Mozilla Firefox Release Candidate 3

Mozilla Firefox Release Candidate 3 is out! It should be ready for software update system. To manually update, go to Help > Check for Updates..., or you rather to wait a day or two for automatic update.

For those who do not have Mozilla Firefox 1.5, get it here. Remember this is not FINAL version, just a release candidate.

Release Note

Windows Genuine Advantage on Firefox

A while ago, if an user want to download a Microsoft product like Microsoft AntiSpyware, they have to pass the "Windows Genuine Advantage" test to prove that they are using a vaild Windows Operating System. It is one of Microsoft's latest attempts to fight Windows privacy. However, the only problem was, to pass the Windows Genuine Advantage test, the users must use Internet Explorer in order to accept Active X control.

Now, not anymore. The Internet Explorer team recently released an Firefox plugin that allow users to use Firefox to pass Windows Genuine Advantage test and download Microsoft products.

Quote from IEBlog:

I talked with Brad Graziadio, the guy who runs the Windows Genuine Advantage team, and he walked me through customer feedback. Basically, customers said “We want to make sure our PCs are running genuine Windows and have access to all the content on the Microsoft Download Center; the experience when we’re running a Mozilla browser is not great. Do something about it.” Brad’s team did. I think that’s a good thing for customers.

It is smart move for Microsoft to start supporting Mozilla Firefox. This is not the first time Microsoft supported Mozilla Firefox. Eariler, they supported Mozilla Firefox for Windows Live beta site.

Back in Action

Sorry guys, been a while since I post anything. I have been terrible busy with many stuffs. Now I'm back in action.

Firefox Web Links Bugs

Recently, Tom Ferris discovered a major bug in Firefox's handing of web links that may allow a malicous web site to execute malicious code on firefox users' computers. In short, it's called "Host:" Buffer overflow (including proof-of-concept).

It worked like this... Imagine you went to a bad, evil website somewhere in the internet, and the website has a link with extremely long address in it like this: "https:-------------------------------------------------------------... ".

When you clicked on it, the extremely long address will overwhem the NormalizeIDN buffer and spill over the rest of the address (which could include malicous code) into other parts of Firefox.

Remember, this is not the first bug arise from IDN. Another bug from IDN was the IDN spoofing (giving fake address in the address bar), but that bug been fixed by version 1.0.1.

If you don't want to wait for the patch (or Firefox 1.5 with the patch), it only take very, very simple fix with 2 steps:

1) Go to about:config
2) Double-click "network.enableIDN" from TRUE to FALSE.
3) You are done!

I tested the fix myself using the proof-of-concept. The fix worked.

UPDATE: Mozilla posted a formal suggestion of fixes for this IDN bug (including a downloadable temporary patch).

MouseHole

I found a very interesting program that act as proxy... greasemonkey style. It's named MouseHole. It will work on all web browsers because all HTML traffic will goes through MouseHole proxy and it will modify the HMTL data by using scripts. That way, you don't have to put extension for every internet browser on your computer, or even better... modify all HTML data from internet to your entire home or business network using proxy server with MouseHole running on it (somehow...). The author of MouseHole, WhyTheLuckyStiff, hangs out over at the RedHanded blog. MouseHole 1.1 just recently came out.

However, MouseHole using different coding for their scripts. It is using Ruby, a "interpreted scripting language for quick and easy object-oriented programming". Which mean that all current geasemonkey scripts have to be converted in order to work in MouseHole. For example, my current Mailto Envelope greasemonkey script has been converted to MouseHole script (thank to Christopher T. Osborn). You can see big differences, but can be learned.

Alternative Browser Alliance

After the flame war between Mozilla Firefox and Opera users got really too hot, one person formed a website to bring efforts to spread all non-IE browsers under one roof. The website named "Alternative Browser Alliance", its job is to spread knowledge of the alternatives to unsafe Internet Explorer and hopefully bring Mozilla Firefox and Opera users together.

From the site:

I launched this site in response to the overblown rivalry between Firefox and Opera users. The way I see it, both groups have a common enemy: dominance of the web by a single browser, currently Internet Explorer. At this stage of the game, every percentage point Firefox pulls from IE is a win for Opera, and vice versa, because it spreads awareness that there are alternatives, and that it might be worth trying them out.

This site is intended as a truce. We're in this together.

I applauds this effort because I agreed with the fact that the rivalry between Mozilla Firefox and Opera users are getting out of hands. Both sides need to be reminded that most of the planet are still using Internet Explorer and we need to help them to be aware of what they are surfing the web with and how to make it safer and more enjoyable.

Web Developer Rip-off

Seem that a company ripped off a perfectly good GPLed firefox extension and sell it under different license.

AEVITA is currently selling Web Inspector for Internet Explorer. Judging from the look of the screenshots, icons, documentations, and behavior of the web inspector, it is clearly a rip off of Chris Pederick's Web Developer extension.

AEVITA clearly has several violations:
1) Some icons are trademarked by Mozilla Foundation.
2) The documentations are copyrighted by Chris Pederick
3) Selling (possibly stolen) GPLed codes under different license.

It is very upsetting to see a company taking a perfectly good GPLed appication and then sell it under different license without giving credit to the original developer(s). Something have to be done about it. Aza Dotzler is calling on everybody to contact AEVITA and complains to them that their action is wrong thing to do.

Since blogger.com don't have talkbacks, here are the couple blogs (and discussions) about it:
chrispederick.com blog
Asa Dotzler's Blog

Update 1: AEVITA removed Web Inspector from their website.

Update 2: The AEVITA website just went down dues to exceeding bandwitdh limit (meaning, too many people getting into AEVITA website). In a way, its a small victory for open source community. Rip off a popular open sourced app and you will face pressure from very large open source community.

Internet Explorer Boycott

Paul Thurrott called for an Internet Explorer boycott after detailing the problems of Internet Explorer 7 Beta 1 and the lack of actions of IE team to fix them. He also noted that the IE team is not planning to adjust the IE to work with the web standard or even try to pass the Acid2 Test which is considered to be the ulimate test on web standard compliance.

Paul Thurrott said:

My advice is simple: Boycott IE. It's a cancer on the Web that must be stopped. IE isn't secure and isn't standards-compliant, which makes it unworkable both for end users and Web content creators. Because of their user bases, however, Web developers are hamstrung into developing for IE at the expense of established standards that work well in all other browsers. You can turn the tide by demanding more from Microsoft and by using a better alternative Web browser. I recommend and use Mozilla Firefox, but Apple Safari (Macintosh only) and Opera 8 are both worth considering as well.

Paul Thurrott is well-known for his site, SuperSite for Windows.

Optimus Keyboard

I have been keeping close tab on a great keyboard, Optimus Keyboard. It is invented by Artemy Lebedev, a Russian designer. This keyboard, in my opinion, is the most brilliant computer accessory since webcam. Its like english, russian, game, and all other type of keyboards combinded, plus more. Check out the screenshots in both links.

It is incredibly flexible and it will comes with SDK (according to Lebedev). Maybe the keyboard will be able to play a video on it or some kind of animation (like during screensaver or something). One of slashdot readers raised the possiblity of a spyware hijacking the keyboard and play animation or place porno icons everywhere on the keyboard. You get the idea how flexible the keyboard can be.

But according to the latest news, Lebedev might will have trouble selling Optimus Keyboard in the United States. Seem someone patented same concept of Optimus keyboard in 1998. In my opinion, the patent holder, Elkin Acevedo, need to either let the patent goes or hand it over to Lebedev (for free or cheap price) because he hasn't make or sell his display keyboard for the past 7 years.

I am keeping my eyes on this baby and I will bring you latest news on any changes in Optimus's progress (espeically on the U.S. patent). Let hope it doesn't turn out to be another vaporware.

Minor Change In Firefox Versioning

Asa Dotzler (one of Firefox developers) announced that the Firefox developers have decided to change the versioning of Firefox a little bit. The upcoming Firefox (future versions of Deer Park) will be Mozilla Firefox 1.1 Mozilla Firefox 1.5.

Asa said:

One major consideration in this decision was that the sheer volume of changes in the Firefox core (Gecko) made a minor .1 increment seem misleading...

...Another consideration was that we've made some major improvements to the Firefox application, especially in the update and extension systems that warrant more than a minor version bump. Calling it 1.1 would suggest to most users that this was a minor update when in fact it is quite major and all 1.0 users really should move forward for a much improved product.

EDIT: New roadmap showing Firefox 1.5 BETA release in August 2005.

Mozilla Firefox 1.0.6 Released

Mozilla Firefox 1.0.6 has been released. It included several important fixes and improved stability especially the API compability fix with some of the extensions which was broken by Firefox 1.0.5.

Get them while they are hot.

Google Maps & Traffic Ticket

Read this story about how Google Maps helped him to get out of a traffic ticket.

From the article:

In January of this year, I was pulled over by a traffic officer for “disobeying a steady red”, a.k.a. running a red light. I pleaded “Not Guilty” to the charge, and today - nearly six months later – I went to court to find out the fate of my ticket violation. Check out how Google Maps saved me some serious cash - and points on my license!

This is a very good story about using Google Maps to saves the day.

Deer Park Alpha 2

The second Alpha version of Deer Park (codename for Firefox 1.1) has been released. It includes huge number of fixes and new features/improvements, like using error pages instead of dialogs, fast back/forward feature is enabled by default, report-a-bad-website feature is enabled by default, and many more.

Next stop: Deer Park BETA

Firefox's 70 Million Downloads

The Mozilla Firefox just passed the 70 million downloads mark.

I bet we will get to 100 million mark pretty faster if Firefox 1.1 release by the end of the summer.

Mozilla Firefox 1.0.5 (and future 1.0.6)

Sorry, I know this is old news...

Mozilla Firefox 1.0.5 has been released. It included some fixes for recently discovered serious flaws. But unfortunately it broke some of the extensions by changing the API.

But the good news is the 1.0.6 is on the way that keep the fixes but fix the extensions API as well.

New Firefox Update System

Take a look at the new firefox update system for the future Firefox 1.1.

From the post (Asa Dotzler):

Accomplishing this work is no small feat and we learned a lot from our experiences with the 1.0.x releases. The new system will be much more robust and capable on both the client side and the server side. From the client end, we've got a much improved user experience that should take away pretty much all of the pain of updating Firefox 1.1 for both minor versions and major versions. On the server side, we've increased our capacity and will have the capability to serve "patch" updates which should make things easier for everyone.

I believe the update system is critical to the future of Firefox because no one want to download the whole install package everytime there is a new patch. I can barely recommend Firefox 1.0 to computer illiterates because I know they won't be tracking Firefox site for updates. But this new update system should make it a heck lot easier for computer illiterates to update their Firefox on the fly while using less bandwidth and time for everyone.

On the side note: I'm going on a one-week vacation so there won't be any new post til by the end of the week.

Rabbi and Firefox

Check out this story! (No, its not another rabbi joke)

It brings smile to my face.

Google Video: Copyright Violation?

It seems that some people uploaded DVD rips and other illegal ripped copyrighted movies/tv-shows to Google Video. And whats even worse... Google published them! Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Family Guy, Daily Show, Matrix Reloaded, Matrix Revolution, Phantom of the Opera, Scarface, and many more can be found.

It turned out that everyone in U.S. can play them (Google Video Player required) in fullscreen (double-click on video) from start to the end (click on play whole video). Natually, the quality of the videos are poor, especially in fullscreen. But still good enough to be viewed by everyone without paying for it.

Google will have to react fast and soon before it get widespread and cause damage to Google's reputation.

Google Earth is Now FREE

Thats right. Free version of Google Earth is out now. Google Earth is based on Keyhole software made by Keyhole Inc., which recently brought by Google Inc. Google Earth is a world imagery software that "combines satellite imagery, maps and the power of Google Search to put the world’s geographic information at your fingertips." It connect to remote servers across the Internet and download the imagery, maps, and information to the software which put them together in visual context.

I tried it out myself and I love it. It is as good as Keyhole software but with more features like 3D buildings. Definitely worth a 10 MB download.

Internet Explorer 7 Screenshots

As some of you know, the next version of Internet Explorer, IE 7, is still under development. Microsoft revealed the IE 7 at Gnomedex and someone got pictures of IE 7 in action.

Not bad look for IE, but clearly it has long way to go.