The browser and the desktop are melding. Web applications like Facebook (Facebook reviews) or Twitter (Twitter reviews) used to be primarily browser-based, but more and more products such as Tweetdeck (TweetDeck reviews) and Seesmic Desktop (Seesmic Desktop reviews) are bringing that functionality off-browser. Firefox (Firefox reviews) though, can do a lot more.
Mozilla has released version 1.0 of the Prism Firefox extension. It’s a Firefox extension that allows you to transform web applications into desktop ones. According to CNET, the new update adds auto-update support, the ability to clear private data, a new API for developers, and best of all, tray icons with notifications.
To use Prism, you need to go to the Tools menu on Firefox and select “convert to web application” for the website you’re on, i.e. YouTube (YouTube reviews) or Gmail (Gmail reviews). You can create desktop shortcuts and tray icons to reach your app. Prism also comes as a stand-alone application, which just allows you to create web apps from the desktop.
Prism is a very cool extension that we hope becomes a standard part of Firefox soon. The tray icon updates are especially nice. It makes using social media even easier. More importantly, it is a testament as to how far web applications have come. If you want to learn more, just check out the video Mozilla recently released on how to create a Prism app:
Get Prism for Firefox, Prism 1.0 for Firefox: Gmail, Facebook, YouTube and more on your Desktop
