dev

Shaky extension sync debuts in Chrome

Neither enabled by default nor particularly stable, the long-sought-after browser feature to synchronize extensions across multiple computers arrived Thursday in the developer's builds of Google Chrome.

Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, Google Chrome dev 6.0.437.1 for Windows and Linux, and version 6.0.437.2 for Mac, include a rudimentary version of extension sync that users need to manually activate, a collection of the usual bug fixes and performance tweaks, and also combines the stop and reload buttons into one to streamline the omnibox and free up space for extension icons.

To enable the extension … Read more

New security fixes for Chrome stable

Google pushed out an update for the stable branch of its Chrome browser Wednesday. The update, for Windows, Mac, and Linux, addresses multiple security bugs including nine tagged as high-level problems.

The high-level security bugs included cross-origin bypass in DOM methods that netted a security researcher $2,000 in Google's ongoing bug-hunting contest, a memory error in table layouts that earned another researcher $500, holes in the wall of the sandbox on Linux computers, HTML5-based geolocation events firing even after the relevant document had been deleted, and multiple memory errors.

This is the first security-fixing release for the stable … Read more

Google declares Chrome stable for Mac, Linux

Just shy of a year after releasing the first rough developer's build of its Chrome browser for the Mac, Google announced stable versions of Chrome for Mac and Linux, and upgraded the stable release of the browser to version 5. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, Chrome v5.0.375.55 includes support for extensions and themes, improved bookmark management and synchronization, browser preferences syncing, and the most recent stable updates to Chrome's trailblazing JavaScript engine, V8.

The browser also offers several HTML5-based features, including geolocation APIs, App Cache, Web sockets, and attachment drag-and-drop in Gmail. Although Adobe'… Read more

Chrome beta catches up to developer's build

Google's latest update to the beta version of the Chrome browser brings it to parity with the more experimental developer's version. Google Chrome beta version 5.0.375.29 for Windows, Mac, and Linux contains multiple feature enhancements as well as the semi-regular security and bug-fixes that are common updates for its less-stable cousin.

One of the most notable new features in the beta is the inclusion of default support for Adobe Flash. This means that users will no longer need to install a separate add-on to see Web sites that require Flash to render properly. It also … Read more

Chrome dev gets rudimentary HTML5 geolocation

In an update to the development build of Chrome, Google on Thursday introduced a rough version of the native HTML5 geolocation API. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, Google Chrome dev 5.0.342.1 comes with the geolocation API that Mozilla has supported since it introduced it in last summer's Firefox 3.5.

However, geolocation in Chrome is turned off by default. To activate it, users must go to their Chrome shortcut and add --enable-geolocation to the end of the target line, under the Shortcut tab. To test if it's working, you can go to http://www.browsergeolocation.com. … Read more

Manage projects electronically

DevPlanner is designed to facilitate project management. You can keep track of your project's schedule with the built-in calendar and customize the program by adding your own categories and tasks.

We like the idea of managing our to-do list with DevPlanner. However, it's not user friendly. The interface is somewhat crowded when all of the areas are open at once, and it's not immediately obvious what some of them do. We tried to create new tasks by clicking on the calendar section, but the program wouldn't let us type there. We created a new task item … Read more

Multiple updates for Chrome stable and dev

Google has updated the stable build of its Chrome browser with two fixes. Google Chrome 3.0.195.33 plugs a security hole that could have allowed a malicious Web site to set custom HTTP headers on cross-origin options requests. A second bug fixed in version 3.0.195.33 removes a dependency on a Windows library file that was not actually required by Chrome. Earlier versions of Chrome would fail silently if that DLL file was missing or rights-restricted.

The Google Chrome developer's channel also updated Friday. Kiosk mode has been activated on all platforms, although the status … Read more

iPhone Dev-Team releases PwanageTool 3.1.4

The iPhone Dev-Team has released PwnageTool 3.1.4, an update to its Mac hacking utility for iPhones and iPods. The group also confirms rumors that Apple may be finding ways to block future jailbreaks.

This version of the PwnageTool was created to specifically unlock iPhone OS 3.1.2, but all generations of the iPhone are supported by this release as well as the first and second generations of the iPod Touch. (Second-generation devices must have already been jailbroken for this application to work.) Unfortunately, third-generation iPod Touch users are completely left out--no jailbreak for you with this utility.… Read more

Jailbreak: Cydia developer Jay Freemam live chat

The live chat is available here. The chat has ended and they're no longer taking questions, but you can read the transcript on the site. For the more technical individuals out there, there's a lot of interesting information about how he's thwarting Apple's best efforts and empowering users to take control of their devices.