Google Chrome now uses SPDY HTTP replacement, halves page load time

We're not entirely sure of the time line here, but it looks like Google has now rolled out the SPDY HTTP replacement to its full bevy of Web services, including Gmail, Docs, and YouTube. If you're currently using Google's Chrome browser you're probably already using SPDY.

We originally reported on SPDY way back in November 2009, when Google introduced it as yet another experiment in making the Web faster, like Go, Native Client and speculative pre-connections. Over the last 18 months, though, SPDY support has found its way into the stable build of Chrome.

SPDY is basically a streamlined and more efficient version of HTTP. At its most basic, SPDY introduces parallel, multiplexed streams over a single TCP connection -- but at the same time, SPDY allows for prioritization, so that vital content (HTML) can be sent before periphery content (JavaScript, video). All in all, the SPDY protocol can halve page load times, which is obviously rather significant.

The best bit, though, is that SPDY is an open-source project. HTTP 1.1 is a lumbering beast that needs to be replaced before low-latency real-time computing really becomes a reality, and SPDY is one of the best options currently on the table. To be honest, we're not sure why SPDY hasn't received more coverage -- it's awesome in every way. At the moment, though, the only way to help speed up SPDY's proliferation, is with an experimental Apache mod.

As far as actually 'trying it out,' your best bet is downloading Chrome, hitting up some Google sites, and then checking chrome://net-internals to see your active SPDY sessions. SPDY is a transparent replacement for HTTP, though, and as such it's rather hard to see its effects. Google's sites definitely feel fast in Chrome, but there are more technologies than just SPDY at work.

Google Chrome now uses SPDY HTTP replacement, halves page load time originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/11/google-chrome-now-uses-spdy-http-replacement-halves-page-load-t/

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Buying rnicrosoft.com and Other Fake Websites Is the Internet Equivalent of Wearing a Folex [Websites]

If you have a questionable sense of humor with some disposable income to your name, here's something you can do: buy wrong website domains that totally look like the real thing. Like rnicrosoft.com for microsoft.com See what I did there? It's like wearing a fake Rolex but on the Internet. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/B3xK_gzfweo/buying-rnicrosoftcom-and-other-fake-websites-is-the-online-equivalent-of-wearing-a-folex

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BattlePaint is an addictive geometric shooter game

In BattlePaint, you play a cube. In fact, you're not even a cube -- just a square. But boy, are you fast! And you can shoot in all directions. That's important, because there are baddies coming in from all over the place.

The "baddies" are swarms of other squares, in all sorts of pretty colors. They track you all over the screen, and you run around very quickly and just shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. If that doesn't sound very emotionally deep, it's because it isn't. But it's fun!

After you shoot a baddy, it splashes paint as it disappears. You need to skate across this blob of paint and "eat it up" to get points. This game is fast. It clocked in at around 60-70 FPS on my system, and was loads of fun to play. It does tend to insult you when you die, though, but don't be offended -- I don't think it's personal.

BattlePaint is an addictive geometric shooter game originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 09 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/09/battlepaint-is-an-addictive-geometric-shooter-game/

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Zen Coding high-speed HTML shorthand plug-in updated

Zen Coding made quite a splash when we first covered it almost a year ago. For those who aren't familiar, Zen is a fantastic form of shorthand for quickly hand-coding HTML. And today, a new version is out!

Here are some of the goodies version 0.7 brings to the party:

• Text nodes: Writing something like a[href=/]{Click here} now works, and puts "Click here" within the link.
• New actions added: Increment/decrement number under cursor, evaluate math expressions, and more.
• Wrap with Abbreviation was upgraded.

There are several other improvements but they're all rather technical. If you use Zen Coding (or are intrigued by the concept) go ahead and read the release notes for this new version.

Zen Coding has official implementations for a ton of editors, including TextMate, Apatana, Coda, E2, Komodo, Notepad++, PSPad, and more. It also has unofficial builds for Vim, UltraEdit, Visual Studio and more.

If you want to play with Zen Coding without installing it, you can use the online demo to see some of its magic in action.

Zen Coding high-speed HTML shorthand plug-in updated originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/03/15/zen-coding-high-speed-html-shorthand-plug-in-updated/

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Microsoft Dynamics ERP Is Bound for Azure Glory

Microsoft is courting small businesses with its decision to take its Dynamics ERP solution to the cloud, but the move will likely create some consternation in its partner community. "I have seen a lot of large ERP vendors move into the cloud and go on to co-opt what used to be their partners' business," said tech analyst Charles King. "This is an ongoing drama."

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is stepping up its cloud strategy, with the announcement that it will port its Microsoft Dynamics enterprise resource planning software to Windows Azure this year.

The company outlined plans for the transition at Convergence 2012, held last week in Houston.

Dynamics NAV 2013 and Dynamics GP 2013, optimized for small and mid-sized businesses, will be added to Azure in the fourth quarter of 2012. A beta version of NAV 2013 will be available in May.

The company also repeated earlier promises that the next major release of Microsoft Dynamics AX would be as an enterprise cloud service.

Aiming at SMBs

Microsoft has small and medium-sized businesses in mind with this push for the cloud, although demand for such services can be found at all points on the corporate size spectrum, said Microsoft Technical Fellow Mike Ehrenberg, CTO for Microsoft Business Solutions, in a blog post.

"Small and mid-market companies comprise the biggest section of early cloud adopters, and we expect this trend to continue," he said. "These companies have sought cloud services because they allow them to scale back on their in-house IT, which is often not a strategic strength of theirs."

Interoperable and Hybrid

One of the selling points Microsoft is pushing is that its cloud offerings are interoperable with other Microsoft products and services, and that its approach to the cloud is based on an assumption that users are adopting a hybrid strategy.

"Operating with some capabilities on-premises and others delivered from the cloud will be the rule for the long term, and not the exception," Ehrenberg said.

The transition to the cloud won't leave partners out in the cold, he added. "We've architecturally evolved our products based on their feedback; directly enabling deployment on the Azure platform and at the same time, simplifying the experience for current hosting partners."

Ecosystem Beware

Despite the comforting words, Microsoft's partners have reason to be worried, Charles King, principal of Pund-IT, told CRM Buyer.

"I have seen a lot of large ERP vendors move into the cloud and go on to co-opt what used to be their partners' business," he said. "This is an ongoing drama."

However, Microsoft has taken pains to say it is cognizant of its partners concerns, King also pointed out.

A Matter of Time

Its partner ecosystem shouldn't have been surprised by this move, King continued.

"In terms of cloud computing, ERP processes have been the clear winners as far as overall adoption and number of companies and employees shifting to it," he said.

"Having a cloud-based solution for Microsoft ERP makes perfect sense," King concluded, "and I expect the company will do very well with this offering."

Source: http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/74716.html

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New Firefox Nightly and Aurora logos unearthed, and how to enable channel switching

Later today, Firefox will undergo its biggest developmental upheaval ever. Mozilla-central, the source of nightly builds, will be renumbered to version 5 -- and at long last, after years of wallowing around version 1, Mozilla's rendering and layout engine, Gecko, will also have its version number updated to match Firefox.

Shortly thereafter, Firefox's new channel system will be implemented. Firefox 5a2 will be introduced as the first Aurora build, and we should also see a Firefox 6 Nightly build. While we we're not sure where they came from, one Sören Hentzschel seems to have unearthed the new Nightly and Aurora logos (see above), along with new About Firefox dialogs (after the break).

In other news, if you want to take a sneak peek at the new 'channel changing' technology that will be introduced in upcoming Firefox builds, head to about:config and create a new string called app.update.desiredChannel -- the value doesn't matter. Then open Help > About Firefox and you'll be able to switch channel, but it doesn't do anything just yet (image after the break). Here's hoping that Firefox channel switching is smoother than Chrome.

Continue reading New Firefox Nightly and Aurora logos unearthed, and how to enable channel switching

New Firefox Nightly and Aurora logos unearthed, and how to enable channel switching originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 07:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/11/new-firefox-nightly-and-aurora-logos-unearthed-and-how-to-enabl/

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Internet Explorer 9 nears 4% share on Windows 7, IE6 extinction countdown picks up steam

Microsoft has shared some news about the state of its most and least loved Web browsers -- Internet Explorer 9 and 6, respectively. Even with IE9 only recently exiting beta, Microsoft reports that 3.6% of Windows 7 users are now running the new browser (no mention of Vista... what's with that?). The post also reveals that the adoption rate is almost five times what IE8 garnered in the early going.

It's also interesting to note that there are now more than 1,000 sites utilizing Internet Explorer 9's Windows 7 integration features -- like the new desktop notification support we showed you in Hotmail.

But perhaps the best news of all is that Microsoft's IE6countdown.com now has more than 400 partners and is generating nearly two million pageviews per month, helping to lure users away from the woefully out-of-date browser. Can the end come soon enough, DS readers?

Internet Explorer 9 nears 4% share on Windows 7, IE6 extinction countdown picks up steam originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 Apr 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/01/internet-explorer-9-nears-4-share-on-windows-7-ie6-extinction/

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