05/14, 4:30am
Mozilla says lack of browser choice takes users back to dark ages
The Mozilla Foundation, maker of the Firefox web browser, is calling out Microsoft for anticompetitive practices with regard to browser capabilities on the upcoming Windows RT. In a blog post, Mozilla's General Counsel Harvey Anderson takes Microsoft to task for programming decisions that will limit the power and feature set of non-Internet Explorer browsers in the next version of Windows.
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05/02, 12:24pm
New design aims for consistent experience
Mozilla is working to introduce a standard Firefox user experience that will carry across desktop, smartphone, and tablet form factors. A slideshow from Mozilla's recently-combined desktop and mobile design teams shows how the teams plan to carry a "soft, friendly, and human" design approach across a number of platforms.
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04/27, 2:45pm
Firefox 13 to support SPDY, gets New Tab feature
With Firefox 13 due out in about six weeks, Mozilla has made an early version of the browser available to download from the company's beta release channel. The browser will get a new look WebMonkey reported, with a redesigned home page and a New Tab feature. The latter gets links to the most recently and frequently visited sites, with the option of pinning favorite sites and a button to reject sites that the user doesn't want to see.
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04/24, 4:05pm
Mozilla changes look of favicons for security
Mozilla has revealed on Monday that its Firefox web browser got a change in its latest Nightly build. The change relates to the favicon to the left of the website address in the address bar, with sites that don't have SSL certificates or host mixed content now getting a generic globe. Sites with SSL certificates with Extended Validation will get green padlock icons, while gray padlocks will be reserved for SSL sites without validation.
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04/24, 3:20pm
Firefox 12 final ready to go
Mozilla has posted the finished release of Firefox 12. The browser has a key update each for Mac and Windows users. Windows' update is most conspicuous and doesn't need the user to confirm the update in a User Account Control prompt on Vista or 7. Mac users see a lift, as Mozilla has fixed slow WebGL graphics performance on some hardware.
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04/09, 3:15pm
Firefox nightlies to support WebRTC for video chat
Mozilla is gearing up to allow a plugin-free approach to video chat in upcoming versions of Firefox. A demo at the IETF 83 conference caught by TechCrunch showed off the implementation of WebRTC, an HTML5 component that will allow two-way voice, video, and file swaps. As shown, it would sign in with Mozilla's Social API.
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04/04, 4:50pm
Motorola Webtop 3.0 beta shows up in leaked video
Motorola's Webtop interface for its Android docking mode has been updated to support Android 4.0. Leaked in a video, embedded below, the Webtop 3.0 beta software appears to be much improved, and offers a less heavily customized appearance and feature-set than before. Unfortunately, Firefox is cut from the preloaded software and has been replaced by a version of the stock Android 4.0 browser.
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04/03, 5:20pm
Previews looks for webpages and blogs
Mozilla developers have posted their latest progress update for their efforts to create a working prototype for Firefox running on Windows 8. In it, for the first time, they have hinted at what the app could ultimately look like under the new Microsoft operating system. The team acknowledges that there is still a lot of work to do, but has said nothing altering their schedule to develop the proof of concept.
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04/02, 1:20pm
NetApplications shows second big increase for IE
New NetApplications data has shown that Internet Explorer might be on a sustained, if slight, recovery in web share. Microsoft's browser gained almost exactly one point to hit 53.83 percent of browser use online. The gain roughly mirrored one from January and saw IE at its highest position since October.
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03/22, 1:20pm
Facebook ups photo resolution by a factor of four
Facebook on Thursday announced it has enhanced the photo experience on the social network by adding high-resolution photo support and full screen viewing. When a user clicks on a photo, it will be displayed in the highest possible resolution, which can be four times bigger than previously. The full screen view is available in the latest version of Firefox or Chrome browsers through an arrow button in the top right corner of the photo.
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03/21, 10:55am
Spike sees Chrome get one-day browser lead
A brief if historic milestone in web browsers occurred this weekend as Google Chrome temporarily overtook Microsoft's Internet Explorer in usage, StatCounter found Wednesday. For one day, March 18, Chrome had 32.71 percent of traffic to IE's 32.5 percent. A rise in share from Brazil, India, and Russia was credited for the sudden position swap.
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03/19, 1:55pm
Mozilla loses Blizzard to California start-up
Chris Blizzard served his last day as Mozilla's director of Web platform this past Friday, March 16, he revealed on his blog. He will move on to a "very small startup" based in Palo Alto, though didn't go on to name it. Blizzard would only say the work involves the intersection of systems, compilers, and web-scale problems.
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03/15, 6:05am
Mozilla lists all Firefox enhancements for 2012
Mozilla has detailed its 2012 Firefox roadmap. As with 2011, Mozilla plans on maintaining a rapid update schedule. Users can expect updates coming frequently so that features and fixes are rolled out quickly. However, instead of causing users to experience ‘update fatigue’ with the rapid update cycle, updates will happen ‘silently,’ downloading and installing in the background.
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03/14, 4:05pm
Mozilla may add H.264 to Firefox after all
Mozilla research director Andreas Gal has proposed a rare change of heart that could see Boot2Gecko, and possibly Firefox, adopt H.264 playback. The mode would let HTML5 pages use the video tag for in-page H.264 as long as the OS underneath already supports the codec. At least in theory, it would let Mozilla officially keep active support only for open formats like WebM while acknowledging the reality of H.264's much wider reach.
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03/13, 8:25pm
Browser adds Chrome migration, add-on sync
As expected, Mozilla has released the final build for its Firefox 11 browser. The major update brings several new features, expanding migration support to enable Chrome users to transfer their bookmarks, history and cookies. The browser also adds the ability to synchronize add-ons across multiple devices.
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03/12, 10:20pm
Final release expected tomorrow
Mozilla has reportedly posted a near-final Firefox 11 build, which was initially misinterpreted as the final edition. The major update brings several new features, including add-on synchronization across multiple platforms, faster page loads using the SPDY protocol, and the ability to import bookmarks, history and cookies from Chrome.
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03/09, 7:25pm
Developers will be posting weekly updates
Last month, Mozilla announced that it would be developing a version of its browser software that had the look and feel of Microsoft's Windows 8 Metro user interface. This week, the browser's developers provided a status update. Work has begun on the project, and some details of the institution's efforts have emerged.
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03/01, 8:10pm
NetApplications sees Apple grow widely in February
Apple saw an unusually widescale, comprehensive growth in its share of the web in February, NetApplications showed on Thursday. On the desktop, it bounced back to near an all-time high at 6.9 percent, a level seen in October. Its mobile share followed suit, going up almost exactly seven points to 60.6 percent.
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02/23, 12:10pm
Mozilla BrowserID will be transitioned to Persona
Mozilla this week announced a change to its BrowserID online identity system. Initially just a rebrand, the service is now called Mozilla Persona, which Mozilla believes is better suited to user identity. To go with the name change, however, Mozilla does have feature and interface changes in development.
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02/22, 4:25pm
Mozilla Marketplace to use HTML5, custom API apps
Mozilla revealed on Wednesday that it will begin accepting web app submissions at MWC next week. The web apps will be based on HTML5 and some Mozilla-proposed APIs, and work in both the company's Firefox browser as well as platforms that support HTML5. Mozilla promises to give developers easy development, direct user feedback, and allow for flexible billing
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02/16, 6:20pm
Parts could find their way into competing browsers
Last July, Mozilla acknowledged that it was planning to build a mobile operating system. Today, the non-profit development organization that created the Firefox browser and Thunderbird email system provided an initial view of what that foundation, named
Boot2Gecko (BTG), will look like. Mozilla is promising to demo it at the upcoming Mobile World Congress later this month.
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02/13, 4:25pm
Mozilla Firefox with Metro support due in 2012
Mozilla, makers of the Firefox Internet browser, will release a version of its signature software that will resemble Microsoft's Metro user interface. A concept version will be out sometime in the spring, according to Mozilla's 2012 strategy, followed by an alpha and beta version later on, in the second half of the year. Metro uses tiles instead of the traditional Start button and menu in Windows, and Mozilla hopes to integrate its new Gecko-based browser with the Metro environment.
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02/01, 6:20pm
As expected, doesn't support flash
Mozilla has released the latest mobile version of its browser for Android devices. Firefox 10 is now available for download (free, Android Market). As expected, the new version offers enhanced HTML5 support, but doesn't support Flash.
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02/01, 9:35am
NetApplications shows gap in mobile share
Android tablets are gaining share of Internet use, but they still present no competition to the iPad online, NetApplications uncovered with its January wrap-up. The combined Samsung Galaxy Tab line had just 0.42 percent of mobile Internet share, while the Kindle Fire's possibly brisk sales still saw just 0.34 percent. Although down from December, the iPad at almost 24 percent was still in no danger from Android tablets, where even Android 3.2 was at 0.77 percent.
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01/31, 10:40am
Firefox 10 with minor updates now available
Mozilla has released finished versions of Firefox 10 for both Windows PCs and Macs this week. Changes, according to the release notes, include a Forward navigation button that doesn't show up until users hit the Back button first, included APIs for viewing web apps in full-screen mode, and anti-aliasing for WebGL graphics. Likewise new is an Extended Support Release that allows enterprises to only download security updates and stay on the same version for seven releases.
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01/28, 1:30pm
Firefox 12 nightly builds show redesign
Versions of the upcoming Firefox 12 in the nightly build phase have shown major changes coming to its interface. New tabs can now open to a hybrid portal page that mixes in features seen in Chrome and Safari. Along with seeing the most frequently visited sites and a search bar, it now has top web apps, the most recently shared apps, and a Google Talk status section to launch directly into chat.
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01/06, 5:35pm
Safari edges out Chrome, Firefox likewise on Win
The team at Tom’s Hardware have run their latest head-to-head test of web browsers. All the leading browsers for the Mac and PC platforms were tested and included Opera, Firefox, Safari, IE 9 and Chrome. Coming out on top for the Mac platform was Apple’s own Safari browser, while Mozilla’s Firefox is currently the fastest browser available on the Windows platform.
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01/01, 12:55pm
NetApplications shows Android loss in December
In spite of its device share, Android is losing ground in terms of actual use online, NetApplications found on New Year's Day. Android slipped to 16.3 percent of mobile web share in December, or the same share it had in September. Unusually, most of the loss came to otherwise shrinking platforms: Java ME bounced back to get just under 21.3 percent, Symbian returned to 5.8 percent, and even the BlackBerry recovered slightly to 3.5 percent.
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12/22, 4:25pm
Google to pay $300m per year in Mozilla deal
When Google and Mozilla renewed their search royalty deal earlier this week, they didn't reveal that Google will pay $300 million per year, AllThingsD learned. For this amount of money, Google will be the default search engine in Mozilla's Firefox browser. The numbers are a sharp increase from the previous arrangement because of the new competition from Yahoo and Microsoft.
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12/21, 10:25pm
Release follows Firefox 9 desktop editions
Just days after Firefox 9 arrived for Mac, Windows and Linux, Mozilla has released the equivalent edition for Android devices. The revamped browser brings significant changes to the user interface for tablets, placing each tab as a thumbnail on the left edge of the screen while the open window is still displayed in full on the right.
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12/20, 2:55pm
Google funds Mozilla with three-year ad deal
Google kept Firefox active after Mozilla said that it was renewing a deal to make Google the default search in Firefox. A "significant and mutually beneficial" deal will keep Google as the default for a minimum of three years. Neither side would reveal what the terms of the deal were.
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12/19, 8:05pm
Type inference brings faster JavaScript
Mozilla has posted the final version of Firefox 9 for Windows, Mac and Linux machines, following five weeks of testing in the beta channel. As expected, the release brings type-inference support that is said to significantly improve JavaScript load time for complex pages, along with expanded support for HTML5 and CSS standards.
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12/06, 4:40pm
Current topics from the forums
Today in Macnn forums one concerned member is having an issue with dragging and dropping images from Firefox to Finder, and is looking for help to find a solution. Another member recently contributed to a long standing forum regarding spilling liquid on Mac Notebooks, and is not sure what to do with the newly damaged computer, click here to read more.
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11/15, 5:30pm
Foursquare tackles iPad with location-aware page
Foursquare picked Tuesday to show a heavily redesigned version of its main website. The page depends on HTML5 and uses it for a fully location-aware map; users can browse nearby areas without having to search for them or use their phones. The interface is also suited to the iPad, although users can't yet check in.
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11/11, 7:45pm
Firefox 9 beta reaches desktop and Android
Mozilla quickly followed on a completed Firefox 8 by posting Firefox 9 in the beta channel for both the desktop and Android. On the desktop, the interface is now designed to blend in with Mac OS X Lion and properly supports two-finger scrolling as well as multiple displays. Speed is also a focus through a faster, inference-supporting JavaScript engine and the ability to break XML web requests into pieces to make a complex web page load faster.
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11/08, 5:00pm
Mozilla outs Firefox 8, updates Android browser
Mozilla on Tuesday revealed two newly updated browsers, the final version of Firefox 8 for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems, along with an update for Android devices (free, Android Market). Either update is said to make web browsing easier and give developers greater control of customizing the way they interact with the Internet. Firefox 8 for desktops now includes Twitter as a search option.
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11/08, 12:05pm
Kindle Cloud Reader now supports Firefox browser
The HTML5-based web app that is Amazon's Kindle Cloud Reader is now available for Mozilla's Firefox browser. The web app lets users access their Kindle e-books , adding to the already avaialable Chrome and Safari versions. It can now be viewed for all of these supporting browsers, as well as Safari for the iPad.
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11/01, 6:40am
Safari wins mobile browser battle, IE top in PCs
The latest data on mobile and desktop browser use is in and its shows that Apple has extended its lead as the dominant mobile web browsing platform. Safari usage rates increased from 55.6 percent of all mobile web traffic in September to a new high of 62.2 percent in October. Google’s mobile browser leap frogged Opera Mini by taking 18.7 percent of web traffic, while Opera Mini dipped from 18.9 percent to 13.1 percent.
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10/26, 4:30pm
Mozilla intros Bing add-on for Firefox browser
Mozilla has taken its relationship with Microsoft and its Bing search engine up to another level. It is now offering to add Bing to its Firefox browser, with the add-on setting the Microsoft search engine as the default and Bing as the homepage. The add-on for the latest version of Firefox also includes the Awesome Bar, Mozilla's hybrid search and address bar. Older versions of Firefox need to be upgraded, and doing so includes the switchover to Bing as the default search engine.
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10/13, 1:10pm
Beta now available to Chrome and Firefox browsers
Google has incorporated WebGL into Google Maps. The improved app,
Google MapsGL, leverages computer-based hardware 3D graphic acceleration to provide richer visuals and animations. The functionality, availabile as a beta, initially will be supported on Chrome 14+ or Firefox Beta.
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10/10, 7:45pm
Initial release snubs IE compatibility
Google is previewing Dart, a new programming language for building web apps. The language has been designed to be flexible, meeting the needs of a one-person project, without much structure, and scaling up to a large-scale project needing formal types in the code. Initially the code will support at least Chrome, Safari 5, and Firefox 4 browsers, but not Internet Explorer.
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09/27, 12:30pm
Mozilla posts Firefox 7 final to FTP
Mozilla on Tuesday posted the finished versions of Firefox 7 (Linux, Mac OS X, Windows). The new release is still part of Mozilla's fast track schedule and focuses most on running faster and more efficiently than before. Version 7 uses 20 to 50 percent less memory and also now cuts back on memory leaks and waste from Javascript.
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09/07, 9:10am
Motorola Droid Bionic ships September 8 for 299
Nine months after a first showing at CES, Motorola and Verizon confirmed the long-delayed Droid Bionic. The Android 2.3 phone is Verizon's first dual-core phone with LTE-based 4G and is potentially one of the fastest phones on the web. The 1GHz TI OMAP 4430 is fast enough to both record and play 1080p video, including over HDMI out.
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08/30, 12:30pm
Firefox for Android tablets gets side tabs, more
Mozilla's Ian Barlow gave a preview of a long sought after tablet-native version of Firefox for Android. The new version is native to Android 3 and takes advantage of the widescreen OS to change the interface depending on the layout. In portrait, it turns the browser tabs into a menu; in landscape, they unfold in a side strip with visual thumbnails of each page.
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08/30, 9:40am
Dolphin Browser ported to iPhone
One of Android's better-known apps, Dolphin Browser, has been given a long-requested port to the iPhone (free, App Store). The iOS version of MoboTap's software uses Apple's WebKit engine but brings features that have yet to reach Safari. It already has tabbed browsing ahead of iOS 5, a Firefox-style address bar with search results, and gesture-based shortcuts for common tasks.
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08/19, 3:00pm
Mozilla outs Firefox 7 beta for desktops, Android
Mozilla this week released the latest Firefox 7 beta build for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. The browser is said to be faster and thus better suited for developers when making Web apps and websites. Memory use has been optimized for better responsiveness, startup and page load time.
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08/13, 2:45pm
Firefox 6 finished, ready to download
Mozilla has preempted its own official launch with finished versions of Firefox 6 on its FTP server (Linux, Mac OS X, released on Tuesday but, as is becoming the case in Firefox releases, is already online to help coordinate the release. The interval between the FTP posting and the public debut may be to catch any last-minute bugs.
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08/12, 7:00pm
Firefox 6 now highlights domain URL name
Mozilla’s Firefox 6 web browser is set to be released on Tuesday. Notes posted on its website show that the release is 'on track with a few bugs still remaining. No concerns for Tuesday." One notable change, in addition to speed and stability improvements, is that the domain name is now highlighted in the address bar. This has been added to help users ensure that they have surfed to the official domain.
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08/10, 8:40am
Kindle Cloud Reader carries offline support
Amazon has quietly provided an end-run around Apple's App Store rules. Kindle Cloud Reader brings a touch-friendly reading app that provides all the settings, highlights, bookmarks and other features of native apps in a device-independent form. The page takes advantage of HTML5 to work entirely offline and thus can keep going even during a flight or another moment where no Internet connection exists.
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08/04, 8:00pm
Google adds Web Intents with Mozilla's help
Google and Mozilla have teamed together on a proposed API to bring an aspect of Android to web apps. Web Intents, like those on the phone, would let a web app signal what it wants to do on a basic level, such as editing or sharing content, and link it to any relevant service without having to either create the service or implement the hooks on a case by case basis. Web apps would just need a handful of code to achieve much more complicated tasks that could pass between sites.
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