Thunderbird Conversations: Alpha build brings threaded views
Thunderbird is a pleasingly powerful, but often overlooked email client that comes from the same stable as Firefox. Mozilla's email client features a similar add-on system to Firefox and this means that the program can be endlessly extended and customized to suit the needs of individual users. Thunderbird Conversations is an add-on that many Gmail users will appreciate, as it brings the threaded conversation view that many people have become so used to in Thunderbird.
Working with conversation view means that it is much easier to follow the flow of an email exchange without the need to jump back and forth between individual emails or to perform unnecessary searches. This new viewing mode is compatible with any type of email account that can be access through Thunderbird -- it is not limited to Gmail accounts.
Can Galaxy Tab 10.1 be the Rocky Balboa of tablets?
In this corner, measuring .34 inches thick and weighing in at 1.3 pounds, is the Korean Demon, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Its opponent, the svelte-weight champion of the world, the Pride of Cupertino, Apple iPad 2, measuring .34 inches thick and weighing 1.33 pounds.
A Worthy Opponent
I gave away 7 Samsung Galaxy Tabs last night -- did you get one?
Enthusiasts are the best marketers. Repeat until memorized.
We live for enthusiasts here at Betanews, from bug-eyed junior high school students coding websites to grey-haired mainframe administrators turned Linux hacks or Windows Server admins. Enthusiasts are the lifeblood of many products or brands, but nowhere do they matter more than in tech. Last night, I was simply delighted to mingle with tech geeks at the Samsung Galaxy Tab Meetup in San Francisco.
New version of MacDefender scareware takes name of legit product MacShield
MacDefender, the fake antivirus malware targeting Mac OS users that stole headlines in the month of May has changed names yet again. It can now be found under the name "MacShield."
The fake antivirus program, best classified as scareware, has gone by five different names since it was discovered: MacDefender, MacProtector, MacSecurity, MacGuard, and MacShield. The premise of the malware and its UI remain unchanged from version to version, according to security companies Intego and ESET.
Sony hacked again, 1 million user accounts compromised
The same group that was responsible for hacking into PBS' site recently to post fake news claiming Tupac Shakur was alive has set its sights on Sony. Lulz Boat said it had broke into the SonyPictures.com website and compromised the personal information of one million users.
Among the information is name, password, e-mail address, date of birth, and home address. Any other information the user opted to share with Sony is also in the hands of these hackers as well. The hackers were only able to download data on 150,000 of those users, but walked away with admin details and 3.5 million music coupons and 75,000 music codes, it said.
Xbox 360 may have 'changed the tail,' but Wii turned it into a spike
We'll be attending the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles this year for one reason above the rest: the possibility of a new Nintendo console that attempts to match the explosive success of the Wii.
Today, Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb posted a blog with some pre-E3 statistics related to Microsoft, the Xbox 360, and the current generation of video game consoles as a whole. Included in his blog is the graph we've embedded below which, shows how each console hits a sales peak and then "tails" off for several years.
LibreOffice 3.4.0 released but businesses should wait for next dot version
The Document Foundation has announced the release of LibreOffice 3.4.0, the second major update of the cross-platform, open-source office application since it was launched as a spin-off from OpenOffice back in September 2010.
LibreOffice 3.4.0 includes major updates for its spreadsheet application, Calc, plus a revamped interface across the entire suite. Despite being a stable release, TDF has stressed that version 3.4.0 is aimed at power users and LibreOffice community members, urging other environments, including the corporate sector, to hold off installing version 3.4 until 3.4.1 is released later this year.
Firefox Plumber plugs memory leaks, with hidden cost
Firefox is a great browser, but it can use a lot of RAM, especially if you have plenty of tabs open and leave it running all the time. Freeware utility developers Rizone say they've come up with a solution, though. Just download, unzip and run their new Firefox Plumber and they claim "it will eliminate all memory leaks in Firefox," right away.
Does it work? A first test showed promising results. Firefox on our test PC required around 120MB RAM (private working set) immediately after launch, and this came close to doubling when we opened five tabs. Launch Firefox Plumber, though, and RAM use dropped to under 1MB, then (with occasional brief exceptions) stayed there, no matter how many tabs we opened.
Tip: Free Opener accesses 75+ file types
Preparing a laptop to handle all the files it might encounter can be a tedious business. You may need to install PDF and Office viewers, graphics programs, a media player, archiving tools -- the list goes on. But maybe there's a simpler way. Download and install Free Opener, instead, and this one program will display more than 75 file formats for you.
You'll be able to open Office documents, for instance (DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, XLSM, PPTX, PPT, and PPS). PDF files. Archives (7z, ZIP, RAR, GZ, TAR, TGZ, JAR). Flash files (SWF), assorted source code formats, a selection of RAW image formats, and many other graphics, video and audio file types.
Microsoft should bundle Sysinternals tools into Windows -- or should they?
If you administer Windows systems you must know about Microsoft's Sysinternals tools. If you don't, get started. They're a collection of tools which make administration and troubleshooting considerably easier. They're available on all my Windows systems, and I carry a USB key with the latest version.
Improving Windows Insight
Do you like CCleaner for Windows? Get the Mac beta
Piriform Ltd has released a Mac version of its popular CCleaner system cleanup software. Previously only available for Windows, CCleaner for Mac is currently in beta, and therefore far from complete, but at this early stage it is already starting to show signs of promise; if the Windows version of the application is anything to go by, there should be a good deal to look forward to in the future.
The beta version of the app can clean up after OS X itself as well as a couple of popular web browsers. On the operating system front, you can free up disk space and maintain your privacy by emptying out the trash as well as clearing out the temporary folder and logs such as recent documents, applications and servers.
Can Malware Fighter Free live up to iObit's claims?
If you're looking for free antivirus protection then there's no shortage of products available, each claiming they're the one for you. There's a new addition to the list, as IObit has just released version 1.0 of their new Malware Fighter Free.
The company makes a lengthy list of impressive claims for the product: it's a "one-click solution," offers "complete PC security care," "finds the deepest infections," "works with all antivirus products," provides "enhanced real-time protection," and uses the "latest cloud computing technology" and heuristic analyses to detect even the latest threats.
Mozilla releases first Thunderbird 5.0 beta
As a part of Mozilla's new rapid release cycle that has screwed us up once already, the beta version of open source email client and RSS reader Thunderbird received a milestone update to version 5.0 on Thursday.
But what happened to 4.0? The most recent stable version of Thunderbird is version 3.1, and this new beta skips number four altogether.
Readability debuts "Send to Kindle" browser buttons
Readability, the service that eliminates ads and lets users reformat and store Web content in a less cluttered fashion, now supports Amazon's popular Kindle e-reader.
With today's update to Readability's browser add-on, all users are given the new "Send to Kindle" button. When clicked, the content onscreen is sent over to the user's Kindle via its @Kindle email address. Users on Readability's subscription tier also get the ability to Sync their Daily Digest with their Kindle as well.
Groupon plans $750 million IPO
Becoming the second major Internet company in as many months to go public, online coupon site Groupon announced Thursday its intentions to file for an initial public offering. The site says it preliminarily expects to raise $750 million.
Groupon has seen some successes as of late: after only pulling in a little over $713 million in all of 2010, in the first quarter of this year it had already pulled in some $645 milion. This is a likely indication of the swelling interest in discount sites among consumers, and very well could be seen as a validation of Groupon and other's business model.
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