The Upcoming Firefox Version Can Detect Computer Orientation

Firefox 3.6 – code-named Namoroka – will be based upon Gecko 1.9.2. The upcoming version will be able to tell if you're listing to starboard--and pass that information along to applications running in the browser.

That's because the browser will be able to detect the orientation of laptops and mobile devices equipped with accelerometers that can tell which way is down. The reason for the work: Web applications running in the browser will be able to use the information, useful for labyrinth-type games with virtual marbles rolling around boards, and any number of other gaming situations.

Mozilla evangelist Christopher Blizzard announced Firefox's coming orientation interfaceMonday.

"One new feature that we're including as part of Firefox 3.6 is support for web pages to access machine orientation information if it's available," Blizzard wrote. "Many modern MacBooks and ThinkPads contain devices and drivers that expose this information. We've added support for Linux, Macs and some ThinkPads where drivers and devices are available."

Mozilla is working on the technology for mobile devices, too, where orientation-aware games are a big deal.

The move is one of many by browser makers eager to transform their software from passive receptacles for showing Web sites to an active foundation for interactive applications. Firefox 3.6 is scheduled for beta testing shortly and final release later this year.
Firefox 3.6 offers several new CSS features. Among these, the most intriguing is support for CSS gradients, which allow Web developers to paint the background of an element with a color gradient with multiple color stops. This feature was originally invented last year by Apple and implemented in WebKit. It is based partly on the gradient features described in the HTML 5 Canvas specification. We have seen it appear in several different WebKit variants, including the rendering engine in Chrome. Mozilla's move to add it to Firefox's Gecko rendering engine marks the first time that it has been used in a renderer other than WebKit.