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At 25, Internet Explorer's legacy has never been more relevant
Internet Explorer is 25, and the antitrust woes Microsoft experienced in the late '90s foreshadow what's happening now.
Air Force enlists hackers to hunt bugs in its site
Bug bounties have been a staple among startups and online businesses since the days of Netscape Navigator but the federal government has been slow to adopt the beneficial code hunts. However, a year after the DoD's first such program, Hack The Pentagon, the Air Force announced on Wednesday that it will be hosting one of its own next month.
Whatever happened to Netscape?
Netscape's story reads like a proper fairy tale: takeovers, fierce and hostile competition, split-ups, a giant payout and even a dragon! While Netscape may now only be a sweet, sweet memory to those who used it to first discover the web, the browser's monstrous impact has cemented it as one of the first and most important startups to shape the internet. Netscape's founders successfully plucked a brilliant idea from academia and pushed it onto the world's stage at a time when competition didn't exist, websites were not much more than plain-text blurbs and inline images were still revolutionary. Consider the battle that would ensue between this web pioneer and Microsoft. The "browser wars," as they came to be known, would ultimately lead to creation of Internet Explorer, Microsoft's antitrust suit and the formation of the Mozilla Project and Firefox.
Oculus Rift gets $75 million in funding from Netscape founder's firm
Oculus VR received $75 million in funding from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, led by Netscape founder Marc Andreessen. Oculus VR previously secured $16 million in its first round of funding in June. The company's Oculus Rift augmented reality hardware also earned $2.4 million on Kickstarter in September 2012 after reaching its $250,000 goal in 24 hours, which in itself was a testament to the appeal of the headset. "Over the past 16 months, we've grown from a start-up to a company whose virtual reality headset is poised to change the way we play, work and communicate," Oculus VR CEO Brendan Iribe said in a statement to VentureBeat. The company's growing support isn't just measured in dollars, as Iribe said the company sold over 40,000 Oculus Rift kits to developers that are working to create games and apps for the headset. Additionally, id Software Co-Founder John Carmack joined Oculus VR in August as the company's CTO before officially leaving the Doom developer in November.
/blink: 1994 - 2013
As much as we'd thought that blinking text had already gone the way of our first Angelfire fanpage, it's only now that the much-loathed HTML tag has met its maker. Firefox 23 has officially axed support for the tag, joining the ranks of Chrome, Safari and Opera in a group of would-be assassins. Like many bad decisions, blinking was conceived after a long night of drinking, with Netscape's founding engineer Lou Montulli lamenting the limitations of Lynx in a bar. While Lynx couldn't run a huge majority of HTML extensions that he and his team were spit-balling, it transpired that blinking text would, and the rest is a history that we'd rather put behind us. It's just a shame that Mozilla can't erase our youthful indiscretion so easily.
Mozilla plans war on fragmentation, reveals unified UI design for Windows 8 and mobile devices
Mozilla has shown off ideas for future versions of Firefox as it becomes less of a traditional browser and more of a "soft, friendly, human" ecosystem. Slides released on the web hint at a new desktop environ with a simplified menu, cleaner download interface, and a more functional startpage -- all the while maintaining the same curved-edge look as the mobile variant. A Windows 8 Metro tile-based version is also in the works that's similar to the Firefox tab layout on Android. There's no word when Mozilla's so-called Kilimanjaro project will come to fruition, but you can check out the slideshow after the break for an early glimpse.
Visualized: an interactive timeline of the web
Ever wondered what the World Wide Web's illustrious history would look like if plotted in timeline form? Well, thanks to Google's "Evolution of the web," you won't have to. The delectable chart traces the evolution of HTML, the web technologies that came alongside it and the browsers that've held it all together -- all in a seriously meta HTML5 package. Ready for a trip down memory lane? Hit the source, friend, and revel at how far we've come.
The Daily Grind: Is Second Life the internet of the future?
It seems like I've written that before... In fact, just over a year ago when I was a very new blogger on Second Life Insider I wrote "Is the future of the internet on course?" But it's close. I am not claiming in this piece at all that Second Life is perfect. I'm not going to pretend there aren't major changes I'd make in it, as well as major changes in the pipeline that we report on. I'm more thinking from a developmental point of view.Let me tell you a quick story. You'll probably recognise parts of it. About 25 years ago there was this geeky thing called the internet. No-one but the really hard-core used it. About 10 years later it started to become more commonly available. There was a mixed reaction. Some people leapt in. Some dithered. Have a look at www.nissan.com if you don't believe me - it's not a car-manufacturer. Take the example of bookstores - most traditional bookstores didn't do much, but a few people tried, and a few new people got into the mix. Many of the new ones, and many of the traditional ones fell by the wayside. This totally radical new company started to establish itself. Who hasn't heard of, and almost certainly used Amazon (either in the US or in their own country or both.Let's assume the next major evolution of the internet is a 3D virtual environment - like Second Life. Someone will become the Amazon, the Google of the 3D internet. We keep hearing that there is a competitor to Second Life coming along - but they keep failing to actually manifest. The odds suggest that the longer this carries on, the more likely it is that Second Life will be the basis of the 3D internet. It's not a guarantee of course - anyone remember Netscape?So, what do you think? Is 3D internet the next big thing? Is Second Life the Amazon and Google of 3D internet, or is it the Netscape? If it is the Netscape, who is the Firefox? The Internet Explorer? The Safari?
Netscape finally bows out, browsers no longer supported
Although Netscape was once a mighty pioneer in the world of internet browsers, it didn't take long for Microsoft's Internet Explorer to overtake it and squash its dreams of market dominance. Granted, we highly (and we stress "highly") doubt any viewers reading this now are relying on Netscape Navigator as their primary browser, but seeing it finally bow out is a bit surreal. According to a post on the Netscape Blog, support (and subsequent updates) for it will no longer be provided by AOL (disclosure: AOL is our parent company's parent) after February 1, 2008. Sure, old versions will still be available for those who just hate to move on, but the team is suggesting that any remaining Netscape users (a show of hands, anyone?) make the leap to Firefox, and they even point you in the direction of a Netscape theme should you find yourself uncomfortable with change. Rest in peace, dear Netscape -- it's about time that last heap of dirt was finally flung.[Via BlogRunner]
RIP Netscape Navigator (1994 - 2008)
Soon, Netscape Navigator - the first highly successful graphical web browser (yeah, yeah, I know Mosaic came before Netscape, but I don't remember seeing Mosaic floppy-disks bundled with my PC World and Macworld magazines in 1995, at least not under the name "Mosaic") - will be nothing more than a footnote in Internet history. Let's take a moment of silence for the big N. OK, that was long enough. AOL, the parent company of this blog and Netscape, has announced that they will cease support for the current version of Netscape as of February 1, 2008. Netscape, which at its peak in the mid-1990s held 80% of the web browser marketshare, and was a player in Browser Wars 1.0. Long before Apple released Safari in 2003, Netscape was a pretty familiar application to scores of Mac users. Even after Apple started shipping Internet Explorer for Mac with OS 8.1 and enabling it as the default browser, Netscape Navigator was still included, and at least in my experience, often preferred over IE for Mac. The very first web browser I ever used was Netscape Navigator 1.something on a Power Mac 6200 (which some say was the worst Mac ever) way back in 1995. Although other browsers were available at the time, Netscape was the first to be cross platform (and perform the same across platforms - which was an important distinction). Shortly before AOL bought Netscape in 1998, the code base of Netscape Communicator 4 was released under an open-source license. This project, which was called Mozilla, eventually resulted into what we now know as Firefox (note that the Mozilla team basically rewrote the code for what became the basis of the Mozilla suite, later forked as Firefox, from the ground up, as the Communicator code was too much of a mess).Although Netscape is gone, a theme is available for the current version of Firefox to make it look like Netscape 9. No word on when a theme like the image below will become available. Be careful what you joke about: Kroc Camen in the comments pointed out this. Netscape Navigator 2 for classic Mac OS Thanks C.K. Sample III[via Download Squad]
FCC Chairman looking to kill "free internet" plan?
If you've got concerns about not getting your fair shake on the new 700MHz spectrum, don't worry, because a group known as M2Z (backed by Google, Amazon, Netscape, MySpace, and TiVO) has got you covered. The gang is looking for the FCC to break off 25MHz of the new spectrum to set up a "free" wireless internet stream for nearly 95 percent of Americans to go surfing on. There's only one problem: the FCC doesn't look like it's going to give it up. AIn a recent request to the federal agency, M2Z asks to be given bandwidth on the soon-to-be-abandoned airwaves, instead of following typical FCC procedure which requires an auction to be held. In the M2Z plan, the U.S. Treasury would get 5 percent kickbacks from any gross revenue the network derived, though it appears FCC chairman Kevin Martin is looking to put a kibosh on the plot. According to the Wall Street Journal, Martin has circulated a document to other FCC commissioners calling for them to decline the group's proposal, and the CTIA (the wireless industry's lobby group), meanwhile, has urged the agency to "dismiss or deny M2Z's application," on the grounds that it would circumvent standard procedure. You can expect some serious back-and-forth over this in the upcoming days, so you'd better get used to the 700MHz soap-opera.
Netscape Navigator 9 beta is out
There was a time, dear ones, when a giant walked the Web: Netscape Navigator, the browser sovereign, held a massive 80%+ share of the market back in the mid-1990s, until some funny business (where "funny" = "anticompetitive & monopolistic") led to the dominance of Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser. The open-sourced core of Netscape 4 led to the development of the Mozilla, Firefox and Camino browsers we all love today.Whence the original Netscape browser? The 8.0 release skipped the Mac, but believe it or not, the big N is back: Netscape Navigator 9 beta is available now as a Universal Binary. Under the surface, Navigator 9 is really a rebranded, tweaked and gracefully skinned version of Firefox 2.0 (including add-in compatibility), but nevertheless it's nice to see the green giant back in the saddle.Note: TUAW and the Weblogs, Inc. network are corporate siblings of Netscape under the AOL umbrella.
TUAW Video: A Mac Moment with David Pogue
Continuing our Macworld Mac Moment series, I talk (more or less) to Macworld fave, New York Times' tech columnist and "Missing Manual" author David Pogue. I ask him "three" versioned questions about iPhone, the AppleTV and, of course, the surprising lack of Mac product announcements during the keynote. (He actually got to touch the iPhone. It's worth watching the interview just so you can say "I watched an interview with someone who actually touched the iPhone." Seriously.) Click here to avoid the flash player and download the original format (.mp4) version.
TUAW Video: A Mac Moment with Leo Laporte, Part 2
We continue our conversation with Leo Laporte from the press room at Macworld. Today Leo and I discuss the iPhone, the Apple TV, and if Apple is still a computer company. For those of you who hate the Netscape player (you know who you are) here are links to the iPod ready version, and the full quality QuickTime file (which, oddly enough, is the largest file but looks the best. Funny how that works).Stay tuned for our final segment tomorrow, where Leo answers your questions.
TUAW Video: Macworld Expo Moscone South quick tour
I took a camera and walked up and down every aisle of the Macworld Expo showfloor in Moscone South, just so you could feel like you were there. Sit back, open your favorite beverage, and enjoy this 5 minute walk of Moscone South.Update: Embedded the correct video. It has been a long Macworld, folks.
Video review of iPod games
I'm quite interested in the new games that are available for the iPod (and kicking myself for selling my 5G iPod a couple of months ago).We wrote up our own "first impressions" post earlier, and now there's a video mini-review available at Netscape by our very own (well, formerly) C.K. Sample. They really look good. The intro to MahJong, for example, was much more than I was expecting. Check it out.
Firefox commercial pokes fun at the competition
A viral Firefox commercial poking fun at its browser competition features the anthropomorphized icons of Internet Explorer, Netscape and Apple's own Safari acting, well - somewhat silly. No matter which browser you're a fan of, it's a pretty funny spot and one of the better offerings I've seen from the Firefox Flicks campaign.[via Netscape]
AOL refreshes Netscape as social news site with a twist
AOL yesterday relaunched the aging Netscape.com as a social news site (yea, like digg) but with a professional journalistic twist. Check it out. Anyone can sign up, submit and vote on interesting stories from across the web in a wide range of categories from politics, money, television, technology, health and even 'do no evil'. Going above and beyond the social news bookmarking concept, however, is a staff of journalists, including TUAW's own C.K. Sample III and Fabienne Serriere, who will follow up on some of the stories and dig deeper by nabbing interviews, posting related links and keeping users informed as the situation develops (on a side note, we finally figured out why C.K. and Fabs gave us that 'we'd tell you what we're working on, but then we'd have to kill you' bit a while ago).Why are we telling you about all this since it isn't specifically Apple-related, you ask? Well, we should probably tell you the project was headed up by Weblogs Inc.'s CEO, Jason Calacanis. Granted, Weblogs Inc., including TUAW, are owned by AOL, but we could still call it crummy if we wanted to - fortunately, that isn't the case. We think it's a great concept that you should go have some fun with. Still, if you're looking for some Apple-specific details before you fire off a flaming comment, how does 'full-Safari compatibility' work for you? In fact, I think the site actually looks surprisingly better in Safari than Firefox.