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Murphy's Law: Mozilla Crowdsources Open Source

David Murphy — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:30:20 -0500

It sounds like Buzzword Bingo, but a new Mozilla Labs project is applying an open-source, crowd-sourced routine to solve common Web developer issues. The program's called TestSwarm, and I must confess, it's a novel idea for increasing a developer's ability to test out new JavaScript framework on a variety of browsers at once. And the fact that this an open-source project is cooler still: Aspiring testers can load the framework onto their own servers and set up their own test routines at will.

TestSwarm was developed by one of the Mozilla Foundation's JavaScript Tool Developers, John Resig, to deal with the scalability issues that factor into JavaScript code testing. To Resig, the proper testing platform includes at least five different browsers split into 12 total versions per operating system. Although he doesn't go into this length in his example, you should triple that number to factor in the Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 operating environments.

Factor these (now) thirty-six tests against an average of ten test suite iterations--a minimum number of variances that Resig runs in a common jQuery testing environment. That's three hundred and sixty runs for every test you create, more if you're expanding to include OSX and Linux platforms. And did I mention that the best results tend to occur when actual human beings are behind the testing instead of some automated attempt at user interaction? Yeaaaah...

So how did Resig address this grand problem of JavaScript testing scalability? You should know--you're a part of the solution, after all.

To a user, the TestSwarm client just simply works. When you load up the page, the program checks to see what browser you're using and determines whether it's one that is needed for a round of tests. If so, TestSwarm pops up a little window and asks you for your help. If you choose to enter a username and agree to join the fun, you're placed in a holding queue. The TestSwarm client checks for new tests to run on your machine over a set interval of time. If a particular test screws up, a detailed note is sent back to TestSwarm to help developers identify the root cause of the issue. They also receive a giant color-coded chart that shows off the different tests and browser permutations, as well as a visual representation of tests that succeeded, succumbed to minor errors, or completely fell apart.

As a concept, I think TestSwarm is an awesome way to go about using the power of a community to spare one poor person (or a group of people/suckers) from having to run an absurd amount of test iterations in the name of usability. It's analogous to the successful efforts one sees from the many distributed computing applications floating around the Internet. And just as there seems to be an infinite number of [subject]@home distributed programs, I would kill anywhere from three to six people to get a variant of TestSwarm themed for CSS/HTML checks. Instead of looking for faults in JavaScript runs, the client could load up a target Web page into a connected user's browser, find some way to finagle a screenshot or otherwise record the look of the page, and email that back to the original developer. Gone are the hours spent checking the look of a single page across squillions of platforms.

It's an awesome idea--at least, I think so. But what do users get for their contributions to either TestSwarm or the now-aptly named TestMurph?

Such is a question that invariably arises whenever I think of distributed computing applications or, really, even the open-source world in general. The two travel down similar paths in this regard. In distributed computing, you're contributing to an effort larger than yourself for (mostly) bragging rights and respect among your Internet peers. The same holds true for TestSwarm. While I don't necessarily mind helping some dude test out his JavaScript, am I going to open up a tab for the TestSwarm loading area every time I start a version of Firefox? Not really.

Sure, Resig could turn TestSwarm into a downloadable application that launches browser windows during your computer's idle time. But that's a pretty hefty amount of code spread across multiple operating systems, not to mention an increased amount of steps and potential annoyances for users looking to help out. It's a catch-22 if I ever heard one: To increase TestSwarm's popularity and applicability, one has to increase the program's complexity and user interactivity. But unless TestSwarm is exposed to as many permutations of browsers, operating systems, and setups as possible, the entire point of the platform dies away.

To his credit, Resig has opened the doors with an innovative idea for online testing that's sure to be replicated, modified, and distributed in the days to come. In fact, there's been a bit of interest in corporate versions of TestSuite, which bodes well for future TestSwarm spin-offs. I just hope that, for all his work and creativity, the single variable out of Resig's control doesn't ultimately prove to be the suite's undoing. Were there only some equally innovative way to encourage the adoption of the experiment by its chief guinea pigs--that's the real question here.

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

Palm WebOS SDK to be Available When Summer Ends

Pulkit Chandna — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:30:55 -0500

The Palm Pre App Catalog currently features only thirty apps and excepting one all others are in beta mode. A lot of people are eagerly waiting for a deluge of Pre apps to overwhelm them. But apps will only dribble in for a few more months as the official SDK (software development kit) isn’t available as yet. Palm has announced it intends to have the SDK fully ready by the end of the summer.

"We've been working very hard on the SDK and are eager to open access on a wider scale, but the software and the developer services to support it just aren't ready yet,” Palm wrote rather apologetically on its developer blog. It is believed that since the Palm Pre doesn’t still have a huge installed base a la the iPhone, many app developers may stick to developing apps for more popular platforms like the iPhone. But who knows the number of Pres sold during the months leading up to the release of the SDK might allow Palm to woo some of the dithering developers.

Android Market Allows Returns, Forbids Porn

Pulkit Chandna — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:12:09 -0600

With Google having opened Android Market to paid apps, users of the fledgling mobile platform are eagerly looking forward to an inevitable rise in the number of apps. Google, on its part, is trying its best to offer more reasons for Android users to exult.

And exult they will on hearing that the Android Market will let users return any application within 24 hours from the time of purchase. Google has stolen a march on Apple’s App Store by espousing an application return policy.

Also, users will be allowed unlimited reinstalls by Google. If any dispute arises - including billing issues - between a user and a developer, the two parties will have to settle it directly as Google is not interested in playing arbitrator. Another thing Google is not interested in is porn. The Android Market policies expressly prohibit “nudity, graphic sex acts, or sexually explicit material.”

Image Credit: Cnet

Microsoft Looks for Blue Skies Ahead with its Azure Cloud Computing Platform

Mark Edward Soper — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:49:54 -0500

It was called "Project Red Dog" during development, but this week Microsoft revealed its favorite color for its cloud computing development platform is actually blue - Azure, in fact.

Windows Azure Services Platform was introduced at this week's PDC, and includes the following key components, according to eWeek:

Windows Azure (service hosting, management, low-level scalable storage, computation and networking)
Microsoft SQL Services (databases and reporting)
Microsoft .NET Services (.NET Framework workflow, access control, and so forth)
Live Services (file and media synchronization between PCs, phones, apps and website)
Microsoft SharePoint Services and CRN Services (business content, collaboration, and rapid solution development)

Applications developed using the Azure platform can be tested offline, and can be deployed locally or to the cloud, thanks to the incorporation of existing Microsoft technologies. Azure will first be made available through Microsoft data centers. Developers can use HTTP or other common Internet standards to access Azure services. Learn more at Microsoft's Azure Services Platform website.

What's the appeal of Azure for Microsoft - and developers? According to the Information Week blog, Azure offers scalable pay as you go services. It might not be "The End of Software?" as Information Week wonders, but Azure is the latest sign that services, not shrinkwrapped packages of Microsoft whatever, may be the wave of the future for profitability in Redmond - and for maximum flexibility in uncertain times for developers.

With Amazon.com already in the game, Windows Azure is playing catch up. Will the sky remain the intense "October blue" of azure for Redmond, or will its vision of cloud computing be clouded over by the competition? Developers, you can register for the Community Technology Preview to find out for yourself (and your company). But, whether you're a developer or a user, feel free to click the Comments button to tell us what you think about Windows Azure and cloud computing.

Amazon Enters Casual Games Market by Acquiring Reflexive Entertainment

Pulkit Chandna — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 04:28:29 -0500

Amazon has agreed to acquire casual web gaming company Reflexive Entertainment. The move marks the internet behemoth’s foray into casual gaming. Reflexive was constituted in 1997 and is stationed in Orange County, California. Reflexive is working on a game development and distribution service called Reflexive Arcade.

The Reflexive Arcade service will be restricted to only PC, Mac and web-based games. The true motivation behind this particular acquisition is not yet known. The two companies haven’t made the details of the transaction public.

DreamBuildPlay, Ready to Get Your Design On?

Chris Moody — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:46:31 -0500

Microsoft has issued a challenge for developers and newbie
developers worldwide to use Microsoft's XNA Game Studio 2.0 to build
their game for the Xbox 360. This year they are accepting teams from 1
to 7 people to compete. First prize is $40,000, second is $20,000,
third $10,000, and fourth is $5,000.

The deadline is September 23, 2008, after which the judges will be
choosing the best entries on 3 main criteria: Fun Factor (40%),
Innovation (30%), and Production Quality (30%).

Ready to get your Design On? Head over to dreambuildplay.com and sign up!

Microsoft's Surface, More Than Just a Really Big iPhone Screen

Chris Moody — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:03:26 -0500

Just how much cooler can they make Microsoft's Surface? Oh, I suppose they could do a nifty holographic 3D interface but that is for the future. In the here and now, the Surface gives new meaning to "Desktop".

Crunchgear reports that at a recent conference they got to look at the SDK, which allows developers the ability to slide an object around and have it stop based on friction or what objects it hits. Think about sliding a photo across a desktop with your fingertips into a folder. The good thing is if you miss, it doesn't end up on the floor. It takes the intuitive interface of the desktop as we know it and brings it together with our most intuitive interface device, our hands. The promise for this technology for the future is outstanding.

Object Recognition is planned for the future. Users will be able to place physical objects on the display to trigger different types of response, like downloading images from your Bluetooth enabled phone or uploading music to an MP3 player.

Now don't you just want one of these for a coffee table in your living room?

Image Credit: Microsoft