Google Chrome overtakes Firefox

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The first report of Google’s Chrome browser overtaking Mozilla’s Firefox has been reported for November. Statcounter.com, is the responsible party with this report which we have included below.

StatCounter Browsers November 2011

StatCounter Browsers November 2011

This is a very important increase for defining the shape of the websites within the next year. However, the other interesting fact is that Internet Explorer has seen a steady decrease in market share. This could be attributed to two primary causes. The first being market acceptance of Firefox and Chrome browsers by users. While the second is likely related to a noticeable increase in market share by Apple’s OS X. This is important as Safari has seen steady growth and because Safari and Chrome are based on the same core technology (and show related user experiences). These increases have also been noted within the google analytics and OmniSpear SaaS analytics platforms as well.

We expect to see within our own development hemisphere a greater increase in HTML5 and Javascript enabled websites. This of course is not a new trend but one that has been in motion since early 2010 and is continued by Adobe’s recent declarations including their EDGE preview project.

Browser-based Gaming with HTML5

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The new crop of Bleeding-edge browsers have some pretty robust capability with HTML5.  As any software engineer knows, the first thing you do with any new technology is try to get an id engine running on it.  If you haven’t already seen it, a few Google engineers used some of their 20% time to get pretty creative with this evolving browser technology and do just that.  Using The Google Web Toolkit, WebGL, WebSockets, and apparently a whole bunch of refactoring, they ported the Jake2 java version of the Quake II Game Engine to Javascript with excellent results.

You can grab the source here.

Windows 8 Live Keynote Address

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Today starting at 9a.m. PT Microsoft’s developer conference will feature a keynote that highlights Windows 8 changes and the revised developer experience. There will be a live stream of the conference keynote available on the conference website http://www.buildwindows.com/.

The core changes will be updated UI and a refresh that brings Windows 8 more in line with the current Apple OS X offerings (source ZDNET).

The OS X comparable offerings include:

  • History Vault (Time Machine)
  • Windows App Store (App Store)
  • ISO Mounting (Native OS X)
  • Cloud Based Profiles (iDisk/Mobile Me)
  • Modern Reader PDF Support (Preview)

Other New features:

  • Windows Explorer Ribbons
  • Updated Task Manager
  • ARM Processor Support
  • Internet Explorer 10
  • Pattern and Facial recognition logins

There are sure to be other features that sneak into Windows 8 and that may be helpful for the enterprise.

Our vote for the most hated new feature is surely Windows Explorer Ribbons. Apparently there is a vast difference between the Windows and Office team with incorporating user feedback.

Part-Time Web Developer

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We are looking for a Part-Time Web Developer to deliver meaningful work and enhance our team. Send your resume to careers@omnispear.com.

Our culture is what drives us, and we’re looking to build our team with someone who both fits and contributes to it.

Required Skills:

- HTML + CSS: Mastery of cross browser CSS and HTML.
- ASP.NET, C#, PHP + MySQL
- JavaScript: Proven understanding of Javascript fundamentals
- Good knowledge of web standards and trends
- Ability to learn and thirst for knowledge

Pluses:

- Working knowledge of JavaScript frameworks/libraries
- Mobile Web experience.

About OmniSpear, Inc.:

Omnispear, Inc. works with all types and sizes of businesses to enhance their brand through the convergence of innovative website design, web applications, promotion and other key value added services.

Since 2001, through commitment and desire we have found ourselves among the most well respected interactive development elite in Ohio. We are a privately held, incorporated company residing in Dayton, Ohio. Our client base is broad and consists of multi-national enterprises, national corporations, government agencies and local businesses.

OmniSpear, Inc. Team Building Fun

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There is no better way to bond with fellow employees than practicing your shooting skills together. A few weeks ago, OmniSpear decided to host a company airsoft shooting competition for a prize of $100. The rules were simple, each person had 5 shots and whoever scored the highest points on their respective targets won. Luckily for Steve Gillson, he managed to score 45 points and took home the prize!

Spoon.net – A web developer’s dream come true.

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We all know that cross-browser compatibility testing is a necessary evil for web developers. Testing is especially difficult when your workstation can only have one version of Internet Explorer installed at a time.

Today I discovered Spoon – (www.spoon.net), a plugin-based virtualization app that allows you to run desktop applications with no installs. Beautiful!

Testing on all popular versions of IE is a snap, just load the spoon browser sandbox: http://spoon.net/Browsers/