client

Google's Native Client project to accelerate Web applications just got a lot more real--and a lot more ambitious.

Browsers today come with increasingly powerful engines to run programs written in JavaScript, but those programs must be translated laboriously into the native instructions a computer understands, typically making them much slower than the software that runs directly on the operating system. Native Client is an attempt to bridge those worlds, letting code downloaded over the Web run fast and natively.

A year and a half ago, when Google announced Native Client, the open-source project could run only 32-bit software for … Read more

I continue to think that device convergence is overrated, a relic of a time when electronics cost relatively more than they do today. That's not to say it never happens. Today, smartphones often function as MP3 players as well and game consoles increasingly are a portal to many types of digital entertainment, not just games. That said, the general trend seems to be toward more consoles, displays, PCs, pads, and mobile devices rather than fewer.

There's an important point to consider though. Reader cvaldes1831 sums it up nicely:

There is one very practical reason to limit the number … Read more

Unison 2 is a major update for this popular Usenet client, providing a much more modern interface to access one of the oldest and most arcane corners of the Internet.

Fans of Usenet typically come in search of discussion groups and binary downloads, and Unison's all-new, iTunes-style interface makes navigation easy, with a friendly directory system, threaded messages, and an immensely useful search bar. And given that downloads are a priority for so many Usenet users, Unison also has some thoughtful integrated features, like audio preview, automatic unarchiving (with unRAR and unPAR), and automatic skipping of unneeded files. Unison … Read more

Google has filed at least four patent applications for technology it's building into its Chrome browser to try to make the Web a more powerful foundation for applications.

Three patent applications concern Google's Native Client, a technology for letting downloaded software modules run directly on a processor rather than more slowly through on-the-fly decoding as with the commonly used JavaScript. And one patent application involves O3D, a technology to let browser applications take advantage of 3D acceleration of graphics hardware.

Patents can serve a variety of purposes. They can be used to keep competitors away from new technology until the patent expires. They can be licensed to others for their use or used as bargaining chips when negotiating patent cross-license agreements that let companies use each other's patents. They can be hoarded for defensive purposes, ready for deployment in a patent infringement countersuit if one company is sued by another. They can be used to gain more favorable terms in the creation of industry standards that relate to the patents. And of course they can bolster corporate chest-thumping when it comes time to boast about levels of innovation.

Thus far, Google hasn't proven to be a litigious company, but its presence is looming ever larger over the computing industry. The new patents are in a particularly fast-moving area, the development of Web browsers and associated technology for making cloud computing a more powerful foundation for applications. … Read more

Small enough to run off a USB key, but powerful enough to download any torrent in a jiffy (if it's got enough seeders), uTorrent 2.0 is easy on the eyes and smart on your network. The memory footprint for uTorrent is very small, and system resources are barely touched. While you're torrenting, you shouldn't be surprised to find that other programs that use your Internet connection slow down, but the latest version of uTorrent has an answer to that. Called uTorrent Protocol, or uTP, it's a built-in throttling that detects network congestion and slows down … Read more

Computing is cheap. Both by historical standards and compared to many other machines and services that we purchase. All of us appreciate that intellectually at some level. But, when it comes to thinking about which devices make sense and which don't, it often seems as if we're treating computing like it's a scarce and expensive resource.

I see this tendency again and again when discussions turn to new types of devices or software such as Google's Chrome OS. I often get asked when will a certain shiny-new-thing replace desktops running Windows or some other existing gadget.… Read more

Despite perceptions to the contrary, the desktop-based e-mail client is not dead. Mozilla Thunderbird 3.0 is a serious reaction to the prevalence of Web mail, so whether you're looking for a strong desktop client, an Outlook replacement, or a powerful tool for managing archives and Web mail offline, Thunderbird can scale to your needs.

Outlook users will notice the speed and responsiveness of the program, which loads fast, even when weighed down by multiple folders and RSS feeds, and the basic feature set remains intact: good junk mail filters, HTML support, multiple identities, and robust Web mail, POP, … Read more

Despite perceptions to the contrary, the desktop-based e-mail client is not dead. Mozilla Thunderbird 3.0 is a serious reaction to the prevalence of Web mail, so whether you're looking for a strong desktop client, an Outlook replacement, or a powerful tool for managing archives and Web mail offline, Thunderbird can scale to your needs.

Outlook users will notice the speed and responsiveness of the program, which loads quickly, even when weighed down by multiple folders and RSS feeds, and the basic feature set remains intact: good junk mail filters, HTML support, multiple identities, and robust Web mail, POP, … Read more

FileZilla Portable is a handy and free file transfer protocol (FTP) client, something that's been available in many forms since the earliest days of the Internet. What's different about FileZilla Portable is the "portable" part; unlike other FTP clients, the whole program is totally portable. You can install it on a USB flash drive, insert the drive in any computer, and use FileZilla without installing anything else and without leaving any personal information behind.

FileZilla Portable (formerly Portable FileZilla) is, as the name suggests, a portable version of the well-known FileZilla FTP client. It's one … Read more