IBM Declares Firefox Its New Official Browser

Big Blue is not known for making revolution internal changes to its business. After all, the way they do business has worked for over a century. When it comes to technology, however, IBM has lately been very keen to accepting new software, particularly software that is free and open source (such as Linux).

In what will undoubtedly send ripples through the Web, IBM has announced that Mozilla Firefox will be its new official browser. All 400,000 IBM employees are expected to make the switch on their desktops and laptops. IBM believes Firefox is “enterprise ready”, and as more of their products are sold as web applications and cloud services, one can safely assume that IBM will recommend Firefox to their customers.

Since its creation, Firefox has gradually chipped away at the large browser market share held by Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. Over the past year, however, Google’s Chrome browser has stolen some of the spotlight. This move by IBM will certainly give Firefox a boost. For web hosting providers that use IBM’s services, it will make sense to use Firefox, if IBM optimizes their applications with the open source browser in mind.

Source: CNET
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

What is SVG?

Question: What is SVG?

Answer: SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics. It is an open, XML-based graphics format that is being incorporated in Web standards. Many browsers already support SVG to some degree. It can be used for both still images and animations. Because SVG is a vector graphics format, the images can be resized and manipulated without degradation, which is why they are considered scalable.

For example, rather than having three different image sizes for an icon, a website can be configured to use an SVG image scaled to all three sizes. Even when enlarged, it will still maintain its quality. If your browser supports it, you can view an example here.

SVG file sizes can get large, depending on the amount of metadata included in the XML code, especially if the file includes gradients and animations. To compensate for this, there is standard SVG file compression, using gzip, that is lossless and reduces file size by 50%. As browsers continue to adopt HTML5 standards, SVG is expected to play a more significant role in web development.

Photo Source: Flickr

Why Browser Detection Fails

No matter what browser you use, there is a good chance you have come to a website that would not load. I am not referring to the sites that function incorrectly in a browser. I mean those websites that purposely deny your browser access because it is not the “right” browser. They usually come with cute messages telling you why you are not special enough to view their site.

Why am I ranting about this? The reason is simple. I do not want any of you who have websites or design sites for others to make the same mistake. Most HTML, CSS, and Javascript will function in any modern browser. If it does not for a particular user, they would be better off seeing what does not work and have a chance to fix it. Rather than making a site that may not work in some browsers, take the extra time to test your site, make it standards compliant, and ensure that it works in most browsers.

Browser detection fails because it usually relies on user agent data, which cannot be reliable. For example, a browser may be based on gecko (i.e. Firefox compatible) but may display a different name. The same may be true for any number of browsers, particularly those on mobile devices. You do not want to deny potential customers simply because their browser does not have a common name.

Photo Source: Flickr

Scribd Dumps Adobe Flash for HTML5

Scribd CTO Jared Freedman has announced that the document sharing website in HTML 5, abandoning the proprietary Adobe Flash application that has powered their site for the past three years. The move comes days after Apple CEO Steve Jobs offered his manifesto against flash and why it was bad for touch devices like the iPad.

Web developers have long had a love-hate relationship with Flash. Some would build entire sites based on it, while others shunned it for its lack of Web standards compliance, high CPU requirements, and proprietary license. For most web hosting companies it will not matter either way in the short term, anyone with a website will need to consider what devices are supported by their website.

Scribd will move to a Javascript/CSS/HTML5 web application that works better with their interface.

“Why do you need a special reading application just to view a document?” asked Friedman.

Unlike Flash, which requires the installation of a third-party plugin, Javascript and HTML are built into all modern browsers and are becoming increasingly popular. Many of the cross-browser consistency problems that drove developers to use Flash have since faded away, especially with Microsoft moving closer to standards compliance with each new Internet Explorer release.

Source: InformationWeek

Test Your Website in Multiple Browsers

The most difficult task in creating a new website is having to test it in all of the various browsers that your site’s visitors might use. The days of Netscape versus Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE) are over, and the days of MSIE reigning supreme are just about gone as well. Web developers must contend with no less than five major browsers, and there are numerous smaller ones, including those on mobile devices.

At one time the only option was to download and install every browser, but since that is not even an option with multiple platforms, you would be forced to use virtual machines to test the plethora of operating systems. There is a relatively reasonable solution, however, called Browsershots.

Browsershots is a website that allows you to select the specific browsers and operating systems you want to test. Simply enter your site’s URL, check off the browsers to test, and click the submit button. It will take some time, depending on how many browsers you choose, but the site will queue your test and slowly churn out screenshots of your site on each platform/browser. You can then download the complete set of shots in a convenient zip file. Browsers include Firefox, Google Chrome, Iceweasel, Opera, Flock, MSIE, Safari, Konqueror, and many others.

User agent validity

One common usage analysis data tool you can use to get a snapshot of your website users is the “user agent” string provided by web browsers. Generally speaking, the user agent will tell you what browser and operating system the user is running. It should also give the versions of each. There are, however, some validity concerns.

The first problem is that some browsers are equipped with extensions that allow the user to mask their true user agent. They may even do this in order to get better functionality on sites that erroneously exclude them because of the browser they use. The next problem is that your data will be skewed by search engine bots. To correct this, you will have to exclude any known bots from your data before doing any calculations.

Finally, it is important to note that browser usage is subject to change, sometimes even several times within the same day. Some users may use different browsers on different computers or may switch between browsers, depending on the task they are trying to accomplish. To get valid statistical results, you need to keep all of these factors in mind and adjust your findings accordingly. Nevertheless, user agent data can go a long way in determining your audience and if that audience is the one you intended to have.

Photo Source: Flickr

Mobile versions of website

Question: Should I have a complete mobile version of my website?

Answer: It is certainly an inconvenience to create a whole new version of your site, but the facts show that more people are accessing website from their mobile devices. For some people, this may even be their only method of regularly getting on the Web.

If your website is specifically geared for desktop users, then maybe making a mobile site is not so important or even not possible. But if your site provides information or a service, it is crucial to make sure people who access it from mobile devices will be able to use it.

There are a few Web companies that will create a mobile version of your site, and there are also plenty of tutorials that teach you how to streamline the conversion process. Moreover, W3C even has a mobileOK service that checks your website to see how mobile-friendly it is. Unfortunately, there is really no mobile standard. Screen sizes differ, as well as operating systems and browsers. Since you cannot test all mobile phones, try to create a site that is mostly text and is of variable size. Your visitors/customers will thank you.

Photo Source: Flickr

The HTML 5 video debate revisted

Website owners should always be concerned about the latest news and developments with the web browser wars and Web standards. Decisions made by these third parties can directly affect how your website is presented to your viewers and whether you need to make adjustments.

Our original post centered around Apple and Google’s unwillingness to adopt the open Theora format, citing its inferior performance quality to the proprietary and patent-laced H.264. This is still the case with both Apple and Google producing browsers that support the video tag from HTML 5 but do not support Theora. Youtube has added support for it, but it does not work in Mozilla Firefox, which, as an open source browser, cannot distribute H.264 technology.

It seems dismal, and Microsoft has still added little to the discussion, although they have at least joined it. All of this, however, might be about to take an unusual turn for the better. The Theora format was created by On2 Technologies and then released as open source later. On 17th of February, their stockholders approved a merger with Google and possibly future development on open video formats. This could be good for all parties in the end.

Source: On2 Technologies

Adobe's new BrowserLab puts browsers side by side

Tuesday Adobe announced a new service that will allow web designers to see how their sites look in multiple browsers at the same time. If you have ever designed a website, relying on your favorite browser, only to find out that it looks like a convoluted stack of boxes and images in another browers, this is a tool you will cherish.

They are calling the tool BrowserLab, and it will be available for preview for Macs and PCs running Adobe Flash 10. This appears to indicate that it will run inside of a web browser itself. Among its features is an “onion skin” mode that allows you to view the site in the browsers layered on top of one another in a virtual overlay. The initial offering will include Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari. Web developers will undoubtedly request Opera and Google Chrome, among others, in the future.

BrowserLab will be available for preview for free, although the final version will eventually be a paid service. Adobe has not released a time line for the final release. They intend to test it with real web designers and then release a more polished, user-oriented version.

Source: ZDNet