programming

Firefox world loses Web dev guru to Chrome

For years, an extension called Firebug has been a powerful tool that kept Web programmers loyal to Firefox.

But now, as browser makers add their own tools geared to attract those who build Web sites and applications, the lead Firebug programmer has taken a job with Chrome, CNET has learned.

"Monday, I start work on next-gen Web dev tools at Google on the Chrome browser team. Consequently I will no longer be contributing routinely to the development and maintenance of Firebug for Firefox," John J. Barton told members of a Firebug mailing list yesterday.

The change reflects the … Read more

With Atlantis launch, shuttle program is history (roundup)

Mission STS-135 for the space shuttle Atlantis marks the end of the three-decade U.S. shuttle program and a fundamental shift in focus for NASA.

Shuttle Atlantis rockets into history After a cliff-hanger countdown, the space shuttle Atlantis rockets into orbit, putting on one last show for spectators jamming area roads and beaches to witness NASA's 135th and final shuttle launch. (Posted in Cutting Edge by William Harwood) July 8, 2011 2:05 p.m. PT

A bittersweet end for space shuttle program With Atlantis set to lift off for the shuttle fleet's very last flight, NASA faces … Read more

Boss key utility

We're fairly sure that the development of the first boss key followed close behind the development of the first graphical user interface. As the name suggests, boss keys or boss buttons quickly hide whatever is open on the desktop when the user touches a hot key or types a similar trigger. Magic Boss Key 4.10 is a free boss-key utility that has some extra options, such as selecting which windows you want to stay open on the desktop when you use your hot key.

Magic Boss Key's small interface listed our open desktop items with check boxes … Read more

California green vehicle rebates in jeopardy

California's rebate program for electric and hybrid cars has run out of money for this fiscal year.

The Clean Vehicle Rebate Project has been offering California residents who purchase an electric or hybrid vehicle a rebate of $1,500 to $5,000, depending on the type of vehicle purchased.

The state budget had allocated $5 million for the program for the 2010-2011 fiscal year with an additional $2 million coming from the state's Energy Commission. However, as with the federal Cash for Clunkers program, citizens responded much more enthusiastically than anticipated.… Read more

Free plotter

Digitize It by Alcasa is a free tool for extracting digital plotting data from image files. It has many uses, such as plotting points when the source data isn't available. It's easy to use; simply click on an image with your mouse to plot the point. Collected data can be pasted directly to Excel.

We extracted the zipped download and installed Digitize It, which opened with an interface that is similar in style to graphics editors but notable for floating options and tool tips boxes within the main window. The toolbar icons are mostly familiar with the addition … Read more

Adobe Edge adds Flash-like animation to Web design

In a new phase of its attempt to grow beyond Flash, Adobe Systems has begun showing off a design tool called Edge that lets designers animate Web page elements using standard Web technology.

The tool gives a graphical user interface to Web design to automate programming that otherwise would require more technical knowledge of HTML5, the next-generation version of Hypertext Markup Language now under development, and CSS, the Cascading Style Sheets standard for formatting and now some animated transitions.

With it, designers can drop images or Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) elements onto a canvas that's connected to an animation … Read more

iOS 5 could fix some slow Web apps

It looks likely that Apple's iOS 5 will will address an issue that deprived some Web apps from a speed boost that came to the mobile version of Safari.

On iOS, Web sites and Web apps can be launched from an icon that the user places on the home screen from Safari. Those apps didn't benefit from a speed-up that came with Safari in iOS 4.3, though: the Nitro engine that runs Web-based code is written in the ever-more-important JavaScript language.

It appears iOS 5 could address this issue, though.

"Did they fix the bug from … Read more

Web apps get the ultimate endorsement: Windows 8

With the Internet's importance steadily gaining, it's not as if Web programmers needed an ego boost. But Microsoft has given them a major one anyway with a radical change coming in Windows 8.

The next-gen Windows will come with a new programming foundation, letting developers build native apps with the same techniques they use for Web applications. Microsoft calls this new variety "tailored apps."

It's a bold move for the company. Microsoft's financial fortunes have depended heavily on Windows sales, and Windows' continued momentum has depended heavily on the wide range of software written … Read more

Amazon cuts affiliate ties in more states over taxes

Amazon has shut down its affiliates program in Connecticut and Arkansas over the controversial issue of collecting state taxes.

The company announced the move in letters to affiliates Friday, noting that contracts with all Connecticut residents who participate in the Amazon Associates Program would be terminated effective immediately, while contracts with affiliates in Arkansas will be terminated on July 24.

Affiliates of the Associates Program are typically Web site owners and bloggers who link to Amazon on their sites as a way of driving traffic to the online retailer. In return, they receive a commission if a sale is made.… Read more