Mozilla publishes name and shame list of slow Firefox add-ons, cracks down on tardy devs

Firefox slow-addons list
Mozilla, continuing its year-long crusade to speed up Firefox startup and shutdown times, has published a name and shame list of the Firefox's slowest add-ons.

The list is just one part of Mozilla's new efforts to highlight slow add-ons, and to help developers make their add-ons more efficient. Over the next two weeks, 'slow performance warnings' will be introduced in the add-on gallery so that users can see, before installation, which add-ons will slow down their browser. If that isn't enough to spur developers into cleaning up their add-ons, Mozilla has also begun reaching out to developers of slow add-ons with tips on how to improve add-on performance. Finally, add-on developers will soon have the ability to perform 'on-demand performance testing,' so that they can test their add-on before it's deployed publicly.

Mozilla reports that the average Firefox add-on slows down Firefox's start-up time by 10% -- which means, if you install 10 add-ons, you will double your start-up time. On fast desktop PCs that kind of slowdown might be negligible, but on older computers, laptops and smartphones, it could be the difference between a 5 and 10 second startup. Mozilla has obviously realized that while massive performance gains might've been made with Firefox 4, the addition of third-party add-ons can destroy any user-perceived improvements.

In other news, Mozilla says that a future build of Firefox will block the installation of add-ons (such as toolbars) by third-party software. Add-ons and toolbars that are bundled in this way will require explicit approval when you next open up Firefox. Hooray!

Mozilla publishes name and shame list of slow Firefox add-ons, cracks down on tardy devs originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 05:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/mozilla-publishes-name-and-shame-list-of-slow-firefox-add-ons/

SATYAM COMPUTER SERVICES SES SHAW COMMUNICATIONS MCAFEE MAXIMUS

iSites overhauled, now lets you publish cloud-based HTML5 iPhone apps in minutes

iSites -- a zero-code cloud-based 'app creator' -- can now generate HTML5 apps that work on iOS devices. With this new feature, dubbed 'InstantApp', you can now design a single app in your browser and publish it natively on Android and iOS, and as an HTML5 iPhone app.

We haven't looked at iSites before, but it shot to fame last year when it launched with native iOS and Android support. Self-publishing Android apps wasn't a problem because Google does very little moderation of the Market, but iSites ran into trouble with its iOS apps. Thousands of people signed up for the service after it was featured on Mashable and TechCrunch, and you can imagine Apple's chagrin as thousands of cookie cutter apps flooded its approval queue.

Genwi, the developer behind iSites, realized something had to be done -- it had to circumvent the App Store approval process. Genwi, of course, turned to HTML5 Web apps -- which can be pinned to the iPhone home screen and which can be shoehorned into almost behaving like native apps.

Read on for our experiences with iSites' new InstantApp HTML5 iOS app creator.

Continue reading iSites overhauled, now lets you publish cloud-based HTML5 iPhone apps in minutes

iSites overhauled, now lets you publish cloud-based HTML5 iPhone apps in minutes originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/30/isites-overhauled-now-lets-you-publish-cloud-based-html5-iphone/

F5 NETWORKS EPICOR SOFTWARE EMULEX EMS TECHNOLOGIES EMC

Are Double Ears a Genetic Disorder Or a Freaky Fashion Trend? [Jewelry]

Whoa. It's probably still way too early on a Saturday to fully comprehend what you're seeing here, but artist Percy Lau has created this trippy earring design which makes it look like you've got a smaller ear growing off your lobe. Freaky. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/qrM7onzohPs/are-double-ears-a-genetic-disorder-or-a-freaky-fashion-trend

OPENWAVE SYSTEMS ON SEMICONDUCTOR NVIDIA NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS NOVELLUS SYSTEMS

There's Finally a Wookiee iPhone Case To Match Your Awesome Chewbacca Hoodie [IPhone]

Do you find yourself getting strange looks while wearing your fantastic Chewbacca hoodie out in public? It's probably because you're using your iPhone without a matching Wookiee case, but that's now easy to remedy. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/TSKvLYBfQZU/theres-finally-a-wookiee-iphone-case-to-match-your-awesome-chewbacca-hoodie

INSIGHT ENTERPRISES INGRAM MICRO INFORMATICA INFOCUS ZORAN

There's Finally a Wookiee iPhone Case To Match Your Awesome Chewbacca Hoodie [IPhone]

Disney troubled over early offering of John Carter DVD by Netflix and Redbox

Disney troubled over early offering of John Carter DVD by Netflix and Redbox

Well, well, the warrior from Mars seems to have stirred some problems over in the US of A. According to the LA Times, Disney isn't exactly happy with Netflix and Redbox, mainly because they're both offering the hot-off-the-press John Carter DVD ahead of that 28-day rental window -- granted, the parties never agreed to a deal in the first place, and thus it shouldn't cause any legal troubles. The conundrum started after Walt's movie studio couldn't close a pact with Netflix and Redbox that'd see them offer new rentals after the aforementioned time frame. This eventually lead to the services buying discs off of retailers like Walmart and Target for more than twice as much as they would from the studio, but allowing them to have it up for grabs on release date. Chances are this saga won't end here, though, so we'll keep you in the loop if this takes a turn for the worse.

Disney troubled over early offering of John Carter DVD by Netflix and Redbox originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 09 Jun 2012 08:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceLos Angeles Times  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/09/disney-troubled-by-netflix-redbox-over-john-carter-dvd/

TIBCO SOFTWARE TIBCO SOFTWARE THQ TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TERADATA

Boomshine is a soothing-yet-frustrating time waster

boomshine
One click; just one single well-aimed click. That's all you get in Boomshine.

That single click triggers a chain reaction; circles start exploding, and other circles colliding with the shockwaves explode as well, creating their own shockwaves, which then catch other circles.

It's been done before, yes, but this one is a great iteration. The soundtrack is mellow, with lots of piano and some nice percussion (not electronic - it sounds like drums).

At each level you need to make a certain number of circles explode to go on to the next level. I got up to level 12, where you get 60 circles and need to make 55 of them explode. And then I kept trying and trying, but simply couldn't get it. I did get to 54 circles a couple of times, but as they say, you don't get points for trying.

There's no time limit, so you can carefully study the pattern of motion and place your click at the exact right place to create the best chain reaction. I've found that clicking near the middle of the screen works quite well, especially if the balls are slowly moving in that direction. By the time the first shockwave dies off, the oncoming balls usually hit it and the chain reaction continues.

What level did you reach? Screenshots please!

Boomshine is a soothing-yet-frustrating time waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Feb 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/02/16/boomshine-is-a-soothing-yet-frustrating-time-waster/

PALM OSI SYSTEMS ORACLE OPENWAVE SYSTEMS ON SEMICONDUCTOR

Mac OS X Lion Preview 2 released, introduces mega exciting leather bound iCal skin

This is one of those posts that could probably be condensed into a tweet: Apple has released the second Preview of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. If you're running Preview 1, it looks like you'll first receive a small update via Software Update, and then you can download Preview 2 from the Mac App Store.

There has been some speculation that Apple is getting close to a release or Golden Master build, but judging by 9to5 Mac's initial findings there's definitely some way to go. The Golden Master will probably appear at, or just before, the Apple WWDC in June.

So far, it's looking like the only changes in Preview 2 are the leather bound iCal skin that you can see above, and the main iChat window now combines your AIM, Bonjour and Jabber contacts, like Adium. We're sure that more details will emerge throughout the day, though, and there's bound to be lots of invisible changes, too. We'll update this post when we find out more.

Mac OS X Lion Preview 2 released, introduces mega exciting leather bound iCal skin originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 05:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/31/mac-os-x-lion-preview-2-released-introduces-mega-exciting-leath/

LINEAR TECHNOLOGY LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS LAWSON SOFTWARE LAND SOFTWARE

Swiss court eases up on Street View privacy concerns, Google says it's pleased with the ruling

Swiss court eases up on Street View privacy concerns, Google says it's pleased with the ruling

It's no secret Google's been involved in a few privacy-related kerfuffles around the globe, but some would say those are just the burdens attached to being one of the big-guns in the industry. Still, Big G can go home to Mountain View a happy camper today, as the Swiss Federal Tribunal has decided to ease up on the company's usage of its Street View technology in the country. Per the ruling, however, Google will have to make adjustments to its viewing methods, things like making it easier for folks to manually blur images available on Street View, and full anonymity around hospitals, schools, prisons and courts. Naturally, Google says it's quite pleased with the outcome and that it plans to "look at the ruling closely, discuss it with the federal data protection commissioner and examine what options are available."

Swiss court eases up on Street View privacy concerns, Google says it's pleased with the ruling originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 Jun 2012 23:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceUSA Today  | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/vS-W1hZhJA0/

LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 3 COMMUNICATIONS LAWSON SOFTWARE LAND SOFTWARE LAM RESEARCH