browsers

A small Spanish company called Geeksphone will begin selling two smartphones on Tuesday that are geared for developers who want to build apps for Firefox OS -- or for that matter, to build Mozilla's open-source browser-based operating system itself.

As previewed earlier this year, Geeksphone has two models, the Keon at 110 euros including VAT ($143) and the Peak at 179 euros ($234) including VAT.

That's a notch cheaper than high-end unlocked smartphones you'll find, like the $574.99 HTC One, an Android phone that just went on sale. But the low price is part of the … Read more

Facebook has begun using a Google image format called WebP that could lower its network costs and speed up its Web site. But the move has angered some members.

When people upload JPEG photos, the social-networking juggernaut converts them into the WebP format. And now it also apparently has begun delivering those images to people with browsers that can handle them, which today means Chrome and Opera.

Even if it's just a limited test, Facebook's scale and influence means that's a major endorsement of Google's image format.

But problems arise when it's time for people … Read more

The abundance of unused white space on the New Tab page in Chrome lends developers ample options for sprucing it up. While the extension I'm about to suggest isn't anything groundbreaking, it's definitely one of the better options out there in terms of usefulness.

Literally called "New Tab Page," this Chrome extension makes your New Tab useful and attractive but doesn't gain any creativity points for its name. Installing the extension is quick: just head to the entry for New Tab Page on the Chrome Web Store and click Add to Chrome. … Read more

RuneScape, a popular massive online swords-and-sorcery game, is at last dumping Java and becoming a Web app.

Jagex Games Studio released the first RuneScape 3 beta yesterday, embracing HTML5 and related Web standards that offer programmers a more modern option for writing software that runs on a variety of operating systems.

About time, I say. Java had some potential years ago, and it still has its place elsewhere in the computing world. But as a way to extend a browser's abilities, it's history. If the plague of Java security vulnerabilities weren't enough to convince you otherwise, the … Read more

A split-screen view is nice when you're shopping online or doing research that requires flipping back and forth between pages. Dual Web Browsers for iPad splits your screen in half and lets you browse two pages at once. While it performs okay, we would have liked to see more navigational and viewing options.

Dual Web Browsers for iPad does exactly what its name suggests: It splits your screen into two browsers, one on top and another on the bottom half of your screen. Each browser has an address bar and a backward navigational button, but that's it. There'… Read more

For being such a low-maintenance site, Craigslist can be a pain on mobile gadgets. Fortunately, Craigslist Minimalist Browser lets you surf the famed classified site much faster than you're used to. It takes a while to load on the first try, but you'll love the added speed and improved search this app offers once it's up and running.

When you first try to load the app, it will hang for a little while and may crash. Every time after that, the app loads in seconds and takes you right to an easy search menu. Craigslist Minimalist Browser'… Read more

Intel has released its first version of Web-based programming tools to help developers make mobile apps for Android and iOS.

The free software, called Intel XDK, isn't brand new. It's a rebadged version of the AppMobi software that Intel acquired in February. XDK lets people create software that uses the so-called HTML5 foundation, a collection of standards designed to advance the Web beyond static documents toward dynamic applications, then convert those apps so they can be used on mobile devices.

Intel announced the XDK release at its Intel Developer Forum show in Beijing this week. The software is … Read more

Mozilla once again needs a new chief executive.

The developer of Firefox and defender of open-Web principles announced today that after two and a half years as CEO, Gary Kovacs will step down this year. He'll remain on the organization's board, and Mozilla is beginning a search for a new CEO immediately.

Mozilla Foundation Chair Mitchell Baker credited Kovacs for helping bring the nonprofit organization into the mobile era, releasing a version of Firefox for Android devices and debuting, if not quite yet shipping, the Firefox OS for smartphones. That mobile presence remains just a foothold, though, with … Read more

It seems like just last week that Google was rolling out updates for its Chrome browser for iOS.

In fact, it was: Last week, Google added sharing and history features to Chrome for iOS.

Yesterday, Google brought a few more worthwhile features to its mobile browser: support for AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, and full-screen browsing. Version 26.0.1410.50 also lets you save any Web page as a PDF to your Google Drive account.

Full-screen browsing works just like in Safari: When you scroll up, the Omnibox (i.e., address bar) disappears to give you a bit more viewing … Read more