Reusing the fastest TCP connections on Firefox 5

HttpWatch blog:

One of the major performance related changes in Firefox 5 is an improvement in the way that keep-alive HTTP connections are re-used. Previously, there was a simple FIFO queue. So if Firefox ever tried to reuse a TCP connection it would simply use the connection that had been idle for the longest period of time.

However, not all connections are equal. Connections that have transmitted the most data are likely to be faster than those that have only received a small amount of data. This effect is caused by the congestion window mechanism in TCP.

It’s not just a shell, because it’s fast

Paul Thurrott, trying to convince himself why the new Windows 8 touch UI is not just a shell:

Answering the BS complaints about the new Windows 8 Start screen being “just a shell” on top of Windows, he [Microsoft corporate vice president Mike Angiulo] notes how quickly you can move back and forth between this screen and the traditional Windows desktop. “You see how fast that switches?” he asks as he goes back and forth between the two UIs in a decidedly non-jarring manner. “It’s not a different mode. Launching this is like launching the Start Menu. It’s just instant.”

Please explain to me why the speed of a shell somehow makes it not be a shell or a mode.

The real problem with Windows 8 is of course nothing to do with the new UI being a shell or not. It is the fact that dealing with the complexity of traditional Windows UI is not enough anymore, users now have to deal with yet another layer of UI. It is an ugly compromise.

Another sign of a compromise is that, at least for now, Windows 8 looks like it is designed to be only used in landscape more, like traditional desktop/laptop computers are. For tablets, landscape primarily only makes sense in games and watching video. In my experience, portrait is generally much more effective for other types of tasks.

Sampo Pankki “neuvoo”

Janne Toivoniemi:

Asennettuani Firefoxin 3.5 -version Sampopankin verkkopankki lakkasi toimimasta. Tai siis pankkiin pääsi sisään, mutta mitään siellä ei voinut tehdä, koska toiminnon toimittamiseksi kirjoitettavaa tunnuslukua ei voinut kirjoittaa input-kenttään.

schizoblog.net/… →

Googlen tuleva käyttöjärjestelmä: Chrome OS

Hassua, miten minulla on juuri työn alla kirjoitus, jota kirjoittaessa sain saman idean: tulevaisuuden käyttöjärjestelmän käyttöliittymä on yhtä kuin selain.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We're designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web.

googleblog.blogspot.com/… →