Filed under: Mozilla

Mozilla Jetpack contest winner harnesses GPU power to process data

by Lee Mathews Nov 6th 2009

Mozilla Labs has announced a winner of the Jetpack .5 contest. While Jetpack is known primarily as a framework for allowing coders with a web development background to put together add-on type enhancements for Firefox, the winner 's project wasn't your run-of-the-mill sidebar hack.

Alex Miltsev's submission was jetpack-to-CUDA, and it provides Jetpack developers with a simple way to offload intense processing tasks to GPUs. CUDA (demo video above) is NVidia's parallel computing architecture - and with CUDA-capable chips in more than 100 million PCs, Miltsev's handiwork could enable some seriously cool (and powerful) Jetpack add-ons to be developed.

The runners up (not to take anything away from them) were much more standard Jetpack offerings - a Google Translate extension, link shortener and sharer, and Twitter client.

Kudos to Miltssev for his creative entry! Here's hoping we see some truly awesome things in future versions of Firefox and Jetpack as a result.

Tags: add-ons, addons, cuda, extensions, firefox, jetpack

Filed under: Internet, News, Mozilla, Holiday Gift Guide, Search, Browsers, Web

Track Black Friday prices with Invisible Hand add on for Firefox

by Dolores Parker Nov 3rd 2009

We've covered Invisible Hand, the discreet shopping comparison add on for Firefox, which displays prices on items you are searching on the web. Just in time for Black Friday, the hand has trotted out a new add on which along with other improvements, incorporates Google search results.

Now, you can get your price results in real time so you know you're getting the best deal. My test drive of the hand went smooth, the results loaded up within a second or two and updates were very discreet. This is a real time saver for getting price results.

The add on will be officially released to the Mozilla site within a few weeks, but the first 200 Download Squad readers can download the beta version. Just click on the link below and key in invisibleDLS for the access code.

http://preview.getinvisiblehand.com/

Tags: Black Friday deals, Black Friday Sales, BlackFridayDeals, BlackFridaySales, firefox-add-on, HGG, Invisible hand add on for firefox, InvisibleHandAddOnForFirefox, online price comparison, OnlinePriceComparison, shopping comparison tools, ShoppingComparisonTools

Filed under: Microsoft, Mozilla, Browsers

Firefox 3.6 has juicy Superbar integration with Windows 7 (and you can disable it)

by Sebastian Anthony Nov 1st 2009

Yesterday I told you about the new Firefox 3.6 Beta -- and today, I can show you a neat bit of Windows 7 integration. Windows 7 uses Microsoft's Aero window manager and theme -- you've probably heard about it, or learnt to hate it in Vista -- and in it there's a cool technology called 'Aero Peek'. As you can see in the screenshot above, in Firefox 3.6 Beta, Aero Peek is now fully enabled, and smoother than its implementation in 3.6b1pre.

Aero Peek lets you see what's going on in a particular program without having to actually click anything -- you can just mouse-over it on the alt-tab running-programs menu or on the Superbar. In Firefox 3.5 this works for the Firefox window itself, but not the tabs within. Now, in 3.6 Beta, you can see what's going on in any tab by hovering your mouse over the thumbnail. I do wonder if this requires massive disk-swapping though, or if it takes snapshots -- but I'm pretty sure Aero shows you the window contents in real-time. Either way, it's cool, and beats the hell out of tabbing through 20 different tabs to find what you're looking for.

Those of you that are already using 3.6 might have noticed another neat thing: when you have a bunch of tabs (10+ in our testing) open, you get a "buttonized" list of favicons and page titles, instead of thumbnails. You can still jump straight to a tab or see a preview from the Superbar.

Don't like the Aero Peek integration? You can easily disable it -- if you're worried about the potential performance hit -- just whack about:config into your Firefox address bar and set browser.taskbar.previews.enable to false.

[Download Firefox 3.6 Beta here]

Tags: aero, beta, firefox, superbar, windows 7, Windows7

Filed under: Linux, Mozilla, Browsers

Mozilla release mockups for upcoming Firefox Linux releases

by Brad Linder Oct 31st 2009

The folks at Mozilla have released the first mockup showing what Firefox 4.0 may look like on Linux... and it looks an awful lot like the Windows version.

Firefox 4.0 isn't due out for another year or so, but the developers have already stated a few goals for the project. One idea is to move the browser tabs above the location bar. Another is to consolidate the menus into a few tabs that will hang out next to the location bar. Both movies will free up space, allowing more of the browser to be dedicated to displaying web pages.

If the end result looks familiar, that's because it looks an awful lot like the default layout in the Google Chrome web browser.

Mozilla has also released some mockups of Firefox 3.7 for Linux. One of the most notable changes is that the interface will be more consistent across platforms. Firefox 3.7 for Linux will use the same Forward/Back buttons as the Mac and Windows versions, for example. The edges of the browser, tabs, and other elements will also be curved rather than angled, which will make the browser look more like the mac and Windows versions.

At this point, both the Firefox 3.7 and 4.0 mockups represent proposed changes and not finished products, so things may change by the time these browsers are actually released.

[via OMG! Ubuntu]

Tags: firefox, firefox-3.7, firefox-4.0, linux, mockups, web-browsers

Filed under: Internet, Mozilla, Browsers

Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 now available!

by Sebastian Anthony Oct 30th 2009

Let's not beat around the bush: Download the new version of Firefox now.

With that out of the way, here are the new features that debut with Firefox 3.6, straight from the release page:

Users can now change their browser's appearance with a single click, with built in support for Personas.
Firefox 3.6 will alert users about out of date plugins to keep them safe.
Open, native video can now be displayed full screen, and supports poster frames.
Support for the WOFF font format.
Improved JavaScript performance, overall browser responsiveness and startup time.
Support for new CSS, DOM and HTML5 web technologies.

These new changes mostly come from an upgrade to version 1.9.2 of Gecko, the HTML engine that does most of the rendering work in Firefox (and its light-weight sister Camino) -- and as with all version revisions, you will have to update most or all of your add-ons (there's even a compatibility checker!)

Developers should check out the notes for 3.6, if they haven't yet updated the add-ons they administer.

If you've heard enough, here are some direct download links to get you upgraded to the Beta ASAP:

Tags: beta, firefox, gecko

Filed under: News, E-mail, Mozilla, Open Source

Mozilla scores enterprise email win: 130,000 French government PCs switch to Thunderbird

by Lee Mathews Oct 29th 2009

A French website [Google Translate link] is reporting that 130,000 Tax Authority computer systems are soon to make a major switch to open source software. Email and calendar duties are being handed over to Thunderbird and the Lightning plugin. The move also includes a transition to OBM's open source groupware/collaboration/messaging platform.

When the General Directorate of Public Finance was formed, two tax agencies were combined. Their users were split, with 80,000 using Lotus Notes and 50,000 running Microsoft Outlook. In the end, the new agency's decision had a lot to do with a desire not to re-license Lotus Notes and Outlook and to simplify operations by supporting a single client.

Thunderbird had already made inroads with the French Department of Defense as well as the Misitry of Culture. The new migration brings the total number of installs to more than 200,000.

Always nice to see Mozilla adoption in the enterprise!

[via OSOR.eu]

Tags: email, mozilla, open source, opensource, oss, thunderbird

Filed under: Macintosh, Mozilla, Browsers

Lightweight Mac browser Camino 2 introduces a release candidate

by Jay Hathaway Oct 29th 2009

Mozilla's Camino, the lightweight Mac alternative to Firefox, is getting very close to a 2.0 release. The first release candidate is out now -- you can download it by checking for updates in an earlier version of the browser -- and it's got updates to appearance, security features and more. You'll notice a new, more Leopard-like look for the tabs and toolbars, making Camino blend in better with recent versions of OS X.

One of the best additions to the new version of Camino is a built-in Flash blocker. You can turn it on to block all Flash animations, and then add exceptions the sites whose Flash you actually want to see. Other security features include making use of Google Safe Browsing, which warns you when you're headed for a site that Google has blacklisted for malware or phishing. All-in-all, Camino 2 isn't as feature-packed as Firefox, or as pretty as Safari, but it's lighter than either one (and offers Firefox-equivalent page-load times using Mozilla's Gecko rendering engine).

[via TechCrunch]

Tags: browser, camino, camino 2, Camino2, mac, mozilla, release candidate, ReleaseCandidate

Filed under: News, Mozilla, Browsers

Congrats, citizens of Mozilla! Firefox population surpasses that of the United States

by Lee Mathews Oct 27th 2009

Over the past two months, Mozilla has been hoovering up new users with reckless abandon - nearly 4 million people per week. At 330 million, the projected number of Firefox users has actually outstripped the population of the United States (which is currently around 305 million).

There's a little numerical kung fu that Mozilla uses to calculate that figure, and while it might not be 100% accurate the bottom line is that there are a crapload of Firefox users out there. And all those little foxes keep chewing away at Internet Explorer's browser-share pie.

Mozilla Europe honcho Tristan Nitot was understandably enthusiastic about the recent growth. Fall typically means an uptick for Firefox. Nitot told ZDNet, "Usually it's a mixture of back-to-school and people getting new computers and installing the latest version. This boosts our numbers every year."

Clearly, the next logical step is for Firefox users to form an organized state and start drafting up a constitution and electing officials. We'll also need a flag. There's already a Mozilla army, right? That'll save some time and resources.

*hastily Photoshopped chart sort of courtesy Wikipedia - though they have yet to officially recognize Mozilla as a country.

[via ZDNet]

Tags: browser share, BrowserShare, firefox, population

Filed under: Mozilla, Browsers

Firefox 3.6 might become a pretty major "minor update"

by Jay Hathaway Oct 23rd 2009

Firefox 3.6 is due to be the next major version of Mozilla's popular browser, but some people inside Mozilla are pushing to reclassify it as a "minor update." It's not that 3.6 isn't a big deal, it's just that users adopt minor updates at much higher rates than major new versions. That's because Firefox prompts users to install minor updates when they come out, but you're on your to download and install a major one.

The argument for 3.6 as a minor update is that it doesn't bring any UI changes or other high-profile feature updates, but it does do a lot under the hood for stability and compatibility with the latest web technologies. Keeping up with changing web standards makes quicker browser updates a good thing, but Firefox is a special case because of all its add-ons. 3.6 is going to require add-on developers to write updates, and they won't have as much time if it's a minor update.

[via CNET]

Tags: firefox, firefox3.6, mozilla

Filed under: E-mail, Productivity, Web services, Mozilla, Beta

Mozilla Raindrop: don't call it another Google Wave

by Jay Hathaway Oct 23rd 2009

The lead designer for Mozilla Messaging describes Mozilla's new communication tool, Raindrop, this way: "Raindrop is not another email client. We started from scratch with fresh ideas about what a communication application should be ... " Sound familiar? That's the same promise we heard from Google Wave a few months ago. Raindrop is similar to Wave in some ways, but it takes a completely different approach to dealing with integrating different kinds of communication into one service.

Raindrop's main goal is to separate personal conversations from bulk email that's less relevant to you. To that it, it pulls out all of the notifications you get from various web services, as well as messages from newsgroups, and sorts them into separate places. It also brings in Twitter, and separates out replies and direct messages. Other social networks will eventually be integrated, and the UI is still in the draft stages, but Raindrop looks pretty promising for a version 0.1 product. It's not as hard to get your head around (or "revolutionary," depending on who you ask) as Wave, but its focus on the problem of bulk vs. personal communication might make it more useful to the average Internet joe.

[via Slashdot]

Tags: mozilla, mozilla labs, mozilla messaging, MozillaLabs, MozillaMessaging, raindrop

Filed under: Mozilla, Beta, Browsers, Mobile, Android

Mozilla makes its mobile move, brings Firefox 3.6 to Android

by Jay Hathaway Oct 20th 2009

In the mobile browser wars, Webkit-based browsers seem to be pulling away from the pack. Don't count Firefox out yet, though, because the CEO of Mozilla says that Firefox has put together "the most advanced mobile browser," and it's due to hit Android phones soon. Fennec, the mobile version of Firefox, is based on Firefox 3.6, which is a generation ahead of the current desktop version of Firefox. As CEO John Lilly told Om Malik of GigaOM, this browser does "everything - Javascript, CSS, Flash, SVG, video and audio."

Like the desktop version of Firefox, the mobile version uses the AwesomeBar, which provides quick access to bookmarks and browser history, right from the address bar. Mozilla also plans to support add-ons for Firefox's mobile version, which would make it the first mobile browser to do so. Add-ons might be the sole factor keeping Firefox competitive on the desktop. In the mobile space, they'd give it an edge. Along with Android, Mozilla is also developing for Nokia's Maemo OS, which isn't too widespread in the US, but is growing in global popularity.

Tags: android, fennec, firefox, mobile, mozilla

Filed under: Mozilla, iPhone, Browsers

Mozilla getting ready to roll the dice on Weave for the iPhone?

by Lee Mathews Oct 19th 2009

Om Malik waxed poetic over the weekend about a chat he had with Mozilla CEO John Lilly. Among the topics that came up: a Mozilla submission to Apple's App Store.

Don't go getting all excited about a Fennec port for the iPhone. We're all well aware of Apple's stance on apps that ~~compete~~ ~~with~~ duplicate functionality of their own apps or offer ~~choice~~ "potential confusion for users." Fennec most certainly would stomp all over Safari's toes, so that's pretty well out.

Malik mentioned something based on Weave as a possibility, and he received a Nudge-Nudge style knowing grin from the Mozilla crew. Could it be true? Is Weave about to run the gauntlet that is Apple's approval process?

While it's a sync app and might step on MobileMe's toes ever so slightly, Weave for the iPhone should be able to wrangle an approval. After all, the only functionality they would likely share is bookmark syncing.

And what about Apple preferring not to let app out of the sandbox? Vic and I kicked this around, and a simple Safari-based front end to your Weave data in the cloud could very well be a workable solution. Mozilla's actual plan remains a mystery for now.

While I'm sure all Firefox fanatics with an iPhone are pulling for Mozilla, we probably shouldn't hold our breath. Apple's rejected plenty of apps on fairly tenuous grounds before, after all.

Tags: app-store, apple, fennec, firefox, iphone, mozilla, weave

Filed under: Microsoft, Mozilla, Browsers, Op-Ed

Dear Microsoft, please keep your lousy mitts off my Firefox install

by Lee Mathews Oct 17th 2009

This isn't the first time Microsoft has taken liberties with Firefox users. There's that whole .Net thing that happened back in May of this year.

So what gives, Redmond? Why - especially after the fallout from the last incident - would you go and push a Windows Presentation Foundation plugin on my Firefox install? I didn't ask for it, and I don't really want it. Plenty of people consider software that installs in this kind of underhanded way to be malware.

Not to mention a security risk. You know, the same way you (Microsoft) consider Google's Chrome Frame to be a security risk for your own browser. I'll need someone to explain to me how MS figures the situation is different when the shoe is on the other foot.

I'll clear something up for you right now - and this goes for all software companies, not just Microsoft. I expect control over what gets installed on my system and what doesn't. Go ahead and offer me updates, add-ons, and plugins. But please, give me the choice to install.

Heck, I can choose to put off Windows updates forever if I want and some of those are pretty critical patches. So why should I not be given the choice to opt out of something as trifling as a WPF plugin for my non-IE browser?

Get your filthy hands off my browser, you damn, dirty ape!

Tags: firefox, malware, microsoft, plugin, unwanted-software, wpf

Filed under: Mozilla, Beta, Browsers

Firefox 3.6 reaches beta stage

by Lee Mathews Oct 14th 2009

While it's slightly behind schedule -- having been originally slated for a mid-September release -- Firefox 3.6 has reached beta.

Version 3.6 beta RC1 is now available for download from Mozilla's servers. As Softpedia mentioned a few days ago, Mozilla is pondering an early exit for Firefox 3.5. Mozilla's Mike Beltzner stated, "It's not 100% decided yet, but if we issue a Firefox 3.6 as a minor update, then yes, we'd stop supporting the 1.9.1 branch at that time." He's referring to Gecko 1.9.1, on which Firefox 3.5 is based. 3.6 is based upon version 1.9.2 of the Gecko engine.

It may not benchmark in the same league as Google Chrome, but Firefox 3.6 certainly feels speedier. Our content management system runs more smoothly than it did for me under 3.5.3, and my go-to web apps like GMail and Seesmic are also more responsive.

A couple of features that appear in the 3.6 beta candidate: control-tab previews (as previously mentioned) and taskbar thumbnail previews on Windows 7 (not just for FF3.7 apparently).

Testers - if you've given 3.6 beta 1 a go, tell us what you think in the comments!

Tags: beta, firefox-3.6, mozilla, namoroka

Filed under: Windows, Mozilla, Beta, Browsers

Firefox 3.7 adds per-tab taskbar thumbnails (like IE8) on Windows 7

by Lee Mathews Oct 14th 2009

Those of you running Windows 7 and prepared to tiptoe through the Minefield, Firefox 3.7's most recently nightly build has added another taskbar integration feature.

Now the latest trunk build includes support for per-tab thumbnail previews just like Internet Explorer 8. And just like IE8, the magic works across multiple instances. If you have two Minefield windows open at the same time, you'll get previews for both.

Tags: firefox-3.7, minfield, shell-integration, tab-preview, taskbar-thumbnails, windows-7

Graveyard Shift - zombie-busting Time Waster

With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet. They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

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