Gizmodo: Browser

Try AT&T's Pogo 3D Web Browser

matt buchanan — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:15:00 EDT

AT&T's doing a desktop browser called Pogo—it's a "3D visual web browser" built on Firefox 2. (They're moving it to Firefox 3 currently.) It has some graphically interesting ways of doing bookmarks, history (probably my favorite feature with a Time Machine-like 3D timeline) and tabs, and a dock along the bottom. I'm kind of mixed on it so far—the eye candy doesn't always translate into more productive browsing—but they're looking to spread out the beta pool and have given us a code that's good for 500 downloads if you want to check it out. Update: Code is DEAD! But we're trying to get more.

Go to Pogo's site and enter this code: gYPL6vLf. (Minus the period.) When the code dies, let us know (we'll try to get more), as well as what you think of it. Min specs ain't super minimal, BTW, cause of the 3D trickery, and they recommend more:

•Intel / AMD processor @ 1.0 Ghz or higher
•1.0 Gb Ram (as low as 512Mb minimum for systems with a dedicated video card)
•Discrete or Integrated video card with 128 Mb Video RAM, DirectX 9.0c hardware compatible
•Desktop set to 32-bit color

[Pogo]

Microsoft Mistakes Browser War for Browser Party, Sends Firefox a Lovely Cake

John Herrman — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:40:00 EDT

Just like they did when Firefox 2 dropped, Microsoft has sent the guys over at Mozilla a congratulatory cake. The nerd food was delivered in person and was graciously accepted by the Firefox crew, who managed to hold back snide remarks about the cake's standard compliance and proprietary recipe long enough to take a few pictures. At least Microsoft has a sense of humor about their eroding market share. [Al Billings]

Zumobi Browser for WM5, WM6 Updated: Users Can Add Their Own Content

Sean Fallon — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:40:00 EDT

Earlier this year I put the Zumobi browser for Windows Mobile 5 and 6 devices through its paces and determined that it had some novelty value, but it was clear that there were shortcomings that needed to be overcome before it had any chance of attracting a serious audience. The folks behind the project have taken a step towards that end by updating their software to allow users to customize and create their own tiles from RSS feeds. They have also made it possible to select and upload Tiles directly from your phone.

These updates help to overcome the lack of content and control that plagued the earlier release. They have also streamlined the application to make downloads faster—another major sticking point. The download is free, so it is worth a shot regardless—but if you tried it before and were put off, it may be worth revisiting. [Zumobi]

Firefox 3 Release Candidate 1 Now Available

Jack Loftus — Sat, 17 May 2008 13:30:00 EDT

Go kick the tires and light the fires of Firefox 3 Release Candidate 1, which is now available for download at the Mozilla Firefox site. The update delivers a few aesthetic changes, as well as what Mozilla is calling major security enhancements. Users should also expect increased performance and stability for applications like Google Mail. There's an exhaustive list of known bugs to squash too, but that's par for the course with any software. [
Firefox 3 RC1]

Hands-on With Windows Mobile Skyfire Browser Beta 0.6

Jason Chen — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:30:00 EDT

Skyfire just got its 0.6 update, bring with it a few more features (listed after the jump) and a bit of compatibility increase that makes it feel more like a real browser than it was even when we saw it at CTIA. The overall idea is the same: Skyfire servers render pages into image form, which then makes it onto your Windows Mobile phone over an internet connection. On our Sprint HTC Mogul, Gizmodo loaded pretty damn fast over EV-DO, and features like Flash actually seemed to work well.

Because the page is like an image, you can pan and scroll around fast and easily, but zooming in and out is a bit clunkier. Typing in a text field requires you to type something on Skyfire's text input, then sending that to Skyfire, then sending the resulting image back to your phone.

Although it touts Flash video, support, watching YouTube videos is still more like a fast slideshow than an actual video—though most of the video quality depends on your connection type and speed. It's no iPhone Safari browser—and probably will never be because of the fact that rendering is done off-phone—but it's a reasonably close approximation for now.

* Multi-line text entry (2,000 character limit)
* Auto-complete text entry
* Paste into URL or search
* Ability to delete bookmarks
* Multiple zoom modes for touch screen phones
* Double tap to Zoom In and Zoom Out
* Support for custom virtual keyboards (SIP)
* Web search shortcut in softkey menu
* Access to the Windows Mobile Taskbar in softkey menu
* Persistent settings for SmartFit, Mute and Zoom size
* Support for 12-key and ½ QWERTY devices
* Password masking
* Backlight usage based on system settings
* OK button sends Skyfire to the background

[Skyfire]

Indian Firefox Bus Probably Doesn't Have Wi-Fi

Haroon Malik — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:30:00 EDT

In what appears to be the endless spread of Firefox, a new addition to the unofficial Firefox catalog has been spotted—in India. On the back of a bus. We're guessing the bus doesn't have on board Wi-Fi to make use of its web browser of choice, but we admire the support. Also, if that text in yellow above the artwork doesn't read "Safari and IE blow", well, then we'll eat our cats...I'm seriously mixing up my modern proverbs this weekend. Dammit. [Neatorama]

Hands On Skyfire Windows Mobile Browser: It Definitely Doesn't Suck

matt buchanan — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EDT

During our brief hands on with the Skyfire mobile browser at CTIA, it actually lived up to most of its claims, and we walked away fairly impressed. We saw it on two different devices, though most of our time was on a Sprint HTC Mogul. Besides rendering media-heavy Giz with surprising snap (a feat that made the Instinct's browser cry), it churned out YouTube and Hulu videos like a champ. Zooming isn't quite as intuitive as Safari—you touch, a box pops up which you can drag around, then you touch again—but I was told they're working on making it more natural. Overall, it's definitely one for Windows Mobile users to watch, and we'll be getting some more time with it soon.[Giz @ CTIA]

Mobile Operators Resisting Firefox on Phones

Sean Fallon — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 19:20:56 EST

Ever since Mozilla began work on a mobile version of its Firefox browser, convincing mobile operators to allow it has been an uphill battle. Naturally, an open internet would be a great benefit to users, but the operators would lose precious revenue from content providers. They would also have to contend with the expensive problem of beefing up their 3G networks. Unfortunately, open internet access is going to be a battleground for mobile operators whether they like it or not. Let's hope they can figure it out soon—Mozilla plans on dropping their mobile browser by the end of 2008.[Computer World and PC World via IntoMobile]

Firefox Passes 500 Million Downloads, Celebrates With a Lot of Rice

Haroon Malik — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 20:33:00 EST

Firefox has just hit 500 million downloads worldwide; it is an impressive statistic and we think everyone who works on the project should get a pat on the back. As if their contribution in creating a kick-ass browser was not enough to the world, the Mozilla team is celebrating by raising funds for 500 million grains of rice, which they will give away to poverty stricken nations.

To be completely honest with you guys, I did kind of download Firefox twice when I was installing it. I threw the extra .dmg file right in the trash, which obviously means they are still on 499,999,999 downloads. What the heck, what's one download between friends, apart from a heap of rice goodness? Jump in and let the Mozilla team know how much you appreciate not having to choose between IE or Safari. [Spreadfirefox]

Give WiFi Leechers Computer Rage With Executable Command Fun

Haroon Malik — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 01:30:00 EST

WiFi leechers can be a real pain in the ass; they'd happily eat up your bandwidth even if you told them your life depended on it, which given our social existence, it pretty much does. The guys over at Ex Parrot have come up with a great plan to serve up some ice cold revenge to the culprits, which will have their browser displaying characters back-to-front, upside down or in an annoyingly blurred out fashion. You'll have to run some commands to get your pay back, but the how to makes it a cinch. Let us know if you hear any sounds of outrage from the sponging neighbors. Heh, serves them right. [Ex Parrot via Hack n Mod]

Opera 9.5 Mobile Browser About to Get Commercial Release

Kit Eaton — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:29:15 EST

The latest Opera Mobile Browser, version 9.5, has just been previewed in time for GSMA 2008. The new version tries to be more like a desktop browser and adds a full text history search, allowing you to find pages you forgot to bookmark previously. Flash gets a look in too, since Flash Lite 3.0 support is included. More, including the press release, below.

Claiming to be 2.5x faster than Internet Explorer Mobile, Opera 9.5 has an improved rendering engine to better handle JavaScript- and Ajax-laden web pages. It can also serve web content directly to a phone's idle screen, which will either create some cool web-linked functionality, or allow cellphone operators to splash more branding onto their phones. Opera Widgets, and Opera Zoom and panning make it sound like the iPhone's UI, don't they?

Opera unleashes innovative technology in latest mobile Web browser — Opera Mobile 9.5
Faster speed, new interface and Opera Widgets bring users closer to a full desktop experience
Exclusive preview at Mobile World Congress 2008 (February 11-14, Barcelona)
Oslo, Norway and Barcelona, Spain — February 5, 2008
Opera Software, the only company that puts the Web on any device, today announced the commercial release of Opera Mobile 9.5 — the latest version of its award-winning Web browser for sophisticated feature phones and smartphones. Participants at the Mobile World Congress 2008 will be the first to experience the improved functionality of Opera Mobile 9.5.

According to high-tech market research firm, In-Stat, the smartphone market will grow at more than a 30% compound annual growth rate for the next five years globally, exceeding unit sales for laptops, as users experience significant value from their smartphones. Users are downloading more applications and generating higher usage as measured by average revenue per user (ARPU) for operators. The main driver that has fueled this growth is overall user experience on the mobile Web.

Built on Opera's unique core architecture, the Opera Mobile 9.5 desktop-like browsing experience has been enhanced with innovations such as zooming and panning that make it easier to navigate, load pages quicker and get users closer to the Web content and entertainment they want. With Opera Mobile 9.5, users can experience the real Web and interact with content exactly as they do on their PC.

Faster speed
The new version utilizes Opera's Presto rendering engine to achieve page load speeds comparable to a desktop experience. The Opera Presto engine was modified and improves browsing performance significantly by accelerating the handling of Web pages. It dramatically improves page responsiveness on pages with heavy use of languages such as JavaScript and Ajax, ensuring smooth, hassle-free browsing.

Compelling experience
Opera Mobile 9.5 includes numerous features aimed at elevating the mobile browsing experience. Not only is the user interface (UI) intuitive enough to master in minutes, Opera Mobile 9.5 introduces several new innovations that elevate the Internet experience on a handheld device. Users can take advantage of the intuitive Opera Zoom™ to dive into the page and get closer to the content they want. In addition, productivity tools like the ability to save pages for offline browsing, Web address auto complete and password manager help busy users make the most of their time.

Fully loaded
Web 2.0-enabled, Widget-ready and Flash support turn Opera Mobile 9.5 into a fully loaded browser allowing users to access all their favorite Web sites such as Facebook, MySpace and more. With Opera Mobile 9.5, OEMs and operators will have the capability to include Flash Lite 3, empowering their smartphone users with access to the full Web including the ability to watch videos on YouTube effortlessly. In addition, Opera Widgets, which are mini applications that allow content to be accessed easily from the device idle screen with just a few clicks, are included in the new edition — automatically engaging the user through ease of operation and meeting consumer demands for quick access to information.

New revenue sources, bigger brand
Opera Mobile 9.5's ability to serve Web content directly on the idle screen gets mobile OEMs or operators closer to users. By greatly reducing the number of clicks required to get to content, there is a real potential for operators to increase data revenue and user loyalty. In addition, access to the idle screen allows operators to place their brand strategically to interact dynamically with users. Opera Mobile 9.5 is everything that handset makers and operators have been trying to achieve for years.

"Opera Mobile is the result of Opera's unwavering commitment to a vision that puts a true Web experience in the hands of mobile users," said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. "The improved functionality of Opera Mobile 9.5 and easy access to information has raised the bar on a more compelling mobile Web browsing experience and will further stimulate mobile Internet adoption."

The Opera Mobile 9.5 experience includes many of the innovations found in Opera's trend-setting desktop browser including:

Intuitive user interface
Tabbed browsing
Improved text wrap
Page overview, zooming and panning
Landscape mode
Save Web page for future offline access
Call phone number from Web page
Send link as SMS/MMS
Send image as SMS/MMS
Small Screen Rendering™
Password manager
Web address input auto-completion
History and bookmarks
Copy text
Opera Widgets
Opera Mobile is currently shipped on more than 100 million phones with many of the world's top mobile OEMs and operators such as HTC, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, T-Mobile, and others.

Leading software platform provider, UIQ, has realized the potential of Opera's new mobile browser. "UIQ works with the world's leading mobile phone manufacturers to create the ultimate user experience. Our long-standing partnership with Opera has given users the ability to access all their favorite Web sites and services," says Mats Barvesten, EVP Product Planning and Product Management at UIQ Technology. "We look forward to introducing our upcoming handsets, featuring the groundbreaking Opera Mobile 9.5 browser."

Along with hands-on exposure to Opera Mobile 9.5, Mobile World Congress participants will also have the ability to experience Opera on a variety of devices: Opera Mobile on smartphones, free downloads of Opera Mini 4, improved Web browsing on gaming consoles and the ARCHOS Generation 5 Media players will be just a few of the exciting features of Opera's 2008 exhibit.

Mobile World Congress will be held on the 11th through the 14th of February in 2008 in Barcelona, Spain. Visit the Opera Booth in Hall 2, 2C76 or email conference@opera.com to book a meeting.

Platform Support and Availability
Opera Mobile 9.5 will be available on all major platforms including Symbian, Windows Mobile and Linux, as both a standalone browser and as a SDK. The public beta release of Opera Mobile 9.5 will be announced separately. For media inquiries, please contact julies@opera.com.

A video demonstration of Opera Mobile 9.5 is available on http://www.opera.com/b2b/solutions/mobile/video/

About Opera Software ASA
Opera Software ASA has redefined Web browsing for PCs, mobile phones and other networked devices. Opera's cross-platform Web browser technology is renowned for its performance, standards compliance and small size, while giving users a faster, safer and more dynamic online experience. Opera Software is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with offices around the world. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. Learn more about Opera at http://www.opera.com.

[Opera Software]

Skyfire Windows Mobile Browser is Desktop-Like, Has Flash

Jason Chen — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:55:56 EST

Windows Mobile has its share of desktop-esque browsers with the still experimental Deepfish, but this Skyfire browser seems to be better than what we've seen yet. It's desktop-class, yes, but it also has Flash, Java, and "full audio, video" support. You can see what they mean with a video demo after the jump, but the illustration above (YouTube, Google Maps) should be a pretty good indication of what you'll be able to do with a browser that doesn't suck. [SkyFire]

Lightning Review: Zumobi Mobile Browser

Sean Fallon — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:40:00 EST

The Product: The Microsoft backed Zumobi browser for Windows Mobile 5 and 6 phones consists of bite-sized web content called "tiles" (a new fangled term for "widget") that offers users a customized, shareable web browsing experience.

The Price: Free

The Performance: Zumobi is, in reality, a fancy widget application. So don't be fooled into thinking that this is some sort of robust new browser for Windows Mobile devices. Basically, Zumobi piggybacks on Internet Explorer to provide content for these "tiles" that can range from news content to small apps and games. Zumobi currently falls under the invisible "beta" umbrella of protection, but nonetheless, I found my experience with the platform to be largely frustrating and generally unentertaining (except for the douchebag part in the video).

First of all, Zumobi was a bit on the slow side and it was awkward to navigate the UI with the the T-Mobile Shadow I was using. Selecting and downloading tiles from the online gallery was an easy process, but a manual refresh option to update time-sensitive tiles that provide information like news, sports, and traffic tiles is sorely needed. On the plus side, the developers have assured me that this feature will be arriving post-beta.

I was also frustrated with what I considered to be a cluttered UI. Gray boxes and tiles abound with no real structure or organization. My feeling was that things needed to be cleaned up, and some sort of category driven layout would be necessary as the number of available tiles increased. The developers argued that the boxes were necessary to provide orientation adaptation and a consistent resolution target for the dev community. They also noted that research showed that users wanted to know where things were spatially—and a category driven layout on the users "zoom space" wouldn't work. While I can not pretend that I am in touch with the needs of developers using Zumobi's SDK, I can tell you that a zoom space consisting of 100 tiles arranged willy-nilly would be much harder to navigate than those same tiles broken down into categories (keep in mind that the current zoom space can only accommodate 16 tiles).

The Verdict: Not my cup of tea. I feel that there is potential here, but the execution falls a bit short and the appeal will most likely be confined to those who would enjoy a "novelty" experience as opposed to a hardcore functional browser. However, given the fact that it is free (and the advertising is pretty unobtrusive) it is definitely worth a shot for anyone. Just make sure you have an unlimited data plan. [Zumobi]

Zumobi Browser Beta For WM5 and 6 Now Live: Content Partners Announced

Sean Fallon — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:20:33 EST

The Microsoft backed Zumobi browser is now freely available to download for anyone running Windows Mobile 5 or 6 (Blackberry and selected J2ME compatibility will be coming early in the second quarter of 2008.). They have also announced content partnerships with providers such as Amazon.com, MTV Networks, The Associated Press, AccuWeather.com, Traffic.com, FlightStats.com and OTOlabs, who developed Tiles for Vail Resorts and Fox Television's "Family Guy."

Zumobi has also released the beta version of the Zumobi SDK which will allow developers with a basic level of knowledge in JavaScript and SVG to develop and potentially earn money on their tiles. Hit the following links to get started using the Zumobi browser or the SDK. A full press release follows. [Zumobi Beta and Zumobi SDK]

ZUMOBI USHERS IN A NEW AGE OF MOBILE CONTENT AND COMMERCE; BETA NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD ON WINDOWS MOBILE PHONES
Amazon.com, MTV Networks, The Associated Press, AccuWeather.com, Traffic.com, FlightStats.com and OTOlabs Among Partners Set to Launch Zumobi Tiles Today

SEATTLE - December 14, 2007 - Zumobi today launched the highly anticipated Beta version of its award-winning Zooming User Interface and mobile widget platform. Zumobi can now be downloaded free from the company's Web site: www.Zumobi.com. Content will be available from more than 75 mobile widgets or Tiles, including many from Zumobi launch partners such as Amazon.com, MTV Networks, The Associated Press, AccuWeather.com, Traffic.com, FlightStats.com and OTOlabs, who developed Tiles for Vail Resorts and Fox Television's "Family Guy".

Where to Go For More on Zumobi

* Download and participate in the Beta at www.Zumobi.com
* Check out our newest video at www.Zumobi.com/youtube
* Tune into the latest podcast from company co-founder and Vice President of Product and Services, John SanGiovanni at www.Zumobi.com

"The Zumobi team has been working for over a year to make this product a reality, and we're very excited to launch the first version of our public Beta today," said Zumobi CEO Eric Hertz. "Our partners who have created Zumobi Tiles for the initial Beta have delivered an excellent portfolio of news, entertainment, travel content and more."

Zumobi revolutionizes the way people access, retrieve and share Web-based content on their mobile phones. Through an intuitive, lush user interface, Zumobi allows people to easily "bounce" in and out of snack-sized bits of the entertainment they want and to stay on top of the information they need throughout the day, while offering advertisers a better way to connect with consumers through their mobile phones.

* "We're constantly creating new touch points on-air, online and on handsets that deepen our audiences' engagement with their favorite programming," said Jeremiah Zinn, Senior Vice President of Digital Distribution for MTV Networks. "Zumobi's new platform brings Web 2.0 functionality to wireless devices, and that allows us to create even more experiences for our audiences to stay connected to their favorite music, music news and gaming content."

* "The exciting combination of Zumobi's intuitive interface combined with Traffic.com's nationwide real-time traffic content gives on-the-go consumers the relevant, valuable, engaging user experience they demand," said Barry J. Glick, Vice President, Consumer Markets for NAVTEQ, parent company of Beta partner Traffic.com. "When users download Zumobi to their phones, they'll instantly benefit from the graphical, dynamic interaction with our mobile traffic solutions by making informed decisions about the best time to leave and the fastest way to get there."

* "In these days of air travel challenges, reliable and timely travel data is vital to people on the move," said Meara McLaughlin, Vice President of Conducive Technology, makers of FlightStats.com "The Zumobi platform gives FlightStats.com an exciting new way to connect with travelers on the mobile handset. Whether you are flying yourself or connecting with someone who is, having the right information, delivered in a clear and user-friendly way can make all the difference. We are thrilled to be one of the first Zumobi Tiles in such good company with the other founding Tile partners. We hope that users will check our Tile out when they download Zumobi."

* "Weather is the perfect match for mobile phone users - immediate, personal and location-specific," said Jim Candor, Senior Vice President of New Media for AccuWeather.com. "We're always looking for new and better ways to bring people the weather information they crave. Working with innovative companies like Zumobi helps us deliver a user experience that is quicker and more satisfying than ever before."

* "Mobile marketing has not taken off due to poor quality user experience; consumers are simply not excited to receive ads on the mobile phone," said Mitchel Ahern, Director of Product Management for OTOlabs, a permission-marketing platforms company. "We're very excited to be developing Tile applications for our clients on the Zumobi platform. We believe that by providing branded utility and entertainment as a mobile widget, our clients such as Fox Home Entertainment and Vail Resorts will see higher adoption, deeper engagement and more interaction with their audience."

Accessing the Beta Version of Zumobi
To access the Beta version of Zumobi go to www.Zumobi.com and follow the instructions on the website. The first Beta version of Zumobi is available for phones running Windows Mobile 5 and 6, with Blackberry and selected J2ME compatibility coming early in the second quarter of 2008. A data plan is required, and unlimited data plans are strongly recommended.

Beta Version of Zumobi SDK
Zumobi also unveiled a Beta version of the Zumobi SDK for developers, delivering on the company's promise of an open, device-neutral platform for building and deploying rich content for mobile phones. Developers can download the SDK from http://dev.Zumobi.com. The Zumobi SDK will enable developers to create and showcase their own Tiles. Developers will also be able to share and upload their Tiles to the Zumobi Gallery beginning in the first quarter of 2008.

About Zumobi
Zumobi is the open platform that is reinventing the mobile content experience. A highly-acclaimed innovator in the mobile industry, Zumobi provides developers with a device-neutral platform for building and deploying rich content for mobile phones; enables a better way to connect consumers and the brands that define their lives; delivers a new set of benefits that carriers can offer to their customers; and gives consumers an experience that makes their mobile phones more useful and fun. More information on Zumobi is available at www.Zumobi.com.

Mozilla Will Leave 80% of Firefox 3.0 Bugs Untouched Before Release

Sean Fallon — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:08:42 EST

Firefox 3.0 Status meeting notes have revealed that Mozilla will leave about 8 in 10 bugs untouched before the final version is released. Instead, they have decided to devote their attention to correcting the most serious bugs in order to strike a balance between stability and the impending release schedule. [Mozilla via NYT]

Microsoft Backed ZenZui is Now Zumobi, Announces Beta of New Mobile Browser

Sean Fallon — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:20:45 EST

Our first look at Microsoft backed ZenZui came back in March when we discovered a new mobile browser that promises to make "painful loading delays a thing of the past." In a call today with the folks at ZenZui, I learned that they will now and forevermore be known as Zumobi, along with new details about the browser and information on how the general public can get involved in the beta that launches on December 14th.

As mentioned in March, Zumobi's UI is based on a system of "tiles" that allow users to navigate in an out of bite-sized web content quickly and easily. A user's "zoom space" can be customized to include personally relevant items like photos, blogs, and friends in addition to generic web content. These tiles can also be sent to other friends and groups that share the same interests. The experience is said to be significantly faster than traditional browsers because of a new background data caching system that makes it possible for users to access data even when cellular service is nonexistent.

One of the most interesting aspects of the new technology comes in the form of Zumobi's SDK, which will allow developers with even a basic level of knowledge in JavaScript and SVG to develop and potentially earn money on their tiles. Apparently, if a tile gets hot among Zumobi users, it could pick up sponsorship and a cut of the advertising revenue for the developer. Naturally, that means that targeted advertising is going to be part of the equation here, but the software will be free when it is released —and that, my friends, is what you call a trade-off.

Both the public beta of the Zumobi browser and the SDK will be available starting on December 14th. If you would like to be part of it, make sure you have a phone equipped with Windows Mobile 5 and 6 (Blackberry and selected J2ME compatibility will be coming early in the second quarter of 2008.), and hit the following link for a beta signup and product demo. [Zumobi]

Firefox Reaches 400 Million Downloads (tear)

Mark Wilson — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 09:45:29 EDT

Since its launch on November 9th, 2004, Firefox's downloads have continued doubling on a yearly basis. And now, they've reached the blessed, fabled, Holy Grailish 400 million mark.

OK, maybe there's nothing special about 400 million in particular, but it seems like an impressive amount. And congrats to the Mozilla on their free product. Because without it, I couldn't do my job. (Yes, I'm looking at you, Safari and Explorer. And no, I didn't know you were standing right there, Opera, but I sort of don't care.) Let's all dork out and list our favorite extensions in the comments. [spreadfirefox via boygeniusreport]

Unconfirmed: Nintendo Discontinues DS Browser?

Jason Chen — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:10:39 EDT

This is unconfirmed for now, but some forum poster at Neogaf claims that Nintendo is going to discontinue the DS Lite web browser. Seeing as you had to pay $29 for a web browser that wasn't even that great, we can understand why. [Amazon via Neogaf via DS Fanboy]

Windows Safari Beta Tops 1 Million in 48 Hours

Jason Chen — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 17:15:21 EDT

Curious Windows users wondering whether the grass is greener, or fed up IE/Firefox users looking for an out? Either way, another cold glass of ice water, indeed. – Jason Chen

Press Release [PRNewswire]

P.S. Jackson J, this is a preview of things to come. Get mah scoop ready. - BL

Safari for Windows, Bugs-a-Plenty

blongo3 — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:45:46 EDT

Now it makes sense why Apple released Safari for Windows. Steve must love his Windows security jokes so much that he decided Apple should create a browser that exploits them even more.

Currently only six bugs have been found. Four involving Safari crashing & two that allow remote code to be launched. Currently there's no official word on whether these can be re-created on its OS X counterpart. So for now we'll call this a sneak attack, or maybe a beta. Yeah, beta sounds better– Ben Longo

Security researchers: Safari for Windows not so secure [CNet]

What's New in Safari?

blongo3 — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 16:30:41 EDT

•It's On Windows

•Resizable Text Fields
Probably the best new feature of the beta (aside from increased speed). If you frequent message boards or use online blogging software you will appreciate being able to resize any of your text input blocks.

•Movable Tabs
Just like Firefox, Safari lets you rearrange your tabs into any order you want. And it even 1-ups its competitor by letting you drag them off and to create their own new window.

•Real Time Text Searching
And taking another cue from its foxy friend, you can search for text in real time throughout the web page your viewing. Although Safari does it in a much prettier way.

•Modify How Long Safari Keeps Your History
We can't tell you how many times we wanted to go check back on a page we visited, only to find that our history didn't keep track that long. Safari lets you decide how long it should remember where you've gone. Just for a day or even a year.

– Ben Longo

Opera Browser For the Nintendo DS Available In US

Wilson Rothman — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 10:45:00 EDT

You been hurtin' for a DS browser for soooo long. Well, guess what? It's finally here. That's not to say it's going to change your life or anything. Super-early reviews were not so psyched. Still, a browser for the DS is a no-brainer, so it's nice to finally see it available, even if it will cost you $30. What? Yep, follow the jump to see the press release for yourself. – Wilson Rothman

Nintendo DS Browser available to North American market
Oslo, Norway - June 8, 2007 - Opera Software today announced that the Nintendo DST Browser, powered by Opera, is now available to the North American market. Packaged just as a game cartridge, the DS browser is sold at an estimated retail price of $29.99. There are two variants of the DS browser cartridge for either the Nintendo DS or Nintendo DS Lite systems. Both variants are available on Nintendo.com, with the browser for Nintendo DS Lite also available at locations where video games are sold.

Opera's browser for Nintendo DS provides a customized Web experience. Users are given full advantage of the dual screens of the DS to view sites in either Overview mode, which presents the complete Web site on the lower screen with the highlighted area zoomed in on the upper screen, or with Opera's Small-Screen Rendering, where the upper and lower screens are combined to make a single screen. Users of the Nintendo DS Browser can access all their favorite Web sites from Wi-Fi environments at home, at one of Nintendo's free Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection hotspots* and public access hotspots (subject to connection fees of the hotspot provider).

"With the DS Browser, Nintendo continues to expand the possibilities for users of this tremendously popular game platform," says Scott Hedrick, EVP Marketing, Opera Software. "Opera is excited to work with Nintendo to bring the easy and accessible way to browse the Internet to DS lovers in North America. DS Browser makes it easy to check news, popular user generated content sites or comparison shop while in a Wi-Fi hotspot." For more information on Opera for Nintendo products, visit www.opera.com/nintendo.

* For further information on Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection service and to find the nearest free Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection hotspot, please visit www.nintendowifi.com.

About Opera for DevicesOpera provides an optimized implementation of Internet technologies for handheld devices, digital TV and other devices, with innovative and powerful features that seamlessly adapt the Internet experience to suit varying screen sizes and input devices. In addition to being a full Internet browser, Opera is a high performance execution environment for Web applications and dynamic user interfaces based on interoperable open Web technologies such as AJAX. www.opera.com/devices/.

About Opera Software ASAOpera Software ASA has redefined Web browsing for PCs, mobile phones and other networked devices. Opera's cross-platform Web browser technology is renowned for its performance, standards compliance and small size, while giving users a faster, safer and more dynamic online experience. Opera Software is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with offices around the world. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. Learn more about Opera at http://www.opera.com.

Asus Eee PC Gets Pricing and Release Date

Louis Ramirez — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:10:13 EDT

Asus' tiny Internet PC just got a little sweeter. The 7-inch handheld is rumored to be coming out this August for a mere $199. That's less than half the price of the Palm Foleo. There's even rumblings that future versions might have a 3G radio embedded. So between the Foleo and the NanoBook, the Eee PC still has the upper hand in my book. – Louis Ramirez

Product Page [Gadget Lab]

YouTube On a Mobile Browser, Please

Brian Lam — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 06:46:55 EDT

That new iPhone commercial brags about it having a great browser. Mactards have even speculating that the iPhone has Flash support, because the NY Times website's video player appears to load up fine. But the commercial also skips over the agonizing four-minute load time it would take to cache all those ads, images, flash movies, and did they not notice there is weird baby music playing while some disembodied voice narrates? Dropping in a fake placeholder for the video just isn't out of the question. It doesn't matter, though.

What I really want is Flash support plus 3G, so I can watch YouTube on a phone. Any phone will do. Whoever does that first will win some sort of Gizmodo gold star.

Think about it: Little Superstar on the Subway. – Brian Lam
[Thanks Andre, for the idea..]

Asus Eee PC: the Tiny Ultraportable for Web Browsing

Louis Ramirez — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 09:42:47 EDT

Step aside, Foleo, there's a new sheriff in town. Asus' Eee PC 701 (we know, the name sucks) is an ultraportable/UMPC hybrid designed especially for Web browsing. The tiny handheld weighs 1.9 pounds and packs a 7-inch screen with a full keyboard. Intrigued? That's just the beginning.

The PC will be fitted with 512MB of memory and use either a 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB flash drive for storage. It'll have built-in wireless along with an integrated webcam and mic. No word on pricing or availability yet, but of the two ultraportable/UMPC hybrids we've seen (the Foleo and the VIA), I'd put my money on this one. As long as it's not absurdly priced, of course. – Louis Ramirez

Press Release [via Laptoping]

Hands-On Video With Microsoft's Deepfish Windows Mobile Browser

Jason Chen — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 19:35:10 EDT

To say that Windows Mobile web browsers are hard to use would be tantamount to saying babies are fairly easy to beat up. Microsoft's trying to remedy this with their experimental Deepfish web browser, which tries to give you desktop-class rendering on your WM smartphone. Does it work? Well, sorta.

Watch the video and hit the jump for our impressions.

It's true that the whole setup look quite nice. By taking a snapshot of a webpage on the server side and sending the image to your phone, you get proper rendering without a lot of CPU use. The downside to this is that dynamic pages, javascript, flash, and other web advances since Netscape 1.0 aren't supported.

Other quirks are that it's quite bandwidth heavy and slow if you're on a skinny pipe. Whenever you zoom in, the zoomed-in high quality has to be downloaded from the server. Not too bad, but it does slow down the web browsing experience.

Scrolling isn't bad on my Cingular 8525, but it's nothing to brag about. There are noticeable delays and the page actually cuts off a certain distance down the page. We're not sure what's going on here.

So all in all, it's a nice start for an experimental browser. Sure, there are kinks to be worked out, but in the meantime you can actually get desktop-quality HTML rendering on your WM smartphone. Other phones like the iPhone and certain Series 60 phones support similar browsing features as well. We'll have to put the three together and see who wins. – Jason Chen

Project Page [Deepfish]

The iPhone: Web Browser via Safari - Has Tabs

Jason Chen — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 13:24:37 EST

10:22: Browsing gives you the standard browser view (just like on the PC).

10:24: Scrolling, zooming, all via the gestures. You view the entire page first (too small to read in normal view, so you need to zoom in).

Console Websurfing Test: Wii vs PS3

blongo3 — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 17:50:15 EST

Browsing the web on a console is kind of a stupid idea. That's what we have PCs for. But if you must, here's our take on the Opera/Wii browser versus the PS3's browser.
Hands down the Wii interface is better than the PS3's, thanks to the remote. I really enjoyed lounging on my couch with one arm flicking around pages. None of this mouse or joystick business. And finally when compared to using the PS3's controller the Wii is a breeze to type with. Granted it's no keyboard, but a welcome improvement.

But while flash videos played fine on nintendo.com, YouTube vids got no love. That's a sad thing, as its the number one website we'd like to watch away from the PC. And the PS3 excels at this. And more.

Edit I tried YouTube later today and for whatever reason it's working for me now. So there you go, YouTube+Wii=<3

Now I know one of the more anticipated features was flash support. I found mixed results with this. At wii.com I found the flash videos there worked perfectly. However when I went over to Youtube it said my software was either incompatible or too old. So they have some work to do there. Again, this is beta.

Now onto what went wrong. First off, the Wii's lower res can't handle small text on web pages nearly as nicely as the PS3 running in 1080. And there is a thick black bar that goes around the top and sides of the screen, seemingly for no reason. Two, there isn't a permanent address bar. To type in a new website you have to go back to the start page. That is completely unnecessary, especially with this useless black bar taking up space.

Now I don't want you to get the idea in your head that the browser was poorly conceived, it wasn't. There are just a few things in the way of it going from good to great. Hopefully by March when the final candidate is released it will feel a little more polished.

When that happens, we'll drop our final verdict. For now, we pose the question. WTF are you doing browsing the web on a console? – Ben Longo

DeepFish Browser for WinMo: Good Thing Finally Comes in Small Package?

Charlie White — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 09:31:48 EST

Here's a sneak peek at DeepFish, a web browser for Windows Mobile that gives you an easy way to look at entire pages and then zoom in to individual sections.

Information is sketchy thus far, but this looks like a positive step toward solving the inherent difficulties of browsing the web on a 3-inch screen. The browser is still in beta, and there's no word on when we might see a shipping version. – Charlie White

DeepFish browser for Windows Smartphone [mobility today]

Wii Browser Enters Release Candidate Stage: Arrives Friday

www.gizmodo.com — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 17:50:40 EST

Nintendo is finally starting to round out the Wii's promised features — earlier today we were graced by the weather channel, over a month after the system's launch. Now, Opera and Nintendo have announced that a trial version of its browser for the Wii will be available this Friday, Dec. 22, with the final dropping sometime around the end of March. Also revealed was the price for users who download the browser after June: 500 points. Ninja-filled Opera press release comic and more thoughts after the jump.

While it looks to be far more capable, less clunky, and easier to maneuver than the red-headed stepchild DS version, hopefully a keyboard attachment isn't too far into the future because we have a feeling that the onscreen keyboard is going to turn into a real pain in the ass after a while — that is, after about two minutes. On the upside, the beta (let's call it what it is) is Flash-enabled from the get-go, meaning YouTube goodness is now available on the standard boob tube. – Matt Buchanan

Nintendo Press Release
Opera Press Release
[via Ars Technica]

PS3 Web Browser First Look

Louis Ramirez — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 15:34:54 EST

Sony's been throwing a PS3 fest here in New York and along with Gawker's video guru, Richard Blakeley, gave us a first hand look at the PS3's web browser interface. Typing URLs with the controller is somewhat clunky as you can see from the video itself (luckily you can plug in a USB keyboard), but otherwise it'll let you open up to 6 different browser windows simultaneously and then tile them (Expose style) so you can see them all at once. Our compatriots at Kotaku also shot some videos of the PS3's picture and movie browser, the latter which displays animated thumbnails of each clip you have stored on the PS3.
– Louis Ramirez

Nintendo DS Browser Review

Jason Chen — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 18:13:27 EDT

Josh goes over the Nintendo DS Opera Browser for his DS Lite in a 7 minute review. If you're interested in how this looks on a real-life system, reading sites like Slashdot, Digg, and Gizmodo—Which looks and runs perfectly fine, says Josh, except for the Youtube videos, because Flash isn't supported. Loading is kind of slow, but functionality-wise, everything works fine.

Here's a followup review. Check out the video for all of his thoughts. – Jason Chen

Nintendo DS Browser Review [Joshua Zimmerman - Thanks Josh!]

Nintendo DS Opera Browser In Action

Jason Chen — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 16:12:02 EDT

It's in Japanese, but it gives you a good idea for when Opera browser support comes out for your DS. The browser makes good use of the dual screen by zooming in on selected sections or having one tall screen separated in the middle. That sound you hear is the stretching pants of excited DS owners the world over. – Jason Chen

DS Opera browser in action [Pocket Gamer]

Nintendo DS Gets Opera Browser On July 24

Jason Chen — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 16:02:23 EDT

Nintendo DS owners, circle this date on your calendar: July 24th. That's the date Opera is going to release a web browser for your beloved handheld gaming system. That is, if you're a resident of Japan—U.S. and Europe users don't have a set release date yet. Getting a nice DS web browser will go nicely between killing your boss on the 23rd and swimming to Korea on the 25th. – Jason Chen

Opera announces DS browser release date in Japan [Opera via Ubergizmo]

Opera Releases Mini 2.0

Jason Chen — Fri, 05 May 2006 07:23:35 EDT

Owners of non-smartphones were out of luck in the browser department until Opera released their Mini. Regular Opera functionality, compatible with J2ME phones, allows lower end phones to browse standard websites in condensed form. Now with Opera Mini 2.0, users can download mp3s, pictures and videos directly onto their phones. This feature, along with buying content via sms automatically were missing from 1.0.

The download is free and works on any Java enabled phone.

Opera Mini [via PC world]