Chrome will Soon Detect Orientation
PrintGoogle is preparing to add a new type of hardware awareness to the Chrome browser. The browser will soon be able to use accelerometer data to keep track of which way is up, and rotate the interface. Thus Google gets one step closer to making the browser an operating system.
It's not just fitting content to device orientation that can be of use here. Web-based apps and games could also poll the accelerometer as a method of control. Mozilla started to work on this in 2009, and expects to roll it out in Firefox 3.6.
Google is spending heavily on their browser software, which will be the underlying framework of the upcoming Chrome OS. Are there any other uses of orientation awareness in browsers you'd like to see implemented?
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jordinyc
July 07, 2010 at 6:46am
They're not going to go right out and say "Hi Darren! How's your gay ass doing today?" It will however put guys in the strange position of having to explain why every ad is for Fire Island real estate, tiny obscure-breed dogs, and Drag Race Season 1 on DVD. ╰(◔ヮ◔)╯
DogPatch1149
July 06, 2010 at 5:45pm
Accelerometer data in a desktop app? Sure! When you get thoroughly pissed and hurl the machine out the window, Chrome could and should know which way to face for the few remaining seconds of the PC's life.
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"Just when you make something idiot-proof...along comes a better idiot."
don2041
July 06, 2010 at 4:35pm
PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU MEAN BY ORIENTATION I AM NEW TO THE THE NET AND THESE COMMENTS CLUE ME IN
Scootiep
July 07, 2010 at 5:50am
It means that when we tie you to a tree upside down for typing in all caps, you won't be able to read it.
To start press any key...ohh, where's the "Any" key. - Homer Simpson
someuid
July 06, 2010 at 4:26pm
"Google is spending heavily on their browser software, which will be the underlying framework of the upcoming Chrome OS"
There are so many things wrong with this statement, I don't know where to being so I'll just state the facts.
Chrome the browser is not becoming an OS. Google has clearly stated that the Chrome OS is built on linux. Chrome the browser is being modified and expanded to serve as both the app running on the OS and the OS'es graphical user interface. The idea is simple - hide the underlying OS and give the user a single GUI/program to do everything. Eliminate the complexity present to the user so they stop tinkering and screwing up the OS and start using their software for real work/play. See: iPhone OS.
Why is this so important? Because OSes access drivers and speak with hardware. GUIs don't speak with hardware, they speak with the OS. When you say Chrome the browser is replacing the OS or becoming the OS, you are speaking incorrectly and/or mis-stating the facts. It does your magazine dis-service and gives me reason to consider looking elsewhere for my tech news.
Please be more accurate/more informed in the future. If you don't, we'll all end up using Macs and we don't want that happening.
kjrviking
July 06, 2010 at 3:07pm
I cannot for the life of me figure out what an accelerometer could be used for in a desktop based browser, unless this is also a sign that it could be coming to the mobile platform, in which case, it could be really useful because you wouldn't have to hold the device a certain way... but besides that, it seems pointless
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