One of the great new features coming with CSS3 is the ability to use native gradient backgrounds. In addition to saving server resources (no need to call an external image), the gradients tend to be more vibrant and faithful to the original colors than any external images.
So far, none of the modern browsers have agreed on which method to use to implement the gradients, so you will need to utilize a few different methods in order to get it to work in multiple browsers.
Firefox 3.5 was released by Mozilla, today. If you haven’t grabbed it, yet, you should probably go ahead and do so. According to the promotional materials and the release notes, this version of Firefox has been clocked around twice the speed (it takes less than half the time to load items as opposed to FF 3), upgraded phishing and malware detection and protection, and has introduced “private browsing.”
On the Firefox Web site, Mozilla has also developed it’s own chart similar to the IE8 comparison chart we discussed last week.
The new version also natively supports OGG audio and video, along with the HTML5 audio and video tags.
Earlier today, Allen posted a story about Microsoft releasing a chart comparing IE8, Firefox 3 and Chrome (who knows which version). Following is my response to that chart. I would say that I’m disappointed not to see Safari included in this comparison, but since much of the comparison is spin and misinformation, there wouldn’t be much point.
Late last night, Google apparently released an early developers’ build of its browser “Google Chrome” for use on Mac and Linux machines. Reports indicate that the browser still has quite a few issues and bugs that will need to be worked out before it is ready for production, but it’s promising to see Google finally putting something out for those of us that don’t regularly use Windows.
Like the author of the article in InformationWeek, I love using Google Chrome when I’m using Windows. I would love to see a comparable product put together for use on Linux, but the Chromium version just isn’t cutting it, yet.
I hope Google will continue to push the development of the Linux and Mac versions of their browser. If done correctly, it could potentially begin to put a dent in Firefox usage and might make the Firefox developers wake up and start putting real effort back into its development. Don’t get me wrong, I still like Firefox (and really couldn’t get along without some of the add-ons available for the browser), but I am getting tired of the slow startup times and the constant updates to the browser and the add-ons that basically halt my computer while they’re working.
With Web 2.0, rounded corners have become wildly popular. Unfortunately, as of right now, you need to use transparent images, some fancy CSS hacks and some extraneous HTML to make them work properly.
However, Mozilla (Firefox) and Webkit (Safari, Konqueror) browsers have implemented a property called border-radius, which will apparently be included in the CSS3 spec, allowing you to easily create rounded corners on any bordered HTML element.
At this time, you have to use browser-specific properties for Mozilla and Webkit browsers, as the border-radius property is not yet fully implemented. You can find more information about the -moz-border-radius and -webkit-border-radius implementations on The Art of Web. More info about the proposed CSS3 spec on border-radius can be found on the W3 site.
