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Mozilla has just kicked out a clever marketing strategy for the upcoming release of Firefox 3. Using their power as a very popular free browser application, why not use your clout to get a Guinness record, right? So Mozilla is now asking us to support their campaign to make it in the Guinness Book of World Records with the most number of downloads in 24 hours. A lofty goal, but if anyone can do it, is just might be Mozilla.

For us Firefox fans, all we have to do is pledge our support via a button at Spread Firefox. Mozilla will log your email so that you will be notified when the official roll out of Firefox 3 will be, as well as an update if Firefox breaks the Guinness record. Sounds fun? Why not?

Currently there are around 368,947 Firefox users who have pledged their support. Certainly not that impressive of a number. Can Mozilla beat the Guinness record for the most software download? Do Firefox users even care about setting a new Guinness record? If the current number of pledges is an indication of anything, it looks like Firefox users are not interested at all.

Still, there’s no harm in joining the party if you have a few minutes to spare.

Read [SpreadFirefox]

Opera has announced version 4.1 of the Opera Mini mobile web browser. Yes folks, Opera Mini is still alive and I assume more mobile phone users will be using it as its a simple, hassle-free, no-strings-attached mobile web browser that works with a wide variety of phones. I’m still using Opera Mini with my trusty old Sony Ericsson P990i, so I’m definitely excited about the update to version 4.1.

So, what’s in store for all of us with this latest version, Opera says - faster features. Opera Mini 4.1 receives request for web pages 50% faster than the old version, faster searching within a web page, faster web site upload and faster file uploading and downloading. In addition, when typing web addresses, Opera Mini 4.1 now suggests completions based on bookmarked sites and browsing history. 

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Yahoo! may have successfully deterred a Microsoft takeover, but it cannot escape the fact that it still has to work with the software maker in its other products. Barring all indifference’s with Microsoft, Yahoo has quietly made available the new Yahoo! Go 3.0 in beta mode for Windows mobile-powered handsets. And no, Yahoo did not underplay the new version of its mobile web browser to get back at Microsoft. On the contrary, it has transformed Yahoo! Go 3.0 into a powerful mobile web portal with features that even the Microsoft guys would love. These new features are; a new mobile web start up page that displays what’s new since the user’s last visit plus previews of users favorites, an improved oneSearch that now includes up-to-date flight information and content from Yahoo Answers as well as Wikipedia, enhanced design and navigation that gives users an option to use the traditional carousel or the icon display, mobile widgets from eBay, MySpace and other sites that fully support mobile widgets, and other customization features. This is suffice to say that Yahoo has transformed Go 3.0 into a more powerful mobile internet facility for mobile phone users.

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After all the cries and complaints over Apple’s deceptive ploy to boost its web browser market share by installing its Safari browser on Windows PCs as part of an “update”, the company has now made a slight change to its latest Software Update. The new Software Update 2.1 now provides two categories: ‘Updates’ and ‘New Software’. So, instead of of deceiving Windows users by listing Safari as an “update” to existing software, the Software Update 2.1 now clearly marks Safari as brand new software. However, the install check box is still marked by default, but users can uncheck the box should they not want Apple’s web browser.

Mozilla’s CEO John Lilly, the most vocal critic of Apple’s sneaky Safari install, calls the new update “a good change” but he says he’d like to see Apple “do a bit more”, hinting that the company should unmark the install check box by default.

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People often say they look to the stars for inspiration and what a better message than this, we should be using Firefox. On the left is an image taken by the Hubble telescope and on the right is that same image with our favorite browsers icon over-layed. While not an exact match, they are strikingly similar.

While it does appear that there was some editing done to the original image, that seems to have been kept to a minimum. Keep reading to check out the original untouched image that was taken from the Hubble space telescope way back in February 2004.

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Opera Mini 4.1 has just been released. The new mobile browser version includes various features that make the Opera Mini 4.1 even more useful for mobile browsing purpose. Some of the key features introduced in this newest iteration of the Opera mini browser include; automatic completion of web addresses, tools for attaching files to web-based email, uploading photos to blog or other site, downloading attachments from email for storage to phone and saving and viewing features.

Opera Mini 4.1 beta offers an enhanced mobile web browsing experience with 50% faster speeds. Heavy sites that used to take an eternity to upload, such as Facebook and the BBC, are now faster to load, almost at par with desktop speed. The scrolling function of the Opera Mini 4.1 in mobile phones was also improved with text searching within a visited web page. 

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Tired of using your mobile phone’s default web browser or perhaps you do not like Opera Mini? Here’s a new mobile web browser which offers full web browsing right in your mobile phone’s small display screen – TeaShark.

TeaShark works with mobile phone models that support JAVA MIDP 2.0. It renders web pages on a mobile phones the same way that web pages are rendered on usual PC web browsers. Perhaps realizing that their product has to offer something different, the TeaShark developers have peppered their mobile web browsers with several nifty features not commonly found in other mobile phone browsers.

These features include; intelligent mouse cursor for easy navigation, 2-level zooming for fine reading and quick navigation between sections of the web pages, landscape orientation for a wider screen display, multi tabs and history, bookmark management with color tagging, enhanced click and search with phone number recognition.

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Apple’s distribution tactic of its Safari web browser for Windows last Tuesday has created a raucous when CEO of rival Mozilla posted on his blog that what Apple did was wrong. Mozilla CEO John Lilly criticized Apple’s move to push the Safari 3.1 Windows browser through its software updater pop-up. The software updates gives users the option whether to install the Safari browser along with the iTunes software.

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Ever heard of the Flock web browser? I’m sure you have, assuming by looking at the statistic where there’s an increase of 135% of internet users downloaded Flock. For those who have no idea what flock is, it’s a web browser with the fundamental system of the Mozilla Firefox. But with additional applications to extend the browsers social uses where you may come across as information-gathering, sharing, communication, self-expression and interaction. Flock has released its latest version 1.1 which includes some new features.

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Following the much hyped released of its rival web browser IE8, Firefox has, as expected released version 3 beta 4 of its web browser. Unlike IE8 which allowed anyone to download the browser even in the early stage of its version, Firefox explicitly recommend that the beta 4 version be downloaded only by testers and developers.

Firefox 3 beta 4 milestone releases has the following 4 new features:

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