HTML 5 and interfaces in 2013

Mobile application development in the browser

The building of HTML 5 applications for mobile, on Firefox OS in particular becomes easier with the built-in application manager in Firefox 26 for desktop. We can manage projects on the computer and associate them with a mobile when it is connected to the computer. According to the documentation the actual device can be replaced by the Firefox OS mobile simulator.
The Application Manager provides direct access to this documentation.
December 11, 2013.

Firefox 23, the end of <blink>

Firefox was the last browser to support the flashing tag. With version 23, it's over. It is always possible, however, but I do not encourage it, to use the blink method of String.prototype or by CSS... Except in the case where one wants to achieve a special effect such as a flashing clock ... But then you must be able to control the time interval ...
The replacement code was given on Hacker News:

<style>
@keyframes blink  {
  0% { opacity:1; } 
 75% { opacity:1; } 
 76% { opacity:0; } 
 100% { opacity:0; }
}

blink {
    text-decoration: inherit;
    animation: blink 0.75s ease-in infinite alternate;
}
</style>

<blink>hello</blink>

But the most important change in this version is that the user can not disable JavaScript except through navigating in the list of internal variables with about: config.
HTML 5 range tag is implemented and social functions added to the browser.
August 7, 2013.

Firefox 22, closer to an operating system

The browser in its latest version is easier to use as a system for applications. With WebRTC, video conferencing becomes possible without additional tools. The other functions go in the same direction: Asm.js for almost native speed, WebGL for 3D, these technologies combined allow running next-generation games in the browser.
June 26, 2013.

New look planned for Firefox 25

The details of the changes is given on the Mozilla site. The top menu is moved to icons on the toolbar that shares space with the tabs.
The user has still the option to customize the interface and even back in part to the current interface if he prefers. There are actually many plugins that allow to modify the appearance of the interface and change the layout of its elements.
June 5, 2013.

Firefox 21, the first browser to talk about its health

On the Help menu, a new option appears in the latest version of the browser: the health check. This is a line graph showing the startup speed, the number of issues. This is new. This will be especially important if other browsers provide a similar graph but also provide awareness: The browser may show solutions to accelerate the start.
E4X, XML parser disappears from JavaScript, which makes sense since XML is outweighed by JSON in this environment.
The style scoped tag the restricts CSS attributes to the container. It is also implemented in Chrome.
May 15, 2013.

Firefox OS in Windows or Linux

With the Firefox OS simulator, available as a plugin for the browser, it is possible to run a mobile applications on the desktop. It is even possible to rotate the screen!
This is really the only free OS available to the extent that Android "has a cost" imposed by Microsoft and its pseudo-patents, WP too and iOS cost more than all the others.
It is also the only one who never suffer from fragmentation or limitations in updates, as it works on all devices (and even Windows now!).
May 3, 2013.

The 3D game engine Unreal Engine 3 in Firefox

Mozilla has teamed up with the game maker Epic 3D for porting its rendering engine in the Asm.js programming language. This subset of JavaScript is close to C and designed for speed, it allows applications to run nearly as fast as native code.
With the Unreal Engine, developers can now bring their games made ​​with it in Firefox. They will work on all OS. The beginning of the end for Windows at home?
Developers of V8, the JavaScript compiler of Chrome and Node.js, opened the discussion for the eventual implementation of Asm.js in V8 which would allow to have the same 3D games on any computer without even opening the browser (with Node).
March 27, 2013.

A new tool for each version

This is the trend of changes in Firefox browser. Version 19 release February 22, 2013 has a PDF reader stylish and practical. This will transform tablets in electronic document readers and ebooks replacement. Version 20 will have a new tool for download and future versions other tools again.
February 26, 2013.

Firefox OS soon widely distributed

The mobile OS with HTML 5 interface found several manufacturers including Alcatel, LG, ZTE, Huwaei and 18 mobile operators ready to include it in their bids. Models currently presented such as Alcatel One, ZTE Open are equipped with a small screen but with all the functions of a smartphone. With prices below 100 €, these devices will democratize personal assistants and allow applications to reach a wide audience.
This applies to Europe and South America in the first place, North America will not be tartgeted until 2014.
Sony has also announced plans to sell mobile under Firefox OS in 2014.
February 25, 2013.

Firefox 18 introduces IonMonkey

This ionic monkey is a new JavaScript compiler which makes apps faster by 25%. We also see the beginning of the WebRTC support, an API for real-time communication with the server and therefore going beyond Ajax and WebSocket.
There are many algorithms to magnify an image without significant loss of quality, it is called super-resolution, but why not just use the browser? Firefox 18 proposes a new algorithm that is better then the bilinear interpolation, so you can load smaller images to save bandwidth.
Touch Event API standard is also supported with the version 18.
January 9, 2013.