If you are the type of person who likes downloading and trying different web browsers (like I am), then today was chock full of goodness. Not only was Firefox 3.0 officially released today, but the Flock 2 Beta is out as well! (Thanks to Ars for the head's up on Flock.)

Here are links:

• Firefox 3
• Flock 2 Beta

Give them a try. Maybe you'll find a replacement for Internet Explorer if you haven't already. Seriously, if you are viewing my site in Explorer, trust me that it looks better in just about anything else!

Tags: flock, browsers, firefox

Drama, Drama, Drama in Video Game Land

Many gaming sites and other blogs are reporting over a possible controversy regarding the firing of GameSpot reviewer Jeff Gerstmann after he gave a poor review to a game that had very prominant advertisements all over the site. Here are a couple of places for some good takes on what's been going on:

Valleywag: Jeff Gerstmann - Valleywag seems to be where the story originates from, and this link takes you to all of their posts regarding Mr. Gerstmann.

Game Stooge: RIP, Journalistic Integrity - This editorial offers some balanced insight into some of the larger issues at work here. From the article:

The other problem is that writers are reporting rumors as fact, and visibly biased. It is “clear” that Gerstmann was fired due to a low review score given to a game with major advertising on the site. Why? According to most of these websites, correlation is causality. No other facts are needed, such as the fact that Gerstmann was fired two weeks later when the last of the major game releases had been released and reviewed – an obvious time to release an editor.

SitePoint Blogs: In All Fairness … Internet Explorer Still Stinks

Why is this still the dominant browser again? Kevin Yank explores the many ways Internet Explorer 7 has not improved since Internet Explorer 6. As a side note, if you view this site in any version of IE, check out Firefox. Suddenly, my site and many others will look better!



TUAW: NBC officially removed from the iTunes Store

The Universal group must have some huge chip on their shoulder to shaft their viewers with such a restrictive service in place of iTunes. It's like their CEO is on some personal vendetta against Steve Jobs.

Tags: video games, browsers, drm

Safari is the default browser on my MacBook. I've tried several others, but I just keep coming back to. It has some intangible quality that just makes it enjoyable to use, so I thought I'd try out Safari on my XP machine at work. Since I use Safari at home, nothing about its core functionality came as a surprise to me. I'm used to how it renders fonts. I'm aware of its limitations. I know exactly what it does well and where it could still use growth. When Safari was released on Windows, those individuals who downloaded it did not know what to expect, and the initial reactions reflected that. Rather than focus on those details, I just want to write about what the user experience is like on XP in general.

Using Safari on XP is, in short, a strange experience. Apple does nothing to make Safari feel like a Windows application. In fact, they seem to go out of their way to make it look and feel as much like a Mac application as possible.



This is what Safari looks like on Windows XP – almost exactly how it would appear on Mac OS X. It's almost as if Apple is using their flagship browser as a not-so-subtle advertisement for their operating system. From the toolbar icons, to sheet dialogues, to the scrollbars, Safari stands out with its uniquely Mac experience. This could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your perspective.




Even the menus, toolbar buttons, and in-page drop downs look like the come directly out of OS X. Almost every interface element is customized to look exactly like the browser's Mac counterpart. Again, if you've ever used Safari on a Mac, then you will know exactly what to expect on Windows. Very seldom did any Windows-like elements appear while I used Safari on XP. One of those times was in printing. A standard Windows print dialog appeared, which was rather visually jarring. The other Mac to Windows difference I noticed is in the browser window's controls, which more closely resemble what you would expect on Windows in shape and position, though they were not the default XP controls.


mac controls and windows controls

In the end, what does this experience mean to Windows users? If you are looking for an application that provides a peek into the general Mac experience, Safari might provide an interesting insight. However, users merely looking for a browser to replace Internet Explorer might be put off by the sheer unfamiliarity of the interface. Quite frankly, Safari does not fit in on Windows, and this inconsistency seems intentional. It's as if Apple is sticking an ad for OS X in front of WIndows users every time Safari is launched, and that will likely prove off-putting to many individuals. In this case, I think Apple should have tailored Safari's interface to fit better into Windows, allowing users a more seamless experience, rather than making it so obvious this is a piece of Macintosh software.

As an experienced Mac user, I personally love using Safari on Windows. It's a far better experience than using Internet Explorer, and I can't get Firefox to function properly on our machines at work. However, experienced Windows users may be quickly turned off by the nonstandard interface, never giving the application a second glance because it is so glaringly out-of-place. The Windows browser market is a pretty crowded place, with IE dominating the casual users and Firefox entrenched with more tech-savvy users. Apple is going to have a hard time gaining a following in this market, and I think they are sabotaging their own efforts by not creating an experience that fits in with Windows more seamlessly.

Tags: software, safari, browsers

I blogged about this a while ago, but I wanted to pull up a couple more comparison shots. Now that I'm testing Safari on my work computer (at least until the IT guys shut it out), the difference in browsing my site on IE versus another browser is more evident than ever. Check these side-by-sides out. Internet Explorer 7 is on the left and Safari 3 for Windows is on the right.


Here's my sidebar. I've since removed this picture of myself, but notice that IE7 renders the image at a much lower quality than Safari. I find this an odd behavior because it seemed to be unique to this single image. Also, the sidebar header is gargantuan in IE7 when compared to Safari.


This is my biggest pet peeve. Again, why does IE render the font so much larger than Safari? Firefox gets this right. Opera gets this right. Explorer is the lone browser out in this.

I can see why so many web developers become frustrated with Internet Explorer. If it demonstrates inconsistencies with other browsers in rendering something as simple as text, I can't image what hurdles one might have to jump through to ensure compatibility with truly complex websites.

(By the way, I'll be posting some impressions on using Safari on Windows pretty soon.)

Tags: browsers

Rands In Repose: The Nerd Handbook

This is a great write-up helping you understand the nerd in your life. Some of his points can also translate to interacting with your high-functioning autistic children and peers. I really think I need to add this blog to my sidebar links.

via DaringFireball



YouTube: Cartoon Firefox

Completely charming animated ad for Firefox.





NYT Sunday Book Review: A Galaxy in Your Face

Artistic pop-up books are one of my autistic obsessions that emerges every time I'm in a bookstore. (I am a Robert Sabuda fanboy.) This piece of work by Matthew Reinhart brings the Star Wars universe to the magnitude of pop-up art.

(Books like this are also great examples of how children's literature truly transcends generational gaps. Everyone should spend time browsing the kid's section of their favorite bookstore!)

also via DaringFireball

Tags: literature, browsers, silly

Flock 1.0 was released for general consumption late last week, and it offers another browser alternative for Mac, WIndows, and Linux users. It bills itself as a social web browser, and it integrates functionality with several social networking and media sites to bring a richer experience to your web browsing. If you never use online services like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or Flickr, Flock may not be for you. However, if you are a fan of Web 2.0, you might want to give this browser a try.

Cool Features

Flock stands out from many browsers with some very sleek and useful features, though some could use some refinements in their implementation.

The Media Bar is unique and presented well. It's function is to allow access to media streams from various video and photography related sites like YouTube and Flickr. The Media Bar can either appear along the top or the bottom of the browser window.


interesting images from Flickr


top rated YouTube videos

The Media Bar allows you to interact with the videos and photos in various ways. You can save media or send videos and images to online friends trough simple drag-and-drop. You can copy code to embed objects web pages, and, if you are using a blogging engine that Flock recognizes, you can add these images or videos to your blog with a single click. It's a handy addition for individuals who browse a lot of online media.

The People Sidebar is another unique interface feature to Flock. It allows you to integrate services like Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr directly into the browser. For example, Flock can track recent Tweets made from Twitter as well as recent comments made about your Flickr images. I couldn't test the Facebook or YouTube integration since I do not have an account on either, but I did have problems with the Twitter interface sometimes not showing the most recent Tweets (when compared to my Twitter page or results in Twitterific). Still, for individuals hooked on social websites, these features may be great time savers.


twitter in the sidebar and the web clipboard

Another interesting sidebar feature is a Web Clipboard. This clipboard allows you to save links, text, and images from websites for later use. I immediately found this useful in gathering information to possibly use in link posts. The tool is self-explanatory, and it worked flawlessly.

Complimenting the Flickr and YouTube integration, Flock allows for direct uploads to these services. The Flickr uploader was pretty good, but it lacked the ability to add a photo to a specific album. However, it does support writing descriptions, tagging, and privacy settings.


uploading to Flickr

RSS integration is a standard browser feature these days (though I still prefer using a dedicated aggregator), and Flock provides a nice interface for subscribing to feeds. When a site has an RSS feed available, an orange icon lights up in the address bar. Pressing this button will open the feed up in Flock.



Once you are viewing the RSS feed, you have the option to subscribe to this feed with a single click. Flock offers single column or double column views, and articles are marked as read once you scroll past them. You can also choose to view article titles, truncated posts, or full posts (for those RSS feeds that supply full articles). It's well implemented, but I wish there was a way to customize how often it refreshes subscribed feeds.



Flock can additionally be used to edit blogs if you use a service like Blogger, Typepad, or WordPress. (I am unfortunately unable to test this feature thuroughly.) Other nice touches include instant search results, and you can add any site to the search bar that has an integrated search engine. Finally, links that would usually open in a new window automatically open in a new tab, avoiding the hassle of multiple browser windows. In all, Flock contains many unique features that cater to primarily individuals who enjoy social networking, and these features are implemented pretty well. There's some room for improvement, but the package is enjoyable to use as a whole.

The Interface

One of the challenges with creating an application containing so many features is in creating an interface that remains simple and accessible. Here, Flock runs into a couple of small problems. For one, the interface can become very cluttered very quickly if you have the Media Bar and sidebar open simultaneously – a natural side effect of so much accessible information and media.


Also, the default theme is pretty busy. Fortunately, Flock will support themes later this year, so hopefully something a little more subdued will become available soon.



Otherwise, there are some other small elements and widgets that look a little out of place (especially in the bookmarks bar and the preferences window), but this is standard for Firefox-based browsers on OS X at the moment. We'll see if any of the work on the upcoming Firefox 3 addresses those issues.

Technical Issues

I ran into few real issues while testing Flock. The RSS reader does not seem to automatically update your feeds without a relaunch of the browser, nor could I find a way to schedule feed updates. (Someone correct me if I missed something.) Likewise, the Twitter sidebar seldom had the most recent Tweets from individuals I'm following, and I would have to visit Twitter to see their most recent comments anyway – negating the usefulness of the sidebar. Finally, I ran into some slowdowns if I had more than a couple tabs open, and the application crashed a couple of times while I was using it. However, none of these issues negate the usefulness of Flock. They merely diminish that usefulness.

Update: About refreshing feeds (from the Flock FAQ):

Every hour Flock will check feeds for updates. You can refresh individual feeds by using the Reload button while viewing a feed.

Final Thoughts

Saying all this, I do like Flock. Does it need work? Sure it does, but it functions well as a 1.0 product, and it has something going for it most other browsers lack. Flock has personality. It's fun to use. Take Internet Explorer, Camino, Firefox, and a myriad of other browsers. They all have unique features and issues, but they all essentially feel the same to use. Flock stands out from the pack because it dares to be a little different, and, as a Mac user, I can appreciate that. I seriously doubt Flock will be replacing my usual browsing routine of WebKit + Vienna + Twitterific anytime soon, but it's caught my interest. I'll be keeping my eye on this browser as it continues to grow and receive updates, and I recommend you check it out as well.

Tags: software, flock, browsers

Depending on whether you are viewing this site in Firefox (Mac, Linux, Windows), Safari (Mac), or Internet Explorer (Windows), the sidebar behaves differently. I can barely see a difference between Safari and Firefox, but Internet Explorer sticks out like a sore thumb!


Internet Explorer 7


Safari


Firefox

Between Firefox and Safari, the only real difference is in the weight of the font. Safari is just a tad heavier, but IE renders the font much larger – so much so that on Simply Presentation the text goes off the edge! Why does IE render the font so drastically different, and, more importantly, does anyone know what I can do to fix this?

Tags: browsers

One of the things that really bugs me about the interface of Internet Explorer 7 is the menu arrow at the end of the address bar. If you are on a standard website, the arrow is in one place, but if you visit a secure website, the arrow moves to make room for another interface element.





See that lock icon. Yeah, it makes the address bar menu jump about 30 pixels to the left. Like I pointed out back in this post, I don't like moving targets. Really, who does? Would it not have made more sense to stick that icon inside the address bar perhaps? What about directly under the Refresh button to the left of the Home icon?

I'm not a professional designer, but it surprises me that both Microsoft and Apple let this mistake get past. People rely on motor memory instinctively, and moving interface elements impede that simple element of human adaptation. If you want to make your application more learnable and usable, all clickable elements of the main interface should consistently appear in the same place – not suddenly move due to a specific circumstance. The only one who should be able to move interface elements around is the user.

Tags: software, microsoft, browsers

Presentation Zen: Steve Jobs and the art of the swordsman

This is a good post by Garr Reynolds about the Art of Steve when it comes to presentations. Good stuff.



Ars Technica: Adobe, Microsoft accused of infringing on browser-related patents

Here we go again. All I want to know is why this company was awarded this patent years after this specific interface paradigm was already in use.



Apple – QuickTIme – Apple Special Event – August 2007

If you want to watch Steve Jobs' presentation from yesterday, it's right here. A fast connection is recommended.



Apple – iWork – Trial

If you have a Mac, you should download the trial version of iWork '08. It's only a 469 MB download!



Wired: Aug. 7, 1991: Ladies and Gentlemen, the World Wide Web

The "tubes" went public, and the world began to change.



Engadget: Apple calls multitouch Mac a "research project"

Sounds like Apple is still considering adding multitouch support to Macs. Chances are, this will show up in notebooks before desktops. I was not suprised that yesterdays announcements did not include a multitouch Mac.

Tags: powerpoint, microsoft, software, macintosh, apple inc, browsers, adobe

Ars Technica: Autism May All Be In the Genes

I tend to be skeptical of all-or-nothing correlations in behavioral science. An individual may be more prone to autistic tendencies due to genetic makeup, but environment will still influence the development of a social disorder to some extent.

However, I do have to admit a biased viewpoint...



The WebKit Open Source Project: WebKit Project Goals

WebKit development is surprisingly transparent when compared to Apple as a whole. Check this out for an idea of where they are taking WebKit, the most prolific web content engine for Mac OS X.



Apple Reports Third Quarter Results

Overall, another very good quarter for Apple. Hopefully, they will get their products to comply with the new Energy Star standards by the end of the current quarter.

Tags: education, software, browsers, apple inc, asd, science

Ars Technica: First look: Safari 3 beta on Windows vs. Firefox 2 and IE7

It's sad to hear that the release of Safari on Windows is not better executed. Yes, this is beta software, but it is also software Apple is sticking in front of the world to use and abuse. Though not the absolute best, Safari is still a fine browser for Mac OS X. I hope Apple reacts quickly to the criticism their browser is receiving on Windows.

Tags: software, browsers

Introducing Sibelius 5



I'm happy to see this Universal Binary of Sibelius finally come out. I'll post some impressions of the demo once I get done with the RapidWeaver posts.

PS – It's lame that Scorch is still PPC-only. C'mon, how hard is it to update a browser plug-in?



Opposable Thumbs: Microsoft seeks answer to question, "Would global warming make for a good game?"

I picture controlling Al Gore racing his hybrid through angry mobs of staunch republicans in a Grand Theft Auto-inspired gore-fest. (No pun intended!) After escaping, you would have to coordinate your fellow environmentalists in covert stealth missions (Sam Fisher-style) that infiltrate heavily-armed Big Oil corporate offices where you ultimately will battle Mother Brain. (After all, there is no possible way these oil execs are really human.)

Side missions may include freezing ice cubes big enough to cool the oceans, setting up polar bear habitats, and discovering alternatives to using oil in producing plastics. Man I need to learn game design. I think I have a winner. Now if I can only talk Al into some voiceovers...



Apple – Safari 3 Public Beta

This is a smart move by Apple. More users will drive better support by web developers. This benefits Mac users and iPhone users. Not to mention (as DF points out) that this will lead to a bunch more integrated search revenue from Yahoo! and Google.

Windows users, get downloading! Mac users, hold your horses. It doesn't offer much the current version lacks, and updating may hose other WebKit-based apps and widgets. (Trust me on this one.)



Daring Fireball: WWDC 2007 News

He calls it "WWDC 2006 2.0." While I am stoked about Leopard, I have to admit that I felt pretty "meh" about the other announcements.



Apple.com



I like. When you visit, try the search field in the upper-right corner. I was pleasantly surprised.

Tags: software, video games, environment, microsoft, browsers, wwdc, apple inc

Apple: Welcome to 2007

I hope the rest of the year is as cool as this splash on Apple's front page at the moment. I'm getting all hot-and-bothered about Macworld now.





Market Share: Browser Market Share for December 2006

Safari breaks 4% while IE dips below 80%. Can we please now stop the pundits saying things like "the Mac has only 2% market share?" Shouldn't Macs account for at least 4% based on Safari usage seeing that Safari is a Mac-only browser and all?



Dashboard Themes

This site is nice just in case you wanted to see what those themes on the XBox Live Marketplace look like. I really can't believe Microsoft doesn't have a way of previewing these in the online store...

Tags: technology, microsoft, browsers, apple inc