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Type “about:robots” on your address bar. This works on FF3 only.

Mozilla is dog slow today. Why? Because they’re launching Firefox 3 any time now.

Be a part of history. Download Firefox 3 today.

UPDATE: I just received an email (below) to tell me to start downloading. However, the whole Mozilla site right now is apparently under heavy traffic.

We all know that a lot of (if not most) web developers love using Firefox for development. Mainly because of its simplicity, community support and functionality to extend the browser using add-ons.

It is also not a secret that we know that 60% or more* of our web users are still using IE. Most likely, half of those are IE7.

Now, to even the game of preferred development browser (sort of), there is a new update for IE7Pro (version 2.1).

IE7Pro is an app to extend your IE7 installation adding lots of Firefox-like features which you (web developer) need.

The app might get you to use IE7 more for development. Really. Why? It packs tons of improvements to IE7 and extend it like Firefox.

Some main features includes

• Enhancement of IE’s Tabbed Browsing Capabilities
• Super Drag and Drop
• Mouse Gestures (ala Opera)
• Crash Recovery (yeah! we need this!)
• Save Page to Image
• Quick Proxy Switcher
• AD Blocker (finally!)
• Greasy monkey alike User Script
• Inline Search
• Spell Check
• And a lot more…

More screenshots after the jump.

So, do you want to give IE7 another shot? Or do you want to simply check out what IE7Pro can offer? If your answer is yes to any of those, then get the app directly here.

It might be worth your time.

–aj

*Based on sites I handle/d

Windows Live SkyDrive increased the free online storage from a measly 1GB to 5 GB. SkyDrive is also out of Beta. The free online storage from Microsoft is available for Windows or Macintosh computers with Firefox 1.5 or higher, or Internet Explorer 6 or higher.

Windows Live SkyDrive provides integration with Windows Live Spaces to allow users to add a module to their Spaces displaying their public shared folders. Windows Live SkyDrive also displays navigation links to different parts of Windows Live Spaces, including Windows Live Events for tighter integration.

The only thing is, there are still no desktop software tools (which I know of) that supports batch uploads to the online drive. And I bet you, it gonna suck uploading files one by one.

–aj

Remember The Milk (RTM) launches a Firefox extension that allows you to manage your tasks in Gmail (complete, postpone, and edit tasks), add new tasks (and connect them with your emails, contacts, and Google Calendar events), automatically add tasks for starred messages or specific labels, and more…

To use it, you’ll need to use Firefox (isn’t mentioned above yet?). Who needs IE anyway?

The guys at RTM are on steriods rapid launching products such as MilkSync (for Windows Mobile), iPhone / iPod touch App, Google Calendar integration, Google Gears Offline access this year and now Gmail integration!

So, what’s next on RTM’s list? Mac Mail, Yahoo! Mail, Live Mail integration? Maybe in 2008.

Sign-up now (FREE) if you don’t have an account yet.

Kudos to the RTM team. You rock!

–aj

I just logged on to my GMail and I thought there was something weird going on with my account. The red “Loading” status notification is gone. It was replaced with a plain black “Loading” and then the unexpected happened. I have the new GMail 2.0!

Some notable new features:

Chat window now features a way to adjust your chat list size on the options.

New UI for the contact info as you hover.

New “Add Contact” screen. It is sporting a 3-pane window for easier contact management.

Above is the 3-pane window for contacts management.

New compose message window. It now includes Google Calendars “Event Invitation” functionality built-in to the compose message window.

“More Actions” drop-down has a new style and I think (not sure) if the “Filter messages like these” selection is new.

The “Loading…” message notifier looks different. Old GMail 1.0 has the light orange while GMail 2.0 has the slightly darker yellow (Yes, I can tell).

Delete notification now tells you how many you are about to delete.

Forward all under a conversation is new.

You can easily change to the “Older version” if you want. But why?

New notification “Still working…” when sending large emails.

Inline changing of hyperlinks on the compose window.

Other significant changes:

• GMail 2.0 loads a lot faster than the old one
• When something is being processed, GMail 2.0 loads the content seamlessly almost without page reloads
• GMail 2.0 is a lot cleaner and has improved its frontend UI response

Some bugs:

GMail 2.0 seems to still have bugs like the one above. Can’t see it? Contacts is selected but the window is on the trash window. And clicking any link like Starred, Chats, All Mail does not work when you have encountered this. You will need to reload your browser again.

GMail 2.0 UI breaks on Safari 3.0.3 on Mac.

Inconsistency on different browsers. It’s “Event info” on Safari Mac and it’s “Add Event Invitation” on Firefox Mac.

Some other things to note:

• Better GMail will not work. Update might be coming soon. I hope!
• Google What’s New page is still not new. Still hasn’t announce these upgrades (still showing IMAP new feature). See screenshot below.
• It’s also not yet on the Google Blog
• If you are using Safari 3.0, you are still out of luck. It’s not yet fully supported. Arrgh!

Ok, those are the only things I saw quickly. I’ll try to update this page if I find more.

My overall impression on the new GMail 2.0 is that it simply rocks and it’s far cooler than the winter here in Canada!

–aj

Microsoft Aquisition Plans: 20 Companies Per Year

“Not to be outdone by Murdoch and his slew of MySpace announcements, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has made some pretty big announcements today at the Web 2.0 Conference, speaking on Microsoft’s plans to acquire 20 companies per year for the next five years, ranging from $50 million to $1 billion, reports Venturebeat.”

Are you one of those companies?

Source

Windows Live SkyDrive: Upgraded to 1GB

“These past couple of months since our last release, we asked ourselves, “What can we do to make SkyDrive even better?” The most obvious answer is something that our users have asked us to do: give out more storage. We’re excited to announce that we’re doubling everyone’s storage to 1 GB!”

MozyHome Free has 2 GB of free backup space.

Source

Microsoft Live Search 411

“Live Search 411 enables you to do this for free, from any phone in the US. Just call 1-800-CALL-411 (1-800-225-5411) and say where you are and what you’re looking for. You can also get text messages, maps, traffic maps, and text-based driving directions sent to your mobile phone (with a service plan that supports text messages or data access, of course!).”

Source

Don’t be a iPirate arrr else…

“In a bold move, the UMass Office of Information Technologies makes a stand against violating intellectual property rights by….violating intellectual property rights?”

Source

Rich? Got some US$ 100,000 lying around? Get a Media Wall for your room.

Source

GPhone is coming

“Although rumors of a possible Google Phone have been making the rounds really hard lately, any such phone will have to be amazing to grab enough end-user and media attention. Expectations are high, but since we’re dreaming, here’s Gizmodo’s wishlist.”

Marissa Mayer didn’t comment nor deny on the question “Have you seen the GPhone?” by Om Malik .

Source

High resolution image hints at ‘Mona Lisa’s’ eyebrows

“One day I say, if I can find only one hair, only one hair of the eyebrow, I will have definitively the proof that originally Leonardo da Vinci had painted eyelash and eyebrow,” said Cotte.

Source

Robot Cannon Kills, Software/Hardware to blame?

“We’re not used to thinking of them this way. But many advanced military weapons are essentially robotic — picking targets out automatically, slewing into position, and waiting only for a human to pull the trigger. Most of the time. Once in a while, though, these machines start firing mysteriously on their own.”

Remember iRobot?

Sources here and here

Other shorts

• Mac OSX Leopard set on October 26, 2007
• Microsoft Popfly Beta launches
• UBUNTU 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon is out
• Adobe eyes move to software-as-a-service
• Firefox 3 to go native in appearance
• New Flickr UI with GeoTagging is Very Impressive

–aj

View this TV commercial demonstrating the creative and innovative power of 3D technology that will embrace the future soon.

Also, watch the secret of the construction of the pyramid of Khufu in Egypt in 3D. You’ll need the plugin to view this one.

–aj

These people just won’t stop. I just got another good looking, legit looking, well-crafted but spoofed eBay email (screenshot below).

So, I clicked on the link, opened up my Firefox and tada… popped out a web forgery warning. Again.

Had I been using IE6 or the latest Opera browser (see screenshot), it wouldn’t let me know initially that I am already falling for a trap. Ugnh!

Opera has been bragging that it’s “The coolest, fastest, and most secure free Web browser available”. Opera’s fraud detection isn’t enabled by default. You have to go to settings to enable it. How? Here watch this demo.

Shouldn’t you guys simply enable it by default?

Ok, if this happens to you, what do you do?
Report these kind of sites to Phishtank and if it’s an eBay related email, forward the spoof email to spoof[at]ebay.com.

Lastly, don’t use IE6 and a not-enabled fraud detection Opera browser. For your sake, use Firefox 2.x and be sure to always update it.

Better safe than sorry.

–aj