Firefox for Android Got Updated

The mobile browsers are becoming faster and faster, with their feature range widening in every new release. And the question whether to use the mobile version to check the latest news in the bus on your way to work or via the desktop browser later is becoming more habit-dependent. Mozilla is trying hard to maintain its standards and keep up with the rest of the pack: a new Android version of Firefox is now available.

The new Android version of Firefox has also a whole bunch of new features to check out. And they seem to be working, as Mozilla made their junior Firefox work faster than any other popular Android browser: it operates at almost 40 frames per second.

Firefox for Android 14.0: Frames per Second

The most significant changes to the Android Firefox include the support for Adobe Flash, the user interface redesign, the new Start Page and reformed Top Sites, Bookmarks and History access. Besides the mentioned ones, some other minor alterations were applied involving developer's new features and bug fixes. Sadly, but several known bugs have remained unresolved yet.

What do All These Words Stand For?

Well, first of all, for us users the support for Adobe Flash means that we can now watch on-line videos, play games and interact with other flash web content on our Android devices. For example, try to play Mozilla's BrowserQuest game or watch something on YouTube and make your own opinion about the browser.
The browser now features an Awesome Screen and Awesome Bar, facilitating the use of the web search, Top Sites, Bookmarks and History access. The start page of your Firefox for Android contains the thumbnails of the top visited sites, the next two tabs give easy access to Bookmarks and History. So there is no need now to delve deep into the browser options to get to your history statistics.

Firefox for Android 14.0: Start Page

On top of this, you also get the safety of Web-surf with Do-no-track feature and the default setting for plug-ins to play on the tap.

What Was Fixed and What Still Awaits its Turn?

Mozilla's team have fixed many known bugs. So, the page reload does not provoke the zoom level to increase anymore, the full screen mode for the flash videos is displayed correctly, the text viewing errors have been amended, etc

Firefox for Android 14.0: Security Settings

However, there are still hordes of known bugs to fix, like GIF animation play issues when changing the image size, partial functional of forms, unexpected browser behavior when changing the device orientation and some other.

So, Is It Good or Bad?

All in all, This Firefox for Android is far better than the previous version. It is faster, safer and more functional. To my mind, it is worth giving a try: there's a whole lot of new features to come yet.

Picture credit: blog.mozilla.org

Microsoft Presents its New Tablet

In the middle of June Microsoft arose ambiguous emotions about their new 'toy' – Surface. A new tablet which can boast not only of Microsoft software, the hardware is created by the company as well. The product has some revolutionary bonuses: full-size ports and a 3 mm thick physical keyboard.

Thin or thick?

With 9.3 mm, the Windows RT tablet is a bit slimmer than the third generation iPad, although the Windows Pro version is said to be a bit thicker – about 13.5 mm. Yet the quite austere design plays a nasty trick on your eyes and Surface seems a lot thicker than it really is, at least in pictures. Yet the form and simplicity in the appearance of the tablet seem to be quite reasonable and logical in combination with a Metro-style operating system by Microsoft. On the other hand, compared to, say, iPad, Surface does look a bit coarse, as we have already got used to smoother lines and elegantly bevel-edged devices.

Microsoft’s Surface Side View

Yet Microsoft makes up for the questionable look with a thin (3 mm for Windows RT supporting version) multi-functional pressure-sensitive cover and a built-in Kickstand. The Kickstand is part of the device, providing safe and comfort positioning on the table. The outstanding feature of the cover is that it doubles as a fully functional keyboard with track-pad. As a result you get a two-in-one goodie: a magnetic tablet cover (feeling much like Apple's smartcover for iPad) and full-fledged touch-based keypad. However, it is still unclear whether it will it be included into the basic package or will come as a separate accessory.

Which one do you like?

What is clear is that the tablet will come in two versions – with Windows RT and Windows 8 Pro installed. The two Surface versions will have different features, the latter version being more suitable for office use. As the specs available now show, the Pro version will be a bit heavier, thicker and more powerful than its brother. Windows claims the Pro version was 'built to let you use all of the applications you want — including Photoshop', a rather resources-demanding program. The Windows 8 Pro Surface is supposed to have Full HD display, Pen with Palm Block and 64 or 128 GB memory.

Microsoft’s Surface General View

As for me, I have rather ambiguous feeling about this PC-tablet. On the one hand, it would be interesting to hold it and try to type something, test it from every side. On the other hand, I haven't made up my mind yet whether I'd be eager to buy it. There are several reasons for it. First of all, the price is still unknown. Second, and it bothers me even more, we don't know if the cover is supposed to be included into the basic package. Well, the time will show the real way of things, meanwhile let's wait.

http://www.microsoft.com

Unexpected Things That Can Be Hacked

Hackers have existed from the very beginning of the Internet era. There's no need to explain why things go this way, because whenever it is possible to gain some personal benefit without any extra effort, there will be definitely those who will make use of it. On the one hand, these people can help us avert very serious crimes, but on the other, they can steal our data, cash, and other things.
So let's have a look at things that you would never expect to be hacked.
# 4 Cut Your Car's Brakes
Specialists from the University of Washington and the University of California have claimed that new cars with advanced onboard computer systems are subject to a serious security threat from hackers. These scientists managed to take control of two vehicles and operate more than a dozen functions while the cars were in motion. How do you feel after that? As for me, I feel scared. This included things like braking, selective braking of each wheel (thus effectively "steering" the car) and shutting off the engine completely. And the worst thing is that the drivers could not do anything, their actions were ignored.
The same scientists claim that this will likely be used simply to steal cars rather than to kill somebody. I certainly hope so.
# 3 Control a Nuclear Power Plant
My first thought was about Homer Simpson's decision to overthrow Mr. Burns. But actually this is not a joke, it can be put into action. When Scott Lunsford, a researcher for IBM's Internet Security Systems, told the owners of an American nuclear power station that he could hack into their system via the Internet, they simply laughed. They told him that he must be kidding and that in fact it was "impossible." Try to guess what happened next. It took his team less than a day to infiltrate and less than a week to take full control of the nuclear power station. Once again, he laughs best who laughs last.
# 2 See what you are doing
If you have a Webcam pointed at you, oh, please, behave as you usually do. Come on, don't turn it off. Even if hackers have nothing to do, they'd rather watch a good movie like “Hackers” than simply watch after you.
However, the truth is that it is actually very easy to spy on you. Improperly secured or entirely unsecured webcams have entire sites devoted to them. Although I have good news as well – webcam developers are fully aware of this snag and, obviously, are trying to fit their webcams with privacy shields.
# 1 ATM, are you ok?
Windows CE-based machines can be made to give out cash. Here, I'll give you just one example. At last year's Black Hat technical security conference, IOActive Labs' Director of Security Research, Barnaby Jack, wanted to demonstrate just how easy it was to hack several ATMs. He didn't need to open up the machine or even make a withdrawal to accomplish this. He did everything entirely remotely, using only his laptop and a program called Jackpot. When he was done, a jaunty little tune played from his speakers, the word "jackpot" flashed on his screen, and the ATMs started to spit out cash.
Taking all this stuff into account, it seems that movies about hacking are actually not that far from reality: hacking is indeed a grave problem when you see that important parts of our life can be so easily affected.

Surround Yourself with Smart Technology

Do you remember all those science fiction films about the technology that allows people to fully immerse themselves in a gaming world? This is destined to become true eventually. But the device at hand is actually aimed to provide more than just a gaming experience. Let's not run ahead of ourselves though, we'd better go step by step.

The invention of Immersive Cocoon – which is what the device in question is called – was inspired by the film Minority Report and conceived by a former worker of the MIT Media Lab, John Underkoffer. The prototype was created by the NAU Corporation and its affiliate adNAU (Switzerland). What it is is basically a sphere that surrounds you with the environment of your choice, be it for relaxation or for work.

The Technology Behind

How it Works

The device provides you with an unusual and holistic out-of-body experience through a 3D motion tracking system made up of a bunch of cameras and a sensor pad on the floor. This system is capable of tracking arm, hand, and leg movements, making the environment created by the Dome act in response to your movements. All information goes through a processor placed in the basement of the construction, and is regularly transferred onto quick-refresh displays surrounding the person in the dome.

The Main Parts

Is it Supposed to be Comfortable?

The expected answer is yes. The reason for that is the adjustable furnishings within and the gliding steps. The furniture can be adapted to recline, or provide an adjustable work surface. Thus you can transform the interior for the actual needs: to relax or work. With the minimal furniture inside the Cocoon can also be used for engaging in sports with a personal virtual coach, which will react to your movements possibly by correcting your posture (which would especially come in handy if you are practicing Yoga, for example). It seems to have enough space for any activity with no risk for you to harm yourself.

The Look from Outside

The Flipside of the Coin

On the one hand, this Cocoon presents great opportunities for work and joy, providing an easy way for people of all ages to play with body movements. You feel isolated when you want to, or you can work in a cozy environment if you can't get to the office in person.
On the other hand, however: wouldn't this isolation and full technical integration affect the social side of our life? Some people get carried away by computer games so much that they even forget to eat, but you can still easily come up to them and bring them back to reality. Wouldn't the situation here be a similar one, but on a much larger – and more dangerous – scale? Wouldn't we forget how to communicate with each other after some time, especially since the modern life makes us long for privacy? I believe this Cocoon poses a high risk for us to become privacy-addicted.

The Bottom Line

Beyond doubt, this is a great invention which can ease our life and provide new experiences in terms of the way you interact with the computer. Hopefully, this invention will be put to good use, so that it doesn't remain a simple toy.
Picture credit: thedinforgraphics.com and i-cocoon.com.

Facebook Friendship Pages Get a New Look

What is your primary source of daily enjoyment? Let me guess: Net surfing? Facebook surfing in particular? Even if you're not addicted to this social network, which is quite unlikely, you would probably agree it has become one of the defining characteristics of our contemporary lifestyle. No wonder though: Facebook has something in store for everyone, from teens to their grandparents looking for friends. And now, with its redesigned Friendship Pages, it has transformed into something like a chronicle of relationships.

Actually, the new Friendship Pages were rolled out several days ago; they are intended for displaying the mutual activity of friends or family members. What it means is that the updated pages will be automatically populated with likes, status updates, photos, and real-life events that the given two Facebook friends have ever done or experienced together. Quite frankly, I guess these “couple pages” may indeed seem rather tempting, especially for those who love to reflect upon their mutual past and reminisce of those times when met each other.
Although the refreshed layout of Friendship Pages is anything but hot news, I bet there are still a lot of people who have no idea about the existence of these pages at all. Well, to see for yourself, you just need to click on any friend's profile and choose “See Friendship”. Then, in order to create a common page about you and your friend or relative, click “Share Friendship”. Here it is, the feature I'm talking about.

You know, for me all this resembles “an exhibition of private life”, if I may say so. Of course, I appreciate the enthusiasm for innovation that the developers have put into this, and so on; but really, isn't it a bit too much? Just yesterday, I tried to put all my life events in chronological order, which consequently evoked a strong feeling of nostalgia; but it was only mine to feel. Still, it's up to you whether to keep all your innermost feelings to yourself or bring them to the public eye.

Mix Your Videos Online

The age of cinema began decades ago, back when first cameras were invented. Since then a lot of things have changed. People from the past hardly ever imagined that video capture would be possible via a telephone. The digital video brought the need for digital editing tools, which sometimes are not easy to use or quick to learn, not to mention that many of them are very heavy on the hardware resources and your computer may be working very slowly while you're running them. This turns video editing into an unpleasant experience, especially if you have to deal with a short YouTube video or suchlike.

First of all, it is important to mention that it is entirely based upon Internet technologies: HTML, CSS, Java script. Using these simple tools and some clever techniques, Mozilla have created something genuinely refreshing – an in-browser video mixer and editor.

The editor is not that difficult to use, though it does take some time to learn it. The developers have thought about possible novice problems and created a tutorial which teaches the basics of working with this tool. The tutorial is interactive, though you have to manually start it again after performing each required action.

The Tutorial

A Bit of Personal Experience

After testing it for a little, I have mixed feelings about the project: it feels easy and complicated at the same time. It's easy because there are just a few tabs within it, which allow to download videos (only from a video source, not from your computer), edit them, and share them. Images, however, can be uploaded both from web pages and from your desktop. Still, it all feels somewhat complicated because there are some options, not described in the tutorial, that can only be selected from a drop-down menu within an Event. I, for one, spend some time trying to find how to get rid of those Events from the video that I don't need.

The Interface

In general I like the tool, especially since you can play with it without logging in. But if you want to save your work and share it, a Persona account is required. Still, this is the first application of the kind that I've heard of, and I'm genuinely impressed. If you are aware of any similar projects, please share your knowledge.

Picture credit:drgullo.com.

Print on Paper Without Printer

We have already got accustomed to Google Docs and begin to take digital pens for ordinary things, so what can surprise us? Probably, something even more unusual. Would you like to have the ability to work upon the same paper document with your friends simultaneously, while each of you is sitting at home? This is becoming possible. Japan is taking the stage. Researchers from Naemura Group at the University of Tokyo have found a way to turn a paper into a display through the UV lightning technique.

Issues Behind the Scene

The founders called the method “paper computing technology”. A piece of regular paper is covered with a photochromic material, changing its color when absorbing the light. All notes or drawings are made with Frixion pens, that are filled with the thermo-sensitive ink, which disappears when heated. The drawn image can be partly erased with a laser from the downside, giving the picture a 3D effect. All notes are recognized with a camera and then copied via the projector light spread upon the paper. It is possible to perform the drawn shape filling automatically, so the process can be adjusted to as you want. Besides, the laser can be set to burn out the parts, containing unwanted strokes or mistakes, automatically. It has an accuracy of 0.024 mm.

The Profit

As supposed by the creators, the technology is expected to allow several people to work upon one document, working simultaneously, using real world paper. This might be used in many spheres at the stage of development or idea creation. As the place you are in won't limit your ability to communicate or visualize your ideas: for example, simultaneously draw a diagram of a process and describe the process in a Skype conversation.
This technology can be supposed as more eye friendly, as the ordinary paper is used. But care should be taken when working with projector light. It can also harm your eyes. Besides, the technology is bound with light absorbing materials and we are again locked to dark rooms to have the best results.
All in all, the project seems to be a far going and promising one. Of course at the moment the pictures are not very complicated, but it is still the beginning. It may happen that one day we all will be able to test it with our own hands.