12/21, 8:18pm
Turns JavaScript back on even if user preference set to disabled
The Safari browser in iOS 6 has a flaw in its handling of JavaScript that, while not presenting any serious problems thus far, could evolve into a potentially security and privacy issue if not corrected soon, reports AppleInsider. Users who have turned JavaScript off for security or other reasons on their iOS device will see it turned back on -- without notification -- if the user visits any site that uses Smart App Banners, a feature of iOS 6 that requires JavaScript to work. The flaw has so far been found in all builds and versions of iOS 6, including the in-testing v6.1 beta, though Apple has now been informed of the issue.
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09/20, 2:55am
Other iOS products see modest improvement under iOS 6
Enthusiast site Anandtech has taken Apple's new iPhone 5 through its paces and found a dramatic jump in JavaScript performance that is certain to be helping the latest version of Mobile Safari test "twice as fast" as the previous model. Other iOS device owners report that some of the improvement comes from iOS 6, though not to the levels seen with the A6 dual-core processor. The iPhone 5 broke the record handily for smartphones using the SunSpider JavaScript benchmarking tool, bringing in a score below 1,000 for the first time.
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08/22, 12:16am
New tests designed to better meter JavaScript performance
Google's Chrome team has developed and released a new set of JavaScript benchmarks. Titled Octane, the new suite "aims to measure a browser’s performance when running the complex and demanding web applications that users interact with daily." The new test group keeps the previous eight tests in the V8 suite, and adds five more, allowing for a better translation of real-world JavaScript performance to metered testing data.
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03/02, 1:15am
Will benefit all WebKit-based browsers over time
A recent hire in Apple's WebKit development team has come up with a new Low-Level Interpreter (LLInt) that can do much more processing of JavaScript code in WebKit's JavaScriptCore before handing it off to the Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler or bytecode virtual machine, realizing a speed gain of over 200 percent compared to the current model. The "triple-tier" approach will result in more fluid animations and faster programatic web applications, widgets and more.
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09/20, 7:25pm
Users' address books could be copied
A security researcher going by "Phil P" and running the Superevr security blog has found a serious scripting vulnerability in the chat messaging feature of Skype versions 3.01 and earlier for the iPhone and iPod Touch that could execute malicious Javascript code without the user being fully aware, giving the attacker access to file contents of any file that the Skype app would have access to -- such as a user's address book.
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08/04, 2:50pm
Player supports multiple formats
Yahoo has introduced the first beta for its WebPlayer, a web-based media player that aims to simplify video embedding. The utility, which is written in HTML and JavaScript, enables users to enhance their websites with a variety of video and audio media formats, including MP3s, WMA files or content from Internet sources such as YouTube and Yahoo's movie trailers.
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08/01, 4:45am
May compete with its own Flash Professional
Adobe Labs has unveiled a public preview release of Adobe Edge, the company's own take on HTML5 animation and interaction design. The free download is available now for both Mac and Windows platforms, but should be considered pre-beta software. The tool in some senses competes with Adobe's own Flash Professional, allowing web designers to create motion and interactive elements using standards such as HTML5, JavaScript and CSS3.
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06/13, 7:25pm
Windows update expected to shift coding standards
Developers have criticized Microsoft after a recent Windows 8 preview video hinted that the upcoming version of the company's desktop OS would drop support for many familiar development standards. Windows Experience VP Julie Larson-Green showed off an example of an immersive application that utilizes the "new developer platform," which is based on HTML5 and JavaScript rather than the traditional languages that serve as the backbone of current Windows editions.
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03/17, 12:45pm
RIM tells OS 6 users to turn off JavaScript
A recent zero-day BlackBerry 6 hack at the Pwn2Own convention has prompted RIM to add a knowledge base article that will help users secure their phones. The approach is blunt and calls on users to turn off JavaScript for the browser until RIM develops a more permanent fix. Older versions aren't known to be affected.
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03/15, 6:45pm
Is it a bug, an early omission, or a conspiracy?
Testing by developers and The Register has revealed that iOS 4.3 makes changes to the way "web apps" run that significantly impacts their performance compared to fully-native apps or apps run within the MobileSafari browser. In part, this is due to the presence of the new Nitro JavaScript engine, which significantly enhances performance -- but at present only works inside Safari. Other factors that hurt the performance of non-Safari web apps, however, have some wondering if Apple is deliberately deprecating the format to promote its own App Store.
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02/02, 7:55pm
Beta available for Android and Maemo devices
Mozilla has released a public beta of its Firefox 4 mobile browser for Maemo- and Android-based handsets. The latest version boasts faster startup, page load times and responsiveness while performing basic actions such as panning and zooming. Compared to the stock Android browser, Firefox 4's JavaScript benchmark performance is said to be three times faster on Kraken, twice as fast on SunSpider and slightly quicker on V8.
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12/20, 5:50pm
Tool available as a free download
Apple has introduced a new developer utility, iAd Producer, that will allow users to create content for the company's advertising platform. The Mac app integrates a visual editor that provides a graphic representation of the ad layout and structure, including the HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript elements on individual pages.
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12/07, 3:50pm
Google outs Crankshaft for V8 to boost JavaScript
Google on Tuesday announced a new compilation infrastructure for V8, the JavaSript engine in Google Chrome. Called Crankshaft, it is said to more than double the speed of JavaScript apps in most cases, such as when loading web pages and applications created with complex JavaScript. Benchmark tests reveal that Richards, DeltaBlue and Crypto get the most benefits.
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10/28, 10:05am
Mozilla revises Firefox 4 release schedule
Mozilla has revised its release schedule for Firefox 4 due to the longer than estimated work on improving the software. As such the final release candidate is now due to arrive in early 2011, while the next beta build, r8, is now due to arrive on November 12. The final software will ship shortly after the final release candidate.
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10/11, 6:45pm
Seamlessly unlocks over 150 hidden features
Developer Andrei Doubrovski updated his add-on for advanced users of Adobe Photoshop Elements, Elements+, to version 3.0 with support for the recently-released PE v9 for Mac. Elements+ reveals many undocumented features and functions in Elements, including actions, paths and color channels among others. The new version sports a customizable interface allowing features to be accessed in dedicated dialog boxes, as well as many new tools and effects.
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10/04, 7:05pm
New AquaScript, open APIs add customization
Aquafold today updated its flagship product Aqua Data Studio, a universal database query and administration program, to version 9.0. The major upgrade includes two user-requested features, AquaScript and Open APIs, allowing users new methods to automate repetitive tasks and making it easier to customize the program.
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07/08, 9:50pm
Platform brings 50% improvement in tests
The Aava MeeGo development platform allegedly outpaces Android 2.2 in JavaScript tests. Carrypad was able to complete the SunSpider series of test operations in 4215ms on the MeeGo prototype, an improvement of approximately 1.5 seconds over a Nexus One running Android 2.2 and less than half the time it takes an iPhone 4 to finish the series.
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04/07, 5:55pm
Framework mimics native apps using HTML, CSS
Apple has apparently created a new web-based framework for the iPad, potentially allowing developers to create web apps using HTML, CSS and JavaScript code. Done21 developer Jim Hoskins allegedly uncovered the framework, known as AdLib, while exploring the iPad User Guide, which opens in Safari but mimics functionality typically reserved for native apps.
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03/04, 5:35pm
IE9 to be more modern, with HTML5 support, more
Internet Explorer 9 may get a beta release with a heavy HTML5 emphasis at Microsoft's MIX 2010 developer conference in mid-March, according to escaped details. Hinting that IE9 will have comprehensive support for HTML5 is a scheduled briefing at MIX 2010 titled "HTML5 Now: The Future of Web Markup Today." Opera Software’s Molly Holzschlag will present the party and has said to expect Microsoft to bring browser storage and other HTML5 features.
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02/25, 4:35pm
Browser integrates faster JavaScript engine
Opera on Thursday released a beta version of Opera 10.5 for Mac, following right behind the Windows version announced earlier in the week. The browser is said to integrate an improved JavaScript engine for faster page loads, while the interface now takes advantage of additional Cocoa elements. A unified tool-bar and private browsing tabs have been added, along with support for Growl notifications and multi-touch gestures.
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02/25, 2:50pm
Google hosted APIs integrated
The Escapers has announced that its web design application, Flux 2, has been updated with several new features. Users can now take advantage of Google-hosted JavaScript files directly from the software interface, without installing packages or downloading .js files. The Page Attributes sheet currently offers the jQuery and MooTools APIs, with additional content to be added in the near future.
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09/14, 4:25pm
Khronos Group preparing new standard for 2010
Developers working with Khronos Group are currently testing a new standard, WebGL, that aims to bring hardware-accelerated 3D graphics to a wide range of browsers without requiring a dedicated plug-in. The system is based on the Canvas element within HTML5, but adds the ability for OpenGL functionality to be accessible using JavaScript.
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09/14, 3:30pm
Could be aimed at support Apple TV functions
The LP and Extras features introduced in iTunes 9 are built around new JavaScript framework, probing is said to show. Called TuneKit, the standard is not only aimed at supporting interactive bonus media, but handling it without the need for plug-ins such as Flash, typically used to deal with animations. TuneKit is otherwise paired mainly with HTML and CSS code.
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08/26, 3:20pm
Taco HTML Edit 2.5 ships
The latest release of Taco Software's HTML and PHP editor, Taco HTML Edit 2.5, features a new Component Library. The library is comprised of 20 customizable items, which can be inserted into an HTML document; widgets include slideshows, pie charts, scrollable tables, date and time info and tabbed content. The components typically require Safari 3, Firefox 3 or Internet Explorer 7, and use HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
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08/28, 3:50pm
BBEdit 9.0 released
Bare Bones has released v9.0 of BBEdit, its text and code editing software. The key addition to the software is said to be the addition of Projects, which replace file groups, and allow users to directly create, delete and rename files and folders. The contents of Projects can be searched, as well as processed through text factories.
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06/20, 7:40pm
Safari beats Firefox, IE
Webkit's earlier reported adoption of the SquirrelFish JavaScript interpreter is paying off, as Safari takes the lead in browser rendering speeds. Zimbra writes that Apple's web browser led the pack ahead of Firefox and Internet Explorer, with the Yahoo-owned messaging company declaring Safari "Winner of the Browser Wars." The tests were performed using several incarnations of all browsers as they viewed Zibra's AJAX web-client, and recorded using OpenQA Selenium.
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06/20, 5:20pm
Graph Paper Maker
- Logo Design Studio Pro 1.8 ($60) logo design software brings together a full vector editor with pre-designed conceptual logo templates and objects. The new update to Logo Design Studio Pro now includes increased support for SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) files; over 1300 pre-designed SVG objects that anyone can fully edit; a new browser that allows you to preview each SVG object in a variety of categories, and the latest version of the Sparkle framework.
- Composer FX Movie 1.7.6 ($20) video effects processor application with over 400 special effects filters. Harnesses the power of Mac OS X 10.5’s Quartz Composer for adding visual effects to your movies. Acts as a companion program for iMovie 08. Composer FX Movies includes: Comic Book, Hearts, 3D Video Wall, Plasma, Glass, Sky, Aquarium, Snow, TV, Pencil and many more. [Download - 14.2MB]
- Graph Paper Maker 2.0 ($20) lets you create your own custom sheets of graph paper. It is ideal for students, teachers, engineers, scientists, researchers, businessmen, and others who need to create specialized sheets of graph paper.
The latest release of Graph Paper Maker adds options to create custom sheets of Cornell Notes paper, as well as custom designed grids of dots and crosses. [Download - 1.4MB]
- MediaRich Media Server 3.8.6 automatically produces image, sound and video assets automatically enabling the multi-channel delivery of all media assets to websites, wireless and devices. Added features include expanded support with the optional Audio/Video module of HD and Broadcast formats, including MXF, MPEG2, MPEG2 Transport Stream, and many more. In addition, scalable hot-folder support is included utilizing the power of MediaScript, MediaRich's flexible media manipulation scripting language based on ECMA JavaScript. [Download - form]
- Text Up and Text Up Pro (free-30 Euros) TextUp is free. It creates subtitles which build up from the bottom of the screen as you type in a way which is needed for standard subtitling. It also features 'Outline', 'Drop Shadow' and 'Box'. It's a easy to use 'one stop' generator for most of the subtitling issues. TextUp Pro additionally includes 'Line wrapping' which will fit the text automatically into a given title safe area. So copy/paste text from a script or using an external application to import titles (like our TitleExchange) will make the workflow even easier. TextUp Pro also adds vertical alignment options, you get 'TextCenter' and 'TextDown' as well.[Download - 1MB]
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06/16, 11:35am
Apple SproutCore debut
Apple formally adopted a new web design framework at the end of last week's WWDC conference, accounts say. Although the session was guarded with high security and a non-disclosure agreement, information has reportedly emerged on Apple's announced development for SproutCore, an existing, open-source JavaScript framework based on Cocoa. The technology addresses deficiencies in exploiting JavaScript, which is often used only for launching simple behaviors such as animations.
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