Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » décembre 20, 2011

BetaNews.Com (11 non lus)

Google is Firefox's Christmas Miracle

Publié: décembre 20, 2011, 10:44pm CET par Ed Oswald

It's no secret that Mozilla needs Google. The Mountain View, Calif. search company provides a significant source of revenue for the software company, as it is the default search in Firefox. That deal has been extended an additional three years, the two companies announced on Tuesday.

"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", Google's search chief Alan Eustace says. Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it may be safe to assume that it will contribute somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 million yearly to Mozilla's bottom line.

In 2010, the Google partnership accounted for 84 percent of Mozilla's $123 million in revenues or about $103 million. Losing such a lucrative partnership would spell trouble for the company considering its weakening position in the browser market.

Google's Chrome is making significant inroads in terms of market share, quickly growing to near parity with Firefox according to recent surveys. With Chrome quickly closing in, now is not the time for Mozilla to rock the boat.

Putting it simply: Google pulls out, and Mozilla collapses. That said it still poses an interesting dichotomy, where Mozilla's biggest benefactor is also now its biggest competitor. How much longer does Google let Firefox stick around, or better yet -- how much longer does Mozilla depend on Google for its well-being?

Photo Credit: Gorilla/Shutterstock
Apple is a patent troll now

Publié: décembre 20, 2011, 10:33pm CET par Joe Wilcox

In August, I called Apple a "patent bully". Whoa, was I wrong. Apple is a patent troll of the worst kind, if reports from Australia are true. Apple is filing a claim alleging that Samsung violates 10 patents for smartphone and tablet cases. Right, not legal cases but the skins you wrap your devices in.

Have you seen Samsung's device cases? It's one thing to assert Galaxy Tab looks like iPad 2, but Samsung device cases are petty generic, and I've got pictures to prove it. Wow, what amazing innovations are Apple trying to protect? Has Apple invented some new stitching technique? Developed leather that won't offend vegans? Wrapped iPhone in Bumpers that diminish an antenna design flaw? (It's yes to the last one.)

Apple's renewed Samsung attack comes after an appeals court overturned a preliminary injunction barring sales Of Galaxy Tab 10.1. There's something seemingly spiteful, if not desperate, about a case against cases. There was an incident this past summer about an iPad 2 Apple Smart Cover knock-off made for Tab 10.1. But Samsung didn't produce the case and says it never authorized it. From a July statement:

As a general practice, Samsung Electronics reviews and approves all accessories produced by partners before they are given the "Designed for Samsung Mobile" mark. In this case, approval was not given to Anymode for the accessory to feature this official designation. We are working with Anymode to address this oversight and the product has already been removed from the Anymode sales website. The product has not been sold.

So that leaves the cases Samsung actually sells. For Galaxy Tab 10.1 there are but two, a book cover case and pouch. Neither looks anything like Smart Cover, which is the only Apple-branded case currently for sale. Samsung sells 23 smartphone cases or shells, all but one for older generation Galaxy S phones. There is a pouch for Galaxy Nexus, which looks nothing like Apple Bumper.

Suing over generic device cases like Samsung's is simply laughable. Apple CEO Tim Cook should be embarrassed by his lawyers Down Under, and here in the States. Eleven days ago, Jason Kincaid, writing for TechCrunch revealed: "Apple Made A Deal With The Devil (No, Worse: A Patent Troll)". TechCrunch caught Apple transferring patents, through a third party, to Digital Innovations, presumably to sue other companies. That way, Digital Innovations does the dirty legal work, thus protecting Apple's image. Virginia-based DI has been called a patent troll by many.

Which is? "Patent troll is a pejorative term used for a person or company who buys and enforces patents against one or more alleged infringers in a manner considered by the target or observers as unduly aggressive or opportunistic, often with no intention to further develop, manufacture or market the patented invention", according to Wikipedia, and it's a good description. Digital Innovations' business is about collecting patents, presumably to sue and not to invent anything.

What about Apple? The Cupertino, Calif.-based company makes lots of things. Device cases haven't been a high priority -- that's gravy for third-party partners. Where Apple has made cases, they look nothing like the generic stuff Samsung sells. From the alleged infringing products to the extent of innovations (hey, we're not talking A5 chips here but leather and lace) to the timing (after Apple's butt whacking down under) to the likelihood Apple will ever produce generic black, leather cases for its products, the company meets the definition of patent troll.

You tell me, do the Samsung cases below look any different from thousands offered by other vendors or anything like so-called Apple innovations? Comments await your answers.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 book cover case

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 pouch

Galaxy Nexus pouch

Art Credit: Memo Angeles/Shutterstock
T-Mobile USA customers are big winners in failed merger

Publié: décembre 20, 2011, 8:49pm CET par Ed Oswald

With details emerging on what exactly T-Mobile USA gets as a result of the dissolution of the merger between it and AT&T, it appears in at least the short term the struggling carrier will receive a much needed boost. AT&T is entering in to a seven year roaming agreement with T-Mobile that dramatically increases the carrier's coverage area.

"Coverage will be extended to many regions of the U.S. in which T-Mobile USA previously had neither its own high-speed mobile communications network nor the associated roaming agreements", Deutsche Telekom says. AT&T will award T-Mobile USA a significant amount of AWS spectrum, which will help T-Mobile USA dramatically accelerate its 4G deployment.

That spectrum is in 128 different markets, and in 12 of the top 20 markets in the country. This includes Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Washington, Boston, San Francisco, Phoenix, San Diego, Denver, Baltimore and Seattle, according to the company.

With additional spectrum and a generous roaming agreement, the real winner is the T-Mobile customer. Long-time customers know of the carrier's struggles, whether it be poor rural service or lack of spectrum (especially in major metropolitan areas). Access to AT&T's robust network could also make T-Mobile more competitive in the end, as consumers will need to worry less about coverage concerns than they had to before the roaming agreements.

All of this is in addition to a $3 billion breakup fee that AT&T is now forced to pay Deutsche Telekom, one of the highest payments for a termination of a merger in history.

That said, the German telecommunications company seems grateful for the work AT&T did in trying to salvage the difficult deal, even though it ended up being for naught.

"Deutsche Telekom would like to express its gratitude to AT&T and to Randall Stephenson and his team for the positive cooperation over the past few months", DT says. "Our working relationship was characterized by fairness and respect at all times".
Samsung serves up Ice Cream Sandwich

Publié: décembre 20, 2011, 7:40pm CET par Ed Oswald

Owners of Samsung's Galaxy line of tablets and smartphones won't wait long for Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich", according to an announcement the company made today. Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note will receive ICS in the first quarter of next year, followed by other Galaxy devices throughout 2012.

The new version of Android's operating system is a significant upgrade over previous releases, including enhancements such as "face unlock", improved multitasking and notifications support, and a updated user interface.

Other Galaxy devices eligible for the upgrade include the Galaxy R Phone, as well as all current iterations of the Galaxy Tab, including the 7.0 Plus, 7.7, 8.9, and 10.1. In each market, Samsung says it will make a separate announcement alerting customers to when it expects to make the update available.

However, Samsung will not update the original Galaxy Tab tablet or Galaxy S smartphone.

Samsung was the first manufacturer to announce an Ice Cream Sandwich device when it debuted the Galaxy Nexus back in October. The device did not ship in the United States until this past week, however. It is available through Verizon Wireless for $299.99 with a two year contract.
Comodo Internet Security 5.9 offers faster scanning, little else new

Publié: décembre 20, 2011, 6:29pm CET par Mike Williams

Comodo Internet Security has been upgraded to version 5.9, in what the company unexcitingly calls a “minor maintenance release”. Don’t fall asleep just yet, though. It may not be packed with new features, but this build does have a few very interesting additions.

Top of list is the new Smart Scan, which the company claims is “one of the smartest quick scans in the world”. And it proved very speedy on our test system, scanning more than 41,000 objects in a mere 83 seconds. Time will tell how useful this really is -- not scanning things is easy, making sure you can still identify all malware is the real problem -- but the new technology is off to a good start.

You also now get easy integration with your Comodo TrustConnect account, if you have one. Internet Security 5.9 will detect unsecured wireless connections and offer to protect you with TrustConnect, effectively providing a VPN on demand. (If you don’t have a TrustConnect account, prices range from $3.99 per 24 hours to an annual subscription of $99.95; there’s more at the Comodo site.)

Elsewhere, malware removal has been improved; installation now includes an option to download the latest version of Comodo’s secure Dragon browser; and there are the obligatory interface tweaks. Nothing too major, just reorganizing a few settings and preferences to make them generally easier to find.

And of course there’s still everything that was included in the previous version: strong antivirus, cloud-based behavioral analysis, a powerful firewall, comprehensive sandbox, and more. As before, the suite is available in Pro, Complete and Plus versions with a range of extras, but if you’re looking to keep costs down then Comodo Internet Security Premium 5.9 remains one of the best free suites around, and has been further improved with this new release: downloads are available now.

Photo Credit: Ye/Shutterstock
First-impressions review: ExoPC 'Microsoft Signature Series' tablet

Publié: décembre 20, 2011, 6:15pm CET par Chris Boss

From all the buzz about iPad, or Android tablets, you'd never know that Windows slates are available and that they offer many unique benefits. I recently bought the ExoPC from Microsoft Store. It is a Microsoft Signature Series PC selling for $399 and running Windows 7 Home Edition.

The company says this about Signature Series PC: "Microsoft engineers carefully tune your PC to help it achieve maximum performance, and include software that really makes it fly. Add world-class antivirus security software with no renewal fees along with 90 days of technical support directly from Microsoft. That gives you a PC that's the best it can be, made that way with Microsoft Signature". The computer, or in this case tablet, isn't loaded up with performance-sapping, third-party software.

Out of the Box

I felt good; about ExoPC before opening the box, which is well-made (and looks good, too), giving the impression of a quality product. Inside I found the tablet, external charger and Microsoft Signature booklet. You should connect the tablet to the charger when first starting it up, since the battery may not be fully charged. Mine wasn't.

This is my first tablet PC, so I won't compare it to others. My first impression: it's a bit heavy. ExoPC is definitely not a "one-hand" held style of tablet, but requires two hands to hold it properly. The slate weighs just over 2 pounds. iPad 2, which doesn't have the benefit of a full desktop OS, weighs less: 1.3 pounds. That said, I showed ExoPC to a friend who has been using an Android tablet for awhile, and he commented that it felt light for its size. He actually liked the size of the screen too. At 2.09 lbs it is lighter than a Netbook, but heavier than iPad.

The tablet feels very solid and well built, not flimsy by any means -- it's built to last. There is a good size border around the display (bottom edge in landscape is slightly wider than the other three sides) so there is plenty of room for holding it with your fingers, without covering the display, which measures 11.6 inches. By that measure, ExoPC is more notebook than iPad or Android tablet.

ExoPC specs: 11.6-inch display (1366 x 768 resolution) with fingerprint-resistant coating; 1.66 GHz Intel Atom N450 processor; 2 GB DDR2 memory at 667 MHz; 64 GB SSD; Intel GMA 3150 graphics; 1.3-megapixel webcam; Realtek High Definition Audio with 2 built-in 1.5-watt speakers; mini-HDMI port; two USB 2 ports; microphone input; headphone output; WiFi N; Bluetooth; and Windows 7 Home Premium. Measures 11.6 x 7.7 x 0.55 inches and weighs 2.09 pounds.

The display is very pleasing. The resolution is really about the lowest one would want to use for a Windows tablet (1366 x 768). This is the same resolution that Microsoft used on tablets when demoing Windows 8 at the BUILD conference, so my impression is that it may become the defacto standard for a Windows tablet (unless it is a 4:3 display of course). The viewing angle vertically (in landscape mode) is not as good as I would have hoped (actually a little poor), so you really need to face it straight on. The horizontal viewing angle though (in landscape) is very good, so someone to your side can see quite well. The touchscreen is very responsive and after calibrating it very accurate.

The 16:9 display ratio appears better suited to landscape mode than portrait, but the resolution is very good so portrait mode should be acceptable to those who use tablets for an ereader. I am a Windows software developer, so landscape will most likely be the prefered mode for me. Still, the 11.6-inch display is a delight -- if you plan on doing a lot of work with ExoPC, rather than simply use it for the typical content consumption (viewing content rather than creating it), like many tablet users do. Size of display is one of the reasons I chose this tablet.

What About Documentation?

There are no buttons on the front of the tablet (power button is on the back), but the light sensor at the top-left corner can be used when the tablet requires keyboard input at times when the operating system is not yet running (i.e., boot menu when two operating systems have been installed). If you move your finger over the light sensor it acts like an arrow key and if you hold your finger over it for 3 seconds it acts like an Enter key. I had to go to the manufacturer's website and their online forums to find this out, so I could properly navigate the boot menu after I later installed Windows 8. Hidden usability features like these are delightful when discovered and create good feeling about the tablet.

But my having to go to user forums to find out about hidden features reveals an annoyance: The ExoPC documentation isn't good enough and could be a lot better. The Microsoft Signature booklet is more about setting up Windows (account user name and password, for example) and that sort of thing. There are no references to such things as using the external power supply when first starting up or even how to back up the operating system.

I went to the manufacturer's website to their community forums to find out how to properly backup the operating system, which is done using a utility that is installed in the Windows system folder (startgen.exe). I later found this utility is also listed on the start menu in the ExoPC folder. This utility requires a 4 gig USB flash drive to backup the operating system. You can't backup up to an extermal USB DVD drive with this utility. It will create a complete restore image for the original data found on the tablet. If you want a backup of all your user data later, then you can use the Windows 7 backup utility to do this.

Easy Setup

If you have not used a Windows tablet before, you may initially be confused when the setup initially starts (when first booting up) and requests you type in user account descriptions (to create your first user account). There is no obvious way to type in the text and the Windows 7 touch screen keyboard which can later be accessed via the left side of the screen (touch left side to show it) is not yet available. How you enter text is to simply touch the text field (box) where you want to enter text and a keyboard will automatically display itself. Once I figured this out, the rest was easy.

Even setting up the WiFi for my DSL router was just a matter of selecting it by name and entering the security password. WiFi worked very well. I connected to the Internet and watched some online videos and did it in another room from where the WiFi access point was located.

I would recommend (as with any Windows tablet PC) you connect to the Internet first thing and let Automatic Update do its thing. The ExoPC also comes with Microsoft Security Essentials installed rather than the common McAfee or Norton AntiVirus software, which was nice to see. Security Essentials is more light weight (less bloated) than others so it's well appreciated. Make sure Security Essentials updates AV signature, too.

The tablet felt a little warm and the fan ran quite a bit when I first started it up, which concerned me at first until I went to the ExoPC online forums to get some information about this. It appears WiFi is the big power eater, so when you are online watching videos or downloading a lot, expect the fan to run a bit. ExoPC doesn't get any warmer than any Netbook I have so this appears normal. The fan, even when running full speed, is still very quiet compared to some laptops so it isn't distracting.

Decent Performance

The specifications for this tablet are decent for a Windows tablet PC. The Atom CPU (N450) is not a powerhouse compared to some other processors, but I guess ExoPC chose this CPU to compensate for the extra power a larger screen may use. A dual core CPU would have made this tablet exceptional, but the Atom N450 does the job well enough. The 1.66GHz Atom N450 CPU is slightly faster (see: CPU Benchmarks) than the 2.5GHz Celeron CPU in my primary desktop computer (8 year-old Windows XP computer), so considering the form factor of a tablet this is not all that bad. A dual-core CPU would have been nice though.

Despite much of the critism about Windows 7 not being touch friendly, this is the furthest thing from the truth. The real issue is that Windows has long been a desktop operating system and most software was written for the desktop, so, yes, when you use desktop software it can be a challenge. In reality, Windows 7 already supports the key low level features for touch that are also in Windows 8. The difference between Windows 8 and Windows 7 is two fold:

1. Metro UI is very touch oriented and Metro applications are designed specifically for the tablet form factor.

2. The Windows 8 touchscreen keyboard is much better designed than with Windows 7. It works fine on Windows 7, but on Windows 8 it is a much, much better experience.

ExoPC is just the right size for a tablet so that one can use desktop applications that were not specifically written for a touchscreen reasonably well.

ExoPC actually makes the desktop style applications much easier to use for two reasons:

1. Screen size. The 1366 x 768 resolution and 11.6-inch display (DPI settings are set to 125 percent by default, which is just right) really makes up for a lot when it comes to using desktop applications with touch.

2. It also has its own unique ExoPC UI that is well suited to touch and a tablet. The ExoPC UI is an alternate front end menuing system meant to make Windows 7 more touch friendly. The user interface is so good that ExoPC has even licensed it to other companies for their tablets. So until Windows 8 and Metro are commercially available, the ExoPC UI is a good solution. Windows 8 and Metro, though, may make the ExoPC UI obsolete. But that is yet in the future, so for now ExoPC has an advantage over other Windows tablets.

Windows 8 Ready

To fully appreciate the ExoPC as a Windows tablet, it is important to note that the term "legacy applications" (which refers to desktop applications) that you may often see used when some talk about Windows 8 and tablets is not a valid term. Microsoft at times uses the term "desktop applications" when comparing them to Metro applications. This is really the proper terminology from what I can see. The future Windows 8 does something quite unusual. It merges the desktop and the tablet-oriented Metro into one operating system, so you get the best of both worlds. Metro does not replace the desktop (so the term legacy is incorrect) and the desktop is not exclusive from Metro.

Using a Windows tablet, like the ExoPC, is different than using an Android tablet or the iPad. For people who want the ability to do the same thing on a tablet as they do on a Windows desktop or laptop computer, the desktop experience and the ability to run any Windows application is vital. You just can't replace the Windows desktop. It is necessary. One key to a positive experience with a Windows tablet PC is the size of the screen, and the ExoPC calls it right with its large 11.6" display. Anything smaller just won't do well, from my experience, when using Windows and a touch screen.

Actually touch is quite enjoyable with Windows 7, as the screen size gets larger. Of course, you wouldn't want to go much larger than 11.6 inches for a tablet (it's just right), but with a desktop computer the larger the screen the better is touch. Having used a 22-inch touchscreen with a Windows 7 desktop computer, I can attest to how nice it is.

Is ExoPC good enough to run Windows 8, if you plan on upgrading later on? Absolutely. I have already partitioned the hard drive to create a second partition (easy to do with Windows 7, since you can shrink an existing partition to create room for another) and installed the Windows 8 Preview (32 bit) build on it. Let me say that while I like Windows 7 on this tablet, Windows 8 is even better. The large 64GB SSD of the ExoPC also provides plenty of room for installing the Windows 8 Preview alongside Windows 7, so if you are a software developer the ExoPC would be a good choice if you want to get a head start with Windows 8 on a tablet, without spending lots of money.

Photo Credits: Chris Boss

Chris Boss is an advanced Windows API programmer and developer of 10 year-old EZGUI, which is now version 5. He owns The Computer Workshop, which opened for businesses in the late 1980s. He originally developed custom software for local businesses. Now he develops programming tools for use with the PowerBasic compiler.
Facebook for iOS 4.1 mini-review

Publié: décembre 20, 2011, 3:13pm CET par Mark Wilson

Facebook for iOS has been something of a staple installation for iPad and iPhone owners. The app has undergone various developments over the years, including finally getting a dedicated iPad app. As the Facebook website has evolved, so the app has changed to reflect new features and now, as the app hits version 4.1, it seems to have come of age. The most recent addition to the Facebook website is the new timeline component and this is just one of the latest features of Facebook for iOS 4.1.

Strangely, at time of writing, the timeline feature is not yet supported on iPad, but it is something that iPod and iPhone users can already take advantage of. If you have already activated your own timeline, you will need to use version 4.1 of the app in order to see it and the timelines of other people who have activated it -- you can go here to get your timeline in place before the fullscale rollout.

For some time, the Facebook app has been significantly more usable than the mobile version of the social networking website, and this has done nothing but improve over the years. Development has been such that using the iOS app no longer feels like you are missing out on any of Facebook’s features, and in many respects it is actually more enjoyable to use than the standard web site.

Speed of operation is important for any mobile app and this is something that has been gradually improved. Not only in terms of raw performance, but the way in which the interface is laid out means that is now faster than ever to navigate the site and perform common tasks such as commenting on other people’s content, uploading images and checking in to locations.

The slide out left hand navigation pane is one of the greatest changes that has been made to the app. From here it's possible to access every aspect of your Facebook profile, from your timeline and messages, friends list and groups, and much more. Perhaps most importantly, it is possible to add links to favorite sections of Facebook so you can jump to them quickly and easily -- as well as saving space by cutting out those that you do not use very often.

The ability to make use of lists is a great way to manage a large friends list, and support for apps means that working with a Facebook app need not mean missing out on the things you make use of on the main website. The search feature makes it easy to track down individual friends and the way the navigation bar works means that it is possible to break away from reading status updates and other news to upload an image or do something else with your account without losing where you got to.

This is one app that has long been described as essential and frequently tops the charts for popularity. In the past this has been as much because the app was pretty much the only specially designed way to access Facebook from your mobile, but now it is this coupled with the fact that it is also a well-developed app that finally provides an enjoyable experience.

You can grab yourself a free copy of the app by paying a visit to the Facebook for iOS page.
Use JetClean to improve your PC's health

Publié: décembre 20, 2011, 2:18pm CET par Mike Williams

As we mentioned yesterday, utilities developer BlueSprig has just released JetBoost 1.0, a free PC speedup tool designed to optimize your PC by closing down unnecessary processes. If this doesn’t have enough optimization power for your needs, though, you could alternatively try the company’s new JetClean, a suite of tools with many more cleaning and repair options.

There’s a module to clean your Registry, for instance. A “Windows Clean” tool helps to free up hard drive space by locating and deleting leftover temporary files; an “Apps Clean” tool maintains your privacy by deleting your online, Windows and application histories; and the Shortcuts Clean module finds and deletes broken shortcuts.

You can choose these tools individually, or all at once, just by checking a few boxes. Click “Scan Now” and your chosen modules will examine your PC, reporting back on whatever issues they’ve found. And you can then review them, if you like, or just click “Repair” to fix them all at once.

Just in case that’s not enough functionality, the developers have also provided a Tools tab that lists a few useful extras. So you get a System Information program, for instance. An Uninstaller module helps you find and remove unwanted programs. The Performance Booster essentially provides the same functionality as JetBoost, temporarily closing down unnecessary processes to free up system resources. And a handy Portable option allows you to create a single JetClean executable with all these features, which you can then copy to a USB flash drive and use with any convenient Windows PC (the program runs on anything from 2000 to Windows 8).

Basic

JetClean has no shortage of features, then. But how do they perform?

The Hard Drive cleaner proved a little disappointing, finding only 1.25GB of files on our test PC. It was already reasonably well optimized, true, but CCleaner achieved much more, recovering 2.11GB of drive space.

JetClean did better with the Apps Clean module, though, where it was able to erase more application activity histories than CCleaner could manage. The Registry Cleaner and Shortcuts Clean modules also appeared to be reasonably thorough.

Some of the stand-alone tools are a little on the basic side. The Uninstall, for instance, just calls the standard application uninstaller. There’s no extra technology, no additional checks to make sure that every trace of an application is removed.

There’s nothing particularly clever about the Startup Optimisation module, either: it just lists the programs that are configured to launch when Windows starts, and optionally allows you to disable them at a click. There’s none of the extras you’ll get with some of the competition, such as recommendations on what to disable and what to keep.

And the program has the occasional problem, which reminds you that it’s still very new. The System Information program, for instance, reported that our RAM was running at “NULL MHz”, and our memory sticks were made by “Manufacturer00″ and “Manufacturer02″. Which isn’t quite as informative as we’d hoped.

There’s still plenty to like about JetClean, particularly for PC novices. It’s easy to use, lightweight and portable, and provides a great deal of functionality from one small download. It’s also reasonably safe, with, for example, a Rescue Center saving any deleted Registry keys, so if the cleaning goes a little too far then the program’s changes can easily be undone later.

If you’re an experienced PC user, though, and have already built up a personal collection of great freeware maintenance and cleanup tools, then JetClean won’t appeal so much: most of the individual tools just aren’t yet powerful enough to beat the best of the competition. And it doesn’t help that key functions like the ability to schedule cleaning are reserved for the commercial JetClean PRO (a subscription-based tool with prices starting from $1.66 a month; click Upgrade within JetClean to find out more).

There’s no harm in trying the suite anyway, though, just to see what you think: JetClean really is a lightweight installation, with no browser toolbars or other annoyances to weigh you down. Install a copy for yourself, and find out exactly what the program can do for you.

vision001/Shutterstock
Mozilla releases Firefox 9 -- get it now!

Publié: décembre 20, 2011, 1:12pm CET par Nick Peers

It has been a momentous year for Mozilla and its Firefox and Thunderbird products. Last March, Mozilla released Firefox 4 as part of a new rapid-release cycle, adding Thunderbird to the same cycle shortly thereafter, which ensured a brand new version number would appear every six weeks or so.

Consequently, it will come as little surprise, that practically six weeks to the day since Firefox 8 made an appearance, Mozilla released Firefox 9 Final . Those looking for a slew of new features will be disappointed, but it does contain one major performance fillip that makes upgrading worthwhile.

The big news with Firefox 9: added support for “type inference” for Javascript code. Put simply, this technology speeds up any website that uses Javascript. Mozilla claims that the new technology has led to major benchmarks like Kraken and V8 by over 30 per cent, and will lead to noticeable performance gains on Javascript-heavy sites.

Other changes are more minor, although OS X Lion users -- who saw major improvements in compatibility with version 8 -benefit again, this time with added support for two-finger swipe navigation and improved theme support.

Other changes simply involve adding and improving support for web standards, including CSS3 and HTML5, building on previous releases. There are also a number of stability bug fixes.

A busy year

With this sixth major release of Firefox under the new rapid release schedule coinciding with the end of the year, it’s worth taking a moment to look back and see how far Mozilla’s open-source browser has come in the past eight months or so.

Firefox 4 was, of course, a major release, having been a long time in development. It debuted a new, stripped down interface that was designed to improve performance as much as it updated the Firefox look. Other new features included moving the Add-Ons Manager to its own tab as well as support for emerging standards including HTML5.

The rapid-release cycle was then put into action, but we had to wait 12 weeks for the first build to appear under this new release schedule. Firefox 5 provided a more representative view of how Firefox would change going forward: tiny, barely noticeable feature tweaks, plus a number of performance improvements.

Firefox 6 introduced the new Permissions Manager, giving users the ability to set privacy controls on a per-site basis. Again, under-the-hood improvements and tiny interface tweaks (domain names were now highlighted in the Address Bar) were the order of the day, although developers got to play with a Javascript Scratchpad for the first time.

Firefox 7 introduced a long-awaited fix for the browser’s notorious memory leaks, meaning the app no longer eats up huge amounts of memory while idling in the background. Again, other changes were more minor, with http://” disappearing from the Address Bar one of the more noticeable ones.

Firefox 8 debuted the Add-ons Compatibility Assistant, plus introduced a new option for speeding up startup on multi-tabbed setups. It also integrated the Downloads history into the History tab, while OS X Lion users got a form of full-screen support, although users have complained it’s not actually the same as OS X Lion’s native tool.

And now Firefox 9 is here, to take Firefox that little bit further forward. So where do we go from here? The answers will be revealed later this week, then the Beta, Aurora, Nightly and UX channels get updated – keep an eye on Softwarecrew for our regular, updated look into the future of Firefox.

Firefox 9 Final is a free, open-source download for Windows, Mac and Linux. Look out for updated versions of Waterfox, a 64-bit version of Firefox for Windows, and Pale Moon, another Windows-only build designed to offer a faster, more efficient version of Firefox, following hot on its heels.
The AT&T T-Mobile merger is dead

Publié: décembre 20, 2011, 1:14am CET par Ed Oswald

AT&T ended its nine month bid to acquire T-Mobile on Monday, but not before taking parting shots at both the Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice in a tersely worded statement. Those agencies' actions "do not change the realities of the US wireless industry", the company says, and do not address the biggest issue facing all carriers -- spectrum -- a problem that must be addressed "immediately".

The deal hit its first major roadblock in August, when the Justice Department said it was suing to block the merger. The FCC added fuel to the fire in November with chairman Julius Genachowski proposing hearings on the deal, and an unnamed official leaking a comment to the media saying a combined entity "would result in a massive loss of US jobs and investment".

Facing the realities of a deal gone awry, AT&T took a $4 billion charge in the current quarter to cover breakup fees due to T-Mobile late last month. It then took the unexpected step of joining with the Justice Department last week to ask for a postponement of the planned trial, a sure sign that the company was giving up.

On the subject of spectrum, AT&T chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson does not mince words. "First, in the near term, they should allow the free markets to work so that additional spectrum is available to meet the immediate needs of the U.S. wireless industry, including expeditiously approving our acquisition of unused Qualcomm spectrum currently pending before the FCC", he urges. "Second, policymakers should enact legislation to meet our nation’s longer-term spectrum needs".

Where does this leave T-Mobile? The company gets a much needed cash infusion, as well as a favorable roaming deal that answers its coverage issues. But at the same time, it may only be a temporary fix on a larger problem for T-Mobile USA and its parent company, Deutsche Telekom.

The German telecommunications company says it is not in favor of making the necessary infrastructure investments T-Mobile needs, and will likely shop around for another suitor. In the end, T-Mobile may find itself broken up into smaller bits that carriers that don't have the equity AT&T has could afford.

While a Sprint deal is still possible, the fervor with which the FCC and Justice Department have fought to prevent the combination of AT&T and T-Mobile makes that seem difficult. Many of the arguments it has made against the joining of these two companies will apply to a Sprint deal as well.

T-Mobile CEO Phillip Humm maintains a positive tone in an internal e-mail sent to company employees and obtained by the Wall Street Journal. "We have an opportunity to write our own future," he writes. "The leadership team and I will be meeting intensively in the next few weeks on our go-forward plans for the business".

What future T-Mobile USA has -- at least for the moment -- is not exactly clear.
Google Nexus tablet in six months is a year too late

Publié: décembre 20, 2011, 12:46am CET par Joe Wilcox

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt has told an Italian newspaper that the company would release a Nexus tablet within six months. Google's sudden turnabout on releasing a signature Android tablet may reflect his confidence that regulators will approve the Motorola acquisition and concern about Amazon coming to dominate the Android tablet market.

Six months is way late in a market overrun by tablets -- more than 100 -- but with just a handful pulling meaningful sales. Apple's iPad 2 is the market leader by huge margin, according to IDC. In second quarter, iPad media tablet share, based on shipments, was 61.5 percent. Second-ranked Samsung: 5.6 percent. There's no question Google should have released a tablet -- that's past tense -- as in six months ago instead of six months from now. Year ago would have been even better.

During Consumer Electronics Show 2011, I opined: "The most important tablet is missing from CES, and it's not iPad 2". I referred to a Google tablet that would do what then two, and now three, smartphones have done for Android developers and hardware manufacturers.

During CES 2010, Google released the Nexus One. The search and information giant designed the HTC-manufactured smartphone, which ran the then newest Android version -- 2.1. Many bloggers and journalists wrongly wrote that Google charted new retail waters by selling direct. I repeatedly corrected this claim. For example, Nokia has sold phones direct for years, Many blog or news posts about the N1 also missed the point: Google wasn't going into retail sales but establishing a reference design for manufacturers and developers. From that perspective, Google executed brilliantly with N1 and continued with December release of the Samsung-made Nexus S.

Google and Samsung announced the smartphone in late October, and the HSPA+ model went on sale internationally in mid November. Verizon started selling the smartphone in the United States last week. Galaxy Nexus is more than just a reference design -- it's the mass-market Google phone.

Google should do for Android tablets what it did with smartphones: Release a branded device that is reference design for manufacturers and always has the lastest Android software for developers. Otherwise, Android tablets have little to no chance competing with iPad. The market of Android competitors is simply too fragmented.

That said, Amazon shows how one competitor can shake up the Android tablet market. But Amazon's objectives are contrary to Google's, since the online retailer, like Apple, wants to deliver a curated user experience. For example, if I type the web address to Google's Android Market into the Silk browser on my wife's Kindle Fire, Amazon's Android app store opens instead. On other Android tablets, Google's marketplace is default but there is option to sideload from other stores, like Amazon's. The retailer offers a curated experience -- apps, ebooks, music, movies and online physical goods sales -- and that's sensible for its business model.

Google needed to take leadership over the Android tablet market a year ago. Amazon is filling the vacuum, culling Android and supporting apps to its own benefit. That's good for the retailer, not necessarily for the broader Android tablet market and certainly not for Google cloud services. Google's absolute leadership failure is Amazon's opportunity.

That Schmidt finally is talking about doing something also reflects something else: Assuming that Google isn't outsourcing Nexus tablet to HTC or Samsung, Motorola likely will produce the device and is prepping now for when the merger finally goes through. Actually, Moto-built, Google-codesigned Nexus tablet would be helluva way to kickstart the new operation.

But the market can't wait six months, something that will be absolutely clear when a bazillion new tablets launch at CES next month and Apple launches record holiday iPad sales.