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The Browser as a Platform

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Primer on Client-Side Web Security

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Computer Science ((BRIEFSCOMPUTER))

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Abstract

The browser is the single, most valuable tool for enabling users to access the Web. Browser vendors realize this, which is why domination in the browser market share has been a high-stakes game since the 1990s. In this chapter, we take a look at how browsers can be found on numerous devices today, including mobile devices and smart appliances. We investigate how the browser evolved from a static rendering engine into a full-featured Web application platform, offering Web applications access to local storage facilities, sensor information, communication mechanisms, and more. Finally, we discuss Firefox OS and Google’s Chrome OS that have given the browser the status of an operating system.

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Correspondence to Philippe De Ryck .

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© 2014 Philippe De Ryck, Lieven Desmet, Frank Piessens, Martin Johns

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Ryck, P., Desmet, L., Piessens, F., Johns, M. (2014). The Browser as a Platform. In: Primer on Client-Side Web Security. SpringerBriefs in Computer Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12226-7_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12226-7_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-12225-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-12226-7

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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