Firefox 3.0.6

The award-winning Firefox Web browser has security, speed and new features that will change the way you use the Web. Don't settle for anything less.

• Fixed several security issues.
• Fixed several stability issues.
• In previous versions of Firefox, some users experienced a problem where parts of the screen were not properly displaying after Firefox was open for long periods of time.
• Improved the ability for scripted commands (including those included in popular extensions like Adblock Plus) to work properly with plugins. (bug 438830)
• Removed the client user ID from crash reports.
• Fixed issues with the display of some Indic scripts.

News source: Official website
Download: Firefox 3.0.6

Firefox 3.0.6

GameFly Acquires Shacknews

Online rental hub GameFly today announced that it has acquired independent video game website Shacknews.

As part of the deal, GameFly has purchased all related Shacknews destinations, including FileShack. The company plans to maintain the Shacknews editorial staff and direction, and pledged to bolster the site with additional resources.

"GameFly has demonstrated a true understanding of and commitment to Shacknews' gaming culture," said Shacknews founder Steve Gibson, who added that the decision to sell the company was not based on financial problems.

"We are confident GameFly will protect the legacy and community we've established, while at the same time providing much needed resources to expand into new and exciting areas that would not otherwise be possible."

Shacknews was founded in 1995, and has since grown to become one of the largest homes for video game enthusiasts on the internet. Shacknews has more than doubled its readership year over year, while launching a new multimedia site Shackvideo.

"We purchased Shacknews because it's a great site," said GameFly co-founder Sean Spector. "We believe we can help expand its reach--we're not looking to twist and turn the site into something else."

"With its avid, engaged community and commitment to providing an independent voice for gamers seeking the most accurate and up-to-date news and information, it goes to the core of our vision as a company, which is to be the ultimate resource for the entire gaming community," added GameFly CEO David Hodess.

GameFly Acquires Shacknews - Shacknews - PC Games, PlayStation, Xbox 360 and Wii video game news, previews and downloads

Six editions of Windows 7: better than Vista, still too many

After a ton of guesswork and rumors flying around, Microsoft has finally confirmed what much of the evidence was pointing to: there will indeed be six editions of Windows 7, just like there were for Windows XP and Windows Vista. Customers will be able to choose from Windows 7 Starter Edition, Windows 7 Home Basic Edition, Windows 7 Home Premium Edition, Windows 7 Professional Edition, Windows 7 Ultimate Edition, and Windows 7 Enterprise Edition. The news comes hot on the heels of the Windows 7 Ecosystem Readiness Program announced yesterday.

All editions will be available in worldwide markets except for Home Basic, which will be offered in emerging markets. Starter will be also available worldwide but only via OEMs.

"We know emerging markets have unique needs and we will offer Windows 7 Home Basic, only in emerging markets, for customers looking for an entry-point Windows experience on a full-size value PC," Mike Ybarra, General Manager for Windows said. "We’ll also continue to offer Windows Starter edition, which will only be offered pre-installed by an OEM. Windows Starter edition will now be available worldwide. This edition is available only in the OEM channel on new PCs limited to specific types of hardware."

Most users will only use Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate, which is why Microsoft is expected to only offer upgrade paths for these three.

Here is how the different versions differ from each other:

• Windows 7 Starter (worldwide via OEM only): up to three concurrent applications, ability to join a Home Group, improved taskbar and JumpLists
• Windows 7 Home Basic (emerging markets): unlimited applications, live thumbnail previews and enhanced visual experience, advanced networking support (ad-hoc wireless networks and Internet connection sharing), and Mobility Center
• Windows 7 Home Premium (worldwide): Aero Glass and advanced windows navigation, improved media format support, enhancements to Windows Media Center and media streaming, including Play To, multi-touch and improved handwriting recognition
• Windows 7 Professional (worldwide): ability to join a managed network with Domain Join, data protection with advanced network backup and Encrypting File System, and print to the right printer at home or work with Location Aware Printing
• Windows 7 Ultimate (worldwide): BitLocker data protection on internal and external drives, DirectAccess for seamless connectivity to corporate networks based on Windows Server 2008 R2, BranchCache support when on networks based on Windows Server 2008 R2, and lock unauthorized software from running with AppLocker
• Windows 7 Enterprise (volume licenses): same as Ultimate, includes the following improvements: DirectAccess, BranchCache, Search, BitLocker, AppLocker, Virtualization Enhancements, Management, as well as Compatibility and Deployment.

We weren't crazy about the proliferation of Vista versions, so we have mixed feelings this time around. The Vista version differentiation is essentially a cash grab, and the same is true with Windows 7. We had hoped that with the new version, Microsoft might be a little less egregiously money-grabbing.

That said, the Windows 7 line-up does address some of the problems with the Vista line-up. Vista's delineation between versions simply didn't make a lot of sense. It assumed computers were used far more narrowly than is actually the case, and put the consumer in the unfortunate position of having to choose—"Do I go for remote desktop and shadow copies, or do I go for Media Center?"—or buy the considerably more expensive Ultimate edition.

The Windows 7 line-up fixes that major problem; by making pricier versions true supersets of cheaper versions, the decision making is a lot simpler. No longer is it necessary to make a choice between unrelated features. The reinstatement of the Professional branding (instead of Vista's Business brand) also provides a useful join-up with the familiar XP branding.

The relegation of Home Basic to emerging markets should also mean that—in first world markets, at least—the proliferation of versions isn't so immediately apparent. In conjunction with the cleaner segmentation, the choice betwen Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate is now much clearer. Whether consumers were ever really confused by the different Vista versions is hard to say, but either way the problem should be greatly reduced in Windows 7.

On the other hand, the decision to make the crippled Starter edition available worldwide is quite extraordinary; the appeal even in emerging markets is unclear, and since even netbooks are more than up to the challenge of running Home Premium, the purpose of this is completely unclear. Many commentators have suggested that there should be a dedicated netbook edition, but even if one buys into that idea (we don't), Starter edition ain't it.

The new SKUs are certainly an improvement over the Vista ones, and for that we should be grateful. It is gratifying that Microsoft has listened to the criticism of Vista's versions and taken at least some of it on board. It's still disappointing that the company still feels the need to so openly maximize its revenue; this is not behavior that breeds goodwill. A reversion to the XP launch line-up of Home and Professional would be far more palatable. Windows 7's version line-up is certainly a step forward—but what we were really hoping for was an even bigger step backward.

Six editions of Windows 7: better than Vista, still too many - Ars Technica

Skype 4.0 for Windows graduates from beta

Skype 4.0 for Windows has been available as a public beta for over half a year. But now the Skype team has pulled the trigger and replaced Skype 3.8 with the new version of the chat, video chat, and VoIP client.

The most noticable change in Skype 4.0 is the fact that the desktop client takes up a lot more space. The call window and the contact list are built into a single screen, while earlier versions of Skype had two separate windows, much like your typical instant messaging client. This change didn't sit too well with early beta testers and Skype 4.0 now gives you the option of viewing the "default" window mode or a "compact" mode which looks more like earlier versions of Skype.

Skype 4.0 also includes higher quality video calling for users with 400 Kb/S or higher connections and high quality video cameras. The new client also features improvements in the audio quality due to a new bandwidth manager.

Skype 4.0 for Windows graduates from beta - Download Squad

Earth-Like Planet Found Around Sun-Like Star

The smallest extrasolar planet, measuring less than twice the size of Earth, has been discovered orbiting a sun-like star.

The world is far hotter than ours, however.

Astronomers used the COROT space telescope (a mission led by the French Space Agency) to detect the

new planet as it transited its parent star, dimming the light from the star as it passed in front of it.

"For the first time, we have unambiguously detected a planet that is 'rocky' in the same sense as our own Earth," said Malcolm Fridlund, ESA's COROT Project Scientist. "We now have to understand this object further to put it into context, and continue our search for smaller, more Earth-like objects with COROT."

He added, "This discovery is a very important step on the road to understanding the formation and evolution of our planet."

Hot discovery

One big difference in the newfound planet compared to Earth: COROT-Exo-7b is located very close to its star, orbiting the star once every 20 hours. Its temperature is so high, ranging from 1,832 to 2,732 degrees Fahrenheit (1,000 to 1, 500 degrees Celsius) that the researchers say the exoplanet could be covered in lava or water vapor.

The density of the planet is still under investigation, though scientists say it may be rocky like Earth and covered in liquid lava. COROT-Exo-7b may also belong to a class of planets that are thought to be made up of water and rock in almost equal amounts. Given the high temperatures measured, the planet would likely be a very hot and humid place. 

"Finding such a small planet was not a complete surprise," said Daniel Rouan, researcher at the Observatoire de Paris Lesia, who coordinates the project with Alain Leger, from Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale. "COROT-Exo-7b belongs to a class of objects whose existence had been predicted for some time."

Small and odd

Very few of the more than 300 exoplanets found so far have a mass comparable to that of Earth and the other terrestrial planets — Venus, Mars and Mercury. That's because terrestrial planets are extremely difficult to detect.

Most of the methods used so far are indirect and sensitive to the mass of the planet, so bigger worlds are easier to detect. COROT can directly measure the size of a planet's surface, which is an advantage to astronomers. In addition, because the probe is in space it has longer periods of uninterrupted observation than from ground.

The internal structure of COROT-exo-7b particularly puzzles scientists, as they are unsure whether it is an 'ocean planet,' a kind of planet whose existence has never been proved so far. In theory, such planets would initially be covered partially in ice, and they would later drift toward their star, with the ice melting to cover it in liquid.

SPACE.com -- Earth-Like Planet Found Around Sun-Like Star

Google Earth 5 Released - 3D Ocean and More!

Today Google has released a major new version of Google Earth - Version 5. Clearly this new release merits moving up to the next version number. It contains a wealth of new data and features and has substantial new interface changes. This is exciting stuff!!

First up, there's been great anticipation about a rumored 'Google Ocean'. Well, Google has met the anticipation of new ocean data - but, they're not releasing a separate product. It's all in Google Earth 5. First, we now have 3D bathymetry. Those new blue ocean floor magery is not just a 2D relief map - they are now 3D terrain. Move your mouse over the ocean and you'll see below sea level elevations (negative numbers). But, the real surprise is when you first start flying towards the ocean and tilt your view. You now see an ocean surface! And, if your graphics card is new enough, you see wave motion on the surface.

The real pleasure comes when you fly under sea surface. You can both see the 3D bathymetry and see the surface above you for a real submarine-like experience!

And, there is a huge amount of new ocean related layers. Under the Layer pane in the lower left you'll see a new "Ocean" layer folder. The folder contains a number of interesting new layers including material from National Geographic, Cousteau Society, BBC, NOAA, and more. There are locations of shipwrecks, tracks for ocean expeditions, GPS tracks of sea animals, and lots of information about the ocean environment. This was significant enough that Al Gore came to make the announcement. More on all of this in future posts. Especially given my interests in the ocean.

Here's a video I've made showing off the new Ocean features:

But, Google Earth 5 brings us more than the huge new ocean data. Here's a sample of major new features (each item will have its own post here and I will link to each one as I write them):

• Historical Imagery

  - turn back the clock on your current view and see older satellite/aerial imagery

Recording Tours - An amazing new way to record tours in Google Earth and share the tours through a KML

3D Mars - That's right, you now have Google Earth, Sky, and Mars options. Mars has 3D terrain and more!

Watch for more posts about all these new features. This stuff is really cool. I'm only just getting started with all the new stuff. Watch for video demos as well.

[UPDATE: You can also have KML files that go under the ocean! This means you can show where cables go under the sea, or put a 3D model of a sunken ship into the ocean. Very cool!]

[UPDATE: Here's Google's post about the new ocean data. And, here's a post about the new Google Mars feature in Google Earth 5.]

Google Earth Blog: Google Earth 5 Released - 3D Ocean and More!

New Near-Production "Super" Lightbulb Lasts 60 Years, Costs $2.85

Future of lighting looks bright with new invention

The race towards better, more affordable solid state lighting is heating up quickly.  The U.S. government has sponsored a $20M USD prize for the first team of researchers to come up with solid state lighting that meets a strict set of standards.  New research has finally helped to eliminate the LED droop typically associated with the higher currents needed to provide greater efficiencies.

Now a team at Cambridge University may be close to having a winning design on their hands, perhaps for the L Prize, if they're eligible, and for the consumer market.  The university has produced a new design which costs a mere $2.85 USD and despite being the size of a penny, produces similar light to a fluorescent bulb while lasting over four times as long with a lifetime of 60 years. 

The new design triples fluorescent bulb efficiency and is 12 times more efficient than incandescent designs.  Also, it’s capable of instantaneous illumination, so the light lag associated with fluorescent bulbs may soon be a thing of the past.

If installed across all of Britain, the researchers estimate that it could cut the country's lighting portion of the energy budget from 20 percent to 5 percent a year.  The U.S. could muster a similar 10 percent drop with the design, according to recent DOE estimates.  The new bulbs last 100,000 hours and unlike other "eco" bulbs, they contain no mercury, a substance that can cause brain damage in humans.  They also don't flicker, while other green designs do, something that's been blamed for triggering epileptic fits.

Officials say the new design could cut 40 million tons of carbon emissions in Britain alone.  Britain recently stopped restocking certain incandescent bulbs in stores.  The new design relies on a specially formulated gallium nitride semiconductor, which builds on previous LED work.  It is brighter than traditional designs and relatively cheap from a chemical perspective, compared to more exotic chemistries.

The British researchers managed to make the LEDs even more affordable by growing them on silicon wafers instead of on sapphire wafers, the traditional method of production.  This makes them at last cheap enough for the consumer market.  Growing the LEDs on silicon was assisted by a number of advances at other U.S. and European research institutions.

While some designs take decades to reach the market, Cambridge's design is already being prototyped and readied for production.  RFMD in County Durham, England is the first manufacturer to jump at the opportunity to mass produce and ship the high-performing LED bulbs.

Professor Colin Humphreys, head of the team at Cambridge states, "This could well be the holy grail in terms of providing our lighting needs for the future.  We are very close to achieving highly efficient, low-cost white LEDs.  That won't just be good news for the environment. It will also benefit consumers by cutting their electricity bills.   It is our belief they will render current energy-efficiency bulbs redundant."

 

DailyTech - New Near-Production "Super" Lightbulb Lasts 60 Years, Costs $2.85