August 6, 2008

Makers of Firefox come up with a new Web browser

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

Imagine taking the social experience of a site like Facebook or MySpace and integrating it into a Web browser so that collaboration and communication with friends and colleagues is completely seamless.

Adaptive Path, a Web design company, in partnership with the people at Mozilla Labs (a virtual lab connected to the Mozilla Foundation, the Firefox browser creators), want to do just that. In this video, they show one possible future scenario of the Web: Aurora.

Here's what it means: Let’s say you were in Japan and your business partner is in Ohio and you are working on a power point presentation. No need to e-mail the file back and forth. Using Aurora you could both work on the piece, view it discuss it, and make changes in real time. Call it extreme collaboration. Of course there are similar programs that allow us to work virtually on screens in another country, like Adobe ConnectNow and GoToMeeting, but this concept is built for the everyday browser, with a supposedly simple interface.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

AdaptivePath released part 1 of their video series two days ago – and then just last night they launched part 2 – which shows what happens when the browser goes mobile. With a mere stamp of a thumbprint on a paper-thin card all browser data is transferred to the "mobile" card and the user is good to go. But, when you watch this segment, you might, like some of its commenters, think it looks surprisingly familiar. It looks like an iPhone.

Aurora (Part 2) from Adaptive Path on Vimeo

There appear to be no plans to go to market with this and no one is saying it will replace Firefox. For now it's simply a concept to explore.

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American