How about answering email messages when you are not online? Easy, right? But, if you are using a webmail account that used to be a problem; so was reading unopened messages or older messages in your inbox. Well, not anymore, Gmail Goes Offline!
The AIRC annual threat report with the 2009 predictions could not have been published in a better timing. As you may have noted, one of our predictions focused on the anticipated broader use of the browser as an “operating system†– which means that more and more functionality that used to belong to your Windows/Linux/Mac is now handled by the browser. From a security standpoint that means more focus on vulnerabilities related to the browser and the applications run on it, and less on the OS itself.
Google’s Gears was namely one of the technologies I named that should be followed as it basically enables a broader and easier use of web applications – even when you are offline. This means that you can still edit documents, and now read and write emails when your Laptop/Notebook/Netbook is offline (on the train, choppy WiFi signal, no 3G coverage, etc…). It works out of the box if you are using Chrome, and just needs Gears to be installed if you are not. The installation is much like Microsoft’s Silverlight and Adobe’s Air which are also mentioned on our report.
Have fun, and keep an eye out for what could possibly be one of the first web borne attacks that could occur offline? 🙂
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