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June 26, 2012
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Firefox for Android hands-on: Vastly better than Android’s default browser but weaknesses remain

By on June 26, 2012 at 4:10 PM.

Firefox for Android hands-on: Vastly better than Android’s default browser but weaknesses remain

Mozilla Firefox Android Hands On

One of the downsides of being an Android user is having to scrounge around for a mobile browser alternative since the Android default browser is so woefully lacking. I use MoboTap’s Dolphin browser on my Android device because it provides a nifty swipe-based approach to bringing up menus and bookmarks, it has a lot of terrific add-ons such as the “Browse Faster” extension that lets you close apps on your device, and it does tab-based browsing better than most other mobile browsers I’ve tried. The downside, though, is that Dolphin can be slow and is very prone to crashing. Mozilla’s newest version of Firefox for Android released Tuesday offers some significant improvements over Dolphin and the default Android browser but still has some areas that can be improved. Hit the jump for more. More →

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mobile
June 26, 2012
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New Firefox for Android app promises speedier browsing; now available for download

By on June 26, 2012 at 9:30 AM.

New Firefox for Android app promises speedier browsing; now available for download

Mozilla Firefox Android Launched

Everyone knows that the default browser on Android devices leaves a lot to be desired but so far no browser has emerged as the clear alternative. Mozilla is hoping the change that with its new version of Firefox for Android that it released Tuesday, promising “a screaming fast and personalized upgrade to mobile browsing that lets you take your Web experience everywhere you go.” Among other things, the new version of Firefox features a so-called “Awesome Screen” that “delivers all your browsing history, bookmarks, passwords and form data to your Android phone;” new HTML5 capabilities to help mobile developers more easily create dynamic mobile web pages whether they’re “based on HTML5, JavaScript, CSS and other open Web standards;” and mobile-optimized support for tabbed browsing, Firefox Sync and Forefox Add-Ons. The new version of the browser is now available to download for free from the Google Play app store. Hit the jump for the full release. More →

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Software
June 19, 2012
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Mozilla designs Firefox ‘Junior’ for iPad

By on June 19, 2012 at 2:00 AM.

Mozilla designs Firefox ‘Junior’ for iPad

Mozilla Firefox Junior iPad Browser

iPad fans disappointed with their browsing experience could soon have a Safari alternative from Mozilla. Mozilla has taken the wraps off a new version of its Firefox browser that it has been designing specifically for the Apple iPad, dubbed “Junior,” that the foundation says “makes browsing more fun, more ergonomic and re-thinks browser user experience from the ground up.” While this sounds ambitious, the development team at Mozilla seems to have really created a browser that’s unique to tablets rather than just simply porting its browser over from desktop or mobile platforms. More →

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Internet
May 2, 2012
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Mozilla becomes the first Silicon Valley heavyweight to oppose CISPA

By on May 2, 2012 at 5:30 PM.

Mozilla becomes the first Silicon Valley heavyweight to oppose CISPA

Mozilla speaks out against CISPA

Thousands of people oppose the controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), including the Obama Administration and “Anonymous.” The bill, which was recently passed by the United States House of Representatives, looks to give businesses and the federal government legal protection to share cyber threats with one another in an effort to prevent online attacks. Internet privacy and neutrality advocates feel as if the bill does not contain enough limits on how and when private information can be monitored. Numerous technology companies — such as Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, IBM, Intel and Oracle — have voiced their support for the bill. Mozilla on Tuesday, however, took a stand and announced its opposition against CISPA. More →

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Internet
April 23, 2012
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Chrome 18 is world’s most popular browser, Internet Explorer 9 leads in North America

By on April 23, 2012 at 11:45 PM.

Chrome 18 is world’s most popular browser, Internet Explorer 9 leads in North America

Internet monitoring firm Pingdom on Monday released a new report on global Web browser share by browser version. The company found Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 9 to be the most popular browser in North America with a 21.2% share, and it was closely followed by Google Chrome 18 at 20.2%. Internet Explorer, however, featured a combined total of 40.4% of the North American browser market. Globally, Pingdom found that Chrome 18 is the most popular browser with a 25.6% share, leading Firefox 11 with 15.8% and Internet Explorer 9 and 8 with 15.7% and 14.6%, respectively. Microsoft’s browser has the largest worldwide market share when all versions are combined, followed by Chrome and then Firefox. More →

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Security
March 8, 2012
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Major Google Chrome vulnerability uncovered by hacker at Pwnium contest

By on March 8, 2012 at 5:20 PM.

Major Google Chrome vulnerability uncovered by hacker at Pwnium contest

Russian university student Sergey Glazunov was able to hack into a secure Windows 7 machine using a remote code execution exploit in Google’s Chrome web browser in five minutes, ZDNet reported Wednesday. The exploit was found during CanSecWest’s Pwnium hacker contest, a competition similar to the popular Pwn2Own contest. Google offered a total of $1 million dollar in prize money to hackers who could exploit the company’s Chrome web browser. Glazunov was rewarded $60,000 for his exploit, which found a way around Chrome’s sandbox using vulnerabilities in the extension system. “It didn’t break out of the sandbox [but] it avoided the sandbox,” said Justin Schuh, a member of the Chrome security team. “It was an impressive exploit. It required a deep understanding of how Chrome works. This is not a trivial thing to do.” At Pwn2Own, the VUPEN team was able to hack all four major browsers — Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox — with Chrome, which was hacked within five minutes, being the first to fall. This is the first time in four years at the competition that Google’s web browser has been hacked. The company is already working on an update that will fix the vulnerabilities uncovered at Pwnium and Pwn2Own. More →

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General
February 13, 2012
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Mozilla plans Metro-style Firefox browser for Windows 8

By on February 13, 2012 at 9:45 PM.

Mozilla plans Metro-style Firefox browser for Windows 8

Mozilla announced on Monday that it will release a Metro-specific version of Firefox for Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 platform. The browser will require “a new Firefox front end and system integration points” and be based on the Gecko layout engine. “The feature goal here is a new Gecko-based browser built for and integrated with the Metro environment,” said the company’s planning document. “Firefox on Metro, like all other Metro apps will be full screen, focused on touch interactions, and connected to the rest of the Metro environment through Windows 8 contracts.” The company may also produce a live tile that would display updates on the home screen. Mozilla hopes to unveil its new browser in the second quarter of 2012. More →

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General
February 3, 2012
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Mozilla developing push notification system for Firefox

By on February 3, 2012 at 5:01 PM.

Mozilla developing push notification system for Firefox

Mozilla is developing a push notification system for the company’s Firefox Web browser. The system will allow users to receive notifications from any website, even if the site is not open in a tab or window. The system will also be able to relay push notifications to mobile devices. Mozilla is seemingly looking to close the gap between desktop Web apps and native mobile apps, which utilize push notification systems on a number of mobile platforms. “Push notifications are a way for websites to send small messages to users when the user is not on the site,” said Mozilla developer Jeff Balogh on the company’s blog. “iOS and Android devices already support their own push notification services, but we want to make notifications available to the whole web.” The system is currently in early planning stages and there is no available time table for release. More →

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General
January 31, 2012
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Mozilla’s Firefox 10 now available for download

By on January 31, 2012 at 7:00 PM.

Mozilla’s Firefox 10 now available for download

Mozilla on Tuesday released the latest version of its Firefox browser. In addition to allowing users to run full-screen apps, Firefox 10 offers the following enhancements:

  • The forward button is now hidden until you navigate back.
  • Most add-ons are now compatible with new versions of Firefox by default.
  • Anti-Aliasing for WebGL is now implemented.
  • CSS3 3D-Transforms are now supported.

Mozilla also made some HTML5 changes and noted two bug fixes. The company said that it has fixed a Java-related crash, which Mac OS X users experienced in earlier versions, as well as a crash related to moving bookmarks. Firefox 10 is available immediately as a free download. More →

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Software
December 21, 2011
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Firefox 9 now available for download, offers 30% JavaScript performance boost

By on December 21, 2011 at 1:45 AM.

Firefox 9 now available for download, offers 30% JavaScript performance boost

Mozilla released Firefox 9 on Tuesday, the latest version of its popular web browser. Firefox 9 adds several enhancements, but perhaps the most notable is its improved JavaScript engine that reportedly offers up to a 30% performance boost (in Kraken and V8 benchmarks) on Javascript-heavy sites. The browser also adds OS X Lion optimizations that should improve two-finger swipe navigation and theme support. Other features include support for font-stretch, improved support for text-overflow, improved support for HTML5, MathML and CSS, and stability fixes. Firefox 9 is available for free now and builds are available for Mac, Linux and Windows. More →

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Business
December 21, 2011
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Google will remain default Firefox search engine for three more years

By on December 21, 2011 at 12:30 AM.

Google will remain default Firefox search engine for three more years

Mozilla announced Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with Google in which Google Search will remain the default search engine in Firefox for the next three years. “Mozilla has been a valuable partner to Google over the years and we look forward to continuing this great partnership in the years to come,” said Google’s senior vice president of search, Alan Eustace. While terms of the agreement remain confidential, Mozilla reported in October that its partnership with Google helped the company achieve a large portion of the $123 million in revenue in reported last year, CNET said. More →

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Software
November 16, 2011
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Firefox 8 grabs 35% of traffic in just one week

By on November 16, 2011 at 7:50 PM.

Firefox 8 grabs 35% of traffic in just one week

Mozilla’s latest version of it’s popular Firefox web browser saw rapid adoption following its release last week. Firefox 8, the fifth major release of the Mozilla browser so far this year, became available for download on November 9th. Within one day, the new iteration had already grown to account for 7% of all Firefox traffic across Chitika’s ad network, the company reported on Tuesday. By the end of the browser’s first week of availability, Firefox 8 claimed 35% of all Firefox traffic. More →

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Software
September 30, 2011
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Chrome, Firefox and Safari browsers chewing away at IE market share

By on September 30, 2011 at 8:40 PM.

Chrome, Firefox and Safari browsers chewing away at IE market share

A new research report from Chitika Insights suggests Chrome, Firefox and Safari are eating away at Microsoft’s dominant share of the web browser market. Internet Explorer’s overall share dropped from 56% in July to 54% in August while Firefox’s market share increased from 19% to 20% and Safari’s share grew one point to 9%. Between July 2010 and July 2011, however, Microsoft’s browser share remained steady at 56%. Google’s Chrome web browser saw its share increase from 9% to 16% year-over-year at the expense of Firefox and Safari, which lost 5% and 1% of the market, respectively. Chitika said it expects Firefox’s share to increase as Mozilla continues to release frequent updates to its web browser. In addition, Internet Explorer’s share will “stabilize from its recent losses” when Microsoft releases Windows 8 and Internet Explorer 10. More →

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