing else - no browser specific extensions); and if a browser sucks dog balls that's the browser developer's problem and not the web developer's problem.
Well, following that philosophy would've meant that Microsoft would've put out more standards-compliant IE versions earier? Like before or around IE6? Right? Yeah, right.
While I don't like what Google has done here, it also feels very hard for me to not to laugh when I hear Microsoft, IE and standards in the same sentence, paragraph even. Yeah, I have a long memory, especally in topics that have left a lasting negative impression.
However, Google's goals of providing service for everyone is, and will always prevail over any kind of browser wars, since it's part of a much bigger picture than "just" browsers. So this hiccup will fade and they'll make the eventual - if any 0 IE-specific changes and go on.
Treat this whole issue as just a poke towards IE from one of its "friendly" neighbors
News
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 22:33 UTC
Official Apple statement on PRISM and privacy: "Regardless of the circumstances, our Legal team conducts an evaluation of each request and, only if appropriate, we retrieve and deliver the narrowest possible set of information to the authorities. In fact, from time to time when we see inconsistencies or inaccuracies in a request, we will refuse to fulfill it." This is basically Apple re-publishing their earlier statement in a more official manner. You either believe it, or you don't.
Linked by Anonymous on 06/18/13 22:26 UTC
The open source Contiki operating system and its commercial Thingsquare distribution are making strides towards the connected home. According to a Computerworld article, a new LED light bulb manufacturer is putting small computers into their light bulbs. Each computer runs the Contiki OS, which gives each bulb an IP address and allows them to be controlled with a smartphone application. To connect the bulbs to the application, the bulbs use both Wi-Fi and the much lower power IEEE 802.15.4 mesh technology.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 22:25 UTC
"Google asked the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court on Tuesday to ease long-standing gag orders over data requests it makes, arguing that the company has a constitutional right to speak about information it's forced to give the government. The legal filing, which cites the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech, is the latest move by the California-based tech giant to protect its reputation in the aftermath of news reports about sweeping National Security Agency surveillance of Internet traffic." Draining the ditch after the cow has drowned in it.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 17:45 UTC
"I can't find one person who has been using the Nexus 7 for an extended period of time, and hasn't seen a massive downgrade in performance. Just what kind of downgrade are we talking here? I cannot pick up my Nexus 7 without experiencing problems like a lag of ten seconds, or more, just to rotate the display; touches refusing to acknowledged; stuttering notification panel actions; and unresponsive apps." Fully and utterly agreed. My Nexus 7 was blazing-fast and awesome for a few months, and at some point, it just started sucking. Just like that. I've tried loads of ROMs, and nothing helps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 17:32 UTC, submitted by poundsmack
A new release of the hobby operating system MenuetOS! The release notes are a bit non-descript, but you'll have to take what you can get: "updates and improvements (picview, httpc, ehci, ...)".
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/17/13 17:58 UTC
"The Internet is one of the most transformative technologies of our lifetimes. But for 2 out of every 3 people on earth, a fast, affordable Internet connection is still out of reach. And this is far from being a solved problem. There are many terrestrial challenges to Internet connectivity - jungles, archipelagos, mountains. There are also major cost challenges. Right now, for example, in most of the countries in the southern hemisphere, the cost of an Internet connection is more than a month's income. Solving these problems isn't simply a question of time: it requires looking at the problem of access from new angles. So today we're unveiling our latest moonshot from Google[x]: balloon-powered Internet access." Insane.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/17/13 17:52 UTC
"MineAssemble is a tiny bootable Minecraft clone written partly in x86 assembly. I made it first and foremost because a university assignment required me to implement a game in assembly for a computer systems course. Because I had never implemented anything more complex than a 'Hello World' bootloader before, I decided I wanted to learn about writing my own kernel code at the same time. Note that the goal of this project was not to write highly efficient hand-optimized assembly code, but rather to have fun and write code that balances readability and speed. This is primarily accomplished by proper commenting and consistent code structuring." Just cool.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/14/13 21:03 UTC
Jon Rubinstein, former CEO of Palm: "Well, I'm not sure I would have sold the company to HP. That's for sure. Talk about a waste. Not that I had any choice because when you sell a company you don't get to decide that. Obviously, the board and shareholders decide that. If we had known they were just going to shut it down and never really give it a chance to flourish, what would have been the point of selling the company? I think the deal we had with Verizon really hurt us, but who knew that at the time? These things are all hindsight."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/14/13 20:46 UTC
"And so it is with Dell's Alienware X51 R2, a small form factor gaming PC in console digs. It's shaped similar to Microsoft's Xbox 360 Slim, and though it's slightly larger than either a 360 or PlayStation 3, the X51 R2 would be right at home in a living room setting nestled next to a large screen TV. Indeed, it's adept at running Steam's Big Picture mode, and if your primary objective is to play games in the living room, go ahead and consider the X51 R2 a hybrid game console." This is obviously not the only machine like this - still, these are very valid console alternatives even for those that don't like being hunched over with a cramped WASD-claw. Also, PC gamers among us: could you get away with the $699 model for gaming?
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/14/13 17:32 UTC
From Bloomberg: "Microsoft, the world's largest software company, provides intelligence agencies with information about bugs in its popular software before it publicly releases a fix, according to two people familiar with the process. That information can be used to protect government computers and to access the computers of terrorists or military foes." The lid has officially been blown off.More News »
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Member since:
2010-07-13
So as a web developer many hours extra are put into supporting IE. We only just stopped supporting IE7,and now you get a not supported/out of date browser warning. The web thinks nothing of that practice. The death of each new IE version is celebrated.
Perhaps, in the nice version, Google said we have been screwed over and over again by IE. But no more! Sure perhaps IE10 mobile is ok now, but in a year? When all the other mobile browsers move on?
Edited 2013-01-05 15:41 UTC