Is Mozilla's Firefox 5 a More Stable Browser Than Its Predecessor?

This week's release of the Firefox 5 browser came shockingly fast for Mozilla. Firefox 4 came out of beta barely 3 months ago--the previous numbered release, Firefox 3, was released way back in 2008.

A quick look at the features and improvements in Firefox 5 however reveals what the Mozilla foundation did to accomplish the fast release: There are some significant upgrades under the hood, but this is really more of a 4.1 release than a full new version of the browser.

However, the big news is that the release of Firefox 5 may finally solve the stability issues users have complained about since the beta builds of Firefox 4. When the Mozilla foundation released the last major overhaul of Firefox back in March, it was a huge step forward for the browser. The update brought with it a host of new features like improved tab navigation and the ability to sync bookmarks across multiple computers.

Perhaps most importantly, Firefox 4 improved the speed of the browser which had been lagging in recent years.

However, Firefox 4 also brought a lot of complaints about random crashes. A user named bigdaddyken on Mozilla's support forums posted that "firefox 4 crashes constantly, on opening, different pages, etc. Old firefox worked fine." More than one thousand users reported the same issue, and this report was only one of many crash complaints on the forums.

PCWorld users have also had problems with the browser. In a comment on our early hands-on with Firefox 4 report, user xvMATTLEEvx said "Sure it has added features but that is just to keep up with everyone else it's nothing innovative like Mozilla used to be. On top of that Firefox 4.0 is suffering the same crashes and memory spikes Firefox 2.0 suffered. I am talking without add-ons not with add-ons."

Firefox 5 Feature List

The list of Firefox 5's new features isn't exactly designed to thrill. It's headed by "added support for CSS animations" and features other improvements like "improved discoverability of the Do-Not-Track privacy feature preference" and "improved spell checking for some locales."

Clearly the features listed here aren't the real news in Firefox 5. Users will probably be a lot more excited by the list of hundreds of bug fixes that come along with Firefox 5. While there is some reason to worry that this rapid update strategy brings as many problems with it as it solves, with any luck, these bug fixes will make Firefox 5 as crash-proof as it is fast.

Today, we asked our Facebook page users if they had any similar problems with Firefox 4 and quickly got more than 40 responses like Irving Cool who says "FF4 crashes a lot :S" or Wali Khan who stated his "New Firefox crashes every 5 minutes."

Let's hope Firefox 5 really solves the problems

McAfee Unveils Family Protection

McAfee, at a press briefing today, announced the launch of McAfee Family Protection, a parental control program that is said to protect children of all ages from online risks while allowing them the freedom to safely explore the Internet.

Venkat Krishnapur, Senior Director, McAfee India was quoted in the press release as saying "Online concerns for tweens and teens are not what they were two years ago. The threat landscape has changed dramatically – especially in the context of how children of various ages in urban India use the internet and how they are exposed to various forms of threats online. McAfee Family Protection is a powerful tool that helps parents get better insight to the digital lifestyles of their children. Parents can choose to block categories of sites, filter out only a handful of sites, or block nothing at all and simply review online activity reports. Its innovative features such as online activity reports, age appropriate settings and YouTube, games and website blocking and so on gives Indian parents a powerful tool to ensure their kids stay safe when using the Internet."

The press briefing featured an interactive discussion on the subject of safety of Indian kids in the online world. The results of the survey, conducted on the same issue across 10 Indian cities, were released and had some interesting finds. Among the more important highlights of the survey were that 62% of all polled kids have shared personal information online; 58% kids share their home addresses on the internet; 39% of all polled kids do not tell their parents about these online activities and 12% of all polled kids had been victims of some kind of cyber threat. As Dr. Sulata Shenoy, a child psychologist at Bangalore's Sagar Apollo hospital, one of the participants of the interactive discussion on the safety of children in the online world, pointed out, the research also showed the huge gap between what children are doing online and what their parents think they are doing. She has also stated that it was “very disturbing” to see children staying online for more than 10 hrs.

McAfee officials pointed out that kids in today's online world face the threats that can be summed up as the 3C's: through Content (pornography), through Contact (Cyber Bullying) and through Crime (Crimes against children).

Among the many ways discussed to combat cyber crime that targets kids, there was the suggestion that kids and their parents should have an open and constructive relationship in addressing the problems that the child faces in the online world. Moreover the kids should be instructed not to share sensitive private information like phone number, home address with strangers in the online arena.

Commenting on the features of the family protection kit, Krishnapur commented on the various features of this software: Settings that are customized according to age-groups – in other words, allowing a particular age group to see things that are appropriate for its age; filtering songs with explicit lyrics from iTunes; program blocking that allows parents the ability to block or allow access to certain programs (across 35 categories); the ability to monitor Instant Messages; limits on the amount of time that the child can use the internet; Social Network filtering that records all social network postings that contain profanity and posts that include confidential information that has been predetermined by parents--such as a home address, phone, school name, etc; YouTube filtering that Blocks the viewing of objectionable videos without blocking access to all of YouTube.

When asked as to why their family protection software should be chosen over other freely available programs such as Windows Parental Control, the officials said that the McAfee software is "far superior" to other rival programs as it effectively counters the threats that kids might face in teh online arena. The officials also pointed out that one of the software's main features is the extensive database (that is continually updated) that it relies on for filtering online content such as videos and websites. When asked about McAfee releasing new security features in view of their recent takeover by Intel and Intel releasing security features right at the hardware (processor) level, the officials said there is nothing in the offing for the near future.

The officials stated that the software is available independently for around Rs. 2272.

Symbian^3 Games You Can't Afford to Miss

Nokia has been hogging the headlines in the world of technology news lately with the announcement of the Meego-based N9, speculations surrounding the announcement of Windows 7 based Nokia handsets, Symbian Anna update and a slew of Dual SIM touch-and-type phones for the budget-conscious

And since Nokia is in the news, PCWorld India has decided to dedicate this week's top five mobile games to Nokia’s Symbian platform. Thus, I handpicked a few absolutely must have Symbian games for your Symbian^3 touch-enabled smartphones which are available on Nokia’s proprietary OVI store.

Fruit Ninja HD

The splash of red juice across the screen complemented by the perfect sound of the slash of a knife is murderously satisfying. No I are not talking about Dexter! Rather, I am describing a similar scene which you encounter while slashing a strawberry across the screen with your finger for a knife in Halfbrick's colourful Fruit Ninja. The game is still a huge hit among a lot of casual gamers who game on an iOS or Android device. It plays beautifully on a Symbian^3 device too and is a must-have.

Fruit Ninja HD is available for Rs. 25 on OVI store.

Dalton-the Awesome!

Don't be fooled by the cheesy name, Dalton-the Awesome! is a great platformer for the Symbian^3 device. A stick figure parkour superhero named Dalton runs away from zombies, jumps on them to kill them, uses a skateboard and becomes huge (think Honey I Blew Up the Kids or Mario after he gulps down a mushroom). The premise is interesting, simple and the music which complements it thoroughly reminds us of a soundtrack picked up straight from a Hollywood summer blockbuster. You cannot hate our friendly neighbourhood Dalton. Run Dalton Run!

You can download Colobox's Dalton-the Awesome! for free on the OVI store.

Asphalt 5

No gaming device, be it for casual or hardcore gaming, is complete without a racing game. Gameloft's Asphalt 5 fits the bill perfectly for Symbian^3 devices. With gorgeous graphics, extensive single player campaign, great handling for a car using the accelerometer and the need for speed (pun intended!) make this racing game is a must have for your Symbian^3 device.

Race to the OVI store and pick up Asphalt 5 for Rs. 75.

Angry Birds Rio

Can anybody get enough of this ridiculously addictive and insanely popular game by Rovio? Well I can't! Angry Birds Rio for the Symbian^3 device is the same experience you have had on any other touch-based device and never fails to amuse us. Enough said!

Go pick up a copy of Angry Birds Rio right now from OVI store for Rs. 50.

Spider-Man: Total Mayhem HD

There is something about Gameloft's Spider-Man Total Mayhem HD that I can't get enough of! I don't know whether it is the cartoony brilliance of the graphics, the highly effective fighting mechanism employed in the game, or just the fact that I can swing from one building to another and use spider sense to kick some enemy ass. The boss fights are as epic as they come and I would suggest not giving this third-person action game a miss.

Spider-Man: Total Mayhem HD is available for Rs. 75 on OVI store.

(All the games were tested on Nokia E7 and the screenshots were captured using a free application called Screencapture.)

Five Good Reasons to Download Firefox 5

After the wildly successful launch of Firefox 4 not all that long ago, it's hard to believe the next iteration of Mozilla's popular and free open source browser is already here. Sure enough, though, Firefox 5 was officially released on Tuesday complete with a raft of new features that promise to give the browser yet another boost.

I've been playing around with Firefox 5 for some time already, and though it's not as big an upgrade as Firefox 4 was, it's been rock solid--and fast. Here are five good reasons you should download Firefox 5 as soon as you can.

1. It Respects Your PrivacyMozilla's Do Not Track feature gives users more control over the way their browsing behavior is tracked and used on the Web by allowing them to tell the websites they visit that they want to opt out of online behavioral tracking. Now, in Firefox 5, Do Not Track is even easier to find in the Firefox Preferences section

Also of note is that Firefox 5 for Android includes the Do Not Track feature as well, making Firefox the first browser to support Do Not Track on multiple platforms, Mozilla says.

2. It's Small and FastI've been feeling like Firefox 5 is faster, and that impression was recently confirmed over at Digitizor, which ran it through a bunch of benchmarks. Firefox actually blew away both Chrome and Opera on the SunSpider JavaScript test, in particular (no other browsers were included), and its cold start time compared very well with that of Google's Chrome. Firefox 5 was also notable for taking up minimal RAM, even with 25 websites opened.

3. It Supports an Open WebWith improved standards support for HTML5, XHR, MathML, SMIL and canvas, Firefox 5 is the best browser choice for an open Web. The new Firefox Add-on SDK for Windows, Mac and Linux enables local development of add-ons, meanwhile, and the Firefox Add-on Builder Beta provides a hosted Web-based build environment. The new version of the multiplatform software also adds support for CSS animations.

4. It Sports 1000 ImprovementsIt's actually more than 1000 improvements and performance enhancements that have been included in Firefox 5. They may not all be huge, noticeable user-interface changes, but they definitely make the software better.

The Android version of Firefox 5, meanwhile, includes a raft of bug fixes, improved page load speeds--especially on 3G networks--and added IPv6 support.

5. It's Secure, Independent and User-DrivenFirefox is open source software, which means it's not only developed with the help of users, but its security is continuously monitored and improved by a global community of users and developers. Mozilla, meanwhile, is an independent foundation. There's no way a proprietary browser maker like Microsoft -- or even a company like Google, which has its fingers everywhere -- can compete with that independence and user focus.

Firefox clearly faces stiff competition from Google's Chrome, but further improvements are on the way in Firefox 6 and beyond. You can download it and see for yourself.

LG Introduces 3D Cinema Monitor With FPR Technology

LG Electronics, has recently introduced a series of new monitors which include a 3D Cinema Monitor, IPS monitor and what the company claims to be the world's slimmest LED monitor - E90.

Mr. Sanjoy Bhattacharya, Product Head-IT, said, "LG always strives to provide the best to its consumers and we are positive that this new innovation from the house of LG will enhance the leadership in monitor category. The launch of new range of monitor series has set a benchmark and we expect good response within next quarter. With the launch of 3D monitor and world slimmest LG is all set to provide more fun and entertainment for its consumers than ever before. Presently we have 33.7% (Standalone Monitor market share and we target to achieve 42% by end of 2011."

Built with FPR technology, the LG 3D Cinema Monitor offers brighter display and clearer images. The LG E90, at 7.2mm, comes with a Super Resolution feature that supposedly enhances dull images. The monitor is also built with LG’s Image Booster software that LG claims enhances the quality of steaming content from various video sites.

HTC Sensation Enters Indian Market

HTC has launched the Sensation Android smartphone in India, just days after launching the Salsa, another Google powered smartphone. A press release reveals the Sensation's launch price as Rs. 32,700.

Originally referred to as the Pyramid, the HTC Sensation runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and has a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor complemented by an Adreno 220 GPU. The Sensation also has 768MB of RAM and 1GB of internal memory that can be expanded up to 32GB with microSD cards. Imaging is taken care of by an 8MP auto-focus camera with a dual-LED flash that can capture 1080p videos at 30fps. It also has a front VGA camera.

The Sensation uses a 4.3-inch SLCD display with a resolution of  540x960 pixels made of Gorilla Glass. The Sensation also uses HTC's own Sense UI v3.0. The Sensation supports Wi-Fi, 3G and GPS.

The retro-looking X100 is a 12.3MP shooter that has 23mm Fujinon lenses. The 'Hybrid Viewfinder' is a unique combination of viewfinders found in high-end film cameras and digital compact cameras.
The retro-looking X100 is a 12.3MP shooter that has 23mm Fujinon lenses. The 'Hybrid Viewfinder' is a unique combination of viewfinders found in high-end film cameras and digital compact cameras.

The camera has a large-sized APS-C / CMOS sensor and the built-in EXR Processor helps in achieving highest resolution in your photographs. X100 also offers the ability to shoot high-quality HD (high definition) movies.

According to Mr. K. Tanaka, Managing Director, FUJIFILM India, "At Fujifilm, innovation is centric to our continuous R&D efforts. Time and again we have been introducing products with unique features. We are pleased to introduce world's first hybrid viewfinder in FinePix X100. Laced with this revolutionary new technology, the product promises a never-before camera experience."

Mr. A. Rajkumar, Country General Manager (DSC), FUJIFILM India, said, "Fujifilm sees India as an important market. We intend to bring the latest to the fore for our discerning customers. Our FinePix X100 is a premium digital camera that brings superior technology to the photo enthusiasts. Its one-of-a-kind features will surely benefit those who love to explore photography on a professional note and beyond just a hobby."