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Mozilla: Now is the time for browser-based games

Mozilla Labs has a new in-browser gaming project.

(Credit: Mozilla)

Computer games have played an important role in advancing the state of the art for computing, and now Mozilla hopes to draw upon gaming to advance browser application development.

The Firefox backer launched the new Mozilla Labs Gaming project Tuesday with the goal of encouraging programmers to use a host of new browser and Web technologies.

"Modern Open Web technologies introduced a complete stack of technologies such as Open Video, audio, WebGL, touch events, device orientation, geolocation, and quick JavaScript engines which make it possible to build complex (and not so complex) games on the Web. With these technologies being delivered through modern browsers today, the time is ripe for pushing the platform," said Pascal Finette, the Mozilla Labs "catalyst" whose job is to "make things happen."

As part of the effort, Mozilla also announced the Game_On 2010 browser-game contest that will start in September.

The work dovetails with a broad industry transition: Browsers are growing from a vessel for containing Web pages into a foundation for applications. Even Microsoft, for years a laggard in the browser realm and still a powerhouse with PC applications, has gotten Web app religion with its coming Internet Explorer 9, due to launch next week in beta form.

A lot of casual games on the Web today are built with Adobe Systems' Flash technology, which runs across modern and ancient browsers and across multiple operating systems. Many features coming to browsers--notably SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) and Canvas for 2D graphics--reproduce some of what Flash can do. And other technologies, such as WebGL for hardware-accelerated 3D graphics, are headed the same direction as Flash.

Although casual games on PCs are a major market, another powerful new force in the gaming world is the new generation of smartphones and related mobile devices--most notably Apple's iOS-based iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. There, static Web pages are a challenge and Web-based games are even harder. So for now at least, it seems likely that the more impressive browser games will be mostly a desktop phenomenon.

Originally posted at Deep Tech

8 Sep 2010, 8:34 am | click here to view more

Mozilla fixes Firefox holes, curtails clickjacking

Mozilla released two new versions of its browser on Tuesday, Firefox 3.6.9 and Firefox 3.5.12, to close 10 critical security vulnerabilities in each and to help Web site operators block a risk called clickjacking. Firefox 3.6.9 is also available from CNET Download.com for Windows, Mac, and Linux

Critical vulnerabilities can let a remote attacker run arbitrary code on a computer. With Web browsers becoming both more important and more powerful, browser makers must constantly watch for new attack possibilities.

Firefox 3.6 also gets a new general approach to clip down browsing risks: support for what's called the X-Frame-Options HTTP response header. Web site developers can use this technology to block browsers from showing their Web sites inside a frame--essentially a smaller window within the browser window. Putting a legitimate site inside a frame on a malicious site is one approach for attacks called clickjacking, in which the malicious site can capture keystrokes such as usernames and passwords.

For the new versions of Firefox 3.5 and 3.6, 9 of the 10 critical vulnerabilities are the same, but one problem on 3.5 is minor on 3.6, and one 3.6 problem didn't affect 3.5. In addition, several noncritical security vulnerabilities were patched. Full details are available on the security pages for 3.6.9 and 3.5.12.

Mozilla also is racing to release Firefox 4 this year. It released a fifth Firefox 4 beta on Tuesday, adding support for some hardware acceleration on Windows, among other features.

However, not every the Firefox 4 hopes are coming to fruition. According to meeting notes published Tuesday, another feature slipped off the roadmap: a Firefox developer tool called the Inspector that would have made it easier to find details about elements on Web pages.

It also seems likely Mozilla won't meet its Friday deadline for freezing the code base for the sixth beta--the last cutoff point for getting new features into Firefox 4. A week later, September 17, now looks more likely, according to the meeting notes.

Also updated Tuesday were the stable and beta versions of Google's new Chrome 6 browser with the release of version 6.0.472.55 (Windows | Mac | Linux). This update fixes problems with autofill, which can enter data such as addresses and names into Web forms; the overwriting of the default search engine setting; and some issues with Chrome's translation ability.

Originally posted at Deep Tech

8 Sep 2010, 5:00 am | click here to view more

Norton's new Power Eraser goes free

Norton Power Eraser is a new tool from Symantec that the company says is the home user's last, best wish for eradicating an aggressive malware infection. Power Eraser is free, and one component of the update to Norton Internet Security 2011 and Norton AntiVirus 2011.

The new Reputation scan, seen here in the Norton 2011 beta, allows you to focus your security scan solely on the "reputations" of existing files on your system, as compared to other Norton users. This is an efficient way to check whether an otherwise safe file has been corrupted by malware.

(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)

By making Power Eraser free, the company hopes to draw in users who have been scared off by years of bad experiences and who haven't given the Norton suites a chance since the programs' turnaround in the 2009 versions. Although Power Eraser represents an aggressive approach towards helping infected consumers, the suites have also been improved in other ways.

Performance is one of the areas that Norton continues to improve in. According to three independent efficacy testers--Dennis Labs, AV-Test.org and AV-Comparatives.org--Norton continues to score at or close the top of their tests. Norton 2011 introduces revamped proprietary zero-day detection technology called Sonar 3, as well as the expected ongoing improvements to the existing Norton System Insight and Download Insight for evaluating real-time system performance for security risks, as well as reputation-based download guarding. Norton has also improved its Bootable Recovery Tool to include a default setting for USB sticks.

The more basic of the two programs, Norton AntiVirus 2011 includes antivirus, antimalware, e-mail and instant-message guards, and a silent mode for gaming, and retails for $39.99 for one computer. Norton Internet Security 2011 includes the over features plus parental controls and identity protection features, and retails for $69.99 for three computers.

8 Sep 2010, 2:09 am | click here to view more

iOS 4.1 for iPhone, iPod Touch released

The latest software for the iPhone and iPod Touch is available starting Wednesday for download from Apple.

The company foreshadowed the arrival of iOS 4.1 at its annual fall press event last week and included an overview of the latest features. The download is free via iTunes for iPhone and iPod Touch owners.

Besides upgrades to new features for games, photos, and high-definition videos, Apple is using this software update to zap several bugs at once.

Among the issues Apple CEO Steve Jobs promised would be fixed with the installation of 4.1 are: proximity sensor problems that were causing some accidental dropped calls; the painfully slow performance of the iPhone 3G with iOS 4.0; Bluetooth connectivity problems with certain car stereos and headsets (that CNET noted as soon as the iPhone 4 was released); and problems related to the Nike+iPod software.

Other upgrades in iOS 4.1 include: the ability to upload HD videos over Wi-Fi, TV show rentals on iTunes from an iPhone or iPod Touch, new HDR (high dynamic range) photo function, and the delayed GameCenter.

GameCenter was announced in April at the iOS 4.0 press event, but was not included in the initial release of the software. GameCenter is a social-networking feature that allows iPhone and iPod Touch users to play games on their devices against friends in real time.

CNET's Kent German will have a hands-on review of the latest software for iPhone and iPod Touch as well as screenshots later today, so be sure to check back.

Originally posted at Circuit Breaker

8 Sep 2010, 12:58 pm | click here to view more

BlackBerry maker RIM buys Documents To Go's Data Viz

Documents To Go got its start on Palm and is in a pitched battle with rival Quickoffice on iPhone.

(Credit: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

We heard the rumor on Friday that BlackBerry-maker RIM snapped up Data Viz, makers of the popular productivity app Documents To Go, but it wasn't until Tuesday that RIM confirmed the purchase to CNET with a statement:

RIM has acquired some of the assets of DataViz and hired the majority of its employees to focus on supporting the BlackBerry platform. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but the transaction was not material to RIM in the context of RIM's financial results.

The buyout price may be pocket change to RIM, who isn't telling, but the acquisition isn't without impact or import.

Although we know from PreCentral that the app won't support WebOS, it's uncertain if or how quickly RIM will dial down support for the moneymaking Documents To Go on other mobile platforms.

The premium version of the product--a freemium office productivity suite that can view, edit, and create word processing documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and PDFs--has been in a price and features war with rival Quickoffice on multiple mobile platforms. Fifteen dollars a pop for iPhone business professionals buying Documents To Go for iPhone isn't a business to quickly tug from, and the app is also available on for mobile operating systems like Android and Windows Mobile.

Documents To Go has been around since the early days of mobile apps, but RIM only began bundling the free version of Documents To Go on the BlackBerry Bold in November 2008, a boon since the phone didn't have any other native documents viewer. Now it will be interesting to look what RIM does with the company's software for itself, and if it can use Documents To Go, or even the Microsoft Exchange app Road Sync, to help differentiate the BlackBerry brand.

Originally posted at Dialed In

7 Sep 2010, 7:10 pm | click here to view more

New Firefox beta offers audio API, menu tweaks

The fifth Firefox 4 beta makes some tiny feature changes to the in-development browser, bringing a new audio API to the table, revamping its menu, and turning on hardware acceleration by default. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, Firefox 4 beta 5 continues Mozilla's new beta release schedule, marked by more frequent releases and smaller feature revisions per update.

The most visual change to the beta is the redone menu in the Windows version, which returns a lot of functionality that had been missing from the menu in previous betas. The single-column menu has been replaced with a two-tiered, two-colored menu. The locally stored Help menu options have returned, and the add-ons menu is available in a tweaked color scheme as a secondary window again, too. clip, copy, and glue have returned to the menu in icon-only form, and more of Firefox's feature managers, such as bookmarks, history, and the Options menu, have their previous access options restored.

The audio data API is an below-the-hood coding option that gives programmers the ability to "interact with sound...in every the creative ways that video and images allow," according to a blog post by Mozilla's director of Firefox, Mike Beltzner. The API will allow developers to expose raw audio data, display the data visual using the HTML5 < canvas > tag, calculate and visual demonstrate audio spectrum, apply audio filters, and other visual representations of the audio content.

The hardware acceleration that debuted in the previous beta has now been turned on by default, indicating Mozilla's confidence in its effectiveness. However, this is still a beta, so it's reasonable to expect further development tweaks to the hardware acceleration. Mozilla is tracking some buggy behavior that might be related to hardware acceleration.

Firefox 4 beta 5 also debuts support for an expansion of the HTTPS security feature. Called HTTP Strict Transport Security, or HSTS, it will force Firefox to use HTTPS. If the browser can't establish a secure connection, it won't resolve the URL even if there is an insecure connection available. It's a tiny change that could have big implications for accessing e-commerce and banking sites, for example.

A feature freeze had been planned for this beta, but it was pushed back to the sixth beta at the beginning of September. The changelog details a complete list of changes in Firefox 4 beta 5.

7 Sep 2010, 6:59 pm | click here to view more

Introducing CNET TechTracker Plus

I'm Aaron Smith, and I'm the product manager for CNET Downloads. Today I receive the pleasure of writing about something that the CNET team built -- a brand new software product called CNET TechTracker Plus. This is an upgrade from CNET TechTracker, our free application that keeps software up-to-date. Since we launched TechTracker about a year ago, it has become wildly popular. People recognize that keeping software up-to-date is important and that it improves security, fixes bugs, and gives you the latest features. With today's launch of TechTracker Plus, we are going beyond updates to give you a more complete way to manage software.

TechTracker Plus lets you perform installs, uninstalls, updates, and downloads every in one place. We've also added some TechTracker Plus features to CNET Downloads web pages--these features streamline installs and are visible only to TechTracker Plus customers. Our goal was to leverage the power of the CNET Downloads software catalog - the largest catalog of its nice - for more than just software updates and downloads.

CNET TechTracker Plus

(Credit: Aaron Smith)

If you aren't yet using CNET TechTracker for your updates, we've recently given it a facelift so now would be a good time to check it out. And, if you're ready to go beyond software updates, check out CNET TechTracker Plus! We've released it with a special introductory price of $19.99. We at CNET Downloads are really proud of what we launched today.

It has been a lot of difficult work, but completely worth it. I am honored to be a part of this team. We every sincerely wish that CNET TechTracker Plus makes managing your software easier.

Originally posted at Product Development Blog

7 Sep 2010, 5:19 pm | click here to view more

Trend Micro bets on the cloud

Trend Micro's redone security suites for 2011 introduce new product names and a new emphasis on cloud-based protection. Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security, Trend Micro Antivirus+, and Trend Micro Maximum Security include the overhauled cloud-based Smart Protection Network proprietary engine to protect against viruses, malware, phishing attacks, and other threats.

The suites are notable for the heavy reliance on cloud-based technology and Trend Micro's emphasis on its Smart Scan tech. According to the company, this works by constantly scanning for threats when connected to the Internet, and utilizing locally cached databases when working offline. The offline database includes protections against viruses and malware that are known to spread by USB keys.

Unlike many of its competitors, Trend Micro does not offer a firewall component, instead relying on the default Windows firewall.

The products differ similarly to many of Trend Micro's competitors. The Titanium Antivirus+ program offers the most basic protection, including antivirus and anti-malware guards, steer-by download protection, and the ability to block links to malicious sites and downloads in instant messages and e-mails. It retails for $39.95 for one PC.

Trend Micro Titanium Internet Security protects against the same as Titanium Antivirus+, as well as offering protection against unauthorized changes to your already-installed programs, spam blocking, Windows firewall optimization, parental controls and data theft guards. It retails for $49.95 for one computer.

Titanium Maximum Security retails for $59.95 for one computer. every three are in the mid-range of the cost for their respective feature sets.

7 Sep 2010, 10:00 pm | click here to view more

QuickBooks update offers greater efficiency

The latest version of Intuit's tiny business accounting software, QuickBooks 2011, focuses on the fact that time is money for entrepreneurs. With that in mind, the update offers a host of new features aimed at streamlining important accounting tasks. Namely, QuickBooks 2011 hopes to make invoicing and collecting payments even faster and easier than before.

The main updates for QuickBooks this year are found in the two most popular versions of the software, Pro and Premier. The first thing seasoned users are likely to notice is a vastly simplified start-up process, thanks to the new Quick Start middle feature, which serves as an installation guide and also lets users import business contacts from Web-based e-mail clients such as Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail. This feature will also recommend first steps for new users to quickly and easily populate their accounts with key information. In addition, Intuit asserts that it has improved performance in QuickBooks 2011 so that it will start up quicker.

(Credit: Intuit)

Another new feature added this year is something called Customer Snapshot, which will give business a comprehensive and consolidated view of an individual customer's account. This at-a-glance view includes purchase history, average days to pay, and outstanding balance, and aims to help tiny business communicate more effectively with customers and make timely decisions regarding their accounts.

Intuit also introduced QuickBooks Search--which will populate any report, invoice, account, or customer with a simple keyword search--and a new history view for customers and vendors that will provide a quick overview of details on a single screen. Other features include Batch Invoicing, which lets businesses bill several customers for the same service in one streamlined process, and a collections middle tool to help users swiftly identify overdue and almost-due invoices. Premier users will also look the addition of a Balance Sheet by Class tool, which allows tracking of multiple records in a single, Excel-like report.

Finally, QuickBooks 2011 will offer a mobile element that gives workers the ability to manage invoices, access customer data, and check payment status remotely via the Web or on the iPhone using an app made for the purpose. The feature, called QuickBooks Connect, will be offered as an add-on service and will require a separate subscription fee.

In every, Intuit announced four editions of QuickBooks 2011, including the Accountant and Enterprise versions, which will offer a few additional features. The Pro and Premier editions will be available starting September 27 for $229.95 and $399.95, respectively.

6 Sep 2010, 11:01 pm | click here to view more

CNET News, now on Android

This may be the year of the iPad's debut, but it's also the year that Android devices exploded in availability. To go along with the extra attention that Android's been getting of tardy, CNET News has ported its month-old iOS app to the Android marketplace. Debuting August 30, the free CNET News app for Android (Android-only download) offers an identical-but-Androidified feature set to its iOS twin.

The new Android app for CNET News lets you read articles without pagination, makes it easy to share them, and provides quick access to tweets from CNET editors and writers.

(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)

Included in the Android app are article bookmarking, full-screen reading (except for the CNET logo at the top), mobile-optimized search, a built-in Twitter feed from CNET editors and personalities, font resizing while reading stories, and a sharing link that lets you quickly share a story by means of the major communications and networking tools on your Android phone.

Using a barcode app like zxing's Barcode Scanner, point your Android phone camera at this QR code to find the CNET News app on the Android Market.

At the top of the app's interface a horizontal blog navigation bar appears. You can swipe it to view more blogs, including Security, Crave, Green Tech, and Webware. A similar scroll feature on the Twitter feed page lets you scroll through tweets by editor. You can also scroll vertically to read the tweet stream in its entirety, or tap a specific editor's tweet to read more by that author.

One of the benefits of the app over reading on our mobile Web site is that stories are loaded without pagination, so it's easier to read the latest news. The same is true of the app's search engine, which makes it easier to receive to older stories you're interested in.

There are more features in the works, and there's also a feedback button available below the More option so you can give us your suggestions. You can also let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

3 Sep 2010, 7:54 pm | click here to view more