Mozilla Labs Add-On Provides Video and Audio Recording From the Browser 132
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."
This should lead to some "interesting" malware. (Score:2, Interesting)
n/t
Four words: Lower Merion School District (Score:1, Interesting)
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).
If it does, I see no evidence for it.
The potential for abuse here is enormous.
The user confirmation had damn well better be solid. Particularly when a minor is likely to be at the keyboard.
It is not necessarilly a good idea to do everything in the browser.
The added step of opening an external app - particularly an app which enforces explict restrictions on access - is, I think, often the better solution.
Re:This should lead to some "interesting" malware. (Score:3, Interesting)
You're one of those damn HTML5 lubbers, aren't you? \~
Don't know yet, there's nothing to lub. Not much available in the real world to try with HTML5... ask again in two years. The lub may be hawt, or it may be like lub with a drunken frat boy (lots of tears and shortcomings and stains that won't wash out).
But the point stands: whether HTML5 is good or bad is pretty much irrelevant to the inarguable fact that Flash is a security mess. Even if HTML5 turns out to be even worse, that doesn't make the current state of affairs with Flash acceptable. Adobe needs to get its act together, regardless of their competition's CERT alert count. The only bug counts their dev team should care about are their own.
If a Chevy catches fire 20% of the time when you start it, and a Chrysler catches fire 10% of the time when you start it, that still doesn't make Chrysler OK or safe.
Comment removed (Score:3, Interesting)