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Opera 10.6 hits Windows, Mac and Linux with faster Javascript, WebM video support
Four short months after Opera 10.5, the Scandinavian potato boilers are back for more -- the latest version of their lightweight web browser features not only claims to be the fastest, but the first final browser with WebM video support. While we actually noticed a variety of web videos felt choppy with the Windows version, there's no denying it's a speedy little hummingbird; Engadget felt snappier on Opera than Chrome or Firefox by far. Don't take our word for it, though -- try it out for yourself at the source link.
Firefox 1.1 hits Maemo in final form, featuring Add-ons, Save to PDF and more
Two months after an impressive beta, Mozilla's finalized its first full mobile browser for Maemo -- beating iPhone, Android and most assuredly Windows Mobile versions to the punch. Though it doesn't seem to have gained any new features in the interim, what it does bring to the table is sweet indeed: portrait browsing, auto-updating add-ons and the ability to magically convert webpages to PDF right on your phone. If you have a Nokia N900 or N810, do your device a favor and download it right now; if not, you'll find a handy guide to your burning jealousy at our more coverage link.
Mozilla bundles WebM support into nightly Firefox builds
Google's new web video standard seems to be gathering a bit of momentum, as today Firefox is following in the ultrafast steps of Chrome by offering built-in support for WebM video. Bugs are still being worked out, but the fundamentals are there, and we'll hopefully see all kinks ironed out in time for the release of Firefox 4 Beta, which is expected to land later this month. This is now the third big browser to announce compatibility, with Microsoft already promising it for IE 9, provided users download the necessary VP8 codec first. The HTML5-obsessed Apple hasn't yet decided which way it's going with the standard while Opera is presumably busy figuring out how to parody the whole thing in video form.
Mozilla shares tentative vision for Firefox 4
Our first glimpse of Firefox 4 was limited to a few tasteful mockups; this time, Mozilla's main man Mike Beltzner has revealed the company's plans for its next generation web browser in its entirety. While exact features and dates are sketchy, his presentation reveals Mozilla would like to hold the Firefox 4 beta in June, before unleashing a CSS3, partially HTML5 compliant web browser with multitouch support, background updates, geolocation, Firefox Sync (aka Mozilla Weave) and a greatly streamlined UI this holiday season. The presentation has "PLANS MIGHT CHANGE" written all over it in large red letters, so trust us when we say none of this is for sure, but we like the direction Firefox is going and we'll be happy to see more. Video presentation at our source link, full slideshow after the break.
Opera 9.1 adds phishing protection
Opera Software's "alternative" web browser, aptly named Opera, hit version 9.10 yesterday. The only new feature of note is the anti-phishing filter they've added, but this release also includes bug fixes aplenty. Opera is still free (although @29 USD will buy you "premium support" via email), it's Universal Binary and you'll need OS X 10.3.9 or later to check it out. Opera has never "felt" right to me on the Mac, so I rarely turn to it, although I do keep a copy handy in my Apps folder for special occasions. That shouldn't and won't stop you from using it, though. For what it's worth, I do like the Opera Mini browser on my Blackberry.
Firefox 2.0 Final due out today
Mozilla is expected to officially unleash the final version of Firefox 2.0 later today. Update: Since Mozilla doesn't seem thrilled that a pre-release FTP link has been plastered all over the web already, I'll add this caveat: Although it may be the final version, you'd be wise to re-download the final final version once it's posted to Mozilla's main site later today since there could still be last minute changes. A here's a cautionary note from Mozilla themselves: "Preed the Release Engineer says: friends don't let friends download Firefox before it's released." Update 2: Mozilla has asked everyone to take down the early-bird FTP links, so we have complied. Sorry about any trouble, and we'll update once the official curtain is lifted.
