Microsoft Makes Windows 8.1 Mouse-friendly

Posted by Donster on: 2014-04-04 14:16:17 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Adrian Covert @ CNNTech

Microsoft will send out a free update to Windows 8.1 next week that will improve the experience for mouse and keyboard users.

Since its release nearly two years ago, Windows 8 has been a work in progress. Microsoft's latest update will get it closer to a finished state.

According to Microsoft, the company's goal with its latest update is to further blur the line between the legacy desktop mode, and the "Modern" tile-based interface.

At its annual Build developers conference in San Francisco, Microsoft said many of the changes to Windows 8.1 will address that issue directly -- a problem had has contributed to slumping Windows sales.

Read more...

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Microsoft Windows 8.1 Is Now Available

Posted by Donster on: 2013-10-17 15:14:06 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Microsoft Corp. on Thursday announced the global availability of Windows 8.1, a feature-rich update to its popular Windows 8 operating system, enabling customers to create experiences that keep pace with their lives — at work, at home or on the go. Beginning Oct. 17, consumers with a Windows 8 device in more than 230 markets and 37 languages can download the free update via the online Windows Store. Windows 8.1 will also be available on new devices and as boxed software starting Oct. 18 at retail locations around the world.

Windows 8.1 evolves the Windows vision for highly personalized computing while showcasing Microsoft’s continued commitment to rapid and responsive development. It marks a wave of new, innovative devices coming for consumers and businesses — from the convenience and mobility of tablets and 2-in-1s to the productive experience expected from laptops, all-in-ones and specialized industry devices. Many of these new devices are touch-enabled and will deliver advancements in processing power, battery life and design, across a range of price points.

PRESS RELEASE

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Firefox 23 Launched

Posted by Donster on: 2013-08-08 16:02:48 in category: Software News [ Print ]

With Built-in Share Button, New Security Features On Desktop, Updated “Awesome Screen” On Mobile

By Frederic Lardinois @ TechCrunch

Mozilla today launched Firefox 23, which adds a couple of interesting features that extend the browser’s capabilities beyond just displaying websites. On the desktop, Firefox recently added the ability to integrate a number of social sites like Facebook, Cliqz and Mixi or new sites like msnNOW into a persistent sidebar in the browser. Now it is expanding this feature by adding a share button to the browser toolbar, too.

This feature currently works with Facebook Messenger for Firefox and Cliqz and, as the Firefox team notes, allows you to “post an interesting article to your profile, share a recipe with your friends or send an idea for a gift in a private message or email, all without leaving the Web page you are visiting.”

Mozilla expects to launch more services that will support the share button soon, and the organization says it expects other sites to start supporting its social API soon, too. “There is endless potential for integrating social networks, e-mail, finance, music, to-do lists, sports, news and other applications into your Firefox experience,” the Firefox team writes in today’s announcement.

This update also brings mixed-content blocking to Firefox’s stable release channel. When you use Firefox 23 to visit sites that use both secure HTTPS sources and also loads data from regular HTTP pages, the browser will now try to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks by blocking any scripts from running on these sites (though it will allow the browser to download static images).

Read more...

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IE10 Coming To Windows 7 In November With Improved Performance

Posted by Donster on: 2012-10-19 15:01:16 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Jennifer Johnson @ Hot Hardware

The general availability of Windows 8 is getting closer and closer. Even though Microsoft is focused on this new OS, it hasn't forgotten about users who won't upgrade right away. Windows 7 users who want to get their hands on IE10 will have the option to do so: Microsoft plans to release a preview of IE10 in mid-November. Final availability of IE10 will follow as the company collects developer and customer feedback.

IE10 on Windows 7 will have the same standards based platforms as IE10 on Windows 8. This browser is said to be 8% faster than Chrome 20, making it the fastest browser on the market according to Strangeloop. IE10 also supports additional standards that Web developers have asked for.

Although Microsoft can claim to have the fastest browser, IE10 currently has a very small market share since it's only available to those who have Windows 8 installed. Since a small minority of users actually has access to this browser, we're glad to see Microsoft will expand the availability of IE10.

WATCH VIDEO

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Firefox 15 Released - Fixes Add-on Memory Leak

Posted by Donster on: 2012-08-28 16:14:52 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Sebastian Anthony @ ExtremeTech

Mozilla has released Firefox 15 for PCs, smartphones, and tablets. The most standout features are a completely silent background updater (like Chrome), significant memory footprint improvements, a built-in PDF reader, better SPDY protocol support, and a new native UI for Firefox Mobile on Android tablets.

Mozilla debuted an early version of the background updater in Firefox 12, but it still harried the user with various pop-ups. With Firefox 15, the browser now downloads and applies updates in the background, and then switches to the new version the next time you open the browser — just like Google Chrome.

The Firefox add-on memory leak has finally been fixed. For almost as long as I can remember, the only surefire way to reduce Firefox’s bloated memory footprint was to close it down. In theory, closing tabs should have the same effect — forcing add-ons to relinquish their memory allocations — but until now it hasn’t. Your mileage will vary, depending on which add-ons you use, but in general you should notice quite a big reduction.

Read more...

• DOWNLOAD FIREFOX 15 (Hosted by Mozilla)
  
• RELEASE NOTES (Hosted by Mozilla)
  

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Windows 8 Has Been Released to Manufacturers

Posted by Donster on: 2012-08-02 15:12:55 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Microsoft has announced that Windows 8 has been released to manufacturing (RTM) – marking the completion of product development and testing. OEM partners are now armed with final code, and can begin building new Windows 8 PCs and devices to introduce this fall, starting Friday, October 26, at General Availability.

MORE INFO

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Firefox 14.01 Released: New Features and Security Fixes

Posted by Donster on: 2012-07-20 15:59:14 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Source: Legit Reviews

Mozilla is continuing its rapid release cycle of its Firefox web browser. The last version was 13.01, but instead of the new version debuting at 14.00 as might be expected, it's actually at 14.01, implying that a little patch had to be applied just before formal release.

The feature improvements in this new version include Google searches now utilizing https for private searches; full screen support for Mac OS X Lion; plugins can now be configured to only load on click (requires an about:config change) and the the Awesome Bar now auto-completes typed URLs.

It has one changed feature, an improved site identity manager to prevent spoofing of an SSL connection with favicons, along with a few developer features such as a new API to prevent a display from sleeping. There are of course various fixes, with several of them being security related. Other things fix problems with GIF animation sticking, a Mac OS X multi-display bug and a CSS bug. For full details of all the changes and to download the latest version, plesae click the link below. Note that users already running Firefox will have the browser automatically offer them the upgrade.

RELEASE NOTES/DOWNLOAD FIREFOX (Hosted by Mozilla)

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Firefox 13.0 Final Released - Redesigned Home Page and New Tabs

Posted by Donster on: 2012-06-05 16:37:36 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Source: Legit Reviews

Firefox 13 has been released and this new web browser makes it faster and easier to get where you want to go with a redesigned Home Page and New Tab experience. The Home Page now includes icons at the bottom of the page to give you easy access to bookmarks, history, settings, add-ons, downloads and sync preferences with one-click shortcuts. When you open a new tab, you’ll see thumbnails of your most recently and frequently visited sites. You can customize the New Tab page by adding or removing thumbnails based on where you go most. Firefox 13 is also the first version compiled with the modern Visual C++ 2010 compiler instead of the ancient Visual C++ 2005 compiler that is used in older versions. This obviously improves performance and security. You can download Firefox 13 HERE.

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Windows 8 Release Preview Now Available

Posted by Donster on: 2012-05-31 16:25:03 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Seth Colaner @ HotHardware

After a few leaks and premature teases, the Windows 8 Release Preview is here. Microsoft had previously hinted that it would be available the first week of June, but the final pre-release is out and ready for you to download and try out.

According to a blog post announcing the Release Preview, this release is the last one before the Release to Manufacturing (aka “RTM”) phase, and the Windows 8 team will continue to solicit feedback from users and tweaking the new OS before the final version is available. From here on out, Microsoft says that it’s focusing on reliability, security, peripheral compatibility, resource utilization, and fine tuning the user experience.

If you're hankering for a test drive, hit up the Windows 8 Release Preview page HERE.

Read more...

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Fraps 3.5.3 Released

Posted by Donster on: 2012-05-29 15:19:24 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Fraps 3.5 adds the much requested feature to allow AVI movie files larger than 4 gigabytes. Fraps will now write hybrid OpenDML/AVI files and allow large movies on NTFS drives. There's still an option to split at 4 gigabytes for legacy AVI 1.0 support.

Please be aware that the minimum system requirements have changed in Fraps 3.5.0. We now require a CPU with SSE2 instructions (Pentium 4 & above). Windows XP or higher is also now required. If you have an older system (Win2K or non-SSE2 CPU) you can still download the previous Fraps 3.4.7 release from the download page.

• Fixed micro-stutter in recorded video after temporary framerate drop
  
• Fixed missing video frames in some games after rendering paused
  
• Fixed bug causing error message on startup for some users
  

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Firefox 11 Launches Today

Posted by Donster on: 2012-03-13 16:35:12 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Source: techPowerUp!

Over two months after launching Firefox 10, and backing it up two two security updates (10.0.1 and 10.0.2), Mozilla is almost ready with the stable version of Firefox 11, which it is reportedly launching later today. Mozilla posted what was supposedly Firefox 11 stable on its FTP, before redacting it, citing that the build is not actually stable, and that QA was still on.

Firefox 11 will introduce several new features, including performance improvements. To begin with, Firefox 11 supports the SPDY protocol, all pages are loaded on SSL with SPDY, which is both faster and more secure. Firefox' bookmarks and preferences migration assistant will now support Google Chrome, letting users migrate from Chrome to Firefox. Firefox Sync will now also synchronize addons between sync'd PCs. Lastly, Firefox 11 is said to include more feature-rich developer tools. The Android version of Firefox 11 will ship with Adobe Flash, for Android 2.3 and earlier.

When Mozilla releases Firefox 11, it will be available for downloading from the company's website.

As of 12:30 p.m. ET, Mozilla had not pushed Firefox 11 to its download page, or offered the upgrade to users who manually requested the update.

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Faster, Safer Chrome 17 Browser Hits Stable Channel

Posted by Donster on: 2012-02-09 15:44:59 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Source: Maximum PC

Google promises Web surfers a "faster browser, safer downloading" with Chrome 17, the newest build of its popular browser to land in the stable channel. To back up those claims, Google made it so the omnibox predicts which site it thinks you're trying to visit and will now autocomplete as you start hammering out a Web address. On the security front, Crhome 17 checks executable files against a whitelist to try and find a match. If it doesn't find one, Chrome checks in with the mothership (Google) for more information and to see if the site you're trying to visit is known for distributing malware.

You can download Chrome HERE.

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Mozilla Firefox 10.0 Available for Download

Posted by Donster on: 2012-01-31 16:36:12 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Source: techPowerUp!

Mozilla has today let loose the 10.0 version of the Firefox browser for Windows, Mac OS and Linux. This release includes several fixes, brings a hidden forward button (which appears when the user navigates back), Full Screen APIs, and features support for WebGL Anti-Aliasing, CSS3 3D-Transforms, and for the < bdi > element for bi-directional text isolation.

To download Firefox 10.0 (for any of three platforms mentioned above) visit this page, or just use the browser's built-in upgrade function. (Hosted by Mozilla)

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Firefox 9 Now Final and Available for Download

Posted by Donster on: 2011-12-20 15:41:27 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Source: Maximum PC

The cool thing about Mozilla's rapid release schedule for Firefox is that you never have to wait long for the next version to come out, which is a real boon if you want to play with the latest and greatest but aren't real keen on the thought of mucking around with beta code. And if you've been waiting around for Firefox 9 to go gold, your day has come.

On the flip side, having a rapid release schedule inevitably leads to less dramatic changes in between most builds. In this case, Firefox 9 brings a handful of new features and enhancements to the table, though nothing particularly extraordinary. Highlights include:

• Added Type Inference for improved JavaScript performance
  
• Added support for querying Do NOt Track status via JavaScript
  
• Added support for font-stretch
  
• Improved support for text-overflow
  
• Improved standards support for HTML5, MathML,a nd CSS
  
• Fixed several stability and security issues
  

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Security Firm Claims Google Is Conspiring To Kill Off Firefox

Posted by Donster on: 2011-12-16 15:13:06 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Brad Chacos @ MaximumPC

Got your tin foil hats on? Good – you’ll need it for this. Earlier this week, Accuvant Labs released a study that named Chrome the most secure browser in all the land. Um, one problem: Google was the one that commissioned the study. But the story doesn’t end there! A couple of days ago, NSS Labs – an independent security research firm – released a report of its own, in which it dissected the flaws in Accuvant’s methodology and claimed that the Accuvant study was but a small portion of a wider plan by Google to effectively kill of Firefox. Oh snap!

Read more...

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TeamSpeak and Overwolf

Posted by Donster on: 2011-12-15 16:41:14 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Source: Blue's News

TeamSpeak announces a collaboration with Overwolf to enhance the application's in-game voice chat support. The Overwolf beta now offers a TeamSpeak widget along with its in-game support for applications such as Facebook and Twitter. Here's word:

TeamSpeak users who install Overwolf will now be able to launch a TeamSpeak widget while they play to get full TeamSpeak UI functionality in-game. In addition, the widget includes in-game notifications for server events such as who has just joined or left your server and who is currently speaking. With Overwolf and TeamSpeak, users can also administer their server, change voice settings, manage channels or do just about anything they want with TeamSpeak without leaving their game. The initial release will only support the 32bit version of the TeamSpeak client (64bit will be supported soon). TeamSpeak users who don’t want to wait for an update can simply uninstall their 64bit TeamSpeak client, download the 32bit version from www.TeamSpeak.com and begin using the widget immediately. Overwolf itself currently supports Windows XP, Vista and & 7 (32bit and 64bit) operating systems.

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Internet Explorer to Start Automatic Upgrading Across Windows 7, Vista and XP

Posted by Donster on: 2011-12-15 15:21:44 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Mat Smith @ Engadget

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery right? Well, in an attempt to keep its tenuous grip on the browsing crown, it's borrowing some tricks from its plucky upstart competitors. Microsoft's announced that Internet Explorer will now tie into future Windows Update releases. The new system will start in the new year in both Australia and Brazil -- no, we don't get the connection either -- with a graduated roll-out from there throughout 2012. Microsoft says that this will help keep their browser secure and on the cutting edge of all those HTML5 developments. Fortunately, according to the Windows Team Blog, auto-update antagonists will still be able to opt out of the system. See how Ryan Galvin, Internet Explorer's General Manager, explains the reasoning over at the official blog; the link's just below.

WINDOWS TEAM BLOG

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Google Chrome 16 Released

Posted by Donster on: 2011-12-15 15:12:08 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Source: techPowerUp!

A new 'stable' build of Google's browser is now available to the masses and it offers one fresh feature - multiple profiles. This addition allows a single instance of Chrome to handle several user profiles and enable easy switching between them. This is great for shared PCs as it enables people to quickly access their bookmarks, apps, extensions, history, and other settings, but it's not really suited for those who like their privacy.

Beside multiple sign-in support, Chrome 16.0.912.63 comes with Sync enhancements and multiple bug fixes. This stable build is available for Windows, Mac OS and Linux.

DOWNLOAD (Hosted by Google)

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Report: Google's Chrome Most 'Secure' Browser

Posted by Donster on: 2011-12-12 15:32:26 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Sam Reynolds @ Hardware Canucks

According to a report by security research firm Accuvant, Google's Chrome browser is the most 'secure' mainstream web browser besting Firefox, and Internet Explorer.

The report, commissioned by Google, analyzed the practical effect default protections bundled with each browser had on a wide class of exploits. Each browser was compared on a layered perspective, taking into account security architecture and anti-exploitation techniques according to Chris Valasek, Accuvant LABS senior research scientist.

"Our researchers used a completely different and more extensive methodology than previous, similar studies," said Mr. Valasek in a statement.

Read more...

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Chrome Edging Out Firefox In Browser Wars

Posted by Donster on: 2011-12-02 16:56:24 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Seth Colaner @ HotHardware

According to StatCounter, Google’s Chrome browser overtook Mozilla’s Firefox for the first time last month; in November, Chrome snagged 25.69% of the global Web browser market share, while Firefox managed 25.23%.

To put the rise of Chrome in perspective, two years ago it held a meager 4.66% of the market to Firefox’s 32.21%. It’s been steadily on the rise ever since.

Read more...

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Mozilla Firefox 8 Released

Posted by Donster on: 2011-11-08 14:17:48 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Source: techPowerUp!

You know what, we won't even go through the drill of expressing surprise that a new major version of Firefox is released on a nearly-monthly basis. Mozilla released Firefox 8.0, about 7 months after it released Firefox 4.0. And they look similar, except that the new one looks more polished. Granted, drastic UI changes can hit users' learning curve and preferences. The new UI sports essentially the same layout as its predecessors since version 4.0, but the elements look designed better, fused into the theme. It's the under-the-hood changes that are counting. Mozilla would never pack so many background changes to the monthly updates of Firefox 3. Download Firefox 8 using the link below, or just use the browser's built-in upgrade function.

Mozilla Firefox 8.0 (Hosted by Mozilla)

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FRAPS Update Fixes Vsync Issue

Posted by Donster on: 2011-10-25 15:38:41 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Source: Maximum PC

Whether your stayed up late and stood in line at your local Gamestop at midnight last night to pick up your pre-ordered copy of Battlefield 3 or plan to grab it on the way home from work today, there's a good chance your evening will be filled with some FPS fun. Will you also be recording your in-game exploits? That's certainly an option with FRAPS.

It just so happens there's a new FRAPS build available, version 3.4.7. This incremental update introduces three fixes.

DOWNLOAD VIA FRAPS WEBSITE 2.2 MB

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Mozilla Launches Firefox 7 with Actual Improvements

Posted by Donster on: 2011-09-29 15:56:51 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Source: Fudzilla

Mozilla has been quite diligent in launching new versions of its popular browser, although many would like to have seen more improvements from version to version. However, it appears like 7 is the lucky charm as Firefox 7 does indeed bring significant improvements.

Apparently, the browser boasts “vastly” improved memory usage and increased speed. In fact, the memory usage is said to be up to 50 percent better, although it’s “only” 20-30 percent better most of the time. Considering Firefox’ reputation of a memory hog, this will surely come in handy.

The list of improvements also lists a new rendering backend to speed up Canvas operations on Windows, almost instant syncing of bookmark and password changes in Firefox sync, support for text-overflow, support for Web Timing specification and some stability improvements.

You can find out more and download Firefox 7 at the official Mozilla Firefox Website.

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Microsoft BUILD: Windows 8, A Pre-Beta Preview

Posted by Donster on: 2011-09-13 16:28:29 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Brian Klug & Ryan Smith @ AnandTech

We’re here in Anaheim, California at Microsoft’s BUILD conference. As has become tradition (or at least as much as possible), Microsoft has been holding major developer conferences for their new OSes roughly a year ahead of launch. In 2008 developers and the press got their first in-depth look at Windows 7 at Microsoft’s Professional Developers Conference (PDC), and here in 2011 BUILD is doing much the same for Windows 8.

Read on...

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Windows 8 Boots in Just Seconds

Posted by Donster on: 2011-09-09 17:03:04 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Trent Nouveau @ TG Daily

The latest iteration of Microsoft's flagship Windows operating system is apparently capable of booting in just seconds.

Although Windows 8 is coded to minimize reboots, Microsoft rep Steve Sinofsky confirmed that Redmond had made a "leap" in accelerating boot time due to "cooperation across the whole ecosystem."

Indeed, according to Microsoft exec Gabe Aul, Windows 8 is is able to execute speedy startups because the kernel simply hibernates, instead of completely closing when the user session is closed.

"Compared to a full hibernate, which includes a lot of memory pages in use by apps, session 0 hibernation data is much smaller, which takes substantially less time to write to disk," Aul explained in an official blog post.

READ MORE/WATCH VIDEO

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IE9: Microsoft is Back in the Browser Game

Posted by Donster on: 2011-04-11 17:54:06 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Stephen Shankland @ CNET News

After a three-week IE9 immersion, I've concluded that Microsoft once again has a competitive Web browser.

And even though Internet Explorer remains the most-used browser on the Net today, convincing me that Internet Explorer 9 is a real browser was quite an accomplishment. Here's why.

Read more...

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Mozilla: Firefox 5 Coming on June 21, Firefox 6 on August 18

Posted by Donster on: 2011-04-08 15:20:33 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Emil Protalinski, TechSpot

Mozilla has further detailed its new development model for Firefox. The current draft says Firefox 5 will arrive on June 21, 2011 and Firefox 6 will be released on August 18, 2011. These dates may change, but they're what the company is currently aiming for.

All changes to Firefox source code are initially integrated in the mozilla-central Mercurial repository. At scheduled intervals (typically 6 weeks), the changes are imported from mozilla-central to one of three other channels (larger features and projects are usually initially developed in other repositories which track mozilla-central). In addition to mozilla-central (currently referred to as nightly), there will also be firefox-experimental, firefox-beta, and Firefox (release), each backed by its own Mercurial repository. These names are currently placeholders and Mozilla may still change them.

Read more...

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Wrap Firefox in a Cocoon of Privacy

Posted by Donster on: 2011-04-06 15:43:10 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Seth Rosenblatt @ CNET News

Web browsers are ground zero for Internet security threats, and the debate over responsibility for preventing those threats has resulted in a Gordian knot. The people behind the new add-on for Firefox called Cocoon (download) want to cut through debate by serving the entire Web to you via proxy. (Cocoon is also available at GetCocoon.com.)

Read more...

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Firefox 4 Power User's Guide: 15 Tips, Tricks, and Features

Posted by Donster on: 2011-04-05 17:04:35 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Paul Escallier @ Maximum PC

If you read our massive browser battle article, you know that Firefox 4 has recently been released. Call it a response to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 9; call it general and expected progress; call it whatever you want—Firefox 4 is no slouch. It takes the best features of Internet Explorer and Chrome, improves them, throws in a mountain of new features itself, and wraps it all up in a sleek, intuitive package. To kick it all off, we’ve put together a visual guide to some of its best new features along with some tips and tricks to help turn you into Firefox power user.

Read on...

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Firefox 4 Doubles IE9's 24-hour Download Tally

Posted by Donster on: 2011-03-23 15:04:37 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Stephen Shankland @ CNET News

Firefox may be under fire from Microsoft's newly competitive browser, but with more than twice the downloads in its first day, Firefox 4 today soared over its rival by one measurement.

Microsoft, not without reason, boasted that IE9 was downloaded 2.35 million times in the first 24 hours after its release last week. And that is indeed a big number, especially for a browser that tech enthusiasts had scoffed at for years.

But less than 24 hours after its own launch, Firefox 4 cleared 4.7 million, according to the Mozilla Glow site that logs downloads.

Read more...

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Firefox 4 Launches Into a Tougher, Faster World

Posted by Donster on: 2011-03-22 15:10:25 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Seth Rosenblatt @ CNET News

Firefox 4 released today to the public at large after 12 public betas, two release candidates, and nearly a year of development, faces a hugely different landscape. Microsoft's Internet Explorer remains the dominant browser. And in less than three years, a significant chunk of the browser market has taken a shine to relative newcomer Google Chrome.

Mozilla flips the switch from version 3.6.15 to version 4 as Firefox possesses more than 400 million active users. (Mozilla has opened a download tracker at glow.mozilla.org.) The new version of the browser sports several massive changes, including a radically redesigned interface, significantly faster browsing speeds, strong support for the still-in-development HTML5 and other "future-Web" tech, and competitive features like synchronization, restart-less add-ons, and tab grouping. You can read the official CNET reviews of Firefox 4 at the Download.com pages for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

• READ MORE/VIDEO
  
• DOWNLOAD FIREFOX 4 VIA MOZILLA
  

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Web Browser Grand Prix 3: IE9 Enters The Race

Posted by Donster on: 2011-03-21 15:03:13 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Adam Overa @ Tom's Hardware

With highly-anticipated Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 now available, along with recently released Google Chrome 10, superb Opera 11, newly updated Apple Safari 5.04, and rock-steady Mozilla Firefox 3.6, this is going to be quite an interesting race.

Read The Review Here

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The 10 Best New Features In Internet Explorer 9

Posted by Donster on: 2011-03-18 17:42:39 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Alex Castle @ Maximum PC

Internet Explorer 9 is finally available in final form to the general public, and we’re pleased to say that it represents a big leap forward for Microsoft’s web browser. We know that many of you Maximum PC reader’s have gotten turned off to IE in recent years (and understandably so) but Internet Explorer is suddenly a lot more competitive, and worth a look.

We recommend you try it for yourself (sorry XP users, Vista and Windows 7 only), but in case you’re still on the fence, we’ve prepared a visual guide to our 10 favorite new features in Internet Explorer 9. Read on for more info!

Read on...

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Mozilla Mirroring Chrome's Fast, Phased Releases

Posted by Donster on: 2011-03-18 17:10:20 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Stephen Shankland @ CNET News

Mozilla plans an orderly shift from raw new code to a polished final version of Firefox every 16 weeks.

A faster, regular release schedule isn't the only idea Mozilla is adopting from Google's browser. The organization also is embracing a plan to give Firefox a similar spectrum of test and stable versions to try to bring new features to market swiftly.

The general idea is to issue new versions of Firefox with varying levels of maturity, with the more mature versions geared for larger audiences, according to a draft document published by Mozilla programmer Rob Sayre.

Read more...

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Internet Explorer 9 Arrives, But Not For XP

Posted by Donster on: 2011-03-15 16:02:03 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Seth Rosenblatt @ CNET News

The training wheels have come off of the latest version of Internet Explorer, as Microsoft unleashes version 9 of the world's most heavily used browser this evening at an event at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. Internet Explorer 9 debuts to the public not only as the fastest, most standards-compliant version of IE yet, but also as one that can stand up and compete on features and looks with Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and the Opera browser. Along with IE's new features, though, Microsoft has a clear message for Windows XP users: hurry up and upgrade to Windows 7 already.

• READ MORE/VIDEO
  
• IE 9 DOWNLOADS PAGE
  

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Google Chrome Updated to Version 10

Posted by Donster on: 2011-03-09 13:54:46 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Ryan Whitwam @ Maximum PC

Google Chrome has become a leading browser in just a few years, thanks in part to the rapid pace of development. Google is frequently pushing out updates to the beta and developer channels, with the stable release getting the final product. It was just a month ago that version 9 became official, and Google has announced today that Chrome version 10 has left beta, bringing with it a slew of new features. You can download the browser at google.com/chrome, or if you’re already using Chrome, you’ll be automatically updated to this new version soon!

Read more...

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Microsoft Confirms Internet Explorer 9 Will Launch on March 14th

Posted by Donster on: 2011-03-09 13:48:59 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Donald Melanson @ Engadget

We had a hint that Microsoft would be releasing the final version of Internet Explorer 9 on March 14th, and now the company has finally, officially confirmed it. That launch will coincide with a press event / party at SXSW, and downloads will be available starting at 9PM Pacific time (or midnight Eastern time). Wondering what's in store? Then you can always check out our review of the beta version, or simply download it yourself, of course -- suffice it to say, it's no Internet Explorer 6.

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Windows 7's First Service Pack Arrives

Posted by Donster on: 2011-02-22 16:12:27 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Josh Lowensohn @ CNET News

Today marks an important milestone for Windows 7: the arrival of its first service pack since the operating system's release in late 2009.

Service Pack 1 was released to manufacturers earlier this month, with the announcement that it would arrive in consumers' hands this week. The software is set to hit Windows Update later today, with it already being posted as a 1.95GB download bundle for all versions on Microsoft's Download Center. TechNet subscribers and Microsoft volume license customers got access to the update last week.

Read more...

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IE9 RC with Tracking Opt-Out Now Available for Download

Posted by Donster on: 2011-02-11 14:44:55 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Paul Lilly @ HotHardware

The next generation of browser wars is just around the corner. While Mozilla inches closer to shipping Firefox 4, which is currently in its eleventh beta, Microsoft on Thursday announced the availability of Internet Explorer 9 in Release Candidate form. That means it's essentially finished, at least in terms of features, and should have most of the bugs ironed out.

"With the Release Candidate, we've taken to heart over 17,000 pieces of feedback about IE9," Microsoft said in a blog post. "You will find the product has made progress on all fronts -- performance and standards, user experience, and safety and privacy."

DOWNLOAD HERE (Hosted by Microsoft)

News Source: Email

Windows 8 to Support ARM and SoCs

Posted by Donster on: 2011-01-06 13:51:18 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Anton Karmehed @ NordicHardware

Microsoft has revealed that the next generation operating system will support more than the classic x86 architecture. The software giant revealed that the company will also bake in support for so-called SoCs based on ARM's processor architecture.

The most likely name of Microsoft's next generation operating system is "Windows 8" and even if Microsoft doesn't confirm this in its statement it is clear that Windows 8 will be a lot different from Windows 7.

Read more...

News Source: Email

Fraps Updated to Version 3.2.6, More Bugs Fixed

Posted by Donster on: 2010-12-27 14:11:09 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Source: TechConnect

beepa has this week rolled out a new update for its video capturing and benchmarking tool Fraps to fix various issues like one that led to crashes on Windows 2000 machines, and one that prevented DirectX from being initialized at startup.

Fraps 3.2.6 also resolves a crashing issue while recording, and a bug that causes graphic corruption of individual frames in recorded movies. The updated version can be downloaded from this page. (2.2 MB)

News Source: Email

Opera 11 Released, Complete with Extensions, Visual Mouse Gestures and More

Posted by Donster on: 2010-12-16 14:44:37 in category: Software News [ Print ]

We're pretty sure this isn't Santa's doing but it can still be thought of as a holiday gift. Yes, Opera fans, Opera 11 went though three RCs at a lightning-fast pace and is now available for download in a final form.

Written by Cristian @ TechConnect

Opera 11 is available for Windows, Mac OS and Linux and brings a heap of new features - extensions support for more functionality, tab stacking for better tab management, pinned tabs, visual mouse gestures, a tweaked address field enabling one-click access to a site's security and trust information, a new bookmarks bar, Mail panel upgrades, enhanced HTML5 support, and more speed. All this comes in a package that's 30% smaller than that of Opera 10.

To download Opera 11 see Click Here. (8.9 MB)

News Source: Email

Google Chrome 8, Now with Web App Support

Posted by Donster on: 2010-12-03 14:29:03 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Paul Lilly @ Maximum PC

The latest version of Google's Chrome browser -- version 8.0.552.215, or Chrome 8 from here on out -- now supports Web apps, meaning it will work seamlessly with Google's upcoming Chrome Web Store.

That alone doesn't do Chrome users much good in the here and now, but that isn't the only change Chrome 8 brings to the browser table. Google added a built-in PDF viewer that's secured in Chrome's sandbox, so you can finally kiss Adobe's Reader app goodbye, if you haven't already.

Other changes underneath the hood include over 800 bug fixes and stability improvements, Google says.

CHROME DOWNLOAD PAGE

News Source: Email

Fraps Sheds a Few More Bugs with 3.2.5 Update

Posted by Donster on: 2010-12-03 14:24:25 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Source: TechConnect

A new version of Fraps has been released and it brings fixes to two issues, one with keys sticking/being duplicated with Fraps loaded, and one that prevented a number of users from recording their gaming performance in half-size mode.

Fraps 3.2.5 is available HERE for Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista and Windows 7. 2.2 MB

News Source: Email

Review: Do Virus Scanners Slow Down Your System?

Posted by Donster on: 2010-12-01 14:51:50 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Don Woligroski @ Tom's Hardware

Does the presence of a virus scanner guarantee reduced performance, or does it have a negligible impact? We test 10 different products to see if you’re unknowingly suffering with security software.

Read The Review Here

News Source: Email

Fraps 3.2.4 Released - Includes 3D Vision Capture

Posted by Donster on: 2010-11-29 15:49:02 in category: Software News [ Print ]

Source: TechConnect

beepa has now rolled out a new version of its benchmarking and screen shot/video taking software Fraps, and it brings support for D3D10 and D3D11 stereoscopic 3D Vision capture, and for the Windows 7 Service Pack 1 RC.

Fraps 3.2.4 also includes the following:

• Fixed counter appearing on Windows Live 2011 apps
  
• Fixed inverted colors in video captured from some DX10 games
  
• Fixed DWM capture jumping between multiple monitors on Windows 7
  
• Fixed flickering counter in some OpenGL applications
  
• Fixed mouse offset in 3D browser apps
  
• Fixed FRAPS.EXE not appearing signed on some Windows 7 installations
  
• Fixed systray icon not turning pink in loop recording mode.
  
• Fixed startup crash on 24-core CPU systems
  
• Other minor bug/stability fixes
  

News Source: Email

Mozilla Releases 'Feature Complete' Firefox 4 Beta 7

Posted by Donster on: 2010-11-12 15:51:03 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Pulkit Chandna @ Maximum PC

Mozilla has delivered the seventh Firefox 4 beta, albeit almost a couple of months behind its original beta schedule. The open source outfit had originally scheduled the release of the “feature complete” Beta 7 for September 17, 2010, but ended up pushing back the release of both the beta and the release candidate, which is now expected to arrive in early 2011.

Now that the Add-ons APIs for Firefox 4 are stable, add-on developers can begin updating their add-ons to support Firefox 4. This is how the browser developer summed up the enhancements in a blog post: “This release boosts performance in some important ways: it adds the JägerMonkey just-in-time (JIT) JavaScript compiler; adds more support for hardware-accelerated graphics, as well as hardware acceleration for Windows XP and Mac OS X; and enables 3D capabilities, without the need for plug-ins, with WebGL.”

According to Mozilla, the new features translate into a snappier and much more exciting browsing experience.

Download the Firefox 4 beta HERE. (Hosted by Mozilla - 7.7 MB)

News Source: Email

Mozilla Delays Launch of Firefox 4 RC Until 2011

Posted by Donster on: 2010-10-28 15:42:56 in category: Software News [ Print ]

By Paul Lilly @ MaximumPC

You'll have to wait until next year before getting a chance to play with Firefox 4 in Release Candidate (RC) form. An updated release schedule shows the RC version being pushed back until early 2011.

"Development on Firefox 4 has not slowed down, and strong progress is being made daily. However, based on the delays in completing the 'feature complete' Beta 7 milestone against which our add-on developers and third-party software developers ca