fennec posts

Filed under: Mozilla, Beta, Browsers, Mobile, Android

Mozilla makes its mobile move, brings Firefox 3.6 to Android

by Jay Hathaway Oct 20th 2009

In the mobile browser wars, Webkit-based browsers seem to be pulling away from the pack. Don't count Firefox out yet, though, because the CEO of Mozilla says that Firefox has put together "the most advanced mobile browser," and it's due to hit Android phones soon. Fennec, the mobile version of Firefox, is based on Firefox 3.6, which is a generation ahead of the current desktop version of Firefox. As CEO John Lilly told Om Malik of GigaOM, this browser does "everything - Javascript, CSS, Flash, SVG, video and audio."

Like the desktop version of Firefox, the mobile version uses the AwesomeBar, which provides quick access to bookmarks and browser history, right from the address bar. Mozilla also plans to support add-ons for Firefox's mobile version, which would make it the first mobile browser to do so. Add-ons might be the sole factor keeping Firefox competitive on the desktop. In the mobile space, they'd give it an edge. Along with Android, Mozilla is also developing for Nokia's Maemo OS, which isn't too widespread in the US, but is growing in global popularity.

Tags: android, fennec, firefox, mobile, mozilla

Filed under: Mozilla, iPhone, Browsers

Mozilla getting ready to roll the dice on Weave for the iPhone?

by Lee Mathews Oct 19th 2009

Om Malik waxed poetic over the weekend about a chat he had with Mozilla CEO John Lilly. Among the topics that came up: a Mozilla submission to Apple's App Store.

Don't go getting all excited about a Fennec port for the iPhone. We're all well aware of Apple's stance on apps that ~~compete~~ ~~with~~ duplicate functionality of their own apps or offer ~~choice~~ "potential confusion for users." Fennec most certainly would stomp all over Safari's toes, so that's pretty well out.

Malik mentioned something based on Weave as a possibility, and he received a Nudge-Nudge style knowing grin from the Mozilla crew. Could it be true? Is Weave about to run the gauntlet that is Apple's approval process?

While it's a sync app and might step on MobileMe's toes ever so slightly, Weave for the iPhone should be able to wrangle an approval. After all, the only functionality they would likely share is bookmark syncing.

And what about Apple preferring not to let app out of the sandbox? Vic and I kicked this around, and a simple Safari-based front end to your Weave data in the cloud could very well be a workable solution. Mozilla's actual plan remains a mystery for now.

While I'm sure all Firefox fanatics with an iPhone are pulling for Mozilla, we probably shouldn't hold our breath. Apple's rejected plenty of apps on fairly tenuous grounds before, after all.

Tags: app-store, apple, fennec, firefox, iphone, mozilla, weave

Filed under: Mozilla, Beta, Browsers

Mozilla Weave gets faster, adds Fennec support on WinMo in .5 release

by Lee Mathews Jul 30th 2009

I've been using Weave for a while now to stay on top of my browsing syncing chores. While it's still in beta, Weave has already come a long way since its initial release.

Yesterday, Mozilla Labs debuted version .5. The most noticeable change? Weave now stays out of the way while you're actively browsing in Firefox, waiting to go idle. On a mostly bare Firefox install (the only other addon I have installed is Personal Menu), Weave .4 caused the occasional performance hiccup. So far with .5, it's been smooth sailing.

The official blog post also reports improved performance in uploading and downloading - which I also noticed when setting up Firefox on my office system. While I can't provide an exact time, I'd estimate that it took roughly half the time to sync my profile from scratch as it did with .4.

Weave .5 also supports password and passphrase changes, handling for bookmark tags and smart folders, and adds support for Fennec on Windows Mobile. OpenSolaris users are now able to get in on the fun as well.

If you install Weave and you're concerned about security, you may want to head to its preferences screen and take the check out of the "automatically connect" box and choose not to remember your Weave password when you sign in next time.

Tags: browser-sync, fennec, firefox, labs, mozilla-weave, password-sync

Filed under: Mozilla, Beta, Browsers, Mobile

Mozilla Fennec (Firefox Mobile) hits beta

by Brad Linder Mar 18th 2009

Mozilla has released the first public beta of the mobile version of Firefox. Fennec beta 1 will run on Nokia N810 Internet Tablets, Windows, OS X, or Linux computers. A Windows Mobile version will be available later.

The newest build of Fennec features faster zooming, panning, and start-up times. It also users Mozilla's TraceMonkey JavaScript engine, allows for editing of bookmarks and use of bookmark folders. And perhaps most exciting, this is the first version to add support for plugins. There aren't very many compatible plugins yet, but that will likely change in the coming months.

The Mozilla team has put together a video demonstrating the browser's features. You can check it out after the jump.

[via Gizmodo]

Tags: fennec, fennec-beta-1, firefox, firefox-mobile

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Mozilla, Browsers, Mobile

Mozilla releases pre-alpha web browser for the HTC Touch Pro

by Brad Linder Feb 11th 2009

Mozilla is continuing its march toward getting Firefox to run on every device imaginable. As expected, the team released an early build of Fennec (the codename for Firefox Mobile) designed to run on HTC Touch Pro smartphones. The Touch Pro is a Windows Mobile device, and eventually the browser will run on other Windows Mobile phones and additional mobile platforms including Symbian. But for now, the Touch Pro is one of the only devices with a high enough resolution display and enough memory to run the application.

Keep in mind, this is what Mozilla is calling a milestone build. It's not a beta. It's not even a public alpha. It's a "working, usable browser," but that's about it. There's no support for updates, plug-ins, or software keyboards. But many of the bugs that users found in the pre-milestone version should be gone by now.

If you happen to have an HTC Touch Pro and some free time on your hands to try out Fennec, let us know how it goes in the comments. You can download the cab installer directly to your phone. Or you can download it to your PC and use ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center to copy it to your phone.

[via the::unwired]

Tags: fennec, firefox, htc-touch-pro

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Mozilla, Browsers

Early build of Firefox for Windows Mobile leaked

by Brad Linder Feb 1st 2009

Mozilla is expected to release the first public alpha of the Fennec web browser for Windows Mobile sometime this week. But an early build of the web browser has already found its way onto the internet. You can download a copy from Mozilla developer Brad Lassey's files, or if that download link stops working soon, you can find the file at the MSMobiles web site.

The mobile version of Firefox is still in the early alpha phases, (in fact, it's likely that this "leaked" build is just a pre-alpha nightly build of the open source browser) and not only will it not run on some older versions of Windows Mobile (yes, I sadly cling to my Dell Axim X50v running WM2003SE), but it can also cause freezups and crashes on newer devices running Windows Mobile 6. Or in some cases, it will install properly but then it just won't run. The browser also takes up a whopping 22MB of disk space, which might not seem like a lot for a desktop browser, but on a mobile phone Fennec is quite the resource hog.

All told, I wouldn't recommend installing this build unless you want to satisfy your curiousity. It's not really ready for everyday use yet. It's possible that the version Mozilla will officially release to the public soon will be a bit more stable, but I wouldn't expect any miracles.

If you really want to know what Fennec looks like on a Windows Mobile device, you can check out a video from Brandon at PocketNow after the break. And of course, you can always install an Alpha version of Fennec for Windows, Linux or Mac if you want to take the mobile browser for a spin on your desktop. The interface for the desktop version is pretty much identical to the mobile client. The main difference is that the desktop version is fairly stable.

[via MobileTopSoft]

Tags: fennec, firefox, firefox-mobile

Filed under: Mozilla, Browsers

Firefox Mobile could run on eBook readers, other devices

by Brad Linder Jan 29th 2009

Mozilla's upcoming mobile web browser (codenamed Fennec) may be designed for cellphones and portable devices running Windows Mobile, Linux, and Symbian. But the neat thing about open source software is that you can port it to run on pretty much anything if you know what you're doing. Case in point? This video of Fennec running on an e-ink device.

At this point, this is pretty much a proof of concept. The machine is some sort of a prototype and there's no hardware or on-screen keyboard, or much of anything else. But it is interesting to see how smoothly Fennec runs on a device with an e-ink screen. You know what else has an e-ink screen? The Amazon Kindle.

[via Brad Lassey]

Tags: e-ink, fennec, firefox-mobile

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Mozilla, Beta, Browsers, Mobile

Firefox for Windows Mobile could hit Alpha next week

by Brad Linder Jan 27th 2009

Mozilla could release the first ~~beta~~ alpha version of Firefox for Windows Mobile devices in the first week of February. At launch, the browser (which is codenamed Fennec) will only be designed for the HTC Touch Pro. But I wouldn't be surprised to see Mozilla or third party developers port it to run on other Windows Mobile devices soon after.

It's been a few months since the first screenshots of Fennec running on a Windows Mobile device (shown above) showed up, which either indicates that the team has been working on the Windows Mobile version for a while, or the pictures were phony. I'm hoping for the former.

If you can't wait another week or two to try Fennec on Windows Mobile, you can always download the latest alpha version of the browser for Windows, Mac, or Linux.

[via WMExperts]

Tags: fennec, firefox-mobile, htc-touch-pro

Filed under: Mozilla, Browsers, Mobile

Firefox Mobile browser hits Alpha 2, still doesn't work on your phone

by Brad Linder Dec 23rd 2008

Mozilla has released Alpha 2 of its mobile web browser called Fennec. When Fennec grows up, it will probably be called something like Firefox Mobile and it will run on your cellphone. For now it runs on Nokia Internet Tablets. You can also take it for a test spin on Windows, OS X , and Linux computers.

Fennec Alpha 2 looks a lot like Alpha 1. But there are a few changes under the hood. The browser features faster panning and zooming, and it's more responsive when pages are loaded. Fennec also now features a Firefox 3-like "awsome bar" which will search your browser history as you start to type, making the process of finding the pages you're looking for much faster. That's a handy feature on a desktop feature, but cutting down on keystrokes could make it a killer feature in the mobile version of Fennec.

There's also a new popup blocker, password manager, and option to clear private data. Fennec Alpha 2 also lets you search your download manager, much the way you can in Firefox 3.

[via Lifehacker]

Tags: awesome-bar, fennec, fennec-alpha-2, firefox, firefox-mobile

Filed under: Symbian, Mozilla, Browsers, Mobile

Firefox Mobile for Symbian coming in 2009

by Brad Linder Dec 16th 2008

The team working on the mobile version of Firefox has been primarily focused on developing the browser for Linux and Windows Mobile devices so far. But around 50% of all the Smartphones in the world actually run the Symbian mobile operating system. So it should come as no surprise that Mozilla is also working on a version for Symbian phones.

The plan is to have a working browser by the end of April, 2009 although there's no official release date for a beta version just yet. Of course, since the browser an open source project, I wouldn't be surprised if Symbian users were able to download and test early builds as soon as February when the roadmap predicts "basic/limited browsing" fucntionality.

[via Gizmodo]

Tags: fennec, firefox, firefox-mobile, symbian

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Mozilla, Browsers, Mobile

Mozilla releases Mobile Firefox Alpha - For Mac, Windows and Linux?

by Brad Linder Oct 17th 2008

Mozilla has released the first Alpha version of Fennec, the mobile web browser which currently runs on the Nokia N810 internet tablet, and which will soon run on Windows Mobile. Fennec is just a code name. Eventually the browser will probably be called something like Firefox Mobile. And there's a good reason for that. If you can view web content in Firefox, you can pretty much view it in Fennec.

Today there is still no version of Fennec that will run on your phone. But you can install the Alpha on an N810 tablet -- or on Windows, OS X, or Linux. Because Mozilla has decided the best way to show off its upcoming browser is to let you download and run it on your desktop.

To run Fennec for Windows, all you have to do is download and unzip an 8MB file and click on Fennec.exe. Up pops a small web browser with nothing but a URL bar visible. Type in an address and away you go. You can scroll up and down on a web page by clicking and draging the page. And you can zoom in on the content by double clicking. You might wonder why you would want to zoom in, but keep in mind, this browser is designed to run on a much smaller screen. The text that looks perfectly readable on your desktop may look miniscule on your phone.

Tags: alpha, fennec, firefox-mobile, mobile-firefox

Filed under: Mozilla, Open Source, Browsers, Mobile

Firefox for Windows Mobile images surface

by Brad Linder Oct 11th 2008

We've known for a while that Mozilla was working on a mobile version of Firefox. In fact, you can already download early builds of the web browser, codenamed Fennec, but at the moment it will only run on the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet.

But Mozilla says a Windows Mobile version of Fennec is on its way and that an Alpha release could come within the next few weeks. And now a few screenshots have surfaced which would seem to indicate that at least someone is already running Fennec on a Windows Mobile phone.

If the screenshot on the left looks rather crowded for a mobile browser, it's important to keep in mind that Fennec works in full screen mode most of the time. The location bar, tab menu, and even forward, back, and reload buttons are all designed to disappear when you're not using them. But Fennec does seem to take an interesting approach to tabbed browsing by presenting thumbnails of open pages, which seems both useful and like a potential waste of processing power on mobile devices.

One of the screenshots visible at the::unwired shows Fennec's score on the Acid3 test. The results? An 88. Not perfect, but not bad for a brwoser designed to run on a cellphone or PDA.

Tags: acid3, fennec, firefox-mobile, windows-mobile

Filed under: Internet, Windows Mobile, Mozilla, Mobile Minute, Browsers

Firefox Mobile Alpha coming in "a few weeks"

by Brad Linder Oct 6th 2008

Mozilla CEO says the first Alpha version of Firefox Mobile will be available in a few weeks. That's pretty exciting. But I wouldn't read too much into it at the moment.

It's not clear exactly what devices or operating systems will be supported by the early Alpha. Pre-alpha releases of the browser, code-named Fennec, are already available. But at the moment, they only run on the Nokia N810 internet tablet. The N810 is a pretty cool little device, but it's not as ubiquitous as say, Windows Mobile or Symbian powered cellphones.

Mozilla does plan to make a Windows Mobile version of Firefox Mobile available. I just don't know whether we'll see that version in a few weeks when Fennec hits alpha.

[via Gizmodo]

Tags: alpha, fennec, firefox-mobile

Filed under: Internet, Mozilla, Beta, Browsers

Firefox 3.1 delayed, Firefox mobile coming soon

by Brad Linder Aug 13th 2008

Sure, Firefox 3.01 is still fresh off the presses, but some if you've been looking forward to getting your hands on the even newer and more improved Firefox 3.1, it looks like you have to wait a little longer. Mozilla had planned to release Firefox 3.1 on August 19th, but has pushed that date back to September 9th.

Firefox 3.1 will feature a handful of updates including Javascript enhancements and bulk tagging features. And those updates just weren't going to be ready by the 19th.

But if you're itching to try out something new from Mozilla, you might want to check out Fennec Milestone 6. Fennec is the codename for the upcoming mobile version of Firefox. It's designed for mobile phones similar devices. Right now, it runs on the Nokia N810 internet tablet, but Windows Mobile support is coming soon. Milestone 6 adds support for tabs, tel: and mailto:. This is still pre-alpha software, but if you've got a Nokia internet tablet lying around, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you're comfortable with running bleeding edge software.

[via OStatic]

Tags: fennec, firefox, firefox-3.1, firefox-mobile

Filed under: Weekend Review

Download Squad Week in Review

by Brad Linder Jun 21st 2008

The big story this week was undoubtedly the launch of Firefox 3. And we covered the heck out of it. But while Mozilla's little browser was busy grabbing headlines, there was plenty of other news. Here are a few of our favorite (mostly) non-Firefox related stories:

What to expect from Mozilla's mobile Firefox web browser
OK, we promise, this is the last Firefox-related link of the roundup. But we got a chance to talk with Mozilla VP for Mobile Jay Sullivan this week and he gave us the a rundown of what we can expect from the upcoming mobile version of Firefox. For example, Mozilla is targeting Linux and Windows Mobile phones at first, but could develop a Symbian version soon as well.
HELP! Windows cannot open this file
Ever download a file from the internet only to discover that you have no idea what program you need to use to open it? We've got you covered with a roundup of software you can install on a Windows system to ensure that you can open pretty much any file you're likely to find.
OpenSUSE 11.0 proves chameleons can take on herons any day
Ubuntu gets a lot of attention for being a user-friendly Linux distribution for newbies, but the latest version of OpenSUSE is poised to give Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron a run for its money. It's fast, supports GNOME or KDE4, as well as the light weight Xfce interface, and comes with all the applications you'd expect from a modern Linux distro, including the latest stable version of OpenOffice.org.
Giveaway: OpenSUSE 11 box set with all the trimmings
Oh yeah, and we've got a special boxed edition of OpenSUSE 11 to give away. Follow the link for all the details and contest rules. The contest runs through Tuesday June 26th.
Digg this Kevin Rose - Reddit goes completely open source
Always wanted to develop your own Digg-killer? Now you can, using the source code for one of the most popular social news/bookmarking sites around. Reddit opened up its source code this week which lets anyone develop their own Reddit clones or applications designed to interface with the original web service.
Qtrax launches free, legal, and limited P2P music app
Remember when you could easily find and download any song on the internet just by firing up Napster or your favorite P2P music client? Yeah, we know there are still programs and P2P networks out there holding the free music torch. But you always run the risk of getting a nasty letter from the RIAA when you use those clients. That's not the case when you use Qtrax, a new P2P client that launched this week. What sets Qtrax apart from the competition is that the service only features 100% legal and free music. The service is supported by advertising and would be totally awesome if it weren't for two restrictions. First the software uses Windows Media DRM. Second, the music selection is still pretty pitiful.
Skype 4.0 beta puts video front and center, takes over your screen
Skype has released a new beta of its popular VoIP client for Windows. And for the first time, video seems like a primary feature and not an afterthought. The video window is larger and more prominent. But overall the client takes up far more screen real estate and starts in full screen mode by default. While you can certainly resize the window, it doesn't fit in the sidebar as easily as earlier versions, which makes it a bit more awkward to use if you're just looking to use the text chat or audio call features.

Tags: fennec, firefox, firefox-3, firefox-mobile, linux, opensuse, qtrax, reddit, skype, skype-4.0

Graveyard Shift - zombie-busting Time Waster

With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet. They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

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