Mozilla Labs Add-On Provides Video and Audio Recording From the Browser

An anonymous reader writes "Mozilla Labs is working on an experimental add-on which enables video and audio recording in the browser. Anant Narayanan writes on the Mozilla Labs blog, 'The Rainbow add-on for Firefox is an early developer prototype that enables web developers to access local video and audio recording capabilities using just a few lines of JavaScript. The add-on generates files encoded in open formats: Theora (for video) and Vorbis (for audio) in an Ogg container. The resulting files are accessible in DOM using HTML5 File APIs, which may be used to upload them to a server.' Support for live streaming and WebM is planned for a future version of the add-on."

Recording Indicator

[Doc Ruby]

I'd like the OS to have a reliable (hard to crack) indicator to the user showing whenever any mic or camera HW is being accessed, like a red light in the Desktop manager display, and an easily readable display of the XML log of accesses.

As it is I put metal foil tape over them now, disconnecting them physically when I can, and rely on external camera/mic peripherals that I plug in on demand.

Re:so...uh...

[Cougar Town]

Mozilla didn't get Firefox where it is by being morons. Just the fact that it's Mozilla tells me that if this is ever an official release, it's going to have some kind of user confirmation before allowing access to these things (if it doesn't already). The backlash would be too great if there wasn't, and this is just common sense for Mozilla. Bugs could show up that might allow some kind of malware to do it, but it's crazy to think that Mozilla would knowingly allow any site to just access your camera and mic without permission if this was meant to be widely used by regular people.

Re:This should lead to some "interesting" malware.

[Caerdwyn]

The sins of Flash are not forgiven by the sins of HTML5.

Re:so...uh...

[owlnation]

Mozilla didn't get Firefox where it is by being morons.

Hmmm... Mozilla didn't get Firefox from 0.0 - 2.0 by being morons. However, there's certainly some evidence of moronic behavior from 2.0 onwards. Their focus seems to have changed from usability to adding more and more features. And that's moronic, because that's exactly what killed Netscape.

Only a moron would repeat history that way. Yet that does appear to be what they are doing.

Re: Four words: Lower Merion School District

[catbutt]

It's absurd to think that they would allow any web page to capture video or audio without having a rock solid way of making sure the user actually wants to do that. I mean, browsers have had a "file upload" widget since practically day one. But never did they allow javascript to browse your hard drive and upload files without you explicitly telling it to.

Same here. Even the most computer illiterate should be aware that having a browser able to do such a thing without the user's permission is crazy. Why is anyone, on Slashdot no less, even debating it?

Re: Four words: Lower Merion School District

[contra_mundi]

It's a tasty piece of FUD and they have a beef with Mozilla?

Re:so...uh...

[hedwards]

They're doing that because you're delusional. Sort of like how the sky is now red and Safari doesn't suck balls on Windows.

Firefox is much more usable now than it was when I first started using it back when it was alpha and wasn't Firefox. 3.x and 4.x are continuing the evolution. It's hard for me to believe that a bunch of "moron" as you put it put together the second most popular browser. Even more shocking is that a bunch of morons are now leading the browser market.

interesting

[pak9rabid]

Well, this sure is a clever way to push their tag video and audio codecs. If only everyone would invent something cool to get their formats accepted.

Re:so...uh...

[couchslug]

Distinguish "add-on" from the browser itself. Extensions make FF useful. No likee, no installee, no problem.

Re: Four words: Lower Merion School District

[clang_jangle]

It is not necessarilly a good idea to do everything in the browser.

That's an understatement! Unfortunately, in the future we will be doing pretty much everything in the browser if the ISPs and **AA get their way. Total lockdown is their "final solution", and they'll most likely get it. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I believe these are the good old days -- enjoy them while they last...

Web must be two way, not consume-only, read-only

[h00manist]

Yes, there is malware. But lets not censor people because their computer may be insecure. We do need to encourage people to produce and publish more. Too much of the web is becoming filler "content" for selling commercials, the same as television and magazines. They don't really care what content is or says, as long as it's attention grabbing it sells ads.

Re:so...uh...

[Angst Badger]

It's hard for me to believe that a bunch of "moron" as you put it put together the second most popular browser. Even more shocking is that a bunch of morons are now leading the browser market.

Popularity does not equal intelligence. Vastly more people are avid followers of professional wrestling than any branch of the sciences. While the OP rather overstates his point, yours has no merit at all.

Re:Recording video in the browser? Great...

[BenoitRen]

Now if only people would understand why Firefox can't support proprietary codecs - nah, there's not enough intelligence for that.