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[Winjer]

Fica cá o tópico para as noticias sobre o Firefox.

Firefox drops Google as global default search provider, switches to Yahoo

For almost the entirety of Firefox’s 12-year history, Mozilla — and thus Firefox — has been primarily funded by a lucrative deal with Google. Since 2004, Google has been paying Mozilla around $100 million per year — or about 85% of Mozilla’s total income — to keep Google as the default search provider. Today, that finally changes: Google is out and Yahoo is in. Kind of.The terms of Mozilla’s new deal are fairly complex. Yahoo will become Firefox’s default search provider in the US. Under the hood, Yahoo Search is still powered by MicrosoftBing. As part of the deal, Yahoo will once again abide by Firefox’s Do Not Track feature, for users who would rather Yahoo did not track their search activity. There will also be a “new enhanced Yahoo Search experience that features a clean, modern interface” specifically for Firefox users.
In China, Baidu will remain the default search provider — but in Russia, where Google was previously the default, it will be replaced by the local Yandex Search. In all cases, the drop-down menu will continue to offer a variety of search engines (Google, Amazon, DuckDuckGo, Wikipedia, etc.)
Somewhat oddly, Mozilla’s official blog post doesn’t mention any other territories — you know, like those couple of billion people in Europe, Africa, and South America. Mozilla PR confirmed with ExtremeTech that Google will remain the default search provider in Europe — but declined to tell us why. I would guess that Google remains the default search provider everywhere other than the US, China, or Russia — but I guess we’ll find out for certain when the next version of Firefox is released.
Yahoo is now the default search provider for Firefox in the US. It’s funny how Yahoo/Bing looks almost identical to Google, eh?

Why the coyness? Well, it depends how much you want to infer from the Mozilla blog post, and from the rather limited remarks by Mozilla CEO Chris Beard in an interview withMarketing Land. In short, it sounds like both Google and Yahoo were offering Mozilla a similar amount of money for the US — but Yahoo was more “aligned with our values of choice and independence.” This phrase is clearly euphemistic for a disagreement/misalignment between Google and Mozilla, but we can only guess at the specifics. But then why is Google still Firefox’s default search provider in Europe? When Marketing Land asked Beard directly, “he gave no explanation.”
Read: How browsers make money, or why Google needs Firefox
Real-life firefoxes (red pandas). Because… well… JUST LOOK AT THEM.

Clearly, this new deal isn’t all about values of choice and independence. Either Yahoodidn’t want to be the default search provider in Europe (which makes sense, given how most of its market share is in the US), Google made an offer for Europe (and Africa and South America?) that Mozilla couldn’t refuse, or perhaps it was a mix of the two. It might be as simple as Yahoo/Bing simply not offering a very good search experience outside the US, too (Bing is excellent in the US, okay-to-good in most other English-speaking countries, and bad elsewhere).
Anyway, if we gloss over the odd lack of transparency, the main thing is that Mozilla now seems to be much more in control of its own destiny. The exact terms of its previous agreements with Google are unknown, but they were obviously more restrictive than Mozilla would’ve liked. When the majority of your income derives from a single source, it’s rarely a healthy setup for both parties. Now, Mozilla seems to have more control over who it partners with in specific territories — which should result in a better experience for both Mozilla and the hundreds of millions of Firefox users around the world.

[Jorge-Vieira]

Vamos lá ver o que vai sair desta nova parceria com a Yahoo e as vantagens que isso vai trazer ao browser.
Eu vou continuar a utilizar o Google, nas novas versões que vierem do FF mudo nas defenições, pois não me parece que a Yahoo tenha o poder do motor de busca da Google.

[Winjer]

O Google continua lá, apenas não é o pré-definido.
Não sei é se esta mudança vai agradar a muita gente.

[Jorge-Vieira]

Pois, eu acho que não vai agradar a ninguém, sendo o Google o motor de busca de praticamente de toda a gente e não vindo por defeito, muitos vão ficar chateados por terem de andar a mexer nas defenições.
Não sei também se esta mudança não arrasta utilizadores do FF para o Chrome.

[XTREMVZ]

Não sei é se esta mudança vai agradar a muita gente.

Acho tão irrelevante que agora vou mandar um peido, desculpando pelo meu palavreado.

[Jorge-Vieira]

Adobe Releases Flash Player Update With Critical Security Patch But Be Careful Of Fake Download Malware

If you have Flash Player installed, and chances are pretty overwhelming that you do, you'll want to make sure that you're equipped with the latest and greatest version. Last month, Adobe issued a Flash update that blocked certain exploit kits from being able to take advantage of a user's PC, but as it turns out, that update wasn't enough to prevent against new related exploits in the future. This update, as you'd expect, helps take care of that.

Adobe lists these versions as vulnerable:

• Adobe Flash Player 15.0.0.223 and earlier versions
• Adobe Flash Player 13.0.0.252 and earlier 13.x versions
• Adobe Flash Player 11.2.202.418 and earlier versions for Linux

The most common up-to-date version is 15.0.0.239, but if you're running a non-Windows platform, you can see which version corresponds to you here. Interestingly, while Google Chrome claims to always bundle the latest version of Flash, mine is still stuck on the vulnerable 223 version. Meanwhile, my system-wide Flash is up-to-date - but that means little when Chrome is my go-to browser.

Noticia completa:http://hothardware.com/news/adobe-re...wnload-malware

[Jorge-Vieira]

Firefox Gets Free Integrated Video Chat Feature

The latest version of Mozilla’s Firefox web browser, Firefox 34, comes with an integrated video chat feature, which is free and easy to use.

The feature is called Firefox Hello, and any Firefox 34 user can initiate a video chat, with no need to signup or download any extra plugins. Just press the button, share the link it gives, and video chat straight away. So long as one person is using Firefox, the other user only needs to use a WebRTC-compatible browser, such as Chrome or Opera.

Noticia:
http://www.eteknix.com/firefox-gets-...-chat-feature/

[Jorge-Vieira]

Firefox 34 arrives with Yahoo as the default search engine in North America

Mozilla wasted little time in making the switch from Google to Yahoo as the default search engine in Firefox. Firefox 34 is now available for download and for the first time in several years, Google isn’t the go-to search provider.
Users in North America updating to Firefox 34 will be asked if they want to switch to Yahoo as their default search provider. Alternately, one can select the “later” option if they don’t want to be bothered with a change right now.

Elsewhere, Mozilla has improved the search bar by making it easier to search within third-party sites like Amazon, Twitter or Wikipedia using Firefox’s new one click searches. It’s a clever variant on search that could no doubt save you some time if you’re searching for results from a particular site.
Also new in Firefox 34 is Mozilla’s experimental Hello chat client. Announced in October, Hello lets Firefox users conduct video and audio calls with others directly from their browser. It uses an HTML5-based technology known as WebRTC (Real-Time Communication) and best yet, it’s completely free

Noticia completa:
http://www.techspot.com/news/59032-f...ch-engine.html

[Winjer]

A Mozilla conseguiu lixar a Google com a parceria da Yahoo. E esta Hein.

Google's share of US search market drops to lowest level since 2008, Mozilla / Yahoo deal to blame

Mozilla’s decision to part ways with Google as the default search provider in Firefox, which went into effect at the beginning of December, is already having a pretty significant impact on the US-based Internet search market.Data from web analytics firm StatCounter shows that Google’s share of the search market in the US fell 2.1 percent at the end of 2014, from 77.3 percent in November to 75.2 percent in December. Yahoo’s share, meanwhile, increased 1.8 percent – from 8.6 percent in November to 10.4 percent a month later.

Those few percentage points may not sound like much but it’s pretty significant. For Google, it’s the lowest US share yet recorded by StatCounter which began recording statistics in 2008. And for the Marissa Mayer-led Yahoo, it’s the highest US search share the company has enjoyed since 2009.
The shift in market share is a direct result of the five-year deal that Mozilla signed with Yahoo late last year to become the default search provider inFirefox 34. For the past 10 years, Mozilla had relied on Google to provide the default search experience in its web browser.
As of December, Firefox held just over 12 percent of the browser market in the US according to StatCounter.
It’s also worth mentioning that Apple’s agreement with Google to be the default search provider in Safari expires this year. Things could get even more interesting should Google lose out on this deal, especially if Yahoo is able to land it.

[Filipe]

Ainda assim a google tem uma quota de mercado enorme.

[Jorge-Vieira]

Firefox Hello: Video Chat, In Your Browser

Yesterday, Mozilla updated its Firefox browser to version 35. Among the many updates is the official launch of Hello, Mozilla's WebRTC platform. In the past, users had to download programs, the biggest one being Skype, to chat with people via video or audio. By providing the same thing straight from a browser, Hello might be a game changer in video and audio chat.

After upgrading to the latest version of Firefox, Hello should already be available in the menu bar or customization panel. Once it's open, Hello allows you to give a name to the call, or as Mozilla calls it, a "conversation," and you get a URL to share. The link is unique to the conversation, so the user just needs to copy it and give it to the person they want to call. Hello also "remembers" the link, so if you need to call the same person again, just click the link and an audio notification will tell the user on the other end that you are calling them.

Hello also works across multiple browsers. As long as either person is using Firefox, Hello will work. At the moment, the only WebRTC supported platforms are Chrome, Firefox, and Opera.

But the best part about Hello is that it requires no signup whatsoever. All you need to do is start a conversation and share the link, making the process quick and easy. For those who are looking for a more direct approach to calling, Mozilla also provides contact support. By logging in to a Firefox account, you can also see which of your contacts has a Firefox account and contact them that way. There is also support for Google accounts that imports contact directly to your Hello address book.

I tried Hello for a bit today before writing this story, and for the most part it's really easy to use. When you make a call, a small window for the video call appears on the bottom left corner of the screen, which makes it non-intrusive. On the receiving end, it features a large screen for the other user and a smaller window that shows how you look in the call. Both the audio and video quality is surprisingly great, especially when you consider the fact that it's running from the browser.

Noticia:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/moz...ram,28391.html

[Jorge-Vieira]

Firefox Nightly Getting An Injection Of Oculus Rift Support

Mozilla's Chief Technical Officer Andreas Gal updated his blog on Wednesday with news that Nightly builds of Firefox will now include VR support. This should be good news for users and developers who previously had to download a special build of Firefox that was typically lagging behind the current Nightly releases. "Consumer VR products are still in a nascent state, but clearly there is great promise for this technology. We have enough confidence in the new APIs we have proposed that we are today taking the step of integrating them into our regular nightly Firefox builds," Gal wrote.
Firefox users eager to see the browser in the Oculus Rift headset must not only download the latest Nightly release, but install the WebVR Oculus Rift Enabler add-on and open a "non-e10s" browser window. To open this window, simply choose "File" and then "New Non-e10s Window."
Mozilla engineering Director Vlad Vukicevic said in a separate blog that users must choose a non-e10s window because WebVR in Firefox currently does not support multi-process browsing. He added that Mozilla wants to add Direct-To-Rift support soon in the Nightly build. After that, Mozilla is eying Firefox for Android, Linux and the Cardboard device for mobile VR experiences.
"We'll also be starting to revisit VR support using CSS and the DOM, to maximize compatibility with existing Web content and Web development knowledge," Vukicevic wrote. "You'll also soon be able to report bugs to us via bugzilla.mozilla.org in a new WebVR component."
For the uninitiated, Firefox Nightly is the build where Mozilla first introduces new features and fixes. This allows Mozilla to receive feedback from those willing to test the build. Because it's fresh out of the mixing bowl, the Nightly build can be somewhat unstable. Mozilla warns that this build should only be used by "experienced" users and testers.
Vukicevic also revealed in his blog that VR support will be baked into Beta and Release builds, but disabled. "We're still making rapid improvements and changes to both the VR interfaces and the necessary platform support pieces," Vukicevic said. "Once WebVR is more complete, we'll discuss shipping plans to our Beta and Release builds."
To download the Nightly version of Firefox, head here.

Noticia:
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/moz...ift,28439.html

[Jorge-Vieira]

Experience Virtual Reality on Your Browser With Firefox Nightly Builds

If you are really into Virtual Reality (VR) and stuff, specifically talking about the Oculus Rift headset, then Mozilla Firefox should be you default web browser.


Mozilla’s virtual reality setup works only with Oculus Rift right now, Google cardboard is in the works

Earlier last summer, Mozilla brought out an experimental limited version of Firefox with support for virtual reality web based apps which could be experienced with Oculus Rift which is a VR headset. Mozilla is now planning to expand the VR experience a step further. The company has just unlocked support for WebVR in the Nightly and Developer editions of its Firefox browser. In short you won’t have to download and use an experimental Firefox release just to play around with VR in your browser.

“While VR support will be enabled in our Nightly and Developer Edition (Alpha) builds, it will currently be automatically disabled in Beta and Release builds. We’re still making rapid improvements and changes to both the VR interfaces and the necessary platform support pieces. Once WebVR is more complete, we’ll discuss shipping plans to our Beta and Release builds,” Mozilla engineering director Vlad Vukicevic wrote in a blog post

The concept is obviously amazing but at the same time it is very challenging. So why is Mozilla spending its time and resources on something like this when its mission is to “promote openness, innovation & opportunity on the Web?” Mozilla’s Josh Carpenter told the answer to this at a talk last summer, he said the organization is sure of the fact that VR will be a big deal in the future and that it presently is a great challenge, “and we like great challenges”. VR on any website you visit will make the whole web experience futuristic


Mozilla’s open WebVR API only gives those with the Oculus Rift headsets the ability to experience VR right now, though the company stated that it also plans to support Google Cardboard. You still have to download a few add-ons with the Nightly or Developer editions of firefox to make your Oculus Rift headset work.

To experience Web VR content with an Oculus Rift
with Firefox Nightly builds, you’ll need to:

Install most recent Firefox Nightly
Install WebVR Oculus Rift Enabler add-on
Open a non-e10s browser window.

Noticia:
http://wccftech.com/mozilla-bring-vi...#ixzz3Q7qGUHUL

[Winjer]

Mozilla to block unsigned add-ons from Firefox

It turns out that Mozilla is planning to tighten up its security restrictions regarding add-ons for the Firefox browser. In a blog post the company said that the decision to block unsigned add-ons was made to reduce a user’s chances of installing a dodgy add-on that can do dodgy things to the browser.Google Chrome went the extra mile and halted third-party add-ons altogether but Mozilla is going to stick to its lighter approach for now. Firefox add ons will not be required to appear in the official add-ons portal but they will be required to be digitally signed by Mozilla before an installation can take place.

The criteria test will be automated, which can come with its fair share of problems as these systems are never perfect. Those that fail the test can submit add ons for manual inspection by Mozilla.
Those working on private add-ons for corporations or businesses will be provided with a work around, although details of this have yet to be announced.
The blog post from Mozilla explained that: “We’re responsible for our add-ons ecosystem and we can’t sit idle as our users suffer due to bad add-ons. An easy solution would be to force all developers to distribute their extensions through AMO, like Google does for Chrome extensions. However, we believe that forcing all installs through our distribution channel is an unnecessary constraint.”
The new policy will undergo a transition phase and will roll out during Q2 of this year.

[Jorge-Vieira]

Nova versão do Firefox dá mais uma razão para o Flash não existir

A Apple foi a primeira grande empresa a abandonar o suporte para os conteúdos criados em Flash através do iOS. A Google seguiu o mesmo caminho passados uns anos e agora é a vez da Mozilla através de um dos browsers mais usados no mundo.

Os conteúdos Flash na Internet podem muito em breve ser uma coisa do passado. A mais recente "machadada" vem da Mozilla que incluiu uma nova tecnologia no Firefox que dispensa o plug-in da Adobe para conseguir reproduzir conteúdos criados através desta tecnologia.

O sistema que tem o nome de Shumway está para já disponível apenas na versão de testes do navegador de Internet, mas como tem acontecido relativamente a outras funcionalidades, é muito provável que venha a chegar até à versão final.

Na prática a tecnologia permite executar elementos Flash sem ser necessário o plug-in da Adobe - que além de ser vítima de várias explorações por parte dos piratas informáticos, causa vários erros de compatibilidade.

Cada vez menos popular, o Flash ainda é usado como o leitor de excelência para vários conteúdos como montagens multimédia, vídeos, videojogos e anúncios em milhares de sites, como escreve a CNet.

É por isso que a decisão da Mozilla está a ser vista como mais um "prego no caixão" do Flash, após muitos outros que já foram dados. A última grande iniciativa anti-Flash foi dada pela Google que moveu todo o YouTube para o protocolo HTML5 - uma linguagem que dispensa plug-ins externos para reproduzir conteúdos.

Mas antes a gigante dos motores de busca já tinha descontinuado o Flash nas versões mais recentes do Android. Um anúncio que foi bastante importante justamente por nos primeiros tempos, o suporte para o Flash ter sido um dos argumentos usados pela Google para fazer frente ao iOS.

O sistema operativo da Apple foi o primeiro a abalar de forma significativa o mercado do Flash ao nunca ter suportado este formato. Na altura alguns viram isto como um problema no iOS, mas a "teimosia" de Steve Jobs está a mostrar ser a visão mais correta num plano a médio-longo prazo.

Noticia:
http://tek.sapo.pt/noticias/internet...a_1431358.html