Hasta La Gadget!

Mozilla is known for its staunch support of its users’ privacy, but that isn’t stopping the team from exploring options for personalizing the web. In a blog post today, Justin Scott, Mozilla Labs’ product manager, discussed the possibility of incorporating your browser activity into an API that allows sites to prioritize their content based on your interests. For example, if you spend a lot of time looking up baseball scores, publishers could push related articles to the forefront just for you. Though that may sound like an overstepping of the bounds Mozilla has so strongly defended, the company insists that the ability to select what to share (if anything) with content creators will remain in the hands of the user. To read more about Mozilla Labs’ experiments and weigh in on the proposal, head on over to the source link below.

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Via: CNET

Source: Mozilla

Firefox’s mobile operating system showed up on a mystery phone tonight at a pre-CES event ahead of its unveiling later this year, carrying no branding and looking light on features. Sadly, the WiFi in the event space didn’t give us much of a chance to explore the OS’ inner workings, and the phone was dubbed a “mystery” device by Mozilla reps, but we did snap some pictures of it. We also know that it’s got at least an ARMv6 CPU and 256MB of RAM, and likely more power than that. Mozilla’s planning a 2013 launch of the Chrome OS — an OS powered entirely by HTML5 — in partnership with Telefonica, Qualcomm, and “a long list of industry supporters.

The phone we handled felt like a pretty standard low-end Android device, albeit running an HTML5 open source OS. Swapping between apps was quick and responsive, but the phone really wasn’t doing too much. Mozilla’s aiming the OS at low-end phones in emerging markets, and told us that South America would be its first focus. While what we saw was still pretty bare bones, the OS has certainly seen some heavy updates since its big debut at last year’s Mobile World Congress.

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

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You live a fast-paced life, and you don’t have time to stop your high-speed internet surfing just to check up on Suzie’s latest Facebook update. Mozilla understands your plight, digital denizen, and its “Social API” is here to help — Firefox browser users can beta test Facebook’s Messenger functionality right this minute, should they be able to pause for long enough to get it set up. Thankfully, that setup isn’t too strenuous, requiring little more than the latest beta version of the Firefox browser and an opt-in to the Social API program (via Facebook). Mozilla’s promising more social service integration as the beta rolls on (“soon”), but for now you can more readily stay in touch with Suzie at least, right?

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Firefox begins testing Social API with Facebook Messenger, here’s how you can take part originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mozilla knows how to keep on the fast track. Just weeks after the Firefox 16 beta first showed, the finished version is ready and waiting. Surprises are few if you were an early adopter, although the update still has some welcome changes for the right audiences. Mozilla is most keen to talk about preliminary web app support for the Mozilla Marketplace, but you’ll also find device-specific additions like a Reader Mode for the Android flock and VoiceOver support automatically switched on for Macs. More responsive JavaScript and on-by-default Opus audio playback give existing surfers extra reasons to upgrade. Firefox 16 is immediately available through all the usual channels, so hit the relevant source link if you’re ready to live on the not-quite-bleeding edge.

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Firefox 16 final launches with Reader on Android, VoiceOver on Macs and web app support originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Firefox 15 is barely fresh off the vine, and we’re already looking at a beta version 16 for both desktop platforms and Android. Mozilla’s test release builds in the first support for web apps that play nicely with the Mozilla Marketplace; as long as titles have a slight amount of extra formatting, they can slot into Firefox without hiccups. More treats exist if you’re running certain platforms: the Android crowd receives a Safari-style Reader Mode that strips out the fluff from pages, while Mac users see the once test-only VoiceOver support flipped on by default to improve accessibility. Even developers get a little something special through a quick-access toolbar and more readily accessible CSS4 scripting. If any of this sounds tempting, there’s a pair of source links waiting for your attention.

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Firefox 16 beta arrives with web app hooks, Reader Mode for Android and VoiceOver for Macs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 17:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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