Author: Nancy Raskauskas, Senior Editor

Firefox 4.0 Beta Released

Firefox 4,0 Beta was released today for Mac and Windows with a Linux release reported soon. The new features include: New Look for Tabs. 1. NEW LOOK for TABS -New Tab Location Tabs are given top visual priority for more efficient and intuitive browsing. –Switch to Tab Navigate more easily by switching to open tabs from your Awesome Bar. –Apps Tab Take sites you always keep open—like Web mail–off your tab bar and give them a permanent home in your browser. 2. New Add-Ons Manager An easier way to manage your add-ons and discover new options for personalizing your browsing. 3.WebM and HD Video As pioneers of HTML5 video standards, Firefox also supports the WebM format so you can watch open HD quality video. 4. Protection for Your Privacy Firefox puts your privacy first, fixing flaws in some web standards that allow bad guys to snoop around and expose your browser history. 5. Feedback Add-on which includes you in user studies. No data will be sent to Mozilla without your permission. The new beta is jam-packed with new developer tools as well. But as of now the sync function is not working on this version. Check it out and let us know what you...

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Google vs. Microsoft in the Cloud

The newest battle between Google and Microsoft concerns selling Web-based email and other software to the federal government. These two technology giants already compete to win contracts from private businesses as well as state and local governments by attracting customers who hope to cut costs by switching to Web-based software from programs installed on their own computers. Now Google and Microsoft are vying to take over the job of providing email to the General Services Administration, the U.S. agency that oversees government procurement and manages federal property. The contract’s size is substantial incentive enough––15,000 + employee email accounts. However, according to the Wall Street Journal who notes that the bidding is being closely watched because the GSA assists in shaping how other agencies acquire new technology. “The GSA is in a unique position as an influencer,” says Curt Kolcun, vice president of Microsoft’s public-sector business. Security is perhaps the biggest factor in deciding whether or not to adopt cloud mail.The cloud-based vendors, are responsible for storing and securing personal and confidential information for its users. On Thursday the GSA certified that Google’s email and word-processing service, known as Google Apps, meets security requirements to qualify for use by the agency, a GSA spokeswoman said. Microsoft says it is close to obtaining the same certification for a Web-based version of Exchange, a widely used program for managing email that most...

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Hurray for the EFF, The LOC and DRM Exemptions!

We reported months ago that the group The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF )acts as the champions of tech users. Its recent goals include going to battle for us against the evil arch enemies of fair use. Well the EFF prevailed this time when it petitioned the Copyright Office and the Library of congress on our behalf. Today, in a historical move, the Library of Congress released a statement that floored us all but I will bet it especially hit Apple. SInce 1998, The Digital Millenium Copyright Act  has made it illegal for us to crack the DRM placed on...

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A Surprise in Every iPhone 4

Did you ever notice that when Apple hypes its products the tech specs are not always the focus of that hype. Rather Steve Jobs tends to put out there how wonderful the phone will perform but not necessarily technically why. We simple get revved by the fact that the device, such as th eiPad for example,  is “magical”. In the case of the iPhone Jobs said its“the biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone”.Hardly any consumer can spout out the RAM or Memory or any other tech spec as long as the device works fine. So perhaps that...

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Firefox 3.6.4 Released But Only For Some

The newest version of Mozilla’s Firefox, version 3.6.4 has been released after much delay. Many will be pleased that the new version’s major update is added protection against  crashing due to third-party plugins such as Adobe Flash, which was one of the main culprits. This new feature is called OOPP, “out-of-process plugins”. There are many other bug fixes and stability upgrades included in the new version but OOPP is the most welcome. Crash protection utilizes out-of-process plugins technology to run third-party plugins (specifically Flash, Quicktime, and Silverlight) in a separate process. In the past, a plugin crash would take...

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