Firefox 3.1 Can Track Motion in Video

The next update to Mozilla’s Firefox Web browser won’t be as sensational as the previous jump to 3.0, but it will include some impressive video features, revealed over the weekend at the Southern California Linux Expo. Using worker threads in Javascript, the browser can detect the movement of individual subjects in a video. I’m not sure what can be done with this development, but EyeToy-style computer games would be great,if possible. Firefox 3.1 can also use a video’s time index to pull real-life data from an external JavaScript source based on the content in the video, such as velocity information for a launching space shuttle. This is all part of the new browser’s effort to encourage high-functioning video without any external plug-ins or add-ons. Who knew Linux expos could be so exciting? [via Ars Technica]