Remains of the Day: Firefox Running on Android Edition [For What It's Worth] – 3794th Edition
Mozilla gets its first (full-size) Firefox browser running on an Android platform, Amazon inches toward a touch-controlled Kindle, HTML5 and free video get dissected, and Steve Jobs gets sharp-tongued in the grunge era.
- Android Progress: More Pixels Edition
A Mozilla developer shows off his progress on a Firefox Mobile port to Android by loading a full Firefox browser inside Google’s mobile OS. The key part is an assurance that progress is happening “at a good clip.” [Vladimir Vukićević] - Amazon Is Said to Buy Touch-Screen Company
So the question now is what the Kindle will become in the future, now that you can actually interact with its screen and your e-books. [NYTimes.com] - Giz Explains: Why HTML5 Isn’t Going to Save the Internet
Actually, this Gizmodo Explains piece is more balanced and nuanced than the headline suggests, and makes for a good companion read to our more optimistic take. [Gizmodo] - H.264 to Remain Fee-Less for Free Internet Video Through 2016
Speaking of HTML5, the patent holder on H.264—one of two video container formats supported in HTML5—has announced it won’t be seeking money from videos “free to the end user.” Doubtful that Firefox will read that as “Open,” but it’s a baby step forward for compatibility. [Daring Fireball] - Music Organization Meets Automation
We liked Mac app Pollux, among many, many iTunes cleaners, because it’s “simple to use and it works very well.” It’s no longer free, but $10 isn’t too much, we think, for a quality library cleaner. [Pollux] - With momentum in Europe, Spotify has Apple’s iTunes in its sights
Good overview of Spotify, the best desktop music player we’ve ever used. Key points: It’s coming on an invitation-only basis to the U.S. “mid-year,” and it’s bringing the same mostly-free model here. [Pop & Hiss | Los Angeles Times] - An update on Skype for iPhone and calling over 3G
Why hasn’t Skype’s iPhone app allowed 3G calling yet, while other apps have? Skype says it’s optimizing and fine-tuning its app to bring “the very best audio quality we can” and allow audio calls in wideband audio. [Skype Blogs] - A Must-Read Classic Steve Jobs Interview: Hardware vs. Software
Back when Apple wasn’t on quite so high a perch, the Turtlenecked One offered some notably far-reaching thoughts on software innovation, along with some sharp comments on his competitors. [Gizmodo] - New tab and tab tearing animations for Firefox 4
Browser lovers are digging how Firefox 4 will handle the shuffling and extracting of tabs. [Mozilla Links]
By Kevin Purdy
