As promised when we announced “Salon for Chrome,” we are making it available for more browsers. Renamed simply “The Grid,” it is now available to Firefox for Mac* and all Safari users, including Safari for iPad, as well as Chrome. Anyone using these “modern” (HTML5-capable) browsers can find it at http://www.salon.com/grid. (As well as in the Chrome Web Store.)

Note that the code behind all of this is “bleeding edge,” as they say, and making it work in the iPad browser is a huge (if exciting) challenge. So far we don’t have performance on the iPad at the same level as in the standard, scroll-based browsers, but we’re eager to get people using it. So particularly on the iPad, keep in mind this is beta-ware! If it works for you, have at it.

For those just hearing about The Grid for the first time, I’ll quote myself from the original announcement:

In [The Grid], all of our stories are laid out in a neat grid that conforms to the height of your screen, in reverse-chronological order. You can swipe, scroll or arrow-key your way across days of content very quickly, or jump back day by day with the buttons in the upper right. Click on any story (or hit “enter”) and it opens right there in the grid. Scroll or tap the spacebar to read it; swipe or use the arrow keys to keep browsing, or just hit the “n” key and the next story will instantly open. (For a full list of tips and shortcuts, click Help in the footer of the app.) It’s as fast as it is fluid.

As new stories publish, they are automatically added to the upper left corner of the grid — no need to refresh the page. So you can simply leave the tab open in your browser and come back throughout the day to see what’s been published.

We really appreciate all the feedback we’ve gotten so far. Many of you absolutely love it; others prefer the standard site. Terrific! The standard site won’t be going away, and we know many people will prefer it. Use whichever works for you, and toggle between them at any time using the footer links.

Of course the standard site also works great in the iPad browser. iPad users, whichever version of the site you opt for, add a bookmark to your home screen for easy access. Just tap the arrow icon in the browser’s toolbar and choose “Add to Home Screen.”

*Update 01.31.11: I originally posted that this was available for Firefox, without qualifying that statement. It currently only behaves in Firefox for Mac. PC users can access the grid in either Safari or Chrome. I apologize for the mistake.

Salon has always believed in not just truth, but beauty. Our original design back in 1995 – a clean, art deco look created by Salon’s first art director, Mignon Khargie – immediately set Salon apart. Now Salon is once again separating itself from the cookie-cutter digital clutter that defines too much of the Web with a bold and striking new design.

We asked designer Kelly Frankeny to create a news tabloid as imagined by Coco Chanel. Frankeny — a globetrotting designer who is often dropping into beleaguered democracies in Africa and Latin America to work her wonders for embattled newspapers – responded to our challenge with a sophisticated and dynamic design. A brilliant and sassy blond Texan, she has created a new Salon as big as her personality. And yes, while invoking the brassy urgency of a news tabloid, the new design also conveys the elegance of the House of Chanel. Both Frankeny and the new Salon know how to use red lipstick and a simple black dress for maximum effect.

As winter thaws, the hot spots of the Occupy movement are seeing the first ripples of resurgence. From New York to Oakland, Calif., crowds are returning to the streets, but will the plan for a May 1 General Strike spark an American Spring or will the movement splinter and fade into Tea Party-like irrelevance? Watch the Salon webcast with Occupy correspondent Natasha Lennard to hear her thoughts on these issues:

To participate in upcoming Salon webcasts with staff and friends, join the Salon Core community.

Salon has covered the Trayvon Martin killing relentlessly, but none of our coverage has struck a nerve like the article “Is My Son the Next Trayvon?” by the chief operating officer of Salon Studio, Quincy McCoy. As a black man who escaped the rough neighborhoods of his youth to provide a better life for his child, Quincy’s article conveyed the constant anxiety suffered by all black parents — regardless of class.

Quincy recently hosted an online conversation on the epidemic of violence against young black men. Here is the full video of that discussion:

To participate in Salon’s webcasts with staff and friends, join the Salon Core community.

Last week, I wrote about how we were dropping the price of a Salon Core membership to $29.95 — the lowest price ever — to make supporting Salon more affordable. That offer led to a boom in new members, so we’re extending what was originally intended to be a one-week sale.

Salon Core is a crucial pillar of our business model, but it’s also at the heart of our philosophy. We’re proud that Salon has survived for 17 years (which equals an eon in “Web years”) through the support of readers like you who value our journalistic mission and outspoken writers. We know that times are tough, but your funding supports our ability to challenge the forces that have made life so difficult for working people, so consider your Salon Core membership an investment.

Plus, you get some great benefits upon registration, which makes this sale price an even better deal. For the price of a couple of movie tickets you can support independent journalism, get access to our webcasts and events, and pick up a bunch of goodies and benefits. Please consider joining Salon Core today.