NaCL

Google's Native Client reaches ARM-based Chromebooks

Google has finished a version of its Native Client programming technology that extends beyond mainstream x86 PC processors into the world of ARM chips.

Native Client, or NaCl for short, is designed to let programmers easily adapt the C or C++ software they've written for native software so that it can run as a part of Web apps, too. It's designed for high performance, but it's also got security mechanisms built in to counter the risks of running malicious code directly on the processor. The first version of NaCl, though, only worked on personal computers using Intel … Read more

Unity 4 gives game coders animation, Flash, Linux support

Unity Technologies, maker of a widely used video-game engine, today announced that its fourth-generation product will introduce new animation technology and extend its support for Adobe Systems' Flash Player, Linux, and Microsoft's DirectX 11.

The game engine brings physics simulations and other tools to programmers -- especially those who want to reach multiple computing systems. Such "cross-platform" developer tools are a good fit for today's world: Unity games can be adapted for Windows, OS X, iOS, Android, Xbox, PS3, Wii, and the Web, though adjustments are necessary for performance and interface differences.

Unity 4 will be … Read more

Google: Native Client for mobile devices still alive

Yesterday, Google appeared to have scrapped a software project to dramatically speed up browser-based games and apps on mobile devices -- but it turns out the project is still alive.

The software in question is called Native Client, and it lets programmers adapt software they've already written so it can be packaged up as a Web app -- one that runs nearly as fast as a regular native app, in Google's aspiration. Native Client today works on personal computers using x86 chips from Intel and AMD, but the company is adapting it to devices using ARM processors -- … Read more

Why Google is playing games with Chrome's future--literally

SAN FRANCISCO--You think porn drives technology? Think again. Games are what's driving online innovation--just ask Google, which is embracing them as fast as it can.

At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) held in San Francisco's Moscone Center today, Google showed off advances in its Native Client (NaCl) and Pepper technology for Chrome that it hopes will drive more interest from developers and gamers alike in browser-based gaming. Google is also integrating NaCl games with Google+ to give the nascent social network something to play with.

The company unveiled a handful of NaCl-powered games last December, and now it'… Read more

Unity game engine embraces Google's Native Client

Startup Unity Technologies released version 3.5 of its video game engine that now includes support for Google's Native Client browser-boosting software.

Unity's software is a cross-platform tool that lets game programmers reach a wide range of devices--everything from iPhones to Windows to browsers. Cross-platform tools are only worth it if they reach a broad number of platforms, though, so it's important to expand, and the company has been working on Unity 3.5 for months.

Native Client is Google software built into Chrome that lets programmers run lightly modified C or C++ software directly in the … Read more

Google: We'll prove Native Client's worth on the Web

Native Client has taken only baby steps in its first three years of existence, but Google evidently is hoping its browser-boosting technology will take larger strides soon.

The company has sent out invitations to a Native Client event on the evening of December 8 at Google's Mountain View, Calif., offices, where "we plan to share some news about Native Client," show some demos, and share some wine.

Native Client, aka NaCl, lets Web-based software run natively on x86 processors--and therefore run more quickly than traditional Web apps. That's what Office and Photoshop do, too, of course, … Read more

Native Client creeps into Chrome 14

A small piece of the next-generation Google Chrome guts called Native Client arrives in Chrome stable about a month after it landed on the beta channel, as new audio technology also gains a footing. Google Chrome 14 stable for Windows (download), Mac (download), and Linux (download), also makes a spate of security fixes for all platforms, and some useful changes to the Mac version.

Chrome 14 is the first version of the browser to support Native Client (NaCl), an open-source technology that allows C and C++ code to be securely run in the browser. It basically lets software run within … Read more

New Chrome beta goes Native (Client)

One of the biggest changes in how Chrome works has begun to make its way into the beta build of the browser, as Google Chrome 14 beta (download for Windows | Mac | Linux) now comes with the first beta release of Native Client. This is a major breakthrough in development terms, indicating that the NaCl project is moving ahead more or less on schedule. However, full NaCl support is still a long way off.

You're not likely to see any of Native Client, as it's a major reworking of how the code that powers Chrome functions. Basically, it changes … Read more

Chrome's security overhaul begins with PDF plug-in

Google has begun work on the first step of rebuilding Chrome from the inside out on a more secure foundation called Native Client, CNET has learned.

That first step is the built-in Chrome module used to let Google's browser read PDF (Portable Document Format) files. Linus Upson, vice president of engineering for the Chrome team, revealed the plan in May at the Google I/O conference, and now evidence is emerging that the first step is under way.

References to the Native Client version of the PDF extension have begun cropping up on the Native Client's bug-tracking database. … Read more