Mozilla launches Firefox 4 beta 4, rolls in Sync, Panorama tab manager
Mozilla Tuesday updated Firefox 4 to its fourth beta release, adding two major new features: Firefox Sync and Panorama.
Firefox Sync lets users access browser history, password keychain, bookmarks, and open tabs across their different desktop computers, iOS, or Maemo-based mobile devices. Sync is available as an add-in for Firefox 3.5 and 3.6, but in Firefox 4, it is a built-in feature.
Remembering Windows 95's launch 15 years later
Some moments are culturally defining. They pave the way for a generation of consumers. People of my parents generation still remember the Beatles appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. I recall long lines to see the movie "Jaws," which gave A-movie status to scary B-movies. Many young adults of this generation will recall iPhone's June 2007 launch. Some moments define us. So it was this day 15 years ago. Windows 95 launched to long lines at midnight on Aug. 24, 1995.
Do you remember? Please share your Windows 95 story/memories in comments. Or send e-mail to joewilcox at gmail dot com. If I get enough good stories, I'll compile them into a separate post.
Samsung teases 7" Tablet for September 2
There has been a considerable amount of chatter about a potential contribution to the Android Tablet market from Samsung. Tuesday, the company started to mete out official teasers for the upcoming 7" Galaxy Tab and launched the device's official website at galaxytab.samsungmobile.com.
In Samsung's video today, the 7" tablet is briefly shown to include: Augmented Reality, Navigation, E-reading, HD Movie Playback, Flash support, full web browsing, "PC link web," video calling, Android 2.2, and what looks to be a rear-facing camera but no visible forward-facing one (though it's implied by "video calling".)
Intel and Nokia team up to begin work on open 3D interface for MeeGo
Chipmaker Intel and mobile phone leader Nokia Tuesday announced their partnership has extended into research and development, in a collaboration expected to last three years, and focus on future telecommunications solutions.
The first project will be aimed at creating user interfaces for mobile devices that are "more similar to interactions in the real world," and take advantage of the increased power of small, pocketable devices.
TiVo launches QWERTY remote
TiVo today has finally launched the full QWERTY TiVo Slide Remote control. The remote was extensively demonstrated at the TiVO Premiere launch in March.
"This is the first ever DVR remote with a full QWERTY keyboard, and we are certain that users will be excited to get their thumbs on it. The slick design has the same fun look of the classic TiVo remote, but makes it even easier to get more from your TV experience," Jim Denney, vice president and general manager of product marketing for TiVo said today.
Halo: Reach hacked, leaked weeks before anticipated release date
Halo: Reach, a prequel to Microsoft's billion-dollar Halo first person shooter series was scheduled to launch on September 14 worldwide, but a pre-release version of the game leaked early and has found its way across the Web.
The title, however, wasn't kept under tight lock and key.
PocketGear secures $15M to advance 'largest open app store'
PocketGear, the cross-platform mobile application retailer which acquired mobile app store Handango earlier this year, has closed a round of series B funding, which earned the company fifteen million dollars.
The round of funding was led by Trident Capital, and included investments from BlackBerry Partners Fund, and Google CEO Eric Schmidt's TomorrowVentures LLC.
HP counters Dell's 3PAR acquisition bid with 33% higher offer
One week after Dell announced its intention to acquire virtualized storage company 3PAR for $1.15 billion, HP announced it has submitted a counter offer of $1.6 billion to acquire the company.
HP had actually made a private offer to acquire 3PAR previously, but the company passed on it, accepting instead Dell's $1.15 billion share buyout bid. Monday's counteroffer from HP was public.
New industry meetings over net neutrality being hosted by lobbyists
While much of the focus has been on Google and Verizon when it comes to net neutrality as of late, the Wall Street Journal has reported that lobbyists began a new set of talks among a much wider group on Wednesday.
The Information Technology Industry Council is a lobbying firm which represents dozens of companies, including Apple, AOL, Cisco, HP, Microsoft, Nokia, and RIM among others. Reports indicate Microsoft is in attendance as is Cisco. AT&T and Verizon are also involved in the negotiations, but Google is not.
Is Apple the real U.S. PC market share leader -- or soon will be?
The answer to the question depends on how iPad is classified and how the shipments add up combined with Macs. Is iPad a PC, like Windows tablets or low-powered netbooks? The definition is sure to generate controversy because of what's at stake -- which manufacturer is market share leader in the United States.
Late yesterday, I contacted Gartner and IDC, which both measure global PC shipments. But only Gartner responded to my question about how iPad is classified. It is clear from preliminary second quarter PC shipment data that neither analyst firm calculated iPad with PC shipments (Gartner explicitly explained so in its press release: "Gartner's PC group does not track media tablet sales in this PC shipment data, so iPad sales are not included in these results.") A Gartner spokesperson responded to my question about classification: "We don't have data for this category yet. We hope to have some stats for this category at some time shortly."
Comcast-NBCU merger opponents make one last push at FCC
The final comment period before the Federal Communications Commission makes its ruling on whether or not to approve the Comcast-NBC Universal merger ended on Thursday, and opponents made one last effort to stop it in its tracks.
Comcast fought off those complaints, calling them "nothing more than preexisting or industry-wide grievances" that should not be part of the decision to approve the merger. It also accused some of those attempting to put additional conditions on the deal were attempting "to foist unprecedented and onerous burdens on the combined entity."
Scitable pulls scientific research out from behind the paywall
I experienced quite a personal shock when I aged out of having access to my university's research portal. The vast catalog of peer-reviewed journals, empirical studies, and thorough analytical research I had at my disposal as a student was boarded up behind a distinct paywall not long after I finished school.
The fast-moving news, blogs, forums, and free tools I had been taught to eschew were suddenly all I had. My principal option (besides re-enrolling in school) was to become a member of a research service like LexisNexis or NewsLibrary; but those portals cost several hundred dollars a year each.
I suddenly recognized that the best information on the Web is not free.
Nokia beefs up mobile developer support with Motally buy
In a move likely aimed at putting it on a more even keel with Apple's App Store, Nokia on Friday announced it had acquired mobile analytics firm Motally. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and the acquisition is expected to complete before the end of the third quarter.
Motally's metrics help developers understand how their users are interacting with their applications. Nokia would adapt the company's technologies to work with its Symbian platform as well as Meego, Qt, and Java, although it plans to continue serving current customers.
'Innocent Infringer' copyright defense for downloaders goes to U.S. Supreme Court
The case of Whitney Harper, the first defendant in a peer-to-peer copyright infringement suit to use the "innocent infringer" defense, was submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in the form of an Amicus brief Thursday by a group of "Cyberprofessors" led by digital copyright reformer Professor Charles Nesson.
Nesson's group, calls this the "next generation of P2P lawsuits."
40 Windows apps affected by critical security flaw, researcher claims
A Texas-based researcher claimed he had discovered that about 40 different Windows apps, including the Windows shell, suffer from a critical vulnerability that could open up users to attacks by hackers. The flaw was originally discovered in iTunes for Windows, and was patched by Apple four months ago with iTunes 9.1.
Rapid7 chief security officer HD Moore detailed his findings to Computerworld in an interview on Wednesday. He said a wide range of applications are affected, and it was found while looking into another flaw involving Windows shortcuts, which Microsoft patched in an emergency update.
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