Jun 03
Jun 03
At Computex earlier today, Mozilla and Foxconn have announced a partnership that will see Mozilla’s new Firefox OS be used on several devices that will be manufactured by Foxconn, including a tablet that has already been shown off. It’ll be manufactured for an OEM, but neither Mozilla or Foxconn have revealed who the lucky company is.
Foxconn says that they’re already working on at least five new devices that will run the Firefox OS, but they noted that these devices wouldn’t be limited to just smartphones and tablets, so we could be seeing some desktop or laptop computers running Firefox OS, or even a handful of Smart TVs that will come equipped with Mozilla’s offering.
Details on the mystery tablet were left unsaid, as Foxconn and Mozilla wanted it to be the responsibility of the OEM to reveal specs and details on the new tablet in the future, and all branding on the tablet was covered up, leaving only a blank black slate running Firefox OS, which obviously isn’t much to look at.
Of course, we knew this day was coming about a week ago, although it seems they didn’t unveil a smartphone as the rumor suggested. Still, we get the knowledge that Foxconn is joining the Firefox OS alliance, and since the manufacturer builds devices from a whole host of different companies, we should see many OEMs come forward with their own Firefox OS treats.
We got our hands on with Firefox OS at Mobile World Congress back in February, and a handful of smartphone manufacturers have announced plans to release Firefox OS devices, including ZTE and Alcatel. However, the bigger companies aren’t into the idea so much, including Samsung, which has no plans to launch a Firefox OS device.
SOURCE: Mozilla Blog
Mozilla and Foxconn team up to offer Firefox OS devices is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Jun 03
Mozilla inks deal with Foxconn to co-develop Firefox OS devices, shows off its first-ever tablet
Posted in: Today's Chili
In between the packed schedule at Computex earlier today, our brethren over at Engadget Chinese managed to sneak into the joint event held by Foxconn and Mozilla. As you may have already heard, the former company has signed on to become the 19th member of the latter’s Firefox OS alliance, and it’s already working on at least five devices. That said, it’s unclear whether these include the first-ever Firefox OS tablet (pictured above) that was present at the event. And no, we weren’t allowed to touch this mysterious device.
The two groups will also cooperate on the software side, and Mozilla took the opportunity to indicate the healthy growth in its app ecosystem, with well-known apps like AccuWeather and SoundCloud jumping on board. But will that be enough? We’ll see how the developing countries react to the first Firefox OS phones when they come out in the summer. Press release after the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile
Source: Engadget Chinese
May 27
Mozilla has revealed a new partnership with Hon Hai, the parent company of Foxconn, with plans for the manufacturing giant to develop a mobile device that runs Firefox OS. Better yet, we only have to wait until next week to find out what that device is, with Mozilla stating that it will reveal the device on June 3 when the new partnership is officially announced.
Based on some of its previous activities, most would assume the device to be a smartphone, but according to an “industry insider” who spoke with Focus Taiwan, the device to be unveiled next week will “likely” be a tablet of some sort. No details were provided about what that tablet might look like in terms of hardware, but we won’t have to wait long to find out either way.
Reportedly, Foxconn is looking to nab up some new clients in light of slower sales amongst several of the companies it currently makes products for, the biggest one perhaps being Apple, which relies heavily on the manufacturing company. Word has it Foxconn is shifting away from contract manufacturing and putting some emphasis on its retail efforts. Such information hasn’t been confirmed by Hon Hai, however.
Aside from that, nothing else is known about the device or other pertinent details, but we’ll keep you updated June 3 when everything officially gets underway. This announcement follows the quick sell-out of 1,000 Firefox OS Geeksphone handsets back on April 24, which encompassed both the Peak and Keon developer handsets.
On May 9, Mozilla announced “Phones for Apps for Firefox OS,” a wordy initiative that would supply HTML5 developers with a free Geeksphone Keon handset, the orange smartphone in the image above. Such a plan was to facilitate the growth of apps for the platform, giving users a decent library worth of apps by the time the first round of commercial handsets hit shelves.
SOURCE: Focus Taiwan
Mozilla and Foxconn plan to unveil Firefox OS smartphone June 3 is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
May 27
Foxconn and Mozilla join hands over Firefox OS, may show off new devices next week
Posted in: Today's Chili
In a Chinese invitation we received earlier today, Foxconn Technology Group and Mozilla confirmed an upcoming press conference that will detail and make their Firefox OS partnership official. The event will take place in Taipei next Monday (just a few days before Computex truly kicks off), and it’ll see Mozilla welcome the 19th partner to its Firefox OS alliance. There isn’t much meat in the email, though we did spot a little hint in the rundown that says one or more of the “latest” Firefox OS products will be on show. Whatever they may be, we shall keep an eye out for them as soon as we land in Terry Gou’s back garden next week.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Via: Focus Taiwan
May 17
Though Mozilla has long been a proponent of WebRTC for plugin-free video and voice chat, it hasn’t been ready to enable the full protocol in Firefox as a matter of course. It’s more confident as of this week: the newly available Firefox 22 beta turns on complete WebRTC use by default, allowing for both live web conversations and peer-to-peer file swaps. There’s more to the release as well, depending on the platform. Windows users receive support for HiDPI displays, like that of the Kirabook; every desktop user also gets gaming-friendly OdinMonkey JavaScript tuning, a web notification API and a font inspector. Android users won’t have WebRTC and other upgrades for now, but everyone can experiment with the latest Firefox beta at the source links.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software
Via: Mozilla (1), (2)
Source: Firefox Beta, Google Play
May 14
Firefox 21 officially released for desktop, Android version also gets a boost
Posted in: Today's Chili
If you like the internet, especially updating things from the internet, today is a good day for you. Mozilla has released not one but two major versions of its Firefox browser, the first being the increasingly social Firefox 21 on the desktop. The browser’s integration with Facebook is now extended to include other partners including Cliqz, Mixi and msnNOW — a trio that doesn’t quite offer the same recognition of that first network. However, an open Social API holds the promise for others to follow suit. Facebook 21 also has better support for Do Not Track settings and includes the Firefox Health Report, which has the ability to track crashes and make recommendations for boosting performance.
Firefox for Android was also updated, offering new open-source fonts, better HTML5 support, an improved UI and the ability to save media files by long-tapping. That is available for download now, as are the various versions for desktop operating systems. Choose your favorite flavor below.
Filed under: Software
Source: Firefox for Android (Google Play), Firefox
May 10
In the world of smart mobile device hacking, there is one that stands out as a cult classic of sorts: the HTC HD2. This device originally ran a version of Windows Mobile that has at this point been long outdated – and since then it’s been pushed in so many directions that it’s astounding. This week’s addition to the collection of mobile operating systems this smartphone is able to run is Mozilla’s own Firefox OS.
The HTC HD2 smartphone is one that remains newsworthy due to its favoritism in the developer community due to its surprisingly open ability to be hacked. For over three and a half years, this device has been a go-to smartphone for the most intrepid developers looking to prove their might in hacking, pushing everything from Windows Phone 7 to Android to this machine where it’d otherwise only be running a relatively ancient operating system.
Here in the spring of 2013, the HTC HD2 has received a port of the internet-based Firefox OS. This operating system is otherwise known as Boot2Gecko and has been on its way to the public for over a year. Earlier this year at Mobile World Congress, a global convention for mobile devices and services, we saw the first wave of Firefox OS smartphones – now it’s time for the operating system to spread.
Of course here on the HTC HD2 with a first port of the system, not every feature of the system works right out of the box. In its first reveal, the HTC HD2 Firefox OS port had camera issues, SIM card detection breaks, and issues with the resolution of the device’s display being detected. That said, the deed remains done: the HTC HD2 now has another notch in its sword hilt, growing in versatility as it remains the developer community’s most hackable device.
SlashGear readers hoping to run this port on their own treasured HTC HD2 should follow the XDA Forum Post which details the information shared above. There a download awaits for the brave. It’s important to remember that this, like all hacks of this nature, is not a situation you’ll be wanting to present to your local mobile carrier if you’re in need of repairs in the future. In other words: hack at your own risk.
The HTC HD2 has also run Windows RT, a full version of Windows 8, and Windows Phone 7 in the past several years. It’s also run MeeGo, Android 2.2 Froyo and a few more – the list continues to grow!
HTC HD2 hacked to run Firefox OS: the collection expands is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
May 09
Mozilla offering free phones in hopes of bolstering Firefox OS app development
Posted in: Today's Chili
Attention HTML5 virtuosos: Mozilla is thirsty for your talents. So much, in fact, that the outfit is baiting developers with a free smartphone in the hopes they’ll return the favor with fresh Firefox OS apps. In order to qualify for a device, you’ll need to submit a proposal to Mozilla outlining the app you wish to build or port to its new mobile platform. If your pitch is accepted, the company will hook you up with a free Geeksphone Keon to thank you for your labor. Sure, the device’s 3.5-inch HVGA display, 1GHz Snapdragon S1 processor, 512MB of RAM and 3-megapixel rear-facing camera are entry-level at best, but remember you’re getting this handset gratis. The program is set to close at the end of the month or when supplies run out, whichever comes first. So, if you’re interested in adding “Firefox OS developer” to your resume, hit up the source link to apply.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Mozilla
May 09
Firefox OS Developer Preview handsets have been available on a limited basis up until this point. Most notably, retailer Geeksphone had quickly run through some inventory back in April. As of today however, it looks like Mozilla is going to be giving some away for free. Or more to the point, Mozilla has launched the ‘Phones for Apps for Firefox OS’ initiative.
This means HTML5 developers could potentially score a free handset. The device up for grabs is the Geeksphone Keon, which is the orange handset in the above image. This particular device features a 3.5-inch HVGA display, 1GHz Snapdragon A1 processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot and 3 megapixel rear-facing camera. The Keon normally sells for $119.
Handset specifics aside, Mozilla is looking to boost the availability of apps before the official launch. At present they have said Firefox OS phones will be available in “select” markets this summer. As part of this initiative they are looking for apps that deal with everything from tools and utilities to games as well as news, sports, travel, entertainment, social and more. Basically, just about everything.
This will be open to those who are already developing as well as those who have an idea in mind and are ready to begin the process. Regardless of the phase you are in, Mozilla has said you will need to apply for entry into the program. The application process involves sharing details about your app (or app idea) and letting them know that you have the experience to make it happen. Otherwise, Mozilla is urging developers to move fast as their ” launch dates are approaching fast.”
[via Mozilla]
Mozilla trading Firefox OS phones for HTML5 apps is written by Robert Nelson & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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