Tag: readwriteweb
Chrome Hucks HTTP://
by neetika on Apr.19, 2010, under Latest Web Technologies
Google’s developer version of the Chrome browser has made a significant change. In the URL the traditional first step, “http://” has been done away with.
Thom Holwerda, of OSNews, had an idea why.
“(T)he URL scheme bears little meaning to most people using a browser - they know it’s there and how to type it, but it doesn’t indicate anything to them. Since computing has been about abstracting away complexity for a while now, it was only a matter of time before browser makers started removing this piece of web history.”
There are problems with this change, as far as developers are concerned.
- The change itself was unclear. When developers started noticing it, they interpreted and reported it as a bug. It seems that Google perhaps did not converse with their developers prior to implementing this
- Although the http is hidden, it is not gone. So the change is a visual one, perhaps not a functional one.
- Some developers are worried about what will happen when working with the https or ftp protocols.
- This is not an agreed-upon move, industry-wide.
A moderator on Google’s Chrome code forum said, “we include “http:// when copying the URL to the clipboard, so it will still appear when pasted elsewhere.” This is a function that is apparently not in working order for a number of developers.
Digg’s iPhone App Might Be Better Than the Website
by neetika on Mar.26, 2010, under Gadgets, Latest Web Technologies
Digg released its official iPhone app this morning and in many ways it’s more usable than the website itself. The app is a little buggy, doesn’t allow you to post comments and doesn’t include the video or images section of the site - but it’s still quite good.
The best is likely to come as the app’s login process points to the next version of Digg as a platform. In that future scenario, top stories will be surfaced faster and more to your liking by integrating links shared by your friends on Twitter and Facebook.
The new Digg app’s design is clean, simple and easy to browse. No ads, no story summaries until you ask for one, no extraneous text about Digg features. It’s much easier on the eyes than the site itself, which has grown overloaded with features, colors and text. Feature request: It sure would be nice to be able to peruse the images section of Digg on the iPhone, especially if there was a way it could be made fast.
Bookmarking stories to read later is smart. That’s a feature unique to the iPhone interface. Browse your favorite categories looking for the stories you’re interested in reading, bookmark them, then go back and see them all in one place. That’s a compelling use-case, especially on mobile. What percentage of the stories on any Digg page do you really want to read? Hunting for interesting content amongst what’s popular is part of the fun. Why stop hunting for fear of losing track of a gem you’ve found? Feature request: Instapaper integration. I’d love to hit up Digg while sitting on the tarmac before a plane takes off and easily save some good stories to read while I’m up in the air. Perhaps just off-line reading like the New York Times app is what I’m looking for.
The “most popular” paradigm is particularly well-suited for mobile. If you’re a serious web user, you probably get news and links from all over the web, not from one site. Right now Digg’s links are probably old news to you, too. The limited selection or most-popular “in case you missed it” type of stories you’ll find on the Digg front page is uniquely well suited to mobile reading. I don’t have time to do too much exploration on my phone so please recommend me some good stuff in a hurry. Feature request: Please bring me personalized recommendations asap in this app.
The sooner those recommendations can be tied to the activities of my friends on Twitter and Facebook, the better. Unfortunately, it looks like that New Digg is still several months away.
Until it comes out, though, the Digg iPhone app is a pretty good way to follow popular news online. You can search for it in the app store.

