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Comment by sorz | Hacker News Reader

Want to know when Firefox will support Web Serial API, but turn out they won't since they consider it harmful: https://mozilla.github.io/standards-positions/#webserial

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And isn't the submission a prime example (of how it could be misused)?

Consider:

> Show HN: Trick people into flashing their ESP32s with your firmware by visiting your web page

Thinking about libidevice and webusb I’d be curious to try doing this with an iPhone.

Chrome does let you know what it's doing: https://icircuit.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/image-6.png

You can try a demo here: https://unjavascripter-web-serial-example.glitch.me/

This makes sense when you realise Firefox is trying to be a web browser, and Chrome is trying to be an operating system...

They're going to have to implement this sooner or later if they want to remain relevant. More and more happens in the browser, regardless of whether they like it or not.

Yes, as a FF user it’s becoming more and more clear that FF is falling behind on implementing new APIs. It’s frustrating having to keep Chrome around to load certain web apps.

I ran into this specific API following the great blues wireless tutorial (cell connectivity cards and dev cards with ESP32 support) which only works in Chrome https://dev.blues.io/get-started/quickstart/notecarrier-af/

This seems like the perfect thing to implement as a browser addon. If you think you need it, install it. Otherwise, the code doesn't touch your install.

Much like the container tabs extension, in terms of requiring an addon for certain functionality. Or, if mozilla doesn't do it themselves, a (horrifying though warning) third-party-extension with an external helper application to connect to the serial device, and a API polyfill injected into every page.

How long will that matter when the Web slowly turns into ChromeOS?

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