The wait is finally over! The free Firefox Home app is now available for download! Firefox Home gives you easy access to your Firefox desktop – the bookmarks, open tabs and history – right from your iPhone or iPod Touch. It uses your browser data which is synced securely through the cloud. You can search and browse quickly and efficiently, and always find exactly what you need while you’re on the go. Your Firefox data is private, and no one will have access to it other than you.

Tapping on one of the links will open the page in the iPhone’s Mobile Safari browser. The application works using Firefox’s Sync add-on, which lets you upload your Firefox profile to the cloud. This is great news for those of you who use Firefox as your main browser. My assistant Kat uses it on her own machine, and is very excited about this new release. Now that she has an iPhone this will help her be more efficient when she’s away from her desk.

Kat told me that she is almost too organized. She has folders inside of folders on her computer, each one labeled clearly in order to help her find what she needs in a matter of seconds. With all of the different things she does for me, she needs the same type of organization within her browser. She reports that her version of Firefox has several folders on her Bookmarks Toolbar, giving her fast access to the things she needs as she’s working.

By adding Firefox Home to her iPhone 3GS, she’ll never again have to hunt something down. Will you be adding this new app to your own iPhone?

Bring Firefox Home to Your iPhone

Firefox 4 Beta 1 is now ready for download and testing. This version includes dozens of major features and improvements – and Mozilla wants to know what YOU think. There’s going to be a lot of other additions, and the team plans to release a new beta every couple of weeks. The devs are making it simple for you to provide important feedback to help them create the best browser possible.

In the upper right-hand corner of the beta browser, you’ll see a “Feedback” button. Click there and choose whether this iteration makes you happy or sad. Let them know why you chose your option. Keep in mind that without well thought-out comments and critiques, Mozilla (and other companies) can’t make things better. How is a company supposed to improve when they receive comments such as “You suck?” You have to be detailed and knowledgeable, which is why beta-testing isn’t for everyone.

If you’re using Windows, there are an awful lot of noticeable changes – including a general facelift. You’ll find a new add-ons manager, improved HD video watching capabilities, privacy improvements, crash protection and overall better performance. There are also several changes under the hood that are sure to make developers take note.

Have you tried out this newest iteration of the popular web browser? What are your thoughts so far?

What Do You Think About Firefox 4 Beta 1?

An article posted yesterday on CNET has Internet users bashing the FBI up one side – and down the other. Many are screaming about “Big Brother”, and civil rights. Others are proclaiming that they are going to leave the Internet completely, which I honestly don’t see happening. Seriously, folks… you’d be able to totally give up your online life?

According to the article, the FBI is pressing Internet service providers to record which Web sites customers visit and retain those logs for two years, a requirement that law enforcement believes could help it in investigations of child pornography and other serious crimes. If logs of Web sites visited began to be kept, they would be available only to local, state, and federal police with legal authorization such as a subpoena or search warrant.

It’s unclear what, exactly, the FBI wants to keep track of. The possibilities include requiring an Internet provider to log the Internet protocol (IP) address of a Web site visited, a domain name, a host name, or an actual website URL. While the first three categories could be logged without doing deep packet inspection, the fourth category would require it. That could run up against opposition in Congress.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you feel the FBI has the right to require ISPs to keep such information? Also, do they have the right to OUR information in this manner? There are many excellent things being posted online, such as this story, on a daily basis – some of it right here in our own community!

• Why is it so difficult to use plain English?!
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• What was technology like when you were growing up?
• Microsoft is pulling the plug on allowing the original Xbox to connect with Xbox Live.
• More Mozilla woes – an infected add-on has been reported.
• What is the worth of a book? Is the Amazon dream dead?
• Windows 7 is facing its first major setback.
• The defective Dell notebook case is going to the US Federal court system.
• Is Microsoft changing their minds?

Don’t forget to stop by our software center to see what new deals we have for you!

The FBI Wants to Know Where You are Online

Mozilla had long been promising version Firefox 3.6 by the end of this year. According to their website, that goal has now been pushed back to early 2010. Also, version 4.0, which promises to be a major update, has been pushed back to late 2010 or early 2011. This is leaving some Mozilla fans with a case of the grumpies. However, they need to remember that all good things are worth waiting for.

Didn’t we learn any lessons from Windows Vista? Didn’t we all witness first-hand what happens when a company rushes a product out the door before it’s truly ready to be on the market? If the folks at Mozilla feel they need more time to deliver a solid product, then I say we give it to them and stop griping about it!

The big new feature in version 3.6 is incorporation of the Personas plug-in that lets people easily customize the browser’s appearance, though behind the scenes there’s also been work to speed up the browser’s launch time, improve security, and make some other changes. There have already been five beta versions released, but we’ve yet to see the release candidate. An RC signals to the masses that a final version is nearly ready.

There is a lot of competition in the browser wars these days, and releasing newer and better versions is always under a time-crunch. However, I repeat again that I’d rather wait a little longer for a high-quality product. I don’t want to see the Firefox team lose credibility by releasing something that won’t go over well.

What browser do you use, and why? What makes it better than others in your mind? If you’re a Firefox fan, are you happy to wait a bit longer for the new versions?

No New Firefox Before the End of the Year

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Yes, I’ve recorded thousands of videos for YouTube over the years. I’m considering changing some things up soon, including wearing a Fez hat! The Fez is just so cool. Maybe I’ll add an 8-bit tie or some LED suspenders. I could always don a grunge tee and sweatpants. I enjoy changing up the way things look at times, don’t you? But, I digress. This video is about making things look different in your web browser – specifically Firefox!

Firefox Personas asks: What will your browser wear today?. Personas are lightweight, easy-to-install and easy-to-change “skins” for your Firefox web browser. You can easily switch between Personas with just a few clicks. There are hundreds of Personas to choose from, with more added every day. You can even create your own and share it with other people all over the world. How cool would it be to know that hundreds of Firefox users wanted to dress just like you? Okay – perhaps that’s a tad creepy. But still… it’s kind of cool. Right?

Personas is simple to use, and free! It takes less than 60 seconds to make your browsing experience something completely new and different! Once you install the plugin, just click the tiny fox icon at the bottom left of your browser screen and get started! Presto! Your browser now looks as slick and sexy as you only wish you could.

You change your clothes and look every day – why not change your browser’s, as well?

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How to Change the Skins in Firefox (Personas!)

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There are probably millions of applications that you can install on your computer, no matter what operating system you use. There are billions of web pages found online, many of which are services. What if you wanted to run a web application as a desktop app? It’s possible to do, you know. I’m going to tell you about a couple of different ways to make this happen.

First off, we have an application that was recently launched by Mozilla – Prism. No more wading through web browser windows and tabs just to read your email or check your Facebook feed. Prism apps run directly on your desktop and can be accessed just like any other application.

So why would you want to use this? There are many reasons. It’s a time-saver, for one. When you have a lot to do, every extra step takes away more time you could use elsewhere. Using Prism takes a step or two out of each equation. It can also be more stable. Even though the web browsers of today are usually fairly stable – they DO occasionally crash. Elminate that problem completely by running your applications right on your desktop. You can even configure these things to run when you start your computer, instead of waiting to connect to the Internet and loading a web page.

You don’t even need to have Firefox installed to run Prism!

If you run Mac OS X, I have another recommendation for you. Fluid is similar to Prism – but a whole lot more. Fluid gives any WebApp a home on your Mac OS X desktop complete with Dock icon, standard menu bar, logical separation from your other web browsing activity, and many, many other goodies. Use Fluid to run YouTube, GTalk, Flickr, Basecamp, Delicious, .Mac webmail, or any other WebApp as a separate Mac desktop application.

Fluid itself is a very small application. When launched, Fluid displays a little tiny window where you specify the URL of a WebApp you’d like to run in a Site Specific Browser. Provide an application name, specify a Location and an Icon, click ‘Create’ and you’ll be prompted to launch the new native Mac app you’ve just created.

If you have other recommendations for other cool desktop or web services, drop me a line! I’ll share them with the world.

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What is Mozilla’s Prism?

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Join FireFox in their mission to set a Guinness World Record for the most software downloaded in 24 hours! World Download Day is fast approaching. Will you pledge to help Mozilla reach its goal?


Sounds like a good deal, right? All you have to do is get Firefox 3 during Download Day to help set the record for most software downloads in 24 hours – it’s that easy. They’re not asking you to swallow a sword or to balance 30 spoons on your face, although that would be kind of awesome. You’ll get a customized certificate by downloading from Headquarters!


With more than 14,000 improvements, Firefox 3 is faster, safer and smarter than before. Firefox 3 sets the innovation bar very high with exciting new features, including one-click bookmarking, the smart location bar and lightning fast performance. Firefox 3 includes phishing and malware protection, plus new instant site ID info. With features like built-in spell checking, session restore and full zoom, Firefox 3 makes it possible to work faster and more efficiently on the Web. Your taste and needs set you apart from the rest. With Firefox 3 you can choose from over 5,000 add-ons that help you customize your browsing experience.


Given that there’s no established Guinness World Record for software downloads, Mozilla is destined for the record book no matter what happens. A Mozilla spokesperson said the company is working with the Guinness Book Of World Records to verify the record attempt and will be furnishing 10% of the company’s download logs for an extrapolated final download count.


So get your pledge on! Let’s help Mozilla hit the Guinness Book in a big way!

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Are you Participating in FireFox Download Day 2008?

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Beta 1 of Firefox 3 was released today. I found a few bugs, but overall it’s looking like there are some excellent new features and improvements. When it goes final, I may switch from Maxthon 1.0 to Firefox for my Windows machine. Let’s take a look at some of what’s new, thanks to Asa Dotzler from Mozilla. Asa is my kind of Geek, that’s for sure.

More Security

• One click site info: Click the site favicon in the location bar to see who owns the site. Identity verification is prominently displayed and easier to understand.
• Malware Protection: malware protection warns users when they arrive at sites which are known to install viruses, spyware, trojans or other malware.
• New Web Forgery Protection page: the content of pages suspected as web forgeries is no longer shown.
• New SSL error pages: clearer and stricter error pages are used when Firefox encounters an invalid SSL certificate.
• Add-ons and Plugin version check: Firefox now automatically checks add-on and plugin versions and will disable older, insecure versions.
• Secure add-on updates: to improve add-on update security, add-ons that provide updates in an insecure manner will be disabled.
• Anti-virus integration: Firefox will inform anti-virus software when downloading executables.

Easier to Use

• Easier password management: an information bar replaces the old password dialog so you can now save passwords after a successful login.
• Simplified add-on installation: the add-ons whitelist has been removed making it possible to install extensions from third-party sites in fewer clicks.
• New Download Manager: the revised download manager makes it much easier to locate downloaded files.
• Resumable downloading: users can now resume downloads after restarting the browser or resetting your network connection.
• Tab scrolling and quickmenu: tabs are easier to locate with the new tab scrolling and tab quickmenu.
• Text selection improvements: Multiple text selections can be made with Ctrl/Cmd; Double-click drag selects in “word-by-word” mode; Triple-clicking selects a paragraph.
• Find toolbar: the Find toolbar now opens with the current selection.

More Personal

• Star button: quickly add bookmarks from the location bar with a single click; a second click lets you file and tag them.
• Tags: associate keywords with your bookmarks to sort them by topic.
• Location bar & auto-complete: type the title or tag of a page in the location bar to quickly find the site you were looking for in your history; favicons, bookmark, and tag indicators help you see where results are coming from.
• Smart Places Folder: quickly access your recently bookmarked and tagged pages, as well as you more frequently visited pages with the new smart places folder on your bookmark toolbar.
• Bookmarks and History Organizer: advanced search of your history and bookmarks with multiple views and smart folders to store your frequent searches.
• Easy to use Download Actions: a new Applications preferences pane provides a better UI for configuring handlers for various file types and protocol schemes.

Improved Performance

• Reliability: A user’s bookmarks, history, cookies, and preferences are now stored in a transactionally secure database format which will prevent data loss even if their system crashes.
• Speed: Major architectural changes put foundations in place for major performance tuning which have resulted in speed increases in Beta 1, and will show further gains in future Beta releases.
• Memory usage: Over 300 individual memory leaks have been plugged, and a new XPCOM cycle collector completely eliminates many more. Developers are continuing to work on optimizing memory use and reducing fragmentation.

So there you have it. A long list of reasons why you should be taking a look at the new Firefox version 3.0 when it is released. Excellent kudos to all of the Dev team at Mozilla.

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What’s new in Firefox 3?

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http://live.pirillo.com/ – I have been using Outlook since it came out in 1998. Until recently, I wouldn’t have recommended using Thunderbird, but that has changed. Both are good clients, but it depends on what exactly you’re looking for, and your preferences are.

The first email client I ever used was VMS. After that came Elm (via Unix), Eudora, Pegasus, and finally Outlook Express. When Microsoft Outlook became available in 1998, I switched to that, and have used it ever since. I currently run Outlook 2007 on Microsoft Exchange 2003 .

racedude from our live chat channel asked me today which email client he should be using… Outlook or Mozilla Thunderbird. He says that he doesn’t use any of the features that come with Outlook, he just reads email with it. Until recently, I wouldn’t recommend Thunderbid, as it seemed to have been left behind while Firefox was developed further. However, Mozilla has recently begun updating Thunderbird, and it’s a pretty good email client now.

Both programs will do essentially the same thing. Take a look at the features and previews of each, and see which better fit your needs and lifestyle.

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Thunderbird or Outlook for Email?

Opera is one of those Web browsers that you’ve just gotta try for yourself. For the longest while, it was relegated to the bottom of the pile for most desktop software fanatics – with ample Web browsing alternatives to be found in either Mozilla or plain ol’ Internet Explorer. Then Firefox took the world by storm, Maxthon matured, and Opera decided to change its business model (giving away its desktop browser without advertisements built-in). Today, Opera announced and released v9.0 of their desktop client – and they decided to do it in Microsoft’s own backyard. Seattle was awfully convenient for me, too! I arrived just in time to see Opera’s CEO Jon von Tetzchner arrive by boat. Must’ve taken him months to get here in that thing. If you’re looking for a Web standards-compliant browser that ships with everything (including a BitTorrent utility and the kitchen sink), give the completely free Opera a swing. Listen to Jon’s own words:

Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner

I received an email from Daniel Goldman earlier today regarding Mozilla’s filing for a trademark on the feed icon, requesting that Opera Software sign an agreement before using it in their Web browser. Daniel asked me if I thought this was a good thing or a bad thing for the feed icon. Let me start out by saying that the blogosphere has to get over the whole “copyrights and trademarks are evil” jihad.

Daniel asked: “Do you think that a trademark on a universal feed icon beneficial or detrimental?” I answered: Beneficial if Mozilla allows anybody to use the icon to indicate a feed – and detrimental if they don’t. They’re likely serving as the icon’s protectors, which is what I’m inclined to believe.

Daniel asked: “Do you have your own opinion on what a universal feed icon should be?” I answered: Yeah, theirs. It’s the only one that put the orange XML vs. orange RSS button debate to bed. If Microsoft signed the agreement for usage in Internet Explorer 7.0, then so should Opera – and so should anybody. I don’t think Mozilla is doing this to hurt the community, but to protect it. Would anybody rather have a crazy greedmonger holding onto the trademark? Doubtful.

Opera, please sign the agreement.

The Feed Icon Debate

Confirmed Gnomedex Discussion Leader: Blake Ross. Which one of you founded the Firefox project with Dave Hyatt at age 17? Which one of you founded the SpreadFirefox initiative with Asa Dotzler? Which one of you was featured on the front cover of Wired magazine last year? Oh, and which one of you will be a Gnomedex discussion leader? Yeah, Blake Ross. By the way, “Firefox” is a new Web browser – but you’ve probably never heard of it before. The project was developed by a small, non-profit organization – and with any luck, Gnomedex will help boost interest in Firefox so that it can grow to be used by hundreds of users! I know it’ll be difficult to give up lynx…

Blake Ross