TechNama

I have been a fan of Firefox and i got a slight shock today when i came across the fact that Google Chrome is the fastest browser while my favorite Firefox 3.5 grabbed the second position. Even though the Firefox team claimed to come out with the fastest browser when they were releasing the Firefox 3.5 but it seems they missed on few things that Google implemented successfully in Google Chrome.

According to detail tests carried out by PC World, the average page opening time for Google Chrome tested against ten websites is 1.699 while the average page opening time for Firefox is 1.762, a close second.  The other competitors including Internet Explorer 8 and Safari 4 gave an average page opening time of 1.833 seconds and 1.964 seconds respectively. The worst thing is that Opera 10 beta took the last position in the ranking.

Anyways, i am still going to stick with the Firefox since the difference between Google Chrome and Firefox 3.5 was not big enough to convince me to change my web browser.

For those tech enthusiasts who want to know as to how this tests were performed, below is the brief methodology as shared by PC World:

In our browser speed comparison, we pitted Internet Explorer 8 against Firefox 3.5, Chrome 2, Safari 4, and the public beta of Opera 10. We used pages from a set of eight popular Web sites in our testing: PC World (of course), Amazon, Twitter, Yahoo, YouTube, The New York Times, eBay, and Wikipedia’s English-language home page. To ensure that we measured the page-loading times as accurately as possible, we recorded our testing on video for review later on.

We performed all of our testing on a Gateway P-7808U notebook running a clean installation of Windows Vista Service Pack 1; we reinstalled the operating system before testing each browser. For each browser, we cleared the browser’s cache and then loaded each page in our test suite. We repeated the process ten times per site per browser to ensure accurate results, to factor out fluctuations in network traffic, and to build a sufficiently large sample size to identify trends. In addition, we threw out the two best and the two worst scores for each page load test to further reduce the influence of fluctuations and to produce more consistent results.

Some browsers will report that a page has finished loading even though parts of the page haven’t yet appeared. We didn’t base our determination of when a page was loaded on the browser’s opinion. Instead, we relied on whether all visual elements of the page were loaded and ready to use. For example, on Yahoo’s home page, we judged the page to be ready when all of its graphics and images were loaded.

Lately Web Browsers are becoming the most important software’s in our computers since all the applications are shifting from our hard disks to the web. The concept of cloud computing is further increasing the importance of web based processing and less reliance on our local data. Even MS Office has decided to go online and offer its services on the web.

In such a world where things are shifting to web, the usage of browsers is bound to increase. Therefore we also need a powerful software to enable us to take a backup and restore our browser in case it crashes. Backup and Restore process of web browsers has been made easy by the FavBackup. FavBackup is a simple solution for you to backup and restore web browser settings and other data on Windows 7/Vista/XP/2000 systems. FavBackup is fully portable and hence does not require installation.

FavBackup current version supports the following browsers:

* Internet Explorer 8
* Internet Explorer 7
* Internet Explorer 6

* Firefox 3.5
* Firefox 3
* Firefox 2

* Opera 9

* Safari 4
* Safari 3

* Google Chrome 3
* Google Chrome 2
* Google Chrome 1

I was specifically looking for Opera 10 but i think its current version does not support it. The future version are expected to add it as well.

The FavBackup is simple to operate as it displays a list of options and browsers upon startup. We are displaying four Screen shots which explain the whole backup process and let our users see the different options that the FavBackup offers. I must add here that it gives a lot of flexibility to the users and they can choose between complete backup of their multiple browsers and then restore them fully or in a limited manner. They can choose to restore only cookies and bookmarks in Google Chrome and Plugins in the Firefox 3.5.  Carefully look at the screen shots below as they are shown in the order of actual steps in which our user will run it.

FavBackup can be downloaded by clicking here. If you like the post, don’t forget to subscribe to our RSS.

We have brought you Top awesome Linux wallpapers, windows 7 wallpapers,  wacky linux fart wallpaper , Google chrome wallpapers, mozilla firefox wallpapers… and all of them got tremendous response . So we thought we would add to that list.

So now we include wallpapers for Opera Web Browser.  So sit back and choose a good wallpaper for your desk top. For enthusiasts; Opera began in 1994 as a research project at Telenor, the largest Norwegian telecommunications company. In 1995, it branched out into a separate company named Opera Software ASA. Opera was first released publicly with version 2.0 in 1996

Do leave feedback and we will try to improve on it…

We have brought you Top awesome Linux wallpapers, windows 7 wallpapers,  wacky linux fart wallpaper , Google chrome wallpapers… and all of them got tremendous response .

So we thought we would add to that list. Now Mozilla’s firefox is expanding its market share, and all new services and themes, we thought it would be nice to provide some of the top wallpapers for Mozilla’s Firefox for our audience.  So sit back and choose a good wallpaper for your desk top.

Do leave feedback and we will try to improve on it…

We have brought you Top awesome Linux wallpapers, windows 7 wallpapers, and wacky linux fart wallpaper which got tremendous response from all over, So we thought we would add to that list. Now that google has announed new operating system, we thought it would be nice to provide some of the top wallpapers for Google’s browser ‘Google chrome’, most of them are fan based but deserves appreciation. So sit back and choose a good wallpaper for your desk top. Some of the wallpapers are available at chromewallpapers.com as well.

Hope you enjoyed the list, don’t forget to leave your feedback.

I am a fan of Firefox and hence i rarely try other browsers. However, i have all three famous browsers installed on my laptop i.e FireFox, Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. My default browser is of course Mozilla Firefox. However, there are some Technology Geeks out there who need to switch between different browsers all the time as per their needs. For all such people, life has been made easy by BrowserTraySwitch, a free software that allows you to switch between different browsers with just a single click.

According to the developer of the software,

BrowserTraySwitch is a super tiny little system tray utility (only 90k) to help you quickly change your default browser. Just right-click to change your default browser – after that all launched files and urls will open in the selected browser. Want to just launch a specific browser once? Use the left click. The icon of the tool shows the currently selected default browser. Double-click to launch the current default browser.

Download BrowserTraySwitch and enjoy.

[via Mouser Software]

Opera has been my preferred browser for mobile and it has really made my life easy. Now i am really excited to find out that Opera software had made available the beta version of its mobile browser titled Opera Mobile 9.7.
Opera Mobile 9.7 beta features Opera Turbo technology and Opera Presto 2.2 – the same rendering engine used in Opera’s desktop browser – which the software company claims  speeds up data transfer and improves browsing speed by 25% compared to the previous versions.

The browser also features an add-on Opera Widgets manager that offers users one-touch access to their favourite websites and services such as Twitter and Google Translate.

“There are other mobile browsers on the market that claim to be faster and more website-compatible on Windows-based phones, but I challenge users to take Opera Mobile for a test drive and discover a new standard for speed and compatibility.

“Opera Mobile 9.7 leaves other ’sluggish’ and ‘painfully slow browsers in the dust,” said Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software.

Below are some of the known issues with the Beta 9.7 version as made available on Opera site.

• Opera Turbo in Opera Mobile is still a preview-feature;

• Downloads don’t work while Opera Turbo is enabled.
• Some settings (such as toggle on/off images) do not apply when Opera Turbo is enabled.
• On older WM 5.0 Devices with 480×800 resolution, switching between portrait and landscape may cause display errors. This is due to lack of support for this resolution in early versions of Microsoft’s driver.
• Some input method editors are known not to work well with Opera because they do not comply with Microsoft’s SIP and/or IME standard. When such an editor is detected by Opera, Opera will use a known (default) input method instead. An exception is EzInput v1.5, where the phone keypad and compact QUERTY, ABC mode doesn’t work, but the rest of the modes work fine. We recommend upgrading to EzInput v2.0 to avoid this.
• Only support for FlashLite 3.x. No Flash plugin included.

Opera Mobile 9.7 is available for Windows Mobile phones and you can downloaded it from Opera’s website by clicking here.

Below is the introductory video of Opera Mobile Browser 9.7 Beta

[via Opera]

Google has announced the beta release of its famous browser Chrome for Mac and Linux. The beta version is only available in Developers channel (to read about google release channels click here), which is a test bed of Google for developers and testers but not for main stream public. The Google itself is not promoting the download of  beta version of Chrome for Mac and linux by general public since its performance is not stable.

However, if you are ready to take the risk, you can download the Google Chrome for Mac and Linux through this link. Mind it! its your own gamble and hence you should not make it a reason to get disappointed with the upcoming public beta version of Chrome.  According to the tests conducted by some developers, they found the Chromium to be showing constant development in its new releases. It has become more stable with every new update and the beta version  is performing far better then expectations. However, it might still crash.

The Google Chrome is fast capturing the browser market and taking share out of Mozilla and Explorer.

Download Google Chrome for Mac and Linux here

To Read Google Annoucement for Mac and Linux click here

Opera 10 Beta version has finally been released for Windows, Mac and Linux. This new version is definitely faster then its predecessors with an inbuilt spell checker and html e mails. Few of the most noticeable changes  in Opera 10 are the new default skin, created by British designer Jon Hicks, and a totally revamped Tab bar. Presto 2.2 Engine based Opera 10 skin will continue to evolve till the final version is not released to the public. It also claims to support web standards properly including the Acid3 test. According to Computeractive,

“Acid3 is an extreme test, a more visible effect will be the support for web fonts. Most browsers can only use the fonts installed on the computer. Web designers often give the browser a list of fonts. The font they would actually liked used, a similar but more common font and then let the browser choose its own serif or san serif font. Web fonts let the browser load the font from a website.”

According to CNET review, “You’ll have an easier time tweaking the look of Opera 10, with improvements to Speed Dial and toolbar customizations. Speed Dial has received a refresh. You can expand it to show as many as 25 Web sites and set a background image. You can also set it to never appear. Customization is easier, too. Right-click on any toolbar to reveal a Customize option. From there, you can hide a toolbar or a particular widget such as the search box, download, and change skins on the fly, add or remove buttons, and add or adjust Panels. Opera has had the features in Panels, such as Notes, for a long time.

In this version, though, they round them all up behind one unified sidebar interface. Notes, Bookmarks, History, and Transfers are standard, as is a Widgets option from which you can download more panels. These widgets include things like a Facebook interface, a to-do list, and a Google services manager.

In addition to improvements to the browser, users can create panels to manage to their e-mail, newsfeeds, and chat, as well as select default clients to manage those services outside of Opera. The Opera default e-mail client, however, should be noted as the slickest of the baked-in browser e-mail clients. The e-mail folder tree smoothly integrates in a collapsible panel, while message composition opens in a new browser tab. Combined with Opera’s MyOpera synchronization service, it provides users with a full-featured e-mail and browsing experience. Opera 10 continues development of its Turbo mode, which uses proprietary compression technology to accelerate page loading. It’s recommended for users in crowded Wi-Fi spots or on slow DSL lines or 56k modems, and users might even see slower page load times if they use it on a broadband connection, according to the company. According to their press release for this beta, Turbo “can offer broadband-like speeds on dial-up.”

Lastly one amazing feature. If you accidentally close all the tabs (Which i often do), don’t worry you can reopen them through the “Trash Can” option. Enjoy

Download Opera 10 Beta Click here

On Thursday Google Launched chrome 2, a purportedly faster and more feature-filled version of the search giant’s Web browser. Google chrome is directly competing with Internet explorer and Firefox for the browsing engine market. So whats so different about this upgrade , lets have a closer view:

New Features:

• Chrome 2.0 is faster than Version 1, released eight months ago, because it runs JavaScript faster, according to Google.

The extra speed comes from an update to its V8 JavaScript engine and from a new version of the open source WebKit rendering engine. However, Chrome’s speed advantage may soon be overshadowed by rivals. Mozilla , for example, is expected to release a final version of Firefox 3.5.

• It also incorporates some of the features beta testers requested the most. One is an improved new tab page that lets users remove thumbnails.

• Another is a new full-screen mode, and a third feature is form autofill.

However, full-screen mode and form autofill are both features other browsers (IE, Firefox) have been using for a while.

Need For Speed:

• The V8 JavaScript engine is open source technology developed by Google and written in C++. It increases performance by compiling JavaScript to native machine code before execution, instead of to a bytecode or interpretation.

• It also employs optimization techniques such as inline caching, which remembers the results of a previous method lookup directly at the call site. A call site of a function is a line in the code that passes arguments to the function and receives return values in exchange.

These optimizations let JavaScript applications run at the speed of a compiled binary.

Speed Thrills But Kills:

Supercharging JavaScript may not always result in a faster user experience.

“I’m not sure how big an impact speeding up JavaScript is going to make unless you’re using some huge JavaScript application,” ESET’s Abrams said.

Speeding up JavaScript could also speed up the malware based on the language.

“Malware based on JavaScript will run faster,” Abrams said. “JavaScript is the vector of choice for drive-by attacks.”

In a drive-by attack, a Web page containing malicious code downloads that code onto visitors’ computers without their knowledge or permission ,and without the user having to click on any links. Malware authors use JavaScript in almost 90 percent of Web pages that contain malicious script, according to Stephan Chenette, manager of security at Web security software vendor Websense.

Hackers Column:

No boys , it wont be easy to get in to chrome. The security is very tight this time around. Google spokesperson Eitan Bencuya told TechNewsWorld.

Sandboxing means isolating code so that it cannot interact with the operating system or applications on a user’s computer.

However, ESET’s Abrams says;

Chrome does have some protection other browsers don’t, in that it sandboxes individual tabs. That might protect the operating system itself, but it’s not going to do anything to protect you against cross-site scripting or clickjacking. It’s only effective if you go to each different site in a different tab. Otherwise, the old data will be accessible when you use the same tab to click on a new site

So what do you think, well only time will tell how the latest Chrome upgrade fair inthe competition. Thank you for listening, please give you views in the comments section.

Download Google Chrome Here : Chrome 2 Download

Source : Technewsworld

Mozilla Firefox 3.5 beta 4 version and Firefox mobile web browser aka Fennec will feature Geolocations, thanks to Google. Geo Locations is an opt in addon for the Firefox users that will ask their permission to give them results based on their current location. To figure our your current location the addon will rely on any technique i.e GPS, WiFi or cell tower triangulation or manual address entry. Once the location of the user has been identified, the tool will give the next browsing or searching results accordingly. For example, if you are searching for a “car” price, the Firefox Geolocation addon will get you results in the form of the nearest garages and show rooms based on your current location. This new app will surely increase the overall smartness of the web as well as increase the productivity of the clients. You will no more be getting car prices of UK if you are actually based in America.

Doug Turner from Mozilla has actually worked on the development of this new app and according to his blog,

This idea isn’t new. We have been researching meshing geolocation data and the web for a few years. Last year, Mozilla Labs released an experimental addon, Geode, which implemented the draft W3C Geolocation Specification. We added support for the spec to Firefox 3.5 and “Fennec” (our mobile browser which is in development) as well as a user interface that put the user in control of which websites could use location. However, we left it to add-ons to implement the code that would actually figure out your location, using any technique of their choosing. So, with Firefox 3.1, 3.5 or Fennec, plus a third-party add-on, users would be able to use location-enabled websites.

However, we were still left with a chicken-or-egg problem: unless lots and lots of users installed an add-on, websites wouldn’t have a significant audience for which to develop location-enabled services; and without lots of useful web content using the feature, users had no reason to install an add-on.

The Mozilla Firefox 3.5 Beta 4 version is expected to be made available soon while the mobile browser Fennec beta version will be launched in the Summer while the alpha version is expected anytime. Do you think Location Based Services has a real future unless the websites are optimized to provide the same services? Give us your comments as we really look forward to them.

To Download Alpha version of Fennec for testing , click here

Via Google Code Updates, Dough T Blog,