Ubuntu 11.10 Now Available!

Yesterday marked the release of Ubuntu 11.10 'Oneiric Ocelot'.  So what is the big deal?  What's been changed?  For starters Unity has been updated, and GNOME 3.2 shows up too.  Mozilla's Thunderbird is now the default mail app as opposed to Evolution (from previous released).  The Ubuntu Software Center received a makeover along with Gwibber.  And Firefox 7.01 is the default web browser.

For those of you fellow 'Ubuntuers' (haha, I just made up a word); swing by the Ubuntu website and download the latest release at: http://www.ubuntu.com/download

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What Web Browser Do You Use?

One day, many years ago we were introduced to this piece of software called 'Internet Explorer'.  And at the time it was awesome.  It would quickly become adopted as our window into the online world.  Many fond evenings were spent navigating the early web where even the simplest of websites seemed to be almost magical.

Fast forward to 2011 where the web browser is a common tool used in everyday computing.  And much has changed since those early days.  Now we have so many choices.  We have Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera, and I'm sure a handful of other browsers I haven't even stumbled across yet.  The goal of all of these projects is rather simple: to be the best at presenting the web to their user's.

But as time progresses on, so does advancements within code and programs.  Some become faster, more stable and secure.  While others tend to look pretty and have big security holes.  So what sets them apart?  Features, speed, reliability, trust in the developers; you name it.  And right now the web browsers leading the pack seem to be Internet Explorer and Firefox (numbers 1 and 2 respectively).

But according to StatCounter (an analytics company) who have been measuring web browser popularity and usage; Google's Chrome Web Browser is in a good position to dethrone Mozilla's Firefox in the Number 2 position.  And no surprise since Google has been ramping up the advertising around Chrome as of late with all of those television commercials.

And while we're discussing Chrome, it looks as if Chrome will be making the official port to Android devices as well.  Making it even more widespread than it already is.  Is Mozilla in danger of indeed slipping to the Number 3 spot?  We'll see.

With all of the web browser offerings out there, what browser do you use and why?  Leave a comment below the article and let's chat about it.

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Firefox 7 and the Rapid Release Schedule

Earlier in the year Mozilla announced that with the release of Firefox 6, they will start aiming at an 18 week development cycle.  Essentially meaning every 18 weeks the next version of Firefox will be released.  So, in the spirit of updating, I finally updated my Firefox to version 6.0.2 just the other day (I use many web browsers, so updating sometimes gets neglected).

And today, I decided to jump back into Firefox for a few minutes and guess what?  Yep, a new update is ready that will bounce my Firefox up to version 7.  What is included in the latest version of Firefox?

-On the web developer side, Mozilla has included some extra tools to help with HTML5 features using hardware-acceleration for things like games and animations, etc.  And developers now have access to native Firefox tools that will measure page load time versus traffic, user bandwidth, etc.

-An opt-in feature called Telemetry is now included.  This feature allows Firefox on a user's computer to feed data back to Mozilla concerning the way version 7 runs on the various types of computer hardware out there in the world. I usually turn this option off myself when other apps prompt for this type of feature.  But for those who choose to participate, you will essentially be providing benchmarks for Mozilla to consider when it comes to future releases of their web browser.

-User's will notice Firefox 7 includes more efficient memory management.  Not that big of a deal if you typically only open a tab or two and only casually surf the web.  But for those of us who populate our web browsers with tabs and open pages (my Chrome browser currently has 7 open tabs, and I'm just getting warmed up); will notice quicker navigation and tab switching.

So, with the release of version 7, we already have several decent updates (especially if you are a web developer).  Also, Mozilla is shooting for near perfect compatibility with Browser Add-Ons from version 6 with the release of Firefox 7.  Chances are you may have already downloaded it; however it you didn't be sure to click on:
1- Help (in the menu bar)
2- Click on 'About Firefox'

And the 'About Firefox' dialog box will check your version against the latest release on their servers and download accordingly.  And if you haven't downloaded Firefox yet, I'd highly recommend it.  So head on over to Mozilla.org or click on:







Happy Surfing!

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Jolicloud: Mozilla's entry into the Netbook OS Market

Ok, check it out. I love Firefox. It's great. Constant updates, fast software, reliable. It's awesome in my opinion. I do not own a Netbook (would like one, for novelty sake, don't really need one, but it looks like a neat toy for me). But if I did, I would more than likely be running the Netbook Ubuntu Remix.

But with Mozilla behind this project, it would be tempting to at least check it out. Their site claims that 'Wifi, Bluetooth, and 3G modems work out of the box on a growing list of supported hardware.' Check out the Hardware Compatibility List at: http://www.jolicloud.com/compatibility

Mozilla's goal is to turn the netbook into a 'web device' by using this 'Internet operating system'. By using this Open Source, cloud based solution you can try to combine your web and computing experiences. According to the Jolicloud site it is based on: Ubuntu and Debian Linux (Ubuntu is a derivative of the Debian OS). Which means it should be rather stable. And it looks as though it will be fairly simple to install (which has been one complaint of people who wish to install their own OS on a netbook).

Netbooks (by standard adoption) do not include a physical disk drive, leaving the user to install software via USB Flash Drives or external Hard Drives. Some of this has been addressed by alternative OS installs, but it still is present to those who wish not to use Windows XP on their Netbook.

Personally, this sounds like a pretty tight little piece of software. I will be keeping watch on it, and I have also registered for an Invitation to try out the OS. Which could mean for some fun working with VirtualBox. Swing by their site and check them out: http://www.jolicloud.com

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