Author: Nick

Only six weeks after the launching of the definitive version 2.0 of Firefox, the Mozilla Foundation have just released the Alpha edition of version 3.0. The “Gran Paradiso” project has been underway now for more than a year now and is planned for release at the end of 2007. Its focus is on greater integration with Web 2.0 applications.

Other improved features of this Alpha release include yet more Anti-Phishing protection, more search suggestions in the search box for Google and Yahoo, and support for client-side session and persistent storage. Bon Echo releases so far include changes to tabbed browsing behavior, a search plugin manager for removing and re-ordering search engines, better support for previewing and subscribing to web feeds and a new microsummaries feature for bookmarks.

Builds of Firefox Alpha 3.0 are available for testing here:

Windows (5.3 MB)
Mac OS X Universal Binary (17 MB)

It’s not often that governments lead the way in technological revolutions but it seems that where Windows is concerned, some have simply had enough. An interesting article in Wired explains how many governments have stalled in their efforts to change from expensive Windows to cheap and cheerful open source Linux. The biggest problem has been incompatiblity issues according to Wired:

Switching to open source can cause compatibility issues with Microsoft’s file formats, which are proprietary — and still used by the vast majority of other computer users. There can be conflicts with MS Exchange servers, commonly used for e-mail and calendaring. And there’s the problem of educating government IT departments about the ways of Linux.

However, you can always rely on the French to spearhead a revolution. France’s National Assembly are about to attempt a total conversion to Linux, Sun’s OpenOffice software and Mozilla’s Firefox browser. The move, rather than due to operational problems, has been inspired by fears over espionage in the growing “economic war between the USA and Europe” according to one open source expert. If the French police force’s experience is anything to go by however, the transition will not be without major problems. A spokesperson explains that OpenOffice is “complicated, atrocious” and that “the advantages are not terribly clear.”

So maybe not Vive La France! but C’est la Vie?

If you’re one of those people that dread the whole Christmas shopping experience, then those ever inventive people at Google might have just come up with your ideal Christmas gift. Google claim to have made online shopping “faster, more convenient and more secure” with their new Google Checkout service. Harnessing the power of Google’s search engine with the regular user-friendly ethos of Google products, the Checkout service could make visiting multiple online retailers a thing of the past.

The process is simple – you search for your desired item in Google. The main results are not important – it’s the sponsored links down the right-hand side of the page that you need to look at. If the store is participating in Google Checkout, it has a small trolley symbol next to its weblink. When you click on this symbol, you are taken to a sign-in page where you log-in and enter your bank details. After that, away you go – all of your purchases are listed in an easy to read purchase history list so you can see exactly where your goods are at any time.

At the moment, many stores are still signing up but if you’re sick of keeping track of your online purchases on multiple sites, this may be the solution you’ve been waiting for.

The more popular Mozilla Firefox gets, the more aggressive it is becoming about protecting its product – as any Linux user will tell you. Linux users have been denied the massively popular navigator due to Mozilla’s refusal to allow Linux to bundle it without using its name and logo. This obviously goes against the anti-commercial ethos of the Linux community who refuse to carry any commercial software on their operating system.

GNU users have therefore come up with their own version of Firefox called “IceWeasel” – a name that was coined by GNU developer Nathanael Nerode as a parody of “Firefox”, changing “fire” to “ice” and “fox” to “weasel”. The logo isn’t much more imaginative either (pictured right) – it looks identical to the Firefox logo except its ice blue and the fox has been replaced by what looks like a giant Ferret playing with a giant ball. This has become known as the Gnuzilla project which runs in parallel to another being prepared by Debian whose logo follows the same colour scheme but looks like a dead rat that’s been steamrolled by the same blue ball (pictured above left).

Gnuzilla IceWeasel removes Firefox’s artwork and plugins whilst Debian IceWeasel has also removed most of the Firefox branding, but still uses the Mozilla plugin finder service to download and install plugins. There are plans for the two projects to collobarate in the future which might result in the creation of just one browser.

IceWeasal is already available as a free download whilst Debian enthusiasts will have to wait until sometime in December when the next version of the Debian Etch operating system will be released. Only then will the battle of the rodents commence.

Phishing has nothing to do with a rod, a bag of maggots and a bucket of mackerel. It’s a technique used to obtain confidential data by masquerading as something else – such as supplanting someone’s ID or claiming to be a legitimate institution (generally via spam, fraudulent electronic message, or falsification of web pages).Up until now, one of the big advantages of the Firefox browser was its enhanced security over Internet Explorer but a new hole in the popular browser has been discovered. The vulnerability in Firefox, is caused by a backdoor in the Password Manager function which does not verify URL’s before automatically completing user data in pages that request passwords. A URL (Uniform Resource Locator or Uniform Localizador of Resources) is a “pointer” to the location of any file such as a page of HTML (i.e a web address such as http://www.softonic.com).

The flaw can be exploited by an attacker to rob the credentials of the user (name and password) without their knowledge through a fake form when the website is visited. The vulnerability has been confirmed in version 2.0 upwards and previous versions could also be affected too. There has been no official patch issued by Mozilla as yet but obviously, the best way to avoid any risk is to deactivate the Password Manager function and enter passwords yourself manually. Don’t let those phishers fool you with their bait.

It seems you can’t go anywhere on the internet without being followed – just ask Gary Glitter. Whether it’s marketing companies tracking your surfing habits or spyware saving and transmitting your personal details, most current browsers leave behind a trail of footprints leading back to your PC. That’s why programming collective Hacktivismo have released Torpark – a new browser that uses its own network of net routers to allow users to surf without leaving a trace.

Even more impressive, Torpack can be stored on any USB pendrive or external storage device meaning you can surf in peace from any PC, anytime. The browser works by encrypting traffic between a computer and the Tor routers owned by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. It also regularly changes the user’s IP address to leave a “smokescreen” for any potential intruders. The makers admit however that data exchanged between websites that do not use encryption to secure login sessions and the Tor network remain vulnerable. They proudly claim however that unlike other similar applications such as Anonymizer and SecretSurfer, Torpark is 100% clean and free of spyware/adware.

Firefox users have been able to access the Tor network via a plugin for sometime now but this is the first time the browser has been available for download. The new package also features a special tab that allows users to switch between anonymous and normal surfing. The two major drawbacks are that in exchange for anonymity, surfing is somewhat slower and some sites act badly thinking you are constantly logging-in and out again like some kind of paranoid lunatic. That said, if you’ve been particularly plagued by credit card fraud or security issues, this could be the answer you’ve been looking for.

1. Object

With the purpose of promoting Mac application, Flip4Mac Studio, Softonic International, S.L (hereinafter, “Softonic”), a Spanish Company, with corporate address in Barcelona, c/ Rosselló i Pòrcel, 12 and Spanish Tax Identification Number B-63920920 plans to develop an international campaign to be carried out between 11th October 2012 and 18th October 2012 and which will allow 5 users to win a license for Flip4Mac Studio according with what is set forth herein.

2. Scope of the promotion

The scope of the promotion includes the following sites and countries:

http://en.softonic.com/ (Worldwide)

http://onsoftware.en.softonic.com/ (Worldwide)

3. Length of the promotion

The promotion shall start on 10/11/2012 at 8am PDT (Pacific Daylight Time) and shall end on 10/18/2012 at 8am PDT. After this period, the best 5 entries as judged by Softonic win one full version of Flip4Mac Studio each.

The winners shall be notified on 18th October 2012 by email.

4. Spreading of the promotion

The campaign shall be spread via a blog post, with support from Twitter and Facebook linking to the blog post.

Such spreading shall take place between 11th October 2012 and 18th October 2012. Moreover, it shall detail the following information: Information regarding the prize, how to participate in the promotion, start and termination date, free promotion.

5. Procedure

In order to participate, each contestant shall leave a comment on the blog post [we will contact winners using the email address they leave in our commenting system].

6. Prize

5 codes to unlock a full version of Flip4Mac Studio, with 5 winners of one code each.