Tag: Firefox
Google launching Chrome web browser beta for Windows
Thanks to some over-exuberant staff at Google, the cat’s out of the bag a bit earlier than planned on its new project: Chrome.
From tomorrow, Google will launch a beta version of its new web browser, which it no doubts hope will challenge the dominance of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, and take chunks out of Firefox’s increasing popularity.
A Windows version will be available in 100 countries (presumably the UK will be one of them), and should be “streamlined and simple”. Features include separating each tab into its own “sandbox” to minimise the risk of web applications crashing the whole browser and provide better protection from malicious code, and a powerful “V8” JavaScript engine to “power the next generation of web applications that aren’t even possible in today’s browsers”…
Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 is out – 5 reasons why you should try it
The biggest news this morning (that doesn’t relate to a German trade show) is that Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 is out. It’s still a developer’s preview version, but it seems stable enough for consumers to test. I’ll cut to the chase – you can get it here.
Internet Explorer is still used by a whopping 73% of internet users, and 47% of Tech Digest readers (42% Firefox, 7% Safari, 4% other, in case you were wondering). Why do so many people use it? Well, almost certainly because it comes as standard on Windows machines. Many people can’t be bothered to change the default. At one point in 2003, IE had 95% market share.
A little history, then. IE6, released in 2001, was a big pile of awful. It was insecure and heavily criticised, which let Firefox (and Apple, too) take quite a big chunk of market share. IE7 was playing catchup, adding tabs and better security, but IE8 looks game-changing, and a strong challenger for Firefox 3.0. Click over the jump to find out why…
Ubiquity turns Firefox into DOS, and that's a good thing
Ubiquity is a new tool that’s just been launched by Firefox creators Mozilla, and I love it. It gives you a sort-of command line for your browser. As you might imagine, it’s not for your mum, or your grandma, but if you’re a “power user” – if you install extensions and like making the internet work for you – then I think you’ll love it too…
Block noobs on YouTube with YouTube Comment Snob
It’s been scientifically proven that 96.3% of all YouTube comments are stupid, but there’s very little you can actually do about it, except for clicking that little thumbs down button. Until now…
Songbird – 5 reasons why it's my favourite media player
Songbird, the fantastic web-integrated media player, has released a new beta 0.7 version of its software client. It’s much improved on previous versions, but most people haven’t even heard of it. I strongly believe that Songbird is worthy of a place on everyone’s computer, and here’s why…
Snowl: Firefox messaging hub for those too lazy to use other applications
If you live in Firefox then one of Mozilla Labs’ latest add-ons could be for you.
It turns the web browser into a “messaging hub”, allowing you to view a “River of Messages” which displays email, Twitter, and RSS feed updates on a single web page. If the concept is popular, Mozilla will develop the application further.
At present there’s no integration of true instant messaging clients, but Mozilla says that it’s “particularly interested in feedback on how messaging might fit into the browsing experience and if there are other interfaces (or refinements to the two interfaces built into the prototype) that would make it easier for users to have online conversations.”
Firefox 3.1 Alpha preview "Shiretoko" available for developers
Mozilla has announced that the Alpha 1 version of Firefox 3.1, intended only for developers and not anyone who wants to do everyday web browsing, is now available…
Firefox 3 hits Guinness World Record target
Mozilla has achieved its ambitious plans for the recent launch of Firefox 3.0 and set the record for most software downloads in 24 hours.
Firefox 3 has been downloaded close to 6 million times now, deemed a success
Have you downloaded Firefox 3 yet? Better scoot on, as you’ve only got a few more hours left if you want your download to count in their Guinness Book of World Records attempt.
At the moment, 5,878,774 people have downloaded the new browser, with the US, Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, Iran, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Italy and the United Kingdom being the most supportive with over 500,000 downloads per country.
Actually, scratch that – in the time it took me to write those few sentences, thousands more people have clicked the ‘download’ button – it’s now at 5,898,474. Now it’s 5,907,602. This is turning out to be quite addictive…
Firefox 3 launching tomorrow, but does it beat Internet Explorer, Safari and Opera?
With the official release of Firefox 3 tomorrow, everyone’s attentions have been turned onto what you’re looking at right now – browsers. Lifehacker has reviewed the four major browsers – Firefox 3 release candidate 3, Internet Explorer 7, Opera 9.5,and Safari for Windows 3.1.1, and discovered that Firefox, Safari and Opera all fared better than, um, Internet Explorer. We could’ve told them that…
