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Maxthon web browser arrives in bite-sized form for iPhone
Maxthon has long since escaped the days when it was chiefly a customized version of Internet Explorer on the desktop, and nowhere is that more apparent than its just-launched version of the normally WebKit-based browser for the iPhone and iPod touch. All the core features of the app carry over from earlier Android and iPad versions, such as an Opera-like grid of favorite pages, a download manager and a unified address bar, but it's arguably more useful than the iPad edition: conventional browser tabs aren't coming to smaller-screened iOS devices in a future mobile Safari build anytime soon. Bookmark syncing and an optimized reading mode also persist to reduce the chance that Maxthon users drift back towards the official Apple browser, even after iOS 6 rolls around. With that all-important "free" price tag, there's every reason to give it a try -- let others know in the comments if Maxthon is enough to take precedence over comparable iOS alternatives like Chrome.
Firefox 9 for Android makes tablet support official (video)
It's been a busy week over at Mozilla. Between releasing a new version of its desktop browser and then re-upping its search agreement with Google, we almost didn't notice a new version of Firefox for Android. Version 9 of the mobile browser marks the first time a tablet interface makes the jump from beta to the release channel, a scant four months after first seeing it in mockup form. For those unaware, that means a layout with tab previews when in landscape, which swap to a more traditional setup when rotated into portrait. Rounding out the update is a new action bar, quick access buttons and a faster start-up time, amongst other things. If that sounds like your beat, a video awaits after the break, while you get your download on at the source links below.
Fluid for Mac gets updated to 1.0, offers paid version
Fluid, the neat little application that turns websites into standalone native Mac apps, has finally grown up into version 1.0 after three and a half years of development. The application allows you to move frequently updating pages like Gmail or Facebook out of your browser tabs and onto your Dock where you can more clearly see 'unread' or 'New mail' notifications. It can also help with browser tab clutter (while at the same time adding to the clutter on your Dock...). As before, the app is free, but there's now a US$4.99 optional license that unlocks a few neat extras: the ability to create apps with separate cookie storage, pin Fluid apps to the Status Bar and use Userscripts or Userstyles in Fluid apps. If you've installed previous versions of Fluid, you'll need to remove them and start again with version 1.0, says developer Todd Ditchendorf. "Sorry for the inconvenience, but this is necessary to get Fluid on a solid foundation for future improvements and feature additions." And, he adds on the Fluid blog, "Fluid 1.0 is Intel-only and runs on Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard or later. Sorry, but Fluid 1.0 will not run on Leopard or PowerPC Macs."
Oh, by the way: July 15, 2009
Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of mobile for Wednesday, July 15th, 2009: Pantech's SKY division has announced the IM-S480S "Tilt" flip for the South Korean market to be offered through carrier SK Telecom. It's a fairly ordinary phone -- 2 megapixel camera, microSD expansion -- but it apparently gets its name from its curved halves (how that evokes a name like "Tilt," we're not exactly sure) and features a trick LED bar above the keypad that can be used to indicate download progress and the like. Samsung has rolled out a so-called Elegant Edition of its S7350 slider in Hong Kong. It's pink and comes with a quilted pink leather pouch, so... you know, you'd better really be into pink. It also features customized "smart seasonal wallpaper" that'll change based on seasons and calendar events. [Via Unwired View] It looks like BlackBerry OS 5.0 will get tabbed browsing, a feature that's become virtually standard across smartphone platforms (and has even started to invade the upper dumbphone echelon recently). The just-announced Sony Ericsson C905a for AT&T has already started to filter into some retail locations ahead of its July 19 release, so don't give up if you've got an unquenchable, urgent yearning for this thing.
