By Tim Conneally , Betanews Download Firefox 4 Beta 1 for Windows from Fileforum now. Mozilla's popular Firefox web browser has just been released in Beta 1, which introduces a new graphical design for Windows users, support for the HD HTML5 video tag using the WebM format, a new Add-ons manager for all of your Add-ons, Plug-ins, and Themes, improved crash protection and security fixes, and an overall performance upgrade. Firefox 4 Beta 1 is available on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux, but only the Windows version has undergone a graphical change, where the tabs are placed along the top. [......]
By Ed Oswald , Betanews As Google moves toward a release of its web-based Chrome OS later this year, developers are building applications with the ability to detect which way their host device is orientated. The functionality mimics the screen-swapping action that is becoming a regular feature in today's mobile devices; where motion sensors provide added levels of interactivity. The potential uses are many: such as the obvious switching the interface from portrait to landscape mode, or in gaming where on-screen actions are controlled by the device's position. [......]
The newest version of the Opera browser -- version 10.60 -- has gone Gold and is now available for downlaod. Opera Software's latest browser incarnation comes built around the Opera Presto 2.6 rendering engine and is purportedly the company's speediest browser yet. "Opera 10.60 is the fastest browser we have ever made," Opera Software wrote in a blog post . [......]
Sometimes wars come down to alliances, and in the browser war, Mozilla now has IBM in its corner, says Bob Sutor, VP of Linux and Open Source at IBM. "Some of the software we all use shouldn’t surprise you since we make it, such as Lotus Notes, Lotus Sametime, and Lotus Symphony," Sutor wrote in a blog post[......]
By Ed Oswald , Betanews Firefox may be coming to your iPhone soon, however not in the form you might expect. Mozilla on Wednesday said that it submitted an app called "Firefox Home" to Apple for iTunes App Store approval, an application which would sync browser activity between the user's iPhone and desktop. It is not a separate browser, as Mozilla knows that Apple would likely reject it if it was. [......]
Everyone has been expecting this could happen at any moment, but late on Monday Google finally began a full scale rollout of Android 2.2 (Froyo) to Nexus One users. [......]
There's a new version of the Opera browser available -- Opera 10.54 -- though it's an incremental update rather than anything even resembling a major overhaul. By Opera Software's own admission, there isn't a whole lot for Windows users to get excited about, though there are some security enhancements, including: Fixed an issue where Data URIs could be used to allow cross-site scripting Prevented Opera from being used as a vector for a font issue in the underlying operating system, as reported by Microsoft's security team Opera software put a bigger emphasis on security fixes for the Mac platform, though the Windows side wasn't without a bit of intrigue. Listed in the Windows changelog are three additional issues to the ones outlined above, including an "extremely severe" issue, another listed as "moderately severe," and one listed as "less severe," details for all three of which "will be disclosed at a later date." Download Windows Changelog Mac Changelog [......]
For the first time ever, the social Web browser called Flock is turning to Google's Chromium project to provide the architecture for its next major release. Currently in beta form, the new Chromium-inspired Flock represents a complete redesign, and is the first social browser built on Google's platform. "Our interactions with people online have changed everything about the way we discover, shop, work and play," said Shawn Hardin, CEO of Flock[......]
Prepare thy hoses. The recent announcement of the Safari 5 Web browser got me thinking--just how much of Apple's latest software iteration is already replicated in Firefox? In Google? I've never been a fan of the Safari browser myself--even the few times I would ever let my pristine hands be blackened by an unholy Apple device. But one has to give the company credit, in that they sometimes do come up with some pretty neat ideas. [......]
Don't let Google scare you into thinking they're the only search engine out there. Microsoft's Bing offers users a solid, user friendly engine with a ton of features that set it apart from the competition.  In this article, we're going to dissect Microsofts patented search engine and bring you some basic tips to help get you started. We'll also run you through some of Bings more distinct features, including 3D map capabilities and Microsoft's Photosynth system. [......]
Following the recent launch of Apple's Safari 5 Web browser, users have been reporting that Netflix streaming no longer works. We expect this to be sorted out rather quickly, but in the meantime, there's a pretty simple workaround - use a better browser[......]
Google has officially announced Android 2.2, codenamed Froyo. The new smartphone software comes with a plethora of improvements. [......]
By Scott M. Fulton, III , Betanews This afternoon, Google has opted for the most daring option available to it: It is making available both the technology and the source code for the VP8 codec it acquired, in its buyout of On2 Technologies, to a separate entity. That entity, the newly formed WebM Project , will then serve as a licensing agent on Google's behalf for the VP8 video codec, the Vorbis audio codec, and the Matroska multimedia container, for royalty-free use, apparently in both free and commercial video. [......]
By Scott M. [......]
