Mozilla Labs Prism turns MyQuire into a desktop application
Earlier this week, Mozilla Labs - creators of the Mozilla Firefox web browser - announced the beta release of Prism. Why might this be of interest? Because Prism allows for web based applications - like MyQuire - to run independently acting like a standalone desktop application (assuming you are connected to the internet).
- Run MyQuire without worrying about other websites crashing your web browser [interrupting your MyQuire session].
- Reduce distractions - work in MyQuire without being lured away to a different browser tab.
Ready to get started? Visit the Mozilla Labs Prism announcement page and download the appropriate version for your operating system. Once installed, double-click Prism to start. You will be presented with a setup prompt similar to the one below.
- For URL, enter http://www.myquire.com/q_profile
- For Name, enter 'MyQuire'
- Enable 'Show status messages and progress' & 'Enable navigation keys'
- Decide whether or not the web application should reside on your Desktop or within your Applications / Program Files.
Once you have properly configured Prism, select OK. MyQuire will open prompting you to login. Once completed, you will have full access to MyQuire as a "desktop application". The convenient desktop shortcut allows you to start and quit MyQuire as you would a standard desktop program - independent of any inadvertent browser crashes caused by other websites you may be viewing. Create similar desktop applications using other websites using the same steps above.
And the winner is...
A few weeks ago MyQuire was named a finalist in the Collaboration category of the 2007 Silicon Valley Business Journal's Emerging Technology Awards. Very cool! The winners were announced last night at an award banquet held at the Computer History Museum right in MyQuire's hometown of Mountain View, and I went to represent the team. I was on the phone with our CTO and ran in about fifteen minutes after the program had started. I sat down just as they were announcing the collaboration category, and MyQuire won!
I honestly was shocked when he named MyQuire as the winner – and that shock started to feel more like panic as I approached the podium with no acceptance speech prepared. Oh well, it all turned out fine and the rest of the evening was fantastic. David joined me for the banquet following the ceremony and we got a chance to chat with some really interesting folks from the Silicon Valley business community (fellow finalists, journalists, venture capitalists, former winners, etc). It was incredibly validating to hear how excited people are about what we're building (people who aren't living and breathing it every day the way the MyQuire team is). So, now we have a tombstone to put on the shelves of our office to look as was we are hard at work earning our designation as an outstanding Emerging Technology. As they say in Hollywood "it was an honor just to have been nominated" (but between you and me - it was fun to win).