A bug in Google Chrome

Between hurricanes and hericanes, you could easily have missed the technology news. Released yesterday in public beta, Google Chrome is a standards-compliant web browser created to erode Microsoft’s browser dominance (i.e. to boost Google’s web dominance) while also rethinking what a browser is and does in the age of web apps and Google’s YouTube.

The new browser is based on Webkit, the advanced-standards-compliant, open source browser engine that powers Apple’s Safari for Mac and PC, but Chrome currently runs only in Windows. You figure that out.

Here are the new browser’s terms of service.

And here’s an important early bug report from Jeremy Jarratt: Google Chrome wrongly displays alternate styles as if active, thus “breaking” websites that use them. (Here’s more about alternate style sheets, from Paul Sowden’s groundbreaking 2001 A List Apart article.)

To compete with Microsoft, the new browser must offer what other browsers do not. The risk inherent in that proposition is a return to proprietary browser code. It is not yet clear to me whether Chrome will compete the wrong way—offering Chrome-only features based on Chrome-only code, thus prompting Microsoft to rethink its commitment to standards—or the right way.

Competing by offering features other browsers do not (easier downloads, streamlined user interface) or by consolidating other browsers’ best features (Opera’s Speed Dial, Firefox’s auto-complete) avoids this risk, as improvements—or at any rate, changes—to the browser’s user interface have no bearing on the display of existing web content.

Competing by supporting web standards ahead of the pack, although not entirely without risk, would also be a reasonable and exciting way to compete. When one browser supports a standard, it goads other browser makers into also supporting it. Because Safari, for instance, supports @font-face, Firefox is not far behind in supporting that CSS spec. @font-face raises font licensing problems, but we’ll discuss those another time. The risk that concerns us here is when a browser supports an emerging specification before it is finalized, thus, essentially, freezing the spec before it is ready. But that is the traditional dance between spec authors and browser makers.

For web standards and web content, we once again live in interesting times. Welcome, Chrome!

source : http://www.zeldman.com/2008/09/03/a-bug-in-google-chrome/

Finding good website templates is tough. Finding good website templates that are standards compliant (or at least trying to be) is even tougher. Here are more than 40 that are CSS based and standards compliant (or at least with a good head-start on being so). The best part is that they’re all free!

Nautica06 - template with a zen-like feel that would be excellent for a photographer, graphic designer, or ad agency.

Twilight - simple light on dark theme.

Red Hot Chili - a simple red & white design with chili peppers (the produce, not the band).

Good Morning Budapest - this one has a cool image of a man on a bench in Budapest.

Simple Life - a woodgrain background and a nature-inspired look.

Chary - this one would be perfect for an online store.

flowertree - beautiful flowering tree fixed background.

Lemonaid - this one is very simple with the white background and dark gray & orange text.

neuphoric - a park-like header and simple layout.

Jefferson - urban background and footer navigation.

Fashionista - header navigation and a trendy look.

liblueen - header navigation and a simple, straight-forward layout.

I See Frogs - designs with frogs are always a hit!

Passion - simple geometric header and design.

black.orange - tabbed header navigation and footer navigation.

Enrainment - gorgeous sky header and tabbed top navigation.

Adam - tabbed navigation below the header and space for two+ content sections in the single column.

Refreshed - rounded corners and header navigation.

Sunset - this one is about as simple as you can get, very elegant, with no navigation bar.

Notepad - meant for long essays or other long bits of text.

Go Faster Red - header navigation and a red and white color scheme.

Spring_Began - a simple floral motif and header navigation.

Season’s Greetings - design with a Christmas-theme.

Finding Peace - this is absolutely one of my favorite templates with a serene bamboo theme.

Silence and Harmony - pastoral header image (it’s a farm in Vermont) and nature-inspired look.

The Piano - antique-looking design, piano header image and old paper background.

A Symphony of Horror - a Nosferatu header and a noir design.

Bright Pixel - corporate-looking template with an elegant gray design and geometric header.

Groovy Blue - header navigation and rounded corners.

The Hobbit - inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic, with a Hobbit house header and top navigation.

Myhedspace_Free04 - a light grey header and text and a simple, elegant design.

Neonix - simple with header navigation and a lime-green color scheme.

Simplicity Two-Point-Oh! - simple gray color scheme and tabbed header navigation.

The BIG Leaf