Less than a week after Mozilla released Firefox 3.0.9, Firefox 3.0.10 is now available.
The latest release fixes a major stability problem, along with two critical security issues.
A full list of changes can be found in the release notes.
Existing users will have the update pushed out to them, or it can be downloaded directly from the Firefox website.
Latest nightly builds of Firefox 3.5 Beta 4 include a new recently closed window feature.
The feature is located in the History menu, right below the recently closed tabs feature, and is sure to save people plenty stress after they accidental close a window.
Beta 4 is expected in the next few weeks, but you can test the recently closed window feature in the latest nightly build.
As per schedule, Microsoft has released Internet Explorer 8 language packs on the Microsoft Download Centre in 18 additional languages.
The languages include Bosnia (Cyrillic), Bosnian (Latin), Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Estonian, Hindi, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Romanian, Serbian (Cyrillic), Serbian (Latin), Slovak, Slovenian, Thai, Ukrainian, Vietnamese.
The language packs are available for users of Windows Vista and Windows 2008 now in the Microsoft Download Centre.
Google has released a new version of Chrome over night patching a high-severity security hole.
The flaw, discovered on April 8 by IBM, allowed for cross-site scripting attacks through the use of malicious JavaScript on a website.
Google Chrome program manager, Mark Larson, describes how the flaw could work. “An error in handling URLs with a chromehtml: protocol could allow an attacker to run scripts of his choosing on any page or enumerate files on the local disk under certain conditions.”
“If a user has Google Chrome installed, visiting an attacker-controlled Web page in Internet Explorer could have caused Google Chrome to launch, open multiple tabs, and load scripts that run after navigating to a URL of the attacker’s choice. Such an attack only works if Chrome is not already running” wrote Larson.
The patch will be pushed out automatically to current Chrome users, and will take the browser to version 1.0.154.59. New users can download the latest Google Chrome directly.
A new patent has surfaced from Apple hinting that volume control is coming to Safari.
Safari browser with audio controls mockup
The filling should give surfers the ability to apply controls to audio streaming in from the web.
The patent also appears to give surfers the option of storing audio preferences for different site, allowing users to mute all websites by default, but allow audio from say YouTube.
“When using a web browser application (e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer.RTM., Apple Safari.RTM.), audio sources (e.g., websites) will often provide audio signals (e.g., music, noises) which may or may not be welcomed by the user. While operating system desktops often provide audio controls (e.g., volume controls), such audio controls adjust all audio signals playing on the host device, including desirable audio signals such as music the user desires to play from their music library while browsing the Web. Accordingly, if desktop audio controls are used, then desirable audio signals, as well as undesirable audio signals, will be adjusted together which may not be the intent of the user” the patent reads.
No word yet from Apple on when we can see this innovative idea in Safari.
Mozilla have released Firefox 3.0.9 overnight, which fixes several security and stability issues.
Of the security fixes, 1 was rated as critical, 2 were high, 2 were moderate, and 4 were rated as low.
A full list of changes can be found in the release notes.
The update should be pushed out to existing users, or it can be downloaded directly from the Firefox website.
Google has released software called O3D which aims to bring accelerated 3D graphics to the web browser.
O3D is a plug-in available for all major browsers on Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms.
The technology works by allowing developers access to a computers 3D hardware simply by using JavaScript.
The plug-in is available from Google today, and the website includes live demo’s and a video showing off the technology.
The latest code freeze for Firefox 3.5 beta 4 (formerly 3.1) deadline has slipped. The reason being due to some remaining outstanding priority 1 issues.
“Code freeze was scheduled for today, but as just announced, some of the P1 blockers have not yet been resolved and so we’ve delayed the freeze to wait for these fixes,” said Firefox’s Director Mike Beltzner.
Beta 4’s release is still slated for next week. A list of remaining P1 blockers can be found on Bugzilla.
Adobe has announced that its Flash platform is coming to Internet-linked television sets, set-top boxes and Blu-ray players.
The move would give viewers the ability to watch YouTube, Hulu and Netflix right from their living rooms.
“Consumers are looking to access their favourite Flash technology-based videos, applications, services and other rich Web content across screens” said David Wadhwani, general manager and vice president of the Platform Business Unit.
At this stage, there is still no release date, or idea of which manufacturers will be jumping on board.
Mozilla is looking at dropping support for Windows 2000 and versions of Windows XP without at least SP3 installed in early 2010.
The idea is hardly a surprise, as the extended support period offered by Microsoft for the operating systems is ending on 13th July 2010, and would see the requirements for Gecko 1.9.2 raised – Firefox’s rendering engine.
Firefox 3.5 (aka 3.1) are built using Gecko 1.9.1, so the change will not affect users on current or next version of Firefox.
Full discussion on the issue can be read on the mozilla.dev.planning newsgroup.