Mozilla Firefox 3.6 Final Download

The final development milestone of Firefox 3.6 has been released to web and is currently available for download for users of Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. Earlier this week, Mozilla was considering either January 21st, or January 25th, for the general availability of Firefox 3.6, formerly codenamed Namoroka. The January 21 deadline was decided just a couple of days ago, and today, Mozilla is moving forward with the release of the latest iteration of its open source browser. At this point in time, Firefox 3.6 is in the first stages of the official launch, but make no mistake about it, the final bits for version 3.6 are indeed available for download.

Yesterday, when I was telling you that Firefox 3.6 Final is scheduled to drop on January 21st, 2010, I also promised that Softpedia would do its best to get the bits to you before the official release. Currently Mozilla’s webpage for version 3.6 still notes: “Firefox 3.6 is coming soon!” and adds “We still have a few things left to do before it's ready. Here's a short video to show you what's new. If you can't wait, download a release candidate for a sneak peek!” Of course, the official deadline when downloads are scheduled to go live is Thursday, January 21st at 9:30am Pacific Standard Time.

However, Mozilla has already published the final development milestone of Firefox 3.6 to its FTP servers, and as a result users can already download the release. Firefox 3.6 is designed as a minor update to Firefox 3.5 which was released in the first half of 2009. Version 3.6 was initially planned for availability in November 2009, a deadline which Mozilla missed due to a variety of blockers (severe bugs) which needed to be resolved prior to GA. But now, Firefox 3.6 Final is here.
Mozilla has enumerated a range of improvements marking the evolution from Firefox 3.5 to Firefox 3.6:

“- Made some changes to how we allow third party software to integrate with Firefox in order to prevent crashes.
- The ability to run scripts asynchronously to speed up page load times.
- 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- Firefox 3.6 will alert users about out of date plugins to keep them safe.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.”

UPDATE: Mozilla has cut access to Firefox 3.6 via FTP, most probably due to the overload on their servers. At the time of this refresh, v3.6 is still only offered officially for download, albeit the release is not just hours away. However, using the links below you will have no problems in downloading Firefox 3.6 Final.

Firefox 3.6 Final for Windows is available for download here. Firefox 3.6 Final for Mac OS X is available for download here. Firefox 3.6 Final for Linux is available for download here.

adopted from http://www.softpedia.com

Kaspersky Says Google Spreads Malware, but Trojan.JS.Redirector.ar Is a False Positive

Kaspersky products incorrectly blocked access to legitimate websites reporting that ads from Google AdSense were infected with a Trojan horse labeled Trojan.JS.Redirector.ar. Russian-based antivirus maker Kaspersky managed to shoot itself in the foot and deliver a blow to its credibility and legitimacy as a maker of security solution. Again. But while shooting itself in the foot, Kaspersky also hurt its own users and damaged legitimate Internet-based businesses, by falsely alerting customers of its most recent and “top of the line” AV product that Google is spreading malware through AdSense. Again!

Despite the erroneous alerts from Kaspersky Internet Security 2010, Google AdSense is not infecting users with malware, and Trojan.JS.Redirector.ar is a false positive. In fact, customers, including Softpedia users, should disregard alerts from Kaspersky altogether when their very common sense is telling them otherwise. And it’s not just customers running Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 that were affected, but also users of Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010, Kaspersky Internet Security 2009, Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 and Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 for Windows Workstations MP4. Users need to know that Softpedia has taken extensive measure to ensure that its users are protected, and only serves advertising from legitimate sources, such as Google, that have a proven track record of also protecting customers.

They should definitely ignore reports associated with Trojan.JS.Redirector.ar infections in Google AdSense. “On the 25th of January, 2010, some Google web pages can be blocked by your Kaspersky Lab product because of virus detection. In this case the following message appears on the screen: Access denied. The following error was encountered: The requested object is INFECTED with the following viruses: Trojan.JS.Redirector.ar,” Kaspersky Lab stated.

But there are additional false positive alerts to be ignored. “In such cases Kaspersky Lab products may display the message that the requested object is infected with one of the following viruses:
- Backdoor.Win32.Hupigon.jrpd,
- Trojan.Win32.Generic,
- Trojan.Win32.Swisyn.nik,
- Win32.KillFiles.b,
- Win32.StartPage.c,
- Win32.StartPage.d,
- Win32.StartPage.e,
- Win32.StartPage.f,
- Win32.StartPage.g.
- Win32.StartPage.h,
- Win32.Trojan-Downloader.Generic.ac,
- Win32.Trojan-Downloader.Generic.ad,
- Win32.Trojan-Downloader.Generic.ai.
Such detections of the viruses mentioned above on some Google web pages are false alarms,” Kaspersky added.

adopted from http://www.softpedia.com

WM7 Details: 6.x Compatibility, a 2010 Launch

Microsoft and its yet unannounced / unreleased Windows Mobile 7 operating system are making the rounds once again. The company is expected to unveil the OS flavor officially at the Mobile World Congress next month, and the entire industry has its eyes turned towards the event, mainly to see if the platform brings Microsoft back in the mobile game. We've already seen that there might be two versions of the OS released to the market, and that the handsets to sport them will pack a great deal of raw power, and now there are more details available on the matter.

First of all, we should mention that the latest report from gizmodo says that Windows Mobile 7 is set to make an appearance on the market during the ongoing year, and that the earlier rumors on it being pushed back to 2011 are false. One way or the other, the company will bring the OS to MWC next month, it seems, though there are small chances that it will also unveil an exact release date for the first mobile phones to sport WM7. Late 2010 is the best estimation that can be made for the time being.

At the same time, the news site also says that Windows Mobile 7 will sport compatibility with applications developed for previous flavors of the OS. However, things are not yet clear in this area for the time being. The support will be there, and even if it might not be native support in the end, it should come in the form of an emulator at least (the same as Microsoft did with Windows 7 and that XP mode). It would make better sense for existing apps to see support in the upcoming mobile client, so things might turn well for users after all.

Moreover, it seems that Microsoft might deliver a Windows Mobile SDK sometime in mid-2010, which will also prove useful for developers who want to make their software solutions fully compatible with the upcoming platform. On the other hand, this also shows that WM7 will indeed be different from the 6.x flavors that are already available around the world. And with WMPoweruser stating that WM7 will be based on Windows CE 7, things seem to have been confirmed already.

The upcoming OS flavor is expected to rise the bar when it comes to the capabilities smartphones are to include, as it features support for higher-performance processor, better graphics and more. According to WMPoweruser, Chelan, that new 7 kernel WM7 is based on, has the following features: “Dual Core Support (SMP, ARMv6), Visual Studio 2008 Plug in, WIFI Positioning System, Bluetooth 2.1, Cellcore, DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), DRM, Media Transfer Protocol, IE7 Rendering Rich Media Plug-Ins, NDIS 6.1 support, UX C ++ XAML API using technologies like Windows Presentation Foundation and Silverlight for attractive and functional user interfaces, Touch Input.”

adopted from http://www.softpedia.com

Ubuntu Manual Will Be Available with Ubuntu

Everyone was waiting for this, so... we are proud to announce that the upcoming release of the popular Ubuntu operating system, due for launch in late April this year, will come with a comprehensive manual! The manual is created as we speak and it will be ready to accompany the final release of Ubuntu 10.04 LTS. The Ubuntu manual will be designed for beginners in Linux and Ubuntu (of course) and it will contain essential how-tos, guides, basic information about Linux and its components, and everything one needs to know after installing Ubuntu.

"As a beginner user once upon a time, I found myself struggling to find useful and easy to understand documentation in an accessible location. The Official Ubuntu Book is great, but it is expensive. The Pocket Guide by Keir Thomas is informative, but doesn't delve into enough detail in some areas, and is now out of date (written for 8.04/8.10). The Community Docs are excellent, but are not structured and do not follow a consistent writing style. The Ubuntu Help pages inside the Operating System are the best option for newcomers, but are often underused and lack screenshots." – the Ubuntu Manual Team said.

The Ubuntu manual is distributed as a PDF file and it will be revised every 6 months. The manual will be well written (it appears that only in English, but no one stops you to translate it), with a professional appearance and very easy to follow, even by the users that just heard about Linux or Ubuntu. And it is created and maintained by the Ubuntu community! At the moment, Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid Lynx) is in an alpha state, with just one release out. The second alpha release is expected next Thursday, January 14th. We remind everyone that Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid Lynx) will be a quality and stable release. Canonical plans to make Ubuntu 10.04 LTS a bug-free operating system, with lots of quality improvements to the user interface, installation & boot experience and support for the latest hardware components. Another important goal for the Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid Lynx) release will be to improve the startup speed to about or less than 10 seconds! The Lucid Lynx will be the 12th release of the Ubuntu operating system, and the third LTS (Long Term Support) release, supported for 5 years on the server and 3 years on the desktop. Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid Lynx) will ship on April 29th, 2010. About Ubuntu: Ubuntu is a Linux distribution for your desktop or server, with a fast and easy install, regular releases, a tight selection of excellent packages installed by default, every other package you can imagine available from the network, and professional technical support from Canonical Ltd and hundreds of other companies around the world.

adopted from http://www.softpedia.com

2009 Browser Market Shares Based on Softpedia Web Traffic Stats

As 2009 comes to an end, our news editors are busy putting together all sorts of roundups and tops. I was curious to see how the main web browsers fared this year in terms of market share. On Softpedia, of course! We checked our 2009 web traffic analytics info and think the data is pretty interesting, so we’re going to share it with you fellow webmasters or regular readers. As a bonus, we’ve added the top 5 screen resolutions used by Softpedia visitors. Don’t forget to check out the shiny charts!

To kick things off, while the blue slice tells us that Internet Explorer is still in the lead with 44.45%, Firefox has continued its chase and has come dangerously close, at 38.75%.

With the upcoming release of Firefox 3.7 and other browsers nibbling at IE’s share, the 6% distance will probably decrease even more in 2010. The latest Internet Explorer version (IE8) does not seem to pack what’s needed to sway users back, despite Microsoft’s efforts to innovate and also provide a much more standards compliant browser.

However, there’s a new rising star on the web browser market and it’s one we definitely cannot ignore if we look at the share trends over the course of 2009. Google’s Chrome stands at 4.66% overall (3^rd place), but has had an impressive evolution from 2.8% in January to 7.3% in December. This is consistent with recent global market share reports. It simply shames long-time players such as Opera and Safari, considering this is a browser that’s a little over 1 year old. In any case, it’s safe to say that Chrome was able to get a solid following among Softpedians in a relatively short period of time.

Apple’s Safari has also gained some traction, going up from 3.7% to 5.03% towards the end of 2009 (4.43% overall in 2009). What’s very interesting is that these two seem to have taken a bite, albeit a small one, from Firefox and Opera as well, not just Internet Explorer. Over the year, Mozilla’s “champion” has gone 1.01% down from 38.89% in January to 37.88% in December, while Opera’s seemingly negligible setback of 0.18% overall has had dramatic effects: in January it was ranking 3^rd with 4.48%, while the 4.3% share in December sent it to the very last place of the “big league”.

Although essentially an outcast now, Opera has seen a slight comeback towards the end of the year and, in 2010, it might benefit greatly from the upcoming 10.5 release (previews are available already) which has kept the developers busy for quite some time now. It promises various technology improvements such as new Javascript, HTML and graphics engines.

On to display resolution stats. Although the top 5 is dominated by widescreen resolutions, the all time favorite and veteran 1024x768 is still going strong on 1^st place with 31.78%. Laptops are responsible for the 2^nd place (1280x800 with 17.85%) and 4^th place (1440x900 with 8.36%), while the now classic 4:3 17” and 19” desktop monitors bring 1280x1024 to the 3^rd place with 13.83%.

22 and 24 inch 16:10 widescreen monitors have really emerged this year, which is why 1680x1050 is ranked 5^th with 6.60% higher than 800x600, 1152x864 and other resolutions that didn’t make the top 5. This trend will certainly continue during 2010 and we might finally see 1024x768 phasing out.

As a side note, HD displays haven’t taken off yet, so to speak – only 2.21% of the Softpedia visitors cruise the Internet at 1920x1200.

adopted from http://www.softpedia.com

Softpedia Reviews Apple Magic Mouse

Better late than never is what they say and, in my case, I’m actually glad I waited for it this long. Getting my hands on the all-new Magic Mouse around the holidays made me feel like I got an early Christmas present, and one that I didn’t even deserve. But, a review is a review. So, here’s why I’ve fallen in love with Apple’s newest addition to the accessory line.

The Magic Mouse ships with every new iMac alongside an Apple Wireless Keyboard. But it’s also sold separately. I haven’t upgraded to the new desktop computer yet - the aluminum 20-incher (2Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo) still performs beautifully for my every day work tasks (including some personal business) - but I had to get my hands on this touch-sensitive peripheral that looked like something from the future. So, we ordered it. And the wait was on... Until one day when the little rodent finally arrived!

I didn’t waste any time going through the written documentation provided with the device, and went ahead with setting it up for use with my iMac. Having already installed Mac OS X 10.6.2 (which provides support for the multi-touch nature of the gadget), I was good to go in seconds.

Note: on Leopard machines, the Wireless Mouse Software Update 1.0 is required for compatibility with the multi-touch functionality.

Besides the incredibly comfortable shape and size of the mouse, the first thing I noticed when I made the switch was a new panel for “Mouse” in System Preferences. Instead of the boring old panel showing a bunch of cursors and lines, the new one had all the parameter-tweaking knobs I needed, plus a video preview showing me what each function did. Talk about “built with the user in mind.”

read complete news on http://www.softpedia.com

Download Firefox 3.6 Beta 5

The fifth Beta Build of Firefox 3.6, codename Namoroka, is now available for download. Mozilla is referring to the development milestone as revision 5 of the first, and only (at least in the company’s perspective) Beta release of Firefox 3.6. Earlier this month, Softpedia informed you that yet another Beta of Firefox 3.6 was cooking, and that the browser would not evolve directly to the next phase toward the final release. Despite the “revision 5” label, fact is that although the next iteration of Mozilla’s open source browser was supposed to graduate in Release Candidate stage by this point in time, the development process continues to be stuck in Beta, jeopardizing the chances that end users will be able to upgrade to the final version of Firefox 3.6 by the end of 2009.

“This morning the Mozilla community released Firefox 3.6 Beta 5, making it available for free download and issuing an automatic update to all Firefox 3.6 beta users. This update contains over 100 fixes from the last Firefox 3.6 beta, containing many improvements for web developers, Add-on developers, and users. Over 70% of the thousands of Firefox Add-ons have now been upgraded by their authors to be compatible with Firefox 3.6 Beta,” explained Mike Beltzner, director of Firefox at Mozilla.

It is important to note that Firefox 3.6 Beta 5 is still pre-release software, as the Beta tag implies. In this context the release is not ready for widespread adoption by the public. However, in excess of half a million early adopters were running the Beta Builds of Firefox 3.6 as of November 2009.

“The Beta of Firefox 3.6 / Gecko 1.9.2 introduces several new features for users to evaluate: support for the HTML5 File API; a change to how third-party software integrates with Firefox to increase stability; the ability to run scripts asynchronously to speed up page load times; 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; and support for new CSS, DOM and HTML5 web technologies,” Beltzner added.

Testers that are already running Firefox 3.6 Beta 4, or earlier releases of the browser, will be served automatic upgrades to the latest development milestone in the coming days. At the same time, early adopters are free to grab the standalone downloads available below.

Firefox 3.6 Beta 5 (Beta revision 5) for Windows is available for download here.

Firefox 3.6 Beta 5 (Beta revision 5) for Mac OS X is available for download here
adopted from http://www.softpedia.com

Softpedia Discounts and Giveaways 2009 Campaign Up and Running

This holiday season, Softpedia is looking to bring a little more Christmas spirit into your life, and we’re going to use software discounts and giveaways as a way to do just that. Today, December 14, is the first day of the Softpedia Discounts and Giveaways 2009 Campaign. Some of you have undoubtedly stumbled upon the banner at the top of the website next to the Softpedia logo. If not, simply refresh an opened Softpedia page a few times and you'll see it.

Of course, there’s even a simpler way to access the special offerings we have in store for you this holiday season – just click this link. For this holiday season, Softpedia has teamed up with some of the most renowned software publishers to bring you these exclusive deals. What you will be able to see is daily special deals designed to delight you, while leaving you with more money in your pockets for additional holiday shopping. 'Tis the season, after all.

You should check out the December 14 giveaways as soon as you can. Today, you are able to download East-Tec Eraser 2009 (from East Technologies) and Platinum Guard (from Reohix) completely free. Some of you, especially those that have been keeping a close eye on Softpedia, already know that we have partnered with software developers such as Ashampoo in order to offer our users free products. The East-Tec Eraser 2009 and Platinum Guard giveaways are the latest additions to this list.

But mark my words, you will need to keep your eyes glued to Softpedia. Additional special offerings and giveaways will be unveiled in the days to come. And no, I’m not going to tell you what products we'll offer in collaboration with our partners, but trust me, they're coming.

In addition to today's giveaways, Softpedia is also bringing you TuneUp Utilities 2010 (from TuneUp Software GmbH) at a 25% discount. On top of this, East-Tec Eraser 2010 (EAST Technologies) can be bought with 30% off, while Fresh RAM (from Reohix) features a price reduction of no less than 75%.

In the coming days throughout December 31, 2009, Softpedia will offer visitors additional discounts and giveaways. More special offerings for this holiday season come from Lavasoft, Copernic, Returnil and many others. There will also be a deal with Ashampoo’s latest product, exclusively on Softpedia by the end of this week.

adopted http://www.softpedia.com

Apple Countersues Nokia, Period

The company responsible for the Mac operating system has issued one of its rare press releases (a strategy, which seems to generate copious amounts of respect from the Apple fan base), saying that it has responded to a lawsuit brought against it by Nokia a while ago by filing (what else?) a countersuit.

It goes without mentioning that we’re better off simply reporting this stuff, instead of making an analysis asking ourselves who’s right and who’s wrong (generally, both parties are... both right and wrong). But we can’t, in good faith, limit ourselves to that.

“Responding to a lawsuit brought against the company by Nokia, Apple today filed a countersuit claiming that Nokia is infringing 13 Apple patents,” reads Apple’s newest press release. In usual manner, the iPhone maker cites someone big for more credibility (not that Apple is lying).

“Other companies must compete with us by inventing their own technologies, not just by stealing ours,” said Bruce Sewell, Apple’s General Counsel and senior vice president.

Right. So, Apple is calling Nokia a thief. When a company like Apple tells a company like Nokia “Hey, you stole from us” right after Nokia told Apple “You stole from us,” how bad does that insult our intelligence, we ask you?

Please take the time to understand that we too like Apple for its business model, the products it creates, its famous presentations and events, and, most of all, its CEO, Mr. Steve Jobs (just look at all the Psystar-won’t-win brainstorming we did). It’s just irritating to see such a short press release saying “Not so fast there, Nokia!” which ends with the company’s standard reminder that it has “ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh.” We know that! We want to know what the deal is with you and Nokia more recently!

Why is it BusinessWeek’s job to explain that “Nokia, the world's largest phone maker, sued Apple in October claiming infringement of 10 patents and seeking back royalties on the 33.7 million iPhones sold since the device's introduction in 2007. Espoo, Finland-based Nokia had said that all Apple iPhone models use Nokia's technology for wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption?”

What happened to good ol’ Apple disclosing all the handy details for the entire world to see the situation is a bit more complicated than one would think? For a person learning for the first time that the two companies are in a fight, it sure sounds like Nokia is the bad guy. But why was Nokia the first to sue, then?

Leaving our frustration aside, Nokia spokesman Mark Durrant reportedly said the counterclaim doesn't change the "fundamentals" of the original patent infringement suit... so, that’s comforting (this is still BusinessWeek info, by the way). According to the report in question, Durrant stated in a telephone interview, "We will need time to study it before we make any direct comment. But it changes nothing in the fundamentals of the original filing made by Nokia in Delaware."

Just to be perfectly clear, we can grasp that the particularities of the countersuit cannot be disclosed (or at least some of them), but Apple, try to be more transparent! This press release is pure ignorance!
adopted from http://www.softpedia.com

Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Alpha 1 Has Linux Kernel 2.6.32

While every Ubuntu fan still discovers the powers of the Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala) operating system, somewhere deep in the Ubuntu headquarters the Canonical developers are working very hard to bring us all the new stuff that happens in the Linux world today. Therefore we proudly announce that the first Alpha version of the upcoming Ubuntu 10.04 LTS (Lucid Lynx) operating system has been released. As usual, we've downloaded a copy of it in order to keep you up-to-date with the latest changes in the Ubuntu 10.04 LTS development.

What's new in Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Alpha 1? Well, first of all we would like to remind everyone that the release schedule for Ubuntu has been changed to 3 Alphas, 2 Betas and a Release Candidate. Ubuntu 10.04 LTS is the third LTS (Long Term Support) release, which will be supported for 3 years on the Desktop and 5 years on the Server. Second of all, HAL has been completely removed, which makes Ubuntu boot and resume faster than ever!

Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Alpha 1 is now powered by the freshly cooked Linux kernel 2.6.32 and it uses the GNOME desktop environment 2.29.3, which brings lots of improvements and new features. Other than that, there are now only five games left in the distribution, including AisleRiot Solitare, Gnometris, Mahjongg, Mines and Sudoku.

to read more and download klik here

Google Chrome 4.0 Beta for Linux Arrives

Just in time for holidays, the wonderful developers at Google announced a few minutes ago that the Chrome browser for Linux is finally in a beta state and has been added on the official Chrome website for download! The actual version is Google Chrome 4.0.249.30 and it comes with binary packages for Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and openSUSE operating systems. Both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures are supported at this time, as well as a preinstalled repository (at least on the Ubuntu platform) for easy updates.

Just like the popular Windows version, Google Chrome Beta for Linux is extremely fast, stable, extensible and last but not least, very secure! Did we forgot to mention that it has support for HTML5? Yes, that's right... it has! Moreover, the new Google Chrome will work very well on both GNOME and KDE desktop environments.

Linux Softpedia on Google Chrome 4 Beta - Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala) 64-bit

You can grab the new beta version of Google Chrome for the aforementioned Linux systems by accessing the download page at the end of the article or by going to its official website. Whichever method you choose, please remember that you need to uninstall any existing package of the Google Chrome web browser before installing this new version.

Google Chrome is a revolutionary web browser that makes surfing the Internet more efficient and ergonomic by placing modules on each new opened tab. Instead of showing a blank page, Google Chrome offers you eight thumbnails, displaying the most visited websites, a history search bar and even the last ten closed tabs. Another breathtaking feature of Google Chrome is its amazing speed, from the moment you open it until it is closed.

The Google Chrome interface is simple and clean, allowing websites to benefit from the increased screen space. The tab bar is placed on top of the multi-functional main address bar. Why multi-functional? Because you can not only direct Chrome to a certain address, but also perform history or Internet searches.

Download Google Chrome 4.0.249.30 Beta right now from Softpedia.

adopted from http://www.softpedia.com

Firefox 3.6 Beta 5 Coming Right Up

Mozilla is getting ready to release a new development milestone of Firefox 3.6. And it appears that the upcoming testing build won’t graduate the next version of the open source browser to Release Candidate stage. According to Mozilla, a new Beta release, the fifth one, is currently cooking and being readied for availability. Although the company hasn’t said anything officially, it is already offering testers a taste of Firefox 3.6 Beta 5 via its FTP servers, although, at the time of this article, the development milestone was not yet ready for public release.

As of the end of last week, testers have been able to grab a Candidate of Firefox 3.6 Beta 5. Labeled Firefox 3.6b5-candidates build1, the bits are nothing more than a nightly release. Still, the signal Mozilla is sending is that the fully-fledged Firefox 3.6 Beta 5 isn’t that far off in the distance. On December 1st, 2009, Mozilla noted “Firefox 3.6 Beta - 500,000 active daily users (though only 50% are on the latest beta [namely Beta 4]). Need to get to 650,000 to be able to map stability data onto the general population.”

It is important to note that at the start of this month Mozilla was planning to offer Firefox 3.6 RC by the end of the past week. Obviously, this wasn’t the case, and at this point in the development of version 3.6 of Firefox, show-stopping bugs are solely responsible for delaying the Release Candidate. “Firefox 3.6 Release Candidate - there are 18 code blockers remaining - goal is to get to RC build this week,” Mozilla stated on December 1st.

Another Beta and the further delay of RC can jeopardize the initially set launch date for Firefox 3.5’s successor. Last time it talked about the release, Mozilla emphasized that it was still pushing to have Firefox 3.6 delivered by the end of 2009. However, considering the necessity to attract another hundred thousand testers, as well as to deal with any remaining blockers, a more realist release deadline for version 3.6 is in 2010. Mozilla has yet to confirm officially that Firefox 3.6 has slipped into early 2010.

Firefox 3.6 Beta 4 for Windows is available for download here.
Firefox 3.6 Beta 4 for Mac OS X is available for download here.
Firefox 3.6 Beta 4 for Linux is available for download here.

adopted from http://www.softpedia.com

Windows 8 Coming into Focus in 2010

Windows 7 was released to manufacturing on July 22nd, 2009, along with Windows Server 2008 R2, and both platforms made it to customers by October 22nd, 2009, with the client flavor of the OS being the last to reach the general availability stage. Undoubtedly, for the latest iterations of the client and server operating systems, the Redmond company will produce the first service pack come next year. There might even be a third service pack for Windows Vista, although Microsoft is keeping all details under a hermetically shut lid. But one thing is certain, as 2010 rolls in, Microsoft will shift its focus to Windows 8, the next generation of Windows.

Users are bound not to come across publicly shared details on Windows 8 from Microsoft for quite some time. Going out on a limb, I would say that the software giant will start unveiling the first Win8 information through official channels no sooner than the end of 2010, or even in 2011. After all, Jon DeVaan, senior vice president, Windows Core Operating System Division, and Steven Sinofsky, president, Windows and Windows Live Division, kicked off the Windows 7 engineering conversation with the public in August 2008, a year and a half after Vista’s GA in January 2007.

Make no mistake about it, Sinofsky continues to helm the Windows project, and Windows 8 is bound to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, Windows 7. Certainly, Sinofsky will not want to change what proved to be a winning strategy, considering the indications of Windows 7’s early commercial success, with strong sales, outpacing Vista’s by more than double.

In some way, the software giant is already offering Windows 8 tidbits to the public, albeit, all details available are insufficient to contour the company’s plans and strategy for the next iteration of Windows. As Windows 7’s successor starts coming into focus, Microsoft is looking for additional people to join the planning and development efforts behind the Windows project. In this regard, the company has published a variety of Windows 8 related job posts, which have been “harvested” by a variety of Microsoft watchers, including MSFTKitchen.

Microsoft has the Windows 8 job for you

One of the most interesting Windows 8 roles Microsoft is looking to fill is that of Sr. Manager, Partner Skills Development – Launch Lead, in the Worldwide Partner Group (WPG), Small Medium Solutions and Partners (SMS&P) Division for Microsoft Business.

“Do you want to help ready the entire partner ecosystem on all the new Microsoft products and solutions? The Partner Skills Development Team is looking for a senior thought leader and skilled project/product manager to ensure the health of the partner ecosystem through the strategic evolution skills development framework (and its execution) for upcoming Microsoft product launches. For example, in Fy10, the focus will be on Windows Server R2, SQL Server R2, and Wave 14 (Office 2010, SharePoint 2010, and Exchange 2010) and, as we head into Fy11, the focus will quickly switch to Windows 8. In this role you will lead the execution of partner skills development BOMs – by partner type for the entire partner ecosystem – on a WW basis. This role with interact with and influence individuals from across Microsoft, including individuals within the Worldwide Partner Group, Microsoft Learning, SMSGR, the product groups (BGs), Operations, and partner segment teams with SMSG,” Microsoft reveals.

Then there’s the Software Engineering: Program Management job for the Windows Division.

“Are you ready to get closer to Microsoft’s best customers and biggest partners while staying in a highly technical role? The new Ecosystem Fundamentals team in Windows is hiring a Senior PM to work closely with OEMs driving continued increases in performance and reliability while providing tools, testing, training and telemetry. The successful candidate for this critical role will ride the Windows 7 wave of success to enabling continued improvements into the ecosystem. This work includes Windows 8 planning, OEM tool and kit ownership, performance testing and analysis focused on improving the hardware/software ecosystem while working closely with OEMs, ODMs, ISVs, and IHVs in order to strengthen Windows partnerships. Now is the time to move into a great role centered in the Windows group and focused on customer satisfaction improvements based on solid engineering,” according to the company.

“The Windows Fundamentals Reliability, Security and Privacy (ReSP) team will improve the quality of Windows 8 by driving the trustworthy computing pillars of reliability, security and privacy in the Windows operating system. We analyze reliability data from hundreds of millions of machines, making data-driven decisions to improve the ecosystem-meaning Windows itself, other Microsoft products, and our partners such as the OEMs, ODMs, chip makers, ISVs and IHVs. We will extend this to measuring the security and privacy of the ecosystem as well. We believe Windows will transparently recover from failures and will drive scenarios to enable this. We broadly own implementing the SDL process inside Windows, and will extend the SDL concepts to reliability, and possibly other Fundamentals. We have strong technology ownership in support of this mission, including advanced detection, control and reporting components such as the client-side portions of Windows Error Reporting (WER), Software Quality Metrics (SQM), Reliability Analysis Component (RAC), and prevention and recovery technologies such as the WinRE, restart manager, fault-tolerant heap, process reflection, RADAR leak detection, and network hang recovery. We will continue to build on our world-class auto-analysis and expert debugging infrastructure which processes millions of user and kernel mode failures, as well as expanding on tools and test infrastructures such as Longhaul testing, and a Fuzz testing lab infrastructure and expertise for testing protocols across Windows,” Microsoft notes in a job post for the position of Software Engineering: Test in the Windows Division.

A job in Software Engineering: Development for Server & Tools Business deals with Windows 8 Server: “Windows Server is the top-selling server operating system and is growing share in a growing market. Central to the success of Windows Server is the experience of IT Professionals managing Windows Server. For our next release, we are taking that experience to the next level by helping to make IT Professionals more effective and more productive by shipping a product they will love to use.We work closely with UX and a passionate PM & Test team to deliver world-beating user experiences for managing Windows Servers. For Windows 8 Server, we are planning, architecting and building a new UX framework around themes that are key to the success of the entire Server product line.”

“The Application Experience Bug Investigation Team, AEBit, is looking for passionate SDETs that want to make an impact on Windows 8. On the AEBit team you will get the unique opportunity to challenge and grow your debugging skills on issues that span the entire OS. You will have the opportunity to engage with software vendors, OEMs, as well as internal component teams. You will also be applying and enhancing your knowledge of system internals. As part of the AEBit team you will be responsible for driving and ensuring compatibility in Windows by engaging with component teams, root causing application bugs, and authoring mitigations. If you are a strong SDET looking for a challenge we would like to hear from you,” an excerpt from a Software Engineering: Test job with the Windows Division reads.

Microsoft is also looking to develop new IIS features for Windows 8. From the job post for a Program Management position with the Server & Tools Business: “IIS team is looking for an experienced PM to join our core platform team. Your role will span across driving key features into Windows 8 as well as owning several out-of-band modules, including web analytics that will bring business intelligence for the customers that host applications and contents on IIS. Your work will help differentiate IIS and Smooth Streaming from Apache and Flash. You should also be ready to work in a fast-paced environment and have a strong desire for quality, security, and performance. Your feature will be used by millions of customers.”

Of course, Windows 8 and Windows Live will continue to be joined at the hip, as Microsoft brings the Windows client closer to the Cloud. “The Windows Live Mail team is looking for a seasoned Lead Program Manager to drive our next generation Mail client, and manage five stellar PMs. Our client has over 40M users world-wide, and serves as a key component of our Windows Live 'light up Windows' strategy. Our current release is centered on hot new consumer features & better synergies with Hotmail & Windows 7, and our future releases will likely be tightly designed to work best with new Windows 8 platform technologies. We will also work closely with the Outlook team on ways to bring Windows Live to Outlook. Mail is part of the WL Desktop Communications team, which also includes Messenger. Our team values user-centered design, technical and engineering excellence, and attention to detail.”

“The TAG team provides the foundation services and infrastructure to support a unified test and dev workflow. This team’s charter includes – developing and running a unified test submission and execution system for Windows 8, Automating Test pass scheduling & execution, results analysis & automated triage, Windows code coverage services, Developing and running the eBVT quality gate, supporting WinSE’s Windows 7 sustained engineering test needs. This is an exciting time to join the Test Automation and Gates team and lead the next wave of foundation services and infrastructure to ensure delivery of a high quality product. With openings across the team, there’s sure to be the perfect opportunity suited to your specific passion and enthusiasm,” Microsoft mentions in a job for the Windows TAG team.

The Redmond company is additionally looking for a software engineer to influence and contribute to Windows 8 serviceability. “The WinSE UX test team needs a strong SDET to develop new test automation, write robust test plans, designing test cases, debug reported issues across Windows Shell and related UX, help establish sound test engineering processes, and influence and contribute to the serviceability of Windows 8. As an SDET on this team, you’ll design, implement, and execute various types of test automation, including functional, integration and release tests. You will also have several opportunities to write test tools, and work on security bugs, and will be interacting with PM and Dev counterparts in a dev/test/pm trio, and various partner teams. In this team, you will have an opportunity to ship important updates for Windows to solve critical reliability, performance and security issues via the Windows Update mechanism. This position requires strong communication and collaboration skills, and a drive for results. Overall, this position is best suited for a strong SDET looking for an opportunity to showcase your skills and innovate.”

Windows 8 in the making

There’s one aspect that is already set in stone, so to speak, when it comes down to Windows 8, one that not even Microsoft can, or will dispute, for that matter. Windows 8 Server will be a major release of the Windows Server operating system, as opposed to Windows 7 Server, which ended up as a Release 2, namely Windows Server 2008 R2. Microsoft has argued that Windows 7 is indeed a major version of the Windows client, despite having Vista at its foundation, and 6.1 versioning specific of the evolutionary, rather than revolutionary development model chosen.

The intimate connection between Windows client and server releases, following Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 RTM/SP1, continued with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, and is bound to survive with the building of Windows 8 and Windows 8 Server. But, in this context, it remains to be seen whether Windows 8 Server will drag Windows 8 along with it, and make it a new, undisputable, major version of the client, one that Microsoft won’t have to defend.

adopted from http://www.softpedia.com

Public DNS Service from Google Raises New Concerns

It's not exactly a surprise that Google wants to be involved with everything that has to do with the Internet, even marginally, and so far it's been building towards this goal. From the front end, the web browser and now even a dedicated operating system, to the very basics of Internet communications, the HTTP protocol, Google has its hands on everything. Now it's taking it one step further by launching its own DNS service, Google Public DNS, which it says can be faster and safer than the ones provided by the ISPs or the other DNS providers.

The vast majority of users aren't even aware what DNS (Domain Name System) is, not to mention why they would want to switch to Google's offering. In a simplified view, DNS translates domain names like www.google.com into IP addresses which is what computers and networking hardware use to identify themselves in a network environment. Regular, everyday web browsing involved hundreds, even thousands of DNS lookups, but these are handled by the ISPs, most of which provide their own DNS services, so the process is invisible to the user.

“The average Internet user ends up performing hundreds of DNS lookups each day, and some complex pages require multiple DNS lookups before they start loading. This can slow down the browsing experience. Our research has shown that speed matters to Internet users, so over the past several months our engineers have been working to make improvements to our public DNS resolver to make users' web-surfing experiences faster, safer and more reliable,” Prem Ramaswami, product manager, explains Google's motivation behind the project.

But if your ISP already provides the service, why is there a need for a Google one and why should you use it? Google lists several reasons why it believes its service is superior to the ones provided by ISPs and even other open providers. The first one is speed, Google says that it has implemented a number of methods to make things faster and that, even though DNS lookups are just a small portion of the time a site needs to load, it can add up to a lot of wasted time.

The other big reason to switch providers, Google says, is security. Though rare, DNS servers are vulnerable to a number of attacks which could poison the cache in turn sending users to potentially malicious sites instead of the site they wanted to visit. Google claims it has taken several measures to ensure that its service is safer.

Finally, Google claims its service will always provide its users with accurate results and “never blocks, filters, or redirects users, unlike some open resolvers and ISPs.” This last reason may be the most important but also the most controversial. Some ISPs or DNS providers engage in the shady business or redirecting a misspelled domain name to a landing page filled with ads and perhaps some sort of search. Of course, some go even further and redirect even valid domain names or block them altogether, but these cases are a lot rarer.

However, Google's latest venture isn't without its opponents especially as more and more voices are starting to question Google's increasing power. The main argument is that, even though the company claims the best intentions, it would be naïve to think that its intentions are purely philanthropic, there is a lot of money to be made from a DNS service. A commercial version would be an option, though this sounds a bit unlikely. But, even if it won't redirect users to its search engine or something similar, it could still benefit from all the usage data it's bound to gather. Google has come out with a very detailed description of what data it stores and for how long, but there are still those who believe that it would be hard for a company, with the kind of power Google controls at the moment, not to be tempted to abuse it, or at the very least, use for its advantage.

adopted form http://www.softpedia.com

Tell Apple What You Want in Mac OS X 10.6.3

Without a doubt, Apple is already prepping to send out the first alpha builds of Mac OS X 10.6.3 to its testers (if it hasn’t done so already). Remember, the first incremental update to Mac OS X 10.6 came just two weeks after Snow Leopard had been released to the public. The second, Mac OS X 10.6.2, arrived two months later, on November 9th.

If Apple decides to greet us with Mac OS X 10.6.3 before December 25th, we really should make a wish list so that the Cupertino version of Santa can make all its fans happy. Whether you want a few fixes here and there, or new features altogether, be sure to write your wishes in the comments. When we decide we have just enough requests to get Apple’s attention, we’ll post a new article with your thoughts. And here’s a word of advice: be straightforward! Apple likes things neat and clean.

Now, we know what some of you computer-savvy users out there are going to say: Apple mostly provides fixes and security patches with its incremental updates to Mac OS X. That’s true, but we figured the holiday spirit would get the best of the Mac maker. And if the update doesn't arrive by Christmas, it will arrive sometime afterwards. There's no chance Apple will stop Snow Leopard development at Mac OS X 10.6.2.

Perhaps you want something removed, or just out of the way as you start up your Mac. Perhaps you want something new added, like a new way to boot into Mac OS X. How about a new utility app, joining the rest of the programs Apple has thrown in with Mac OS X Snow Leopard (Activity Monitor, AirPort Utility, AppleScript Editor, etc.)? Anything new will most likely delight you, as a fan of the operating system, and surely you have a few suggestions to make, so let’s not waste any more time. Go ahead, tell Apple what you want in the next incremental update to Snow Leopard!

adopted from http://www.softpedia.com

New Bing Maps Beta Brings Superb Evolution

A cocktail of Microsoft technologies is the catalyst for what the company has called the first big refresh of the technology behind Bing Maps in years. By mixing together not just the mapping, search and location platform, but also Photosynth, Silverlight and Seadragon, along with additional technologies from Live Labs, Microsoft Research, and even third-parties, Microsoft has given birth to Bing Maps Beta, which brings to the table a superb evolution compared to the pain vanilla Bing Maps.

Both flavors of Bing Maps continue to be accessible side by side. The old Bing Maps AJAX site is still in place, but simply adding an “explore” to the end of its URL will take users into a completely overhauled experience, the new version of Bing Maps. The Beta version of Bing Maps is built entirely in Silverlight, Microsoft’s alternative to Adobe Flash, and kicks up a notch the level of user experience offering such features as Streetside, Enhanced Bird’s Eye, the Application Gallery, integrated 1-click directions, multiple searches, etc. This is all possible only through the concert of Microsoft technologies working in synchrony.

“We’re in a unique position at Microsoft,” noted Stefan Weitz, Bing director. “Our talent in Microsoft Research, Microsoft Live Labs and our core engineering teams really combine to be more than the sum of their parts to deliver experiences that better map to what people are doing. It’s about measuring success in the real world — not just asking the user ‘Did you find the link you were looking for?’ but rather ‘Did you accomplish what you were trying to do?’”

There are five major aspects of the Bing Maps Beta evolution. The first users are bound to notice is the intimate integration between Silverlight and Bing Maps. In this regard, the Beta version of the company’s mapping platform offers users a new, enhanced, navigation model as well as a clearly superior experience. The Seadragon Deep Zoom UX is now an integral part of Bing Maps, truly serving its purpose in a Cloud app where zooming actions are at the very basis of the UX. But the evolution has also introduced smoother transitions that make it a pleasure to jump from one location on the map to another.

Silverlight also made possible Streetside. “Perhaps you’re familiar with our initial release of Streetside photography in a technology preview of Live Search Maps which launched over 2.5 years ago - now, that’s going old school. With the enhancements of Silverlight 3 we’re able to take advantage of the 3D aspects included within the platform and truly immerse users into the site,” revealed Chris Pendleton, the Bing Maps technical evangelist for Microsoft.

With Streetside now integrated into Bing Maps Beta, users will be able to get down to street level and explore neighborhoods in major cities around the world as if they were walking the streets. According to the Redmond company, Microsoft has harvested street-level imagery for approximately 100 U.S. cities, but it promised that more coverage will be added in the future.

“Enhanced Bird’s Eye – Ah, our lovely Bird’s Eye photography. There’s just something about viewing an area from the sky using the four cardinal directions. Now, this is not your grandpa’s Bird’s Eye, oh no. We had to up the ante with Silverlight 3, so there are different experiences based on whether you’re in an urban or non-urban area for Enhanced Bird’s Eye – after all, it is “enhanced”,” Pendleton added.

Microsoft is also continuing to stress that Bing Maps is much more than just a Cloud-based application, and that it is in fact a platform. This is why the new Beta release features its very own Application Gallery. “Bing Maps is now offering an application gallery for “mapplications” mashed into our consumer site. Now, to be clear we have the Bing Maps Platform for adding Bing Maps to your applications (or mashups). This is a little different – we’ve added a catalogue of applications for you to simplify your search and bookmark your favorite applications that have been built within Bing Maps,” Pendleton explained.

And of course, then, there’s the close integration of Photosynth. Microsoft has for quite some time melted the Photosynth project into the Bing Maps team, and it was clear that the technology allowing users to build 3D spaces, or synths, out of 2D imagery, would at some point support new ways for end users to explore content on Bing Maps. “If you’ve built a synth on Photosynth.com and geo-annotated it (the little globe icon) your synth gets indexed into Bing Maps. To view a synth on Bing Maps, open the app in the Application Gallery then explore where synths are available,” Pendleton promised.

adopted from http://www.softpedia.com

AT&T Launches 1GHz-Powered LG Expo

Wireless carrier AT&T announced on Monday the upcoming launch of LG eXpo, the first handset that arrives in the United States with a 1GHz processor on board. Starting with December 7, AT&T enterprise customers will be able to purchase the new handset from the company's website, while enjoying its High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 Mbps technology support, through which any user will benefit from considerable speed capabilities.

At the same time, the new LG eXpo comes to the US market with support for an integrated pico projector. Placed on the back of the phone, the LG Mobile Projector enables users share presentations, as well as slideshows or videos, all directly from the handset. The LG Mobile Projector comes with a compact design, and can project images eight feet away.

“LG eXpo adds to our growing portfolio of smartphones that operate on the latest upgrade to our 3G network and offer customers a great choice,” said Michael Woodward, vice president, Mobile Phone Portfolio, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “As we move to HSPA 7.2 technology, it is crucial to provide our customers innovative and future-proof smartphones.”

The new LG eXpo comes to the market running under Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional operating system, delivering popular features and apps to users, including Microsoft Office Mobile. Moreover, users will be able to stay connected at all times with the email and calendar features of the deliver, while also having the possibility to display Web pages, documents, photos and videos while on the go with the phone’s projection capabilities.

The HSPA 7.2 technology included with the new mobile phone will power AT&T's network starting with this year. The company aims at making enhancements to its network in 2009 in markets like Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami, and will deliver HSPA 7.2 in almost all of the country's largest markets by the end of 2010. At the same time, the carrier also aims at upgrading about 90 percent of its network to about HSPA 7.2 by the end of 2011.

The specifications list of the new handset includes a 1GHz processor, a 3.2-inch touchscreen display with support for 16 million colors, a full QWERTY keyboard, a 5.0-megapixel photo snapper with auto flash, aGPS, and a microSD memory card slot with support for up to 16GB of additional storage space. AT&T's enterprice customers will have the possibility to purchase the new handset starting with December 7, for a price tag of $199.99 after mail-in rebate, with a two-year contract agreement on a minimum $69.99 plan. The LG Mobile Projector is expected to be priced at $179.99.

adopted from http://www.softpedia.com

Apple Commences Final Testing Phase of iPhone 4

The creator of an iPhone navigation app has been tipped off on the existence of Apple’s fourth iPhone model. Pandav tells MacRumors that it has spotted usage records for the next-generation iPhone thanks to PinchMedia records. PinchMedia is an analytics firm that provides just that for Pandav and its iBart application. This allows the developer to see which apps are running on which devices.

Pandav reports seeing the magical iPhone 3,1 hardware ID showing up in logs, a reference previously spotted and identified as being the next-generation iPhone model or, as some have speculated, Apple’s forthcoming tablet device. However, it makes sense to pinpoint iPhone 3,1 as a revision to the current iPhone model.

The device is said to have been spotted as early as March 2009, about the time Apple was also testing iPhone OS 3.0. The device now appears to be in live testing over the Internet, which falls in line with Apple’s final phases of testing before mass-producing a product like the iPhone or iPod touch. Some, however, believe there is more waiting to be done than just a couple of months. And if the iPhone 3GS is any indication, identified late last year as iPhone 2,1, the new iPhone 2010 model will be quite the major update.

In what is perhaps the last piece of the puzzle regarding Apple’s latest efforts, the company has put up a job posting for an iPhone Software Engineer. The posting specifically states that Apple is looking to upgrade the interface and underlying code for the iPhone OS built-in Maps software. “We want to take Maps to the next level, rethink how users use Maps and change the way people find things,” the description reads. “We want to do this in a seamless, highly interactive and enjoyable way. We've only just started,” Apple adds.

Navigation is sure to be an iTablet-specific feature as well, so Apple may be looking to also carry out tests in this area, should it be working on such a device.

adopted from http://www.softpedia.com