Mozilla releases Jetpack SDK

Mozilla has made available the first development release of  the Jetpack SDK, which extends the Jetpack architecture currently available as a Firefox extension.

Jetpack allows extending Firefox functionality with much more simple code and packaging, doesn’t require a restart, and guarantees backwards compatibility for future releases, addressing most of current Firefox extensions limitations.

The Jetpack SDK will let developers to create jetpacks that run on Firefox (including mobile versions), or as stand-alone applications.

It also supports easy unit tests development and execution, and will also include a graphical IDE (Integrated Development Environment), codenamed FlightDeck, that will embed Bespin, Mozilla’s web editor.

It has been confirmed that Jetpack will be integrated into Firefox, so developers can be confident users won’t require installing and extension any more. According to some old Firefox roadmap, Jetpack inclusion is expected for Firefox 4.

Due to some confusion, the mockups and Jetpack SDK video included UI pieces of a proposal design firm MetaLab submitted last year to Mozilla. MetaLab cried fault, and Mozilla has appropriately apologized for the mishap.

The Jetpack team is aiming for releases every 4-6 weeks to get the most feedback in its development

Mozilla Labs announces the Jetpack Lift Off contest

Mozilla Labs has announced a new development contest, this time focused on Jetpack, the cool new Firefox extension that adds a whole new API and framework for developers to add new features to Firefox, but unlike extensions, it doesn’t require a Firefox restart to apply them.

The contest runs until October 15, so you have time to download Jetpack, learn the apparently easy API, think about something great, and win an ASUS Eee PC 1000HE Black netbook. The runner up gets a prize package comprising of stickers and t-shirt.

See full Jetpack Lift Off  contest details.

New ways to extend Firefox with Mozilla Labs’ Jetpack

Mozilla Labs has introduced Jetpack, a new Firefox extension that adds a new programming interface (API) developers can use to create innovative and relatively light enhancements (called features). As example, Mozilla Labs presented a feature that can hide ads, based on adblockplus.org’s list of well known ad banners providers, similar to the popular AdBlock Plus.

However, unlike Adblock Plus, it doesn’t require a Firefox restart to enable the feature, and creating it is a much simpler task (about 100 lines of code). Another example, adds a Gmail notifier to the status bar in less than 50 lines of code, which is also possible thanks to the simple and powerful API.