Compare the Best Internet Browsers

Google Chrome Keeps Crashing - Fix Chrome Crashes in Your Computer

2010-06-18T15:48:00.000-07:00

Today, people have so many options for the web browser, as there are so many browsers available for browsing. However, some of them are good enough for the people that is why they do not want to change their browsers for any reason. Chrome is also one of the best browsers which has third largest users base all over the world. However, sometimes Google chrome gets some problems such as: "Google chrome has crashed" or "the application failed to initialize properly". These error messages are very annoying for the users and when they occur most of the users do not know what to do. Sometime they just restart the computer, but it does not work.

Before getting the solution for such problems it is better that you understand that why Google chrome crashes. There are many reasons for the Google chrome crashing, but one of the main reasons is registry error. The registry is a place, which stores all the important information of the system and it has all those files, which helps in proper loading of the system processes. Therefore, any error or corrupt file in the registry system severely affects the system, which can also result in chrome crash.

The problem becomes worse if there occurs the file association errors which are a class of registry keys. These errors prevent programs from opening properly. Getting a fix for file association issues through a proper registry cleaning solution also helps if your google chrome keeps crashing.

However, it is not that much difficult to fix the Google chrome error. You can fix it easily with a simple command. For this, you need to stop the chrome and right click on its shortcut. This will open Google chrome properties and then click on shortcut tab. Here you will find a command in front of target option, where you need to add "--no-sandbox" or --no-process-plugins". After writing this command click, ok, and this will resolve your crash issue. Here "no sandbox" means you have turned on the sandbox security mode, which will help your computer from being infected from any type of malware or any other virus, which can affect the chrome browser. However, the second command "no process plugins" will instruct the plugins to run inside the chrome, because by default these plugins run in separate places, which result in chrome crashes.

The above guidelines allow you to fix Google Chrome Crashing. By using a sophisticated registry protection program such as RegInOut you can have an added advantage of fixing PC errors and solving your issues. To download RegInOut takes 17 seconds while the program is recommended by many computer software experts.

Firefox Vs Internet Explorer - Which Are the Main Differences?

2010-06-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

I think it is fair to say that most people have heard of internet explorer and Firefox, but few people really know what the differences are between the two. Also, statistically, about 2x more people use internet explorer compared to Firefox. However, I think this is mainly because of the fact that internet explorer has been around far longer than fire fox, and it also comes installed on just about any PC on the face of the earth by default.

So what are the biggest and most obvious differences between the two internet surfing platforms? Well, they are actually more similar than most people realize, but there are certainly some advantages and disadvantages to each program. For example, internet explorer is basically more compatible with more websites, and it is also less likely to display a website improperly. However, this is only really a factor when it comes to websites that are extremely old and outdated, which means that they use older HTML code standards, among other things.

However, now for the advantages of Firefox. Firefox is well known for its amazing speed, at least when compared to internet explorer. I think the main reason why fire fox is much faster than IE is because it simply has less bells and whistles, and the program coding is more efficient as well. Also, even when you have multiple tabs running, Firefox still runs amazingly fast. When you start opening more than 3 or 4 tabs in internet explorer, you will definitely notice that the program will start to bog down, even on faster PCs.

Also, another awesome thing about Firefox is the fact that they make a LOT more nifty plugins and tools bars when compared to internet explorer. I'm not quite sure why that is. Perhaps because it is a faster running program, and can easier handle the extra burden of new plugins running in the back ground? Or perhaps it is just easier to create programs for Firefox, who knows. But at any rate, there you have it. Those are the most prominent differences between internet explorer and Firefox. Other than that, they are pretty much the same thing, and function exactly the same when it comes to browsing the internet or doing your online shopping.

The great Article was written by Jeffrey, who sure happens to love writing in his free time. Jeffrey also creates websites too, and he has recently made a site about the Makita chop saw as well as Makita circular saws.

Google Crome is Fast

2008-12-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

Google chrome is a great internet browser but their are still some tweaks that I would like to see.

The first one is having a bookmark toolbar just like the one Firefox has where you click and the bookmarks toolbar comes down with all your favorite websites.

I have also noticed that my DSL connection or rather the browser seems to crash every once in a while, and it does seem to start of slow when your first open Google chrome browser.

I would also like to see the toolbar up on top like most browsers such as Mozilla and Internet Explorer.

I highly recommend chrome and I think that Google has a winner on their hands!

The Best Browser? It's still Firefox

2008-05-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

If you haven't downloaded the Firefox Browser as of yet, what are you waiting for? Ok, it took me a while to become convinced and switch from Internet Explorer myself, but once you make the move to Mozilla Firefox you'll never use IE ever again!

Firefox is fast, reliable and very safe to use and for those who are Microsoft haters, what better way to stick it to Bill Gates and the evil empire?

If your worried about compatibility no need to, Firefox works great and it's supported by most major websites and you will get an alert if you need to download an add-on.

Firefoz is the highest rated computer browser according to CNET only second to firefox portable.

Download Firefox 2.0.0.12

2008-02-19T21:26:00.000-08:00

Firefox 2 users should always remember to check for the latest update to your Firefox Browser to Download updates. It keeps your browser up to date and gives you features that are included in the new version. Just go to help and check for updates.

Version 3.0 is just around the corner and as most people are, I am looking forward to the security improvements and other tweaks and updates with the new Mozilla Firefox Download that is going to be released very soon.

You can also participate in the beta version, but be careful as it still has bugs and Mozilla is working on finalizing this anticipated new release of Firefox 3.

You can download beta version 3 here

I recommend downloading the Google Pack which is free and includes multiple software programs such as: Google Earth, Norton Security Scan, Firefox with Google Toolbar, Skype, Spyware Doctor, Picasa, RealPlayer plus more and of course it's free. Enjoy!

Will Firefox cause problems with IE 7 if I Download?

2008-02-02T18:28:00.000-08:00

Your computer comes with Internet Explorer already installed if you have the Windows operating system and not Apples Mac.

Your free to download Firefox, Opera or any other browser that you may choose if you would like to compare or use another browser if you are not happy with Internet Explorer, especially version 7.

Firefox 2 and Opera 9 are two very popular browsers and have received great reviews from CNET and users alike.

So the answer is no, you won't have any compatibility issues by downloading another Internet browser if you choose to do so.

Best 3 browsers by number of downloads according to download.com:

1- Avant Browser 11.5 build 21

2- Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.11

3- Internet Explorer 7

Top rated? Opera 9.25

Firefox Browser should I Download it?

2008-01-19T21:42:00.000-08:00

As you already know all computers come with Internet explorer already installed.

Firefox has been able to grow it's popularity mostly through word of mouth and with the help of Google's referral program which pays website owners and bloggers up to 1 dollar every time an internet user downloads the Mozilla browser.

Cnet has given Firefox great reviews over the years which has helped also fuel it's popularity as the best browser not installed on the windows operating system.

With a new version 3.0 just around the corner the future looks very bright for the Mozilla team. So go ahead give it a try, once you try it you'll never use another browser ever again!

Firefox not starting follow up

2008-01-09T02:59:00.000-08:00

A quick follow up to my previous post. If you let windows vista fully start and let all your programs load before starting Firefox, it looks as if the browser has no problem. The issue is when you start it before your computer fully loads. That's why if you have programs that you don't really need to start right away, you should go to settings --> windows defender ---> tools button and then click on software explorer and go to start up programs and select any programs that you wan't to disable from starting with vista. This will make your computer start much faster.

Temporary fix for firefox browser not starting

2008-01-01T21:15:00.000-08:00

Lately Firefox every so often will not start after I start my computer. It could be a windows vista compatibility issue or maybe something to do with the browser itself. I try to end firefox.exe process so I can resart firefox, but that does not work either.

Here is what you do if you have microsoft vista:

1- Go to control panel

2- Click on programs and features

3- Right click on firefox and press un-install

4- A pop-up box will ask if you would like to close firefox to continue

5- Press yes (even though it never started in the first place)

6- After several seconds it will tell you to close firefox process (which you can't) so press cancel.

7- For some reason firefox will now work after this lazy crazy process.

Tip: Just restart your computer instead. Also wait until vista has fully restarted before trying to open firefox, less chance of it not starting.

Firefox 3 beta Testing

2007-12-13T13:57:00.001-08:00

According to Cnet, Mozilla has released firefox 3 (Gran Paradiso) Alpha 1 for beta testing. Definitely looking forward to this new release which should be ready for the public to download in the upcoming months. Many new features and better security are promised.

Firefox is the best browser

2007-10-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

I love when I shut off my computer and restart Firefox browser and I'm able to go back to the pages that I was on before I shut my computer off. Whether you shut your computer by accident or it shut off by itself, I must say this is a great feature by Mozilla and the Firefox web browser. It's now my preferred browser and Internet Explorer doesn't even come close!

Thunderbird 2

Firefox 2.0.0.7 Security Update

Mozilla Aims At Cross-Site Scripting With FF3

2007-08-22T20:39:00.001-07:00

Web 2.0 has enabled a broad array of Websites to be more engaging for users. It has also enabled a new and now very common attack, namely cross site scripting, commonly referred to as XSS attacks (define).

Mozilla is aiming to put an end to XSS attacks in its upcoming Firefox 3 browser. The Alpha 7 development release includes support for a new W3C working draft specification that is intended is secure XML over HTTP requests (often referred to as XHR) which are often the culprit when it comes to XSS attacks. XHR is the backbone of Web 2.0 enabling a more dynamic web experience with remote data.

"Cross site XMLHttpRequest will enable web authors to more easily and safely create Web mashups," Mike Schroepfer, Mozilla's vice president of engineering, told internetnews.com.

"It is one of many advanced Web standards that we are implementing in Firefox 3 and look forward to the world adopting."

The W3C working draft is officially titled, "Enabling Read Access for Web Resources." It's intended to define a mechanism by which Web developers can safely provide cross-site Web resource access. The specification will let developers define via an HTTP header or an XML instruction which sites are allowed read-access and which are not.

A typical XSS attack vector is one in which a malicious Web site reads the credentials from another that a user has visited. The new specification could well serve to limit that type of attack though it is still incumbent upon Web developers to be careful with their trusted data.

The W3C working draft warns that "user agents which implement this specification should take care not to expose other trusted data (cookies, HTTP header data) inappropriately."

Of course, it's also wise to consider the source.

"Application authors should be aware that content retrieved from another site is not itself trustable," the W3C working draft advises. "Authors should take care to protect against exposing themselves to cross-site scripting attacks by rendering or executing the retrieved content directly without validation."

In addition to the new XSS support in Firefox 3 Alpha 7, Mozilla developers have also fixed some bugs and implementation errors that cropped up in the Alpha 6 release, which came out in early July.

The latest release isn't just about bug fixes and new feature support. Mozilla developers have actually dropped support for the SOAP (define) Web services messaging protocol, according to the official Alpha 7 release notes. (It still runs in Firefox 3, however.)

"The SOAP implementation dropped from Firefox 3 was only available to extension authors, who have many other more modern implementations to choose from," Schroepfer explained. "We are, in general, removing as much old code from the core browser as possible to improve security, reduce download size, and allow Web and extension authors to choose the latest support libraries they need."

Firefox 3 is Mozilla's next generation browser and will be the successor to the current 2.x browser. The open source group has been working on Firefox 3 (code name Gran Paradiso) since October of 2006 when the first Firefox 3 alpha appeared.

At the time the Alpha 6 browser was released, Mozilla had projected that the Beta 1 release would be out by July 31. That obviously didn't happen.

"A firm date for Beta 1 has not yet been set," Schroepfer said. "We are shipping milestones every 6 weeks (next up is Milestone 8) and when the quality of the milestones are ready for broad use we'll ship Beta1."

Firefox Campus Edition Features Bundled Tools For Students

2007-08-22T20:38:00.001-07:00

Continuing its string of branded versions of Firefox, Mozilla is set to release a “Campus Edition” aimed at students headed back to school. Firefox Campus is a little different that the previous branded versions we’ve covered (notably AllPeers and EBay) in that there’s no specific company involved, rather the campus edition of Firefox comes bundled with a number of add-ons students might find helpful.

The featured add-on in the campus edition are Zotero, FoxyTunes and StumbleUpon. Zotero is a research tool which helps collect, manage and cite research sources, while FoxyTunes lets you control various media players from within Firefox.

The StumbleUpon toolbar seems of dubious usefulness for students, though it is no doubt an excellent time waster and a fun way to find random, engaging websites.

The campus edition page should be available for download sometime later today.

While the student bundle is primarily a PR move on Mozilla’s part, and a good one at that, we can’t help thinking they left out some of the more useful plugins for students.

For instance, Research Word gives Firefox a handy contextual menu item to look up words and phrases in a variety of sources. Select the word to lookup and right-click the selection to access definitions from Wikipedia, Google Definitions, IMDb and more.

For the science majors there’s Biotech, which offers some links and tools for people wanting to research the field of Biotechnology.

Other cool tools for students include Diigo, a web highlighter and sticky note extension and the Sirsi Library System add-on, which is a great time saver if your university or school uses the Sirsi Library System.

Mozilla Hastens Firefox 3

2007-04-28T16:59:00.001-07:00

Mozilla has unveiled new details of its schedule for Firefox 3, the next major upgrade to the popular open-source browser.

Alpha editions of Firefox 3 will be released monthly, said Mike Schroepfer, the company's vice president of engineering, in a posting to the mozilla.dev.planning forum. "We will do date-driven alpha releases on a one-month cadence," said Schroepfer.

The new schedule shows three more previews -- Alphas 4, 5 and 6 -- be released near the end of April, May, and June, respectively, with a feature-complete Beta 1 dropping into testers' hands July 31. The most recent test edition, Alpha 3, was posted March 27.

Firefox 3, which Mozilla has said should appear in final form in the last quarter of the year, will feature a completely-revamped bookmarking system, new identity management tools and support for off-line Web applications. The redesigned bookmarks, dubbed Places, will debut in Alpha 5, which is due to roll out May 31.

According to numbers reported earlier this month from metrics vendor Net Applications, Firefox had 15.1 percent of the global browser market. Microsoft Internet Explorer remained the leader, however, with a 78.6 percent share

Mozilla Firefox Gaining Ground on Microsoft IE

2006-08-02T19:31:00.000-07:00

Mozilla’s open-source Internet browser Firefox is increasingly gaining ground in the browser space and stealing away market share from Microsoft’s widely used Internet Explorer browser, capturing some 11 percent of the worldwide market in July, Forbes reports.

The news is based on research from Web analytics firm Net Applications.

According to Net Applications, Firefox’s 11.3 percent market share in July is 1.8 percent higher than its market share in January 2006, while Microsoft lost 1.7 percent of the market during the same period with 83.6 percent market share in July compared to its 85.3 percent in January, according to Forbes.

Numbers from Internet traffic-tracking firm OneStat suggest that in the United States, Mozilla also took more of Microsoft’s browser user base, with a gain of 1.7 percent on its January market share of 14.1 percent, Forbes reports.

Mozilla announced on Monday that its Firefox browser has been downloaded more than 200 million times, but it specified that this number doesn’t necessarily represent as many users, according to Forbes.

Microsoft is currently working away on its upcoming browser, Internet Explorer 7—which is already available in a handful of beta versions—and the Redmond, Wash.-based software giant announced last week that it will distribute the browser software to users as an automatic update that they’ll have the option of opting out of. Internet Explorer 7’s official release is expected before the end of the year.

Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage.

Source: www.cio.com

13 Great Firefox Extensions for Web Professionals

2006-07-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

Like most web developers or SEO professionals, I use a vast array of tools to get the job done. I use a combination of desktop and web applications, some purchased and some free. Everyone I know has downloaded a free copy of Mozilla Firefox, but few realize that by installing some of the 1,500 free extensions they can eliminate the need for most of the other applications they currently use. Below are my 13 favorite extensions for web professionals (in no particular order):

HTML Validator (http://users.skynet.be/mgueury/mozilla/) – validates web pages to the W3C HTML standards with a simple green check in the corner of the page if the page validates, a red check if it doesn’t, and a yellow exclamation point if there are warnings. It also includes an enhanced view of source code that allows you to see where errors are within the code.

FireFTP (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/684/) – free, secure, cross-platform FTP client that provides easy and intuitive access to FTP servers. This eliminates a piece of software for those of you who use a separate program for FTP.

Professor X (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2823/) – lets you view header information without having to view source code. The page “slides” down and Professor X shows you the contents of the page's head element, including Meta, Script and Style content.

NikkelWHOIS (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2646/) –view the WHOIS information for any page by clicking the button on the top-right of the browser.

IE Tab (http://ietab.mozdev.org) – sick of swapping between Internet Explorer and Firefox when testing out a web page you’re developing? With IE Tab you can view Internet Explorer in a Firefox Tab!

FireBug (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1843/) – an advanced debugger console that lets you monitor your JavaScript, CSS, HTML and Ajax.

Codetech (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1002/) – web page editor that has the feel of Dreamweaver. An amazing extension for anyone doing web design that doesn’t want to fork out a few hundred dollars for Dreamweaver.

Server Switcher (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2409/) – easily switch between sites on your development and live servers by clicking the switch server icon.

SEO for Firefox (http://tools.seobook.com/firefox/seo-for-firefox.html) – pulls useful market research data right into Google's and Yahoo!'s search results, including Google PR, Age, links, Alexa rank, WHOIS, and more. It also adds a few helpful links to the top of the search pages, including Google Trends, Google Traffic Estimator, and the Overture View Bid tool.

Yet Another Window Resizer (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2498/) – allows you to resize browser window to default screen resolutions.

AdSense Preview (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2132/) – preview the Google AdSense ads that would appear on that page. This is incredibly useful if you are considering putting AdSense on a page and don’t want to go through the hassle of signing up for an account and putting the ads up just to see what type of ads will show.

Screen grab (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1146/) – takes a screenshot of the webpage and saves it as an image file. This saves a ton of time compared to the method I used to use – take a screenshot and open Adobe Photoshop to crop the image.

Server Spy (https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2036/) – indicates what brand of HTTP server (Apache, IIS, etc.) runs on the visited site on the lower-right side of the browser.

Adam McFarland owns iPrioritize - simple to-do lists that can be edited at any time from any place in the world. Email, print, check from your mobile phone, subscribe via RSS, and share with others.

Making The Move From Microsoft Internet Explorer To Mozilla Firefox

2006-07-25T21:57:00.000-07:00

Mozilla Firefox was the solution to so many problems I encountered with Microsoft Internet Explorer. I had an effective browser that dealt with annoying pop-ups and spyware. The best of all was that it performed much better than its counterpart. On a security side you had a better solution than Internet Explorer. Firefox is the result of an open source project and as all of you know, the open source community provides solutions to the vulnerabilities of its software much faster than Microsoft does for Internet Explorer.

Firefox has dealt with various security issues long before Microsoft even discovered similar issues in their browser. There has also been a joke circulating among Firefox fans that there is only one thing that is more secure in Internet Explorer than in Firefox and that is a feature that has not been implemented yet in Internet Explorer. I’m not sure what the specific issue was that this joke referred to, but it is ironic that Firefox is still more secure while providing much more functionality than Internet Explorer and therefore has more possible areas for security holes.

After discovering that so many visitors to my site was Internet Explorer users, I immediately browsed my site with Internet Explorer to see if there were any critical issues I had to deal with. To my surprise I only found that certain images were not completely aligned in the same positions, as they appeared in Firefox, but not so much that they looked out of place, to be honest if you never saw the site with Firefox you would not have even known that the images were out of place. The reason for this misplacement was Internet Explorer’s lack of solid support for CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).

Another problem was my toolbar. All the buttons was glued together, while they are spaced apart from each other when you view the site with Mozilla Firefox. This was easily fixed, ironically with a specific CSS statement that Internet Explorer does not have support for. The last problem was the appearance of a button when you hover with your mouse over it. The last button of every toolbar was broken so that the hovering effect did not display correctly in Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer is so bug ridden that you simply can’t have a work-around for every issue. The point I’m trying to make is that the site looked not to bad after all, if you kept in mind that it was only designed and tested with Mozilla Firefox.

Another interesting thing I discovered from my visitor statistics was that 95% used a screen resolution of 1024x768. I’m still designing on a 14” screen with an 800x600 resolution but always make sure that my site displays correctly on a 1024x768 resolution. I have made the mistake in the past by designing sites for an 800x600 resolution only, because I simply did not think about a higher resolution at that time. This was a very stupid mistake to make, I was chasing visitors away, unknowingly, because I was too reluctant to get myself a bigger screen that could handle a higher screen resolution.

This is maybe the most ironic part of my discoveries. People don’t mind to spend money upgrading their screen in order to comply with the newest trend of screen resolutions, something that does nothing to enhance the security of your online activities, but when they get the opportunity to obtain a free browser, that provides better security than their current browser, they simply refuse to make the move. I have seen Internet Explorer fix common HTML errors, like using two double quotes next to each other while there should have been only one. Firefox did not display the image referenced after these two double quotes and pointed this error out when you viewed the page source.

Internet Explorer ignored the second double quote and displayed the image as if there was no error at all. It did the cover-up work for the coding error, while Mozilla Firefox exposed it. Internet Explorer is therefore not the type of browser a web designer would use to validate his or her HTML code. You would rather prefer an alternative like Firefox, which tells you when you are making coding errors. But this even holds a threat for the normal user. Would you continue to trust a browser that attempt to correct a designer’s mistakes, or would you rather trust a browser that does not allow the faulty code to execute at all? Hackers are always on the lookout for common mistakes to exploit. You have a bigger chance to exploit faulty code than code that never got executed in the first place. After all how confident are you that Internet Explorer will make the right choice when correcting HTML errors?

Mozilla Firefox has a much better track record, not only with security issues, but also various other features, many features that the current version of Internet Explorer does not provide for. Why should web developers waste hours of their precious time to make up for the shortcomings of a browser while they could have spent their lost time making their websites more solid, better and more entertaining to explore with a browser that really works? So next time when you get the opportunity to switch over to Mozilla Firefox, be clever, don’t hesitate, you will be making the right move if you decide to make the switch.

Coenraad de Beer

Webmaster of Cyber Top Cops - The Cyber Security Specialists

Firefox use growing around the world, study says

2006-07-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

After a brief period of little growth this spring, The Mozilla Foundation's open-source Firefox web browser is again gaining ground on Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE).

In its latest study on web browser usage, Netherlands-based OneStat.com says that Firefox gained 1.14% in June and is now used by 12.93% of surfers. That's up from 11.79% who used Firefox in May, while IE use declined by 2.12% to 83.05%.

"We thought that Firefox growth had slowed down," says Niels Brinkman, a co-founder of OneStat.com. "It seems it's increasing again. That's a little bit of a surprise to us."

The study results were released just before Mozilla.org released the first public beta of the next version of Firefox. Beta 1 of Firefox 2.0 was made public last week.

Last November, OneStat.com's survey pegged Firefox browser usage globally at 11.51%, up 2.82% from April 2005. IE at the time had a global usage share of 85.45%, down 1.18% from April 2005.

OneStat.com uses real-time web analytics to look at which broswers are being used to view websites and to determine their popularity across the internet, Brinkman says.

The other popular browsers globally, according to OneStat.com, are Apple Computer's Safari, with 1.84% usage; Opera, with 1% usage; and Netscape, with 0.16% usage.

In the US, the most popular browsers are IE, which is used by 79.78% of surfers; Firefox, which is used by 15.82%; Safari, which is used by 3.28%; Opera, which is used by 0.81%; and Netscape, which is used by 0.2% of web surfers.

Usage rates for IE and Firefox in Canada and the UK are similar to the U.S. statistics. But in Australia, Firefox is much more popular and is used by 24.23% of web surfers. Microsoft's IE is used by 69.35% of Australian surfers, according to the study. In Germany, Firefox is even more popular: 39.02% of surfers there use it, compared with 55.99% who use IE.

Dana Gardner, an analyst at Interarbor Solutions in Gilford, N.H., says the growing use of Firefox arises from several factors, including better performance and fewer security problems than IE.

"I think it's been an astonishing ramp-up

Continued

Firefox 2.0 Beta available

2006-07-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

The latest beta of the favorite alternative browser has been made available for download. This first beta release of Firefox 2.0 gives users a preview of some of the new features we can expect to be using when the final version of the browser is released.

In this early beta, new features include an anti-phishing tool, which allows the browser to warn you if a website is trying to steal your details. There is improved Web feed previews and subscriptions, built-in spell checking, better search engine controls for adding and organization, Javascript 1.7 support, a new Windows installer, a session restore feature if a crash occurs, and the ability to reopen accidentally closed tabs.

One more interesting feature is the Microsummaries, which allow for regularly updated chunks of useful information on specific websites. The information can fit within a bookmark label and aims to be more useful than a static page marker

Continued

Master Firefox's Hidden Configuration Tools

2006-06-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

I often write that the Mozilla Foundation's Firefox browser does thus and such, or doesn't do this or that other thing. What I mean is that the program has no menu command or preferences dialog box to give users control over its cache, performance, and other settings. In truth, there are other handy but hard-to-discover ways of configuring Firefox to behave according to your wishes.

Firefox inherits a number of hidden configuration interfaces from its Netscape ancestors, namely its 'about:' URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers). For instance, in last April's Internet Tips column (under "Clear the Cache"), I wrote that unlike Internet Explorer, Firefox doesn't allow you to view the contents of its cached Web pages and related files. While it is true that you won't find a menu command or setting in the program's interface for that task, reader Fran Snyder, who contacted me via e-mail, notes that all you have to do is type about:cache into Firefox's address field and press to view links to the contents of the browser's memory and disk caches.

So why would you ever want to peruse your Web browser's cache? The most obvious reason is that accessing the cache permits you to reopen the pages, images, and Flash animations you have viewed most recently, even when you aren't connected to the Internet. You can also save cached files to another spot on your hard disk or to removable storage.

Firefox's voluminous about:cache display doesn't make it easy, however--your best chance of finding a cached file is to press -F to open the Firefox search bar, type a portion of the Web site's domain name, the file name or extension, or some other part of the address into the find field, and press . For example, if you're looking for flash files, enter .swf. Or for images you saw on the New York Times' site, enter nytimes.com.

About:cache is just one of Firefox's hidden resources (you can see a complete list of these 'about:' URIs). Type about:about or just about: to see detailed information on your version of Firefox. Enter about:credits to view the names of the scores of developers who dedicated their free hours to creating and improving the browser, and type about:plugins to list all of the plug-ins currently installed. If you're sure you'll forget all of the above, no problem--just install MR Tech's About:About Firefox extension, which adds the tools as links to the browser's Help menu (see FIGURE 1).

Config-uring It Out
The most useful--and dangerous--of the built-in URIs is about:config. Similar to Windows' Registry, the about:config page serves as an interface to the many boolean, integer, and string variables that control every aspect of Firefox's behavior. The biggest problem with about:config is that, like the Registry, it is mostly indecipherable to the average user. And again like the Registry, it lists only those settings that are currently set overtly--many other default settings don't appear simply because they don't need to.

Fortunately, an about:config FAQ page on the Mozilla Foundation's

Story Continued

Best Firefox plug-ins for work

2006-06-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

All Web 2.0 sites have one thing in common: they need a Web browser. I use Firefox, and not just because it's a more secure browser with better user interface features. I use Firefox because it has a fantastic plug-in architecture and a whole community of people who are writing plug-ins for it.

Now it's possible to go completely overboard with Firefox plug-ins, but realistically, most people will probably settle on just a few. I've picked out a few favourites that I use every day.

Pre-visualising links
Clicking links is so 2005. Browster is an add-on to Firefox (and Internet Explorer) that pops open a window to the Web site that's under each link on your page when you hover over the link. When you mouse back to the original page

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Firefox Download

Google Develops Browser Sync Tool for Firefox

2006-06-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

In another boost to Mozilla, Google has created a tool that lets users synchronize the settings of their Firefox browsers across multiple computers.

With Google Browser Sync, users will maintain the same bookmarks, website visits log, saved passwords and persistent cookies in all their copies of the Mozilla open-source browser.

To enable this continuous synchronization to happen, users have to install copies of the Google Browser Sync on every computer where they have Firefox, Google announced late Wednesday in its official blog.

This free tool also "remembers" the tabs and windows users had open the last time they used Firefox and gives users the option to open them. One downside is that the tool updates settings every time Firefox is launched, which will increase the time it takes a browser to open, Google warns.

Google Browser Sync works with Firefox 1.5 and newer versions. It doesn’t support Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, Opera Software’s Opera or the Mozilla Suite, which includes the Mozilla Navigator browser.

It’s not surprising to see Google developing tools for Firefox that don’t work with IE. Google has a close relationship with Mozilla that involves technology collaborations and cross-promotion efforts. Meanwhile, the relationship between Microsoft and Google is at best adversarial and often acrimonious. They compete in search, online services and, increasingly, in desktop and hosted software.

Browsers in particular are a contentious area between Google and Microsoft because they are an entry point to Web search activity. Recently, Google has complained about the new IE, version 7, which is now in beta and contains an embedded search box with a drop-down menu set by default to use Microsoft’s search engine, but which includes other options.

However, some have criticized Google for being inconsistent on this point because its search engine is the default choice in the embedded Firefox search box. Firefox is a thorn in Microsoft’s side, because it is the most credible competitor to IE in years, holding now an estimated 10 percent market share.

In April, Google caused a stir when it promoted Firefox on its homepage, a rare move and one clearly intended to help Firefox grow its market share. Google also includes Firefox

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Windows Live Mail Almost Supports Firefox

2006-05-19T19:55:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Corp.'s latest update of Windows Live Mail, the eventual replacement for MSN Hotmail, supports the Firefox Web browser nearly on par with Internet Explorer.

Microsoft added support for rival Firefox, which is controlled by the Mozilla Corp., in the latest upgrade of its Web mail client that replicates the look and feel of the software maker's popular Outlook. While all the core functions of Live Mail are supported in Firefox, there are some missing features, which diehard users of the open source browser can probably live without while the service is in beta.

Poor spellers won't have a backstop in Firefox, since spell check is only available in Microsoft IE. Other missing features are more minor, such as the ability to resize windowpanes, such as for shortcuts to folders, inbox mail lists and email previews.

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Firefox Download

Google Puts Money Behind Firefox Movement

2006-04-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

Google has unveiled a new plan to spread the open-source Firefox Internet browser, starting off a new phase in the browser wars with Microsoft. An offer from the Internet search giant enables Web sites to run small ads promoting Firefox and gain a referral fee of one dollar for every downloaded version of Firefox that has a Google toolbar.
Google launched the new program Wednesday evening by running an ad for the first time on its usually ad-free home page. The campaign also represents the first time Google has offered a financial incentive for the adoption of Firefox.

Even without such help, the open source browser has steadily been gnawing away at the dominance of Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser since 2004.

From a market share high of 95 percent, Internet Explorer is now down to 85 percent, as web surfers discover the smooth delights of Firefox, which offers better security and powerful features, including tabbed browsing, which allow you to open multiple windows in a single browser, and "autofill" which automatically completes form applications.

Google already employs some of the key team members contributing to Firefox and its latest initiative underlines its desire to kept Firefox's momentum building. "Google is getting serious about Firefox, and has given the upstart browser one of the most powerful marketing tools on the Internet -- a spot on the Google homepage," commented the respected Ars Technica Web site.

But Microsoft does not plan to let the erosion of its market share continue. Earlier in the week the software giant launched a new trial version of its Internet Explorer browser that, in addition to beefing up its notoriously vulnerable security, has also copied all of Firefox's best features.

Analysts say that the new browser gives Internet Explorer users a reason not to convert to Firefox. "I think IE 7 brings the browser to parity with Firefox in terms of features, and the security's a big improvement over IE 6," said Matt Rosoff, an analyst with Directions on Microsoft. "I think it will be good enough to stop some of IE's market share loss to Firefox."

But despite the upgrades, you are unlikely to see many Firefox fans switching back to Microsoft.

"Yesterday's browser -- tomorrow," is how the influential Web site SiliconValley.com announced the new product.

Other players like ExplorerDestroyer.com

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Firefox Bug Could Be Serious

2006-04-25T20:53:00.000-07:00

A security firm fears that a zero-day vulnerability in a fully-patched and most-current version of Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox could be exploited.

A zero-day vulnerability in a fully-patched and most-current version of Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox could be exploited to crash the browser at the least, and at the worst, possibly introduce malicious code, a security company warned Tuesday.

The bug, which first appeared on Mozilla's Bugzilla listing a week ago on April 18, could be used by an attacker to crash Firefox by feeding it malformed JavaScript code.

Proof of concept code has been made public that crashes Firefox 1.5.0.2, the open-source browser's newest edition.

Although Danish vulnerability tracker Secunia ranked the threat as "low," its weakest warning, U.S.-based security vendor Symantec said the danger may be more dire.

"It does appear that triggering the vulnerability using the proof of concept results in the execution of data somewhere in anonymous memory, possibly in a portion of the heap," Symantec told customers of its DeepSight threat alert system Tuesday. "If this memory were somehow populated by an attacker with a malicious payload, this condition could likely be exploited to execute arbitrary code."

Firefox developers have come up with a patch -- one is listed in the Bugzilla report -- but has not been pushed out to users. Typically, Mozilla releases Firefox updates that include several security patches as it did recently when it rolled out version 1.5.0.2 with fixes for 24 bugs.

JavaScript-based vulnerabilities aren't new to Firefox -- nor to its rival, Internet Explorer. Several of the flaws fixed in the April 14 release of Firefox 1.5.0.2, for instance

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