browsers

Mozilla is taking steps to lock down mixed content Web sites for Firefox in an update Friday to Firefox 23 Aurora.

In Firefox 23 Aurora, the pre-beta version of the browser for Windows, Mac, and Linux, Mozilla will block by default mixed active content. Mixed content is a term that refers to a Web site secured with HTTPS that loads some of its content, such as images or scripts, from standard HTTP sources, and can lead to eavesdroppers and man-in-the-middle attacks.

Mixed active content describes things like scripts because they can actively change how you interact with the site. Mixed … Read more

The quest to free the browser from plug-ins that can impede performance took another step forward on Thursday when Mozilla activated by default Web Real-Time Communication in its latest Firefox beta.

WebRTC, as it's known, is the HTML5 standard for streaming files, video, and audio on the Web. Mozilla activated getUserMedia in Firefox in April, which WebRTC uses to access the Webcam and microphone. Now, PeerConnection and DataChannels have been turned on in the Firefox 22 Beta, available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

PeerConnection lets the browser set up real-time video and audio calls, while DataChannels enables peer-to-peer data … Read more

Opera Software and Trond Werner Hansen have settled a lawsuit against that alleged the former employee spilled trade secrets to rival browser maker Mozilla.

Werner on Thursday told CNET said the suit was settled, but said he couldn't share details.

"But I'm very happy it's over and look forward to being able to focus on my music and other projects again," he said.

Opera said it was happy, too. "I can confirm that the case against Trond Werner Hansen has been dropped by Opera by reaching an agreement which has been satisfactory to both … Read more

Mozilla Firefox maintains its position among the top browsers, while continuing to boast its signature full-featured and open browsing experience. Though it might not have been the pioneer of such concepts like tabbed browsing, it was a catalyst for bringing the concept to mainstream audiences. These features are complemented by an impressive library of over 10,000 extensions that add even more functionality and value to users, thanks to its robust browser. The more recent releases have brought significant improvements to managing memory usage, and Firefox's private-browsing features have gotten more advanced, as well.

Firefox has also ramped up … Read more

The stable channel of Firefox 21 (Windows, Mac, Android, Linux) released today, adding a few notable new features such as an expanded social API and further Do Not Track options for customizing privacy settings, along with a new Firefox Health Report feature.

The Health Report is an additional "About protocol" link for Firefox that is available by typing "about:healthreport" into the Firefox address bar or as a drop-down selection under the the "Firefox > Help" menu.

The Health Report itself aims to provide a graphical representation your browser's performance, replete with average … Read more

For a long time, Apple did not allow third-party companies to publish Web browsers on the App Store. While Safari--the built-in browser for iOS devices--is a good browser, it lacks a lot of tools people want, like Flash support. One of the best tools to get it right is Fast Web Browser Free.

Fast Web Browser is exactly what it says, a quick and streamlined Web browser that provides a huge range of features you don't expect to see in any third-party app, let alone a Web browser. From automatic full-screen browsing to intuitive input of URLs, Web previews, … Read more

A more granular approach to how Firefox has implemented the controversial "Do Not Track" setting leads off the changes to Firefox 21, which updated on Tuesday. Also in the browser is support for more social networks including MSN Now and a "Firefox Health Report."

More options for the Social API, which debuted at the end of last year with Facebook Messenger integration, allows Firefox 21 (download for Windows | Mac | Linux) to work with MSN Now, Cliqz, China's Weibo, and the Japan-only Mixi. While there's no doubt that they're not even on a scale … Read more

Performance improvements over the last year mean Web pages measured by the Google Analytics service load significantly faster for people using mobile devices.

The pages load 30 percent faster for mobile browsers now than they did a year ago, Steve Souders, Google's head performance engineer, said in a presentation earlier. And for desktop browser users, the pages load 3.5 percent faster.

Mobile Web performance -- often impaired by big Web pages, slower networks, and limited processors -- can be irritating. The slower a Web page responds, the less people use it, and that's a problem for a … Read more

In a step to help browser-based apps catch up with the abilities of other software, Google has made it possible for programmers to push notifications to Web apps running in Chrome.

On Thursday, Google enabled a service called Google Cloud Messaging for Chrome (GCM) that brings push notifications to its browser and to Chrome OS, its browser-based operating system. Mark Scott, a Google product manager, announced the service in a blog post.

The technology means that servers can send a message -- a stock price alert or news item, for example -- that triggers an action in the browser. To … Read more