Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com Download Squad http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/media/feedlogo.gif Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Mozilla's Thunderbird 3 email client gets a release candidate]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/26/mozillas-thunderbird-3-email-client-gets-a-release-candidate/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/26/mozillas-thunderbird-3-email-client-gets-a-release-candidate/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/26/mozillas-thunderbird-3-email-client-gets-a-release-candidate/#commentsFiled under: ,



Thunderbird 3, the next version of Mozilla's email client, is almost ready for final release. Although it's almost a year behind schedule, the release candidate rolled out on Tuesday for all operating systems, and it delivers several significant new features, including tabs, better search, and Gmail-style archiving.
Thunderbird now plays nicely with Gmail all around, recognizing special Gmail folders that have traditionally been a bit of pain to set up in an email client. Setting up new accounts on Gmail and some other popular email services is also easier, thanks to some new account presets in Thunderbird. Even if you're not using Gmail, Thunderbird has borrowed the archive/all-mail sorting system from Google, so you can get email out of your inbox and find it later with search, without totally deleting it.

Since Thunderbird is a Mozilla product, plug-ins are another big selling point. Version 3 has a new add-on manager for themes and extensions. You can also now set up smart folders, for automated sorting of your messages. Thunderbird also integrates with Vista Search in Windows Vista and with Spotlight in OS X.

The final release of Thunderbird 3 should follow shortly after this release candidate. Going forward, Mozilla hopes to shorten Thunderbird's development cycle significantly, so maybe we won't see another year wait for the next major update.

[via CNET]

Mozilla's Thunderbird 3 email client gets a release candidate originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>emailmozillarelease candidateReleaseCandidatethunderbirdthunderbird 3Thunderbird3Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Firefox is going to beat Microsoft's IE9 at its own game]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/25/firefox-is-going-to-beat-microsofts-ie9-at-its-own-game/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/25/firefox-is-going-to-beat-microsofts-ie9-at-its-own-game/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/25/firefox-is-going-to-beat-microsofts-ie9-at-its-own-game/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Credit to Bas Schouten. Grabbed from the CNET article in the via.
Hot on the heels of the announcement that IE9 would use Direct2D to improve its rendering performance, Firefox have stated their intent to do the same -- and sooner! In a a tweet, Chris Blizzard, an employee of Mozilla, said that Firefox would include Direct2D support -- and he bet it would be shipped sooner than IE9!

Direct2D is a technology included in Microsoft's DirectX multimedia tools. Usually you would only experience the power of DirectX in playing games, but it seems we're finally going to see extensive use of DirectX in office and home use -- the next few months and years will see significant speed-ups to your general computer use and Internet browsing.

Whether this is simply a reaction to the announcement of IE9, or if Firefox had been intending to include D2D support all along, I guess we'll never know. One thing's for certain though, the fast-moving nature of Firefox and Chrome development has played a large part in nibbling away at Internet Explorer's market share.

[via CNET]

Firefox is going to beat Microsoft's IE9 at its own game originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browserd2ddirectxfirefoxie9microsoftmozillarenderingWed, 25 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Locationbar² adds breadcrumbs, domain emphasis to your Firefox address bar]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/24/locationbar-adds-breadcrumbs-domain-emphasis-to-your-firefox-a/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/24/locationbar-adds-breadcrumbs-domain-emphasis-to-your-firefox-a/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/24/locationbar-adds-breadcrumbs-domain-emphasis-to-your-firefox-a/#commentsFiled under: ,

Firefox's Awesome Bar is definitely a more powerful tool than it used to be. It's still got room for improvement and tweaking, though - and fortunately there are plenty of nifty add-ons available to do just that.

One worth checking out is Locationbar&sup2;. You can see one of the add-on's features in my screenshot. Hold down your control, shift, or alt key and directories in the URL become clickable. While it's not useful everywhere, it does come in handy when browsing many download and shopping sites (especially those with poorly-designed navigation).

Locationbar&sup2; also adds emphasis to the current domain name. It's a good way to make sure you're not being spoofed by a deceptive link - to a fake Facebook or Hotmail login page, for example.

Head to the options screen to customize the color used and set the text to bold if you choose. While there, you can also optionally hide protocol prefixes (like http://. https://, ftp://. and file://), tweak the linkification settings, and more.

Locationbar² adds breadcrumbs, domain emphasis to your Firefox address bar originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>add-onsaddress barAddressBarawesome barAwesomeBarbreadcrumbsdomainfacebookfirefoxhotmailnavigationprotocolTue, 24 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Is Firefox causing laptops to overheat through CPU overuse?]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/24/is-firefox-causing-laptops-to-overheat-through-cpu-overuse/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/24/is-firefox-causing-laptops-to-overheat-through-cpu-overuse/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/24/is-firefox-causing-laptops-to-overheat-through-cpu-overuse/#commentsFiled under: ,

Those of you that are fortunate enough to primarily surf the web on a desktop machine, you probably won't notice just how much of a resource hog web browsers can be. But if you use a laptop -- or any kind of portable really -- you have probably experienced the full 100%-CPU-ow-ow-my-thighs-are-burning-and-my-fingertips-are-sweating experience. It turns out that the issue is so pronounced in some cases -- generally ultra-lights/netbooks with less heat dissipation -- that laptops are overheating and shutting down!

For whatever reason, web browsers and portable computers just don't go well together. Whether it's the constant hard-disk swapping or the heavy use of Flash, something causes laptop CPU usage to spike -- a lot.

Fortunately, there's a neat support page on the Mozilla site that details a few ways to reduce CPU usage, if you're one of the few that has an overheating laptop.

Over on CNET they're suggesting that Firefox suffers more than other browsers. Whether that's true or not might be anecdotal, but a support bod at Mozilla did say that 'Safari is possibly better at optmizing Flash-based sites compared to Firefox.'

And I'll pipe in and say that I get CPU spikes using every browser on my laptop. But I'd love to know if Firefox actually munches up more resources than other browsers, or if it's simply a matter of configuring your browser correctly. Perhaps we can expect to see a 'performance version' of Firefox that looks uncomfortably like Safari...?

Is Firefox causing laptops to overheat through CPU overuse? originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>laptopnetbookoverheatingportableTue, 24 Nov 2009 03:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Firefox Army clashes with IE in Central Europe, wins browser share crown]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/firefox-army-clashes-with-ie-in-central-europe-wins-browser-sha/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/firefox-army-clashes-with-ie-in-central-europe-wins-browser-sha/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/firefox-army-clashes-with-ie-in-central-europe-wins-browser-sha/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Firefox army is hundreds of millions of soldiers strong. After successfully taking the southernmost continent on the globe, the Mozilla Militia continues to run full speed ahead across Europe. Today's battlefront: the central region.

As you can see in the header image, Firefox and IE recently crossed paths. The chart shows data gathered from nine countries - Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine - from January 1, 2007 to the present. Internet Explorer continues its downward slide, Firefox has now claimed almost 50% of the browser share in Central Europe.

So go ahead, EU, complain all you want about Microsoft unfairly using their influence to ensure everyone's PC is running IE. It's obviously not hurting Firefox (or Opera, for that matter).

Maybe users really are smart enough to find and install their own browser? Who'da thunk it.

[via Mozilla]

Firefox Army clashes with IE in Central Europe, wins browser share crown originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>firefoxmarket shareMarketShareweb browserWebBrowserFri, 20 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Proper web browsing on a console: Firefox coming to the Sony PS3?]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/proper-web-browsing-on-a-console-firefox-coming-to-the-sony-ps3/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/proper-web-browsing-on-a-console-firefox-coming-to-the-sony-ps3/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/proper-web-browsing-on-a-console-firefox-coming-to-the-sony-ps3/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Firefox/PS3 mash-up. Stolen from CNET, who stole it from Gizmodo.It seems the age of humdrum, crippled browsers on consoles might finally be coming to an end! Though the details are very slim, with the only source being an unnamed insider very close to Sony, it is exciting news indeed if it turns out to true.

Games consoles have always had feeble browser offerings, with PS3's default browser generally considered one of the worst and most unreliable. Porting Firefox to the PS3 would make a lot of sense, especially if Sony intend to inroads against the competing XBox Live service. Or perhaps they need a proper web browser for their newly-announced iTunes-killer...?

Obviously this is very much a rumour, but it would make a lot of sense -- and it will probably appear quite soon, considering how hard Sony are pushing for a larger slice of the console market at the moment.

I wonder if Flash and the ability to stream videos from sites like YouPo YouTube will be included....

[via CNET]

Proper web browsing on a console: Firefox coming to the Sony PS3? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>consolefirefoxps3sonyFri, 20 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Windows 7 taskbar previews to be disabled by default in Firefox 3.6]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/windows-7-taskbar-previews-to-be-disabled-by-default-in-firefox/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/windows-7-taskbar-previews-to-be-disabled-by-default-in-firefox/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/windows-7-taskbar-previews-to-be-disabled-by-default-in-firefox/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Those of you running Firefox on Windows 7 who were excited when taskbar previews landed, get ready for a little disappointment. It looks as though getting Aero features ready in time for the release of Firefox 3.6 is no longer part of the game plan.

It was already known that jump list support won't be arriving until later on. After a lengthy discussion on Bugzilla, the decision was made to disable Firefox 3.6's other Windows 7 integration feature.

The code is still there in 3.6b3pre, so you can still enable thumbnail previews in your about:config. The general feeling is that too many users were still seeing the spinning up circles and not actual thumbnails.

The general perception is that Windows 7 enthusiasts would be OK with simply flipping the switch themselves.

Ultimately, this move is about Firefox devs addressing more critical issues now so that 3.6 can be released. They'll have plenty of time to perfect the feature in future minor updates to 3.6. For now, the priority needs to be on getting 3.6 final out the door.

Windows 7 taskbar previews to be disabled by default in Firefox 3.6 originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aerofirefoxtasbkar thumbnailsTasbkarThumbnailswindows 7Windows7Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mozilla's Weave browser sync add-on for Firefox hits beta]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/mozillas-weave-browser-sync-add-on-for-firefox-hits-beta/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/mozillas-weave-browser-sync-add-on-for-firefox-hits-beta/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/mozillas-weave-browser-sync-add-on-for-firefox-hits-beta/#commentsFiled under: , ,


I've been using Mozilla Weave to keep my Firefox profiles synched across different machines and platforms for quite some time. Today, Mozilla Labs has announced that the add-on is finally ready for official beta testing.

Version 1.0b1 is out now and available for installation. Version 0.8 is still listed in the Firefox add-ons directory, but it should install the newest release. If you're already running Weave, just head to your Firefox add-ons and check for updates.

What's new in the latest version? More speed, a simplified interface, and smarter syncing in the background. Weave's settings screen is nicely integrated into the Firefox options menu, so there's every chance we'll see it integrated in a future version of Firefox - like its Labs cousin Personas.

Mozilla's Weave browser sync add-on for Firefox hits beta originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>add-onsaddonsextensionsfirefoxmozillasyncsynchronizeweaveMon, 16 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Add URL tooltips to Firefox with a handy add-on]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/add-url-tooltips-to-firefox-with-a-handy-add-on/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/add-url-tooltips-to-firefox-with-a-handy-add-on/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/add-url-tooltips-to-firefox-with-a-handy-add-on/#commentsFiled under: ,

I'm not a big fan of status bars in browsers. Most of the time, they're just wasting 20 or so pixels of vertical display space.

That doesn't mean I want to miss out on the functions the status bar provides - like displaying the destination of links I hover over.

The URL Tooltip addon offers a simple remedy for that. Once installed, you'll see a tooltip balloon whenever you park your pointer on a link. And never mind the status bar - it's nice to see the link appear in the spot you're already looking at.

For those of you running a netbook, this is a great little add-on to make part of your add-on arsenal.

And no, I did not just buy a Maximus keyboard - just in case you were wondering...

[via Mozilla Links]

Add URL tooltips to Firefox with a handy add-on originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>balloonhoverlinktooltipurlThu, 12 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mozilla launches Jetpack Gallery, restart-free pseudo add-ons now available]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/mozilla-launches-jetpack-gallery-restart-free-pseudo-add-ons-no/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/mozilla-launches-jetpack-gallery-restart-free-pseudo-add-ons-no/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/mozilla-launches-jetpack-gallery-restart-free-pseudo-add-ons-no/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Jetpack is certainly an interesting project, and the fact that it brings no-restart add-on-like functionality to Firefox is awesome.

Today, Mozilla announced the launch of the Jetpack Gallery. It is to jetpacks what the Firefox add-ons site is to traditional add-ons. Up until now, Jetpack users had pretty limited options for finding packs - a single page of descriptions and links maintained by Mozilla and a community-powered assortment at Userscripts.org.

At the Jetpack Gallery, you can search for jetpacks and browse by tag. The assortment is still quite limited, though submissions will likely begin flowing in now that the doors have officially opened.

Continue reading Mozilla launches Jetpack Gallery, restart-free pseudo add-ons now available

Mozilla launches Jetpack Gallery, restart-free pseudo add-ons now available originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>firefoxjetpack galleryJetpackGallerymozilla labsMozillaLabsThu, 12 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Firefox 3.6 Beta 2 now ready for download, with 190 bug fixes]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/firefox-3-6-beta-2-now-ready-for-download-with-190-bug-fixes/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/firefox-3-6-beta-2-now-ready-for-download-with-190-bug-fixes/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/firefox-3-6-beta-2-now-ready-for-download-with-190-bug-fixes/#commentsFiled under: ,

The second beta version of Firefox 3.6 has arrived, following hot on the furry little heels of 3.6b1, which was only a week and a half old. Mozilla's touting a whopping 190 bug fixes in that time, many of them user-submitted. If you're using an older version of 3.6, you should definitely update.

In my personal experience with 3.6, I've found that most of my themes and several of my add-ons (including the essential Greasemonkey) haven't been updated yet. On the whole, however, it feels very fast (especially at startup) and has proven very stable.

All the major upgrades came in 3.6b1, but if you're using Firefox 3 or 3.5, here's what might entice you to give 3.6 a shot: it offers faster Javascript performance and startup time, built-in support for the Personas one-click theming system, full-screen video and poster frames. If you want to wait for the final version of 3.6, you'll be pleased to hear it's scheduled for December. If the quick turnaround on Beta 2 is any indication, Mozilla is back on track to make that deadline.

Firefox 3.6 Beta 2 now ready for download, with 190 bug fixes originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabrowserfirefoxfirefox 3.6Firefox3.6mozillaWed, 11 Nov 2009 07:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Firefox for Mobile Beta now available... if you own a Nokia N810 or N900]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/firefox-for-mobile-beta-now-available-if-you-own-a-nokia-n810/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/firefox-for-mobile-beta-now-available-if-you-own-a-nokia-n810/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/firefox-for-mobile-beta-now-available-if-you-own-a-nokia-n810/#commentsFiled under: ,

All ten of you that don't own a BlackBerry or iPhone... rejoice! I just can't believe I get to use the new Firefox for Mobile logo twice in two days.

It might be buggy, it might be slow, but the Fennec web browser has finally been branded a Mozilla product and dubbed the 'Firefox for Mobile Beta 5'. If you want to see a picture of it up and running on a mobile handset, head on over to the NokiaExperts website.

Here's a quick run-down of the features and neat bits:
  • AWESOMEBAR -- I had no idea it was actually called this. It's the searching-url-navigation-bar thing. I wonder how slow it searches through my web history, compared to the sluggish performance on my laptop...
  • Security -- password manager, pop-up blocker, automatic updates -- all there!
  • Add-ons -- you can find and install add-ons straight to the device (though I have no idea what kind of add-on compatibility there is...)
  • Device geolocation -- it seems there's a JavaScript API call that lets developers/web sites geolocate the handset? Cool.
  • Neat swiping stuff -- swipe left and right to expose and hide navigation and tabs.
Awesome! Now when do we see it on a device with larger-than-miniscule user base?

[via NokiaExperts]

Firefox for Mobile Beta now available... if you own a Nokia N810 or N900 originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fennecfirefox mobileFirefoxMobilemobile browserMobileBrowserTue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mobile Firefox has a new logo: Furry fetishists rejoice!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/mobile-firefox-has-a-new-logo-furry-fetishists-rejoice/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/mobile-firefox-has-a-new-logo-furry-fetishists-rejoice/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/mobile-firefox-has-a-new-logo-furry-fetishists-rejoice/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

You are looking at the new logo for Firefox Mobile: The Pocketfox!

It looks more like some Harry Potter fan-art in my opinion -- someone with a Fawkes the Phoenix fetish -- but no matter! It's cute and very vibrant. It will certainly stand out, and ultimately that's what matters.

I can't help but wonder if the 'What's that in your pocket?' double entendre was intentional or not. I'd like to think the Mozilla developers have a sense of humor! If you want to find out more about Firefox Mobile (I don't think many people have heard of it), check out its 'Coming Soon...' page, which is full of juicy details about the new browser.

Mozilla have held a few contests recently. The one that's open at the moment -- 'Five years of Firefox' -- is open until December 9th. They're looking for poster ideas to celebrate their birthday. It feels like only yesterday that I held my Firefox 1.0 launch party...

What do you think of the new logo? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Mobile Firefox has a new logo: Furry fetishists rejoice! originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artbrowserfirefoxfirefox mobileFirefoxMobilelogoMon, 09 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Five essential addons for new Firefox users (Happy fifth birthday, Firefox!)]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/five-essential-addons-for-new-firefox-users-happy-fifth-birthda/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/five-essential-addons-for-new-firefox-users-happy-fifth-birthda/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/five-essential-addons-for-new-firefox-users-happy-fifth-birthda/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Five years ago today, a new web browser arrived on the scene. Yes, it was Firefox 1.0. At the half-decade mark, Firefox has become a force to be reckoned with. Nearly one in four people on the Internet is now using Firefox - and that includes the entire population of Antarctica!

If Firefox users were a country, they'd be the third most populous in the world - behind only China and India - at 330 million people! 2009 has certainly been a big year for the Fox.

Mozilla's add-on site reports 4.3 million registered users using nearly 164 million add-ons. That's a lot of people using a lot of add-ons. If you're a new Firefox user, you might be having trouble deciding which are worth installing.

Since this is Firefox's fifth birthday, here are five add-ons that can make browsing better for just about anyone!

Continue reading Five essential addons for new Firefox users (Happy fifth birthday, Firefox!)

Five essential addons for new Firefox users (Happy fifth birthday, Firefox!) originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>add-onsaddonsextensionsfeaturesfirefoxlistsmozillaMon, 09 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mozilla Jetpack contest winner harnesses GPU power to process data]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/mozilla-jetpack-contest-winner-harnesses-gpu-power-to-process-da/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/mozilla-jetpack-contest-winner-harnesses-gpu-power-to-process-da/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/mozilla-jetpack-contest-winner-harnesses-gpu-power-to-process-da/#commentsFiled under: ,

Mozilla Labs has announced a winner of the Jetpack .5 contest. While Jetpack is known primarily as a framework for allowing coders with a web development background to put together add-on type enhancements for Firefox, the winner 's project wasn't your run-of-the-mill sidebar hack.

Alex Miltsev's submission was jetpack-to-CUDA, and it provides Jetpack developers with a simple way to offload intense processing tasks to GPUs. CUDA (demo video above) is NVidia's parallel computing architecture - and with CUDA-capable chips in more than 100 million PCs, Miltsev's handiwork could enable some seriously cool (and powerful) Jetpack add-ons to be developed.

The runners up (not to take anything away from them) were much more standard Jetpack offerings - a Google Translate extension, link shortener and sharer, and Twitter client.

Kudos to Miltssev for his creative entry! Here's hoping we see some truly awesome things in future versions of Firefox and Jetpack as a result.

Mozilla Jetpack contest winner harnesses GPU power to process data originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>add-onsaddonscudaextensionsfirefoxjetpackFri, 06 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Track Black Friday prices with Invisible Hand add on for Firefox]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/track-black-friday-prices-with-invisible-hand-add-on-for-firefox/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/track-black-friday-prices-with-invisible-hand-add-on-for-firefox/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/track-black-friday-prices-with-invisible-hand-add-on-for-firefox/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

We've covered Invisible Hand, the discreet shopping comparison add on for Firefox, which displays prices on items you are searching on the web. Just in time for Black Friday, the hand has trotted out a new add on which along with other improvements, incorporates Google search results.

Now, you can get your price results in real time so you know you're getting the best deal. My test drive of the hand went smooth, the results loaded up within a second or two and updates were very discreet. This is a real time saver for getting price results.

The add on will be officially released to the Mozilla site within a few weeks, but the first 200 Download Squad readers can download the beta version. Just click on the link below and key in invisibleDLS for the access code.

http://preview.getinvisiblehand.com/




Track Black Friday prices with Invisible Hand add on for Firefox originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Black Friday dealsBlack Friday SalesBlackFridayDealsBlackFridaySalesfirefox-add-onHGGInvisible hand add on for firefoxInvisibleHandAddOnForFirefoxonline price comparisonOnlinePriceComparisonshopping comparison toolsShoppingComparisonToolsTue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Firefox 3.6 has juicy Superbar integration with Windows 7 (and you can disable it)]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/01/firefox-3-6-juicy-superbar-integration-with-windows-7-can-disable-it/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/01/firefox-3-6-juicy-superbar-integration-with-windows-7-can-disable-it/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/01/firefox-3-6-juicy-superbar-integration-with-windows-7-can-disable-it/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Yesterday I told you about the new Firefox 3.6 Beta -- and today, I can show you a neat bit of Windows 7 integration. Windows 7 uses Microsoft's Aero window manager and theme -- you've probably heard about it, or learnt to hate it in Vista -- and in it there's a cool technology called 'Aero Peek'. As you can see in the screenshot above, in Firefox 3.6 Beta, Aero Peek is now fully enabled, and smoother than its implementation in 3.6b1pre.

Aero Peek lets you see what's going on in a particular program without having to actually click anything -- you can just mouse-over it on the alt-tab running-programs menu or on the Superbar. In Firefox 3.5 this works for the Firefox window itself, but not the tabs within. Now, in 3.6 Beta, you can see what's going on in any tab by hovering your mouse over the thumbnail. I do wonder if this requires massive disk-swapping though, or if it takes snapshots -- but I'm pretty sure Aero shows you the window contents in real-time. Either way, it's cool, and beats the hell out of tabbing through 20 different tabs to find what you're looking for.

Those of you that are already using 3.6 might have noticed another neat thing: when you have a bunch of tabs (10+ in our testing) open, you get a "buttonized" list of favicons and page titles, instead of thumbnails. You can still jump straight to a tab or see a preview from the Superbar.

Don't like the Aero Peek integration? You can easily disable it -- if you're worried about the potential performance hit -- just whack about:config into your Firefox address bar and set browser.taskbar.previews.enable to false.

[Download Firefox 3.6 Beta here]

Firefox 3.6 has juicy Superbar integration with Windows 7 (and you can disable it) originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aerobetafirefoxsuperbarwindows 7Windows7Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Mozilla release mockups for upcoming Firefox Linux releases]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/31/mozilla-release-mockups-for-upcoming-firefox-linux-releases/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/31/mozilla-release-mockups-for-upcoming-firefox-linux-releases/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/31/mozilla-release-mockups-for-upcoming-firefox-linux-releases/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Firefox 4.0 Linux mockup
The folks at Mozilla have released the first mockup showing what Firefox 4.0 may look like on Linux... and it looks an awful lot like the Windows version.

Firefox 4.0 isn't due out for another year or so, but the developers have already stated a few goals for the project. One idea is to move the browser tabs above the location bar. Another is to consolidate the menus into a few tabs that will hang out next to the location bar. Both movies will free up space, allowing more of the browser to be dedicated to displaying web pages.

If the end result looks familiar, that's because it looks an awful lot like the default layout in the Google Chrome web browser.

Mozilla has also released some mockups of Firefox 3.7 for Linux. One of the most notable changes is that the interface will be more consistent across platforms. Firefox 3.7 for Linux will use the same Forward/Back buttons as the Mac and Windows versions, for example. The edges of the browser, tabs, and other elements will also be curved rather than angled, which will make the browser look more like the mac and Windows versions.

At this point, both the Firefox 3.7 and 4.0 mockups represent proposed changes and not finished products, so things may change by the time these browsers are actually released.

[via OMG! Ubuntu]

Mozilla release mockups for upcoming Firefox Linux releases originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>firefoxfirefox-3.7firefox-4.0linuxmockupsweb-browsersSat, 31 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 now available!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/30/firefox-3-6-beta-1-now-available/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/30/firefox-3-6-beta-1-now-available/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/30/firefox-3-6-beta-1-now-available/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Let's not beat around the bush: Download the new version of Firefox now.

With that out of the way, here are the new features that debut with Firefox 3.6, straight from the release page:
  • Users can now change their browser's appearance with a single click, with built in support for Personas.
  • Firefox 3.6 will alert users about out of date plugins to keep them safe.
  • Open, native video can now be displayed full screen, and supports poster frames.
  • Support for the WOFF font format.
  • Improved JavaScript performance, overall browser responsiveness and startup time.
  • Support for new CSS, DOM and HTML5 web technologies.
These new changes mostly come from an upgrade to version 1.9.2 of Gecko, the HTML engine that does most of the rendering work in Firefox (and its light-weight sister Camino) -- and as with all version revisions, you will have to update most or all of your add-ons (there's even a compatibility checker!)

Developers should check out the notes for 3.6, if they haven't yet updated the add-ons they administer.

If you've heard enough, here are some direct download links to get you upgraded to the Beta ASAP:

Firefox 3.6 Beta 1 now available! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betafirefoxgeckoFri, 30 Oct 2009 22:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Mozilla scores enterprise email win: 130,000 French government PCs switch to Thunderbird]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/mozilla-scores-enterprise-email-win-130-000-french-government-p/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/mozilla-scores-enterprise-email-win-130-000-french-government-p/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/mozilla-scores-enterprise-email-win-130-000-french-government-p/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A French website [Google Translate link] is reporting that 130,000 Tax Authority computer systems are soon to make a major switch to open source software. Email and calendar duties are being handed over to Thunderbird and the Lightning plugin. The move also includes a transition to OBM's open source groupware/collaboration/messaging platform.

When the General Directorate of Public Finance was formed, two tax agencies were combined. Their users were split, with 80,000 using Lotus Notes and 50,000 running Microsoft Outlook. In the end, the new agency's decision had a lot to do with a desire not to re-license Lotus Notes and Outlook and to simplify operations by supporting a single client.

Thunderbird had already made inroads with the French Department of Defense as well as the Misitry of Culture. The new migration brings the total number of installs to more than 200,000.

Always nice to see Mozilla adoption in the enterprise!

[via OSOR.eu]

Mozilla scores enterprise email win: 130,000 French government PCs switch to Thunderbird originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>emailmozillaopen sourceopensourceossthunderbirdThu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST