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Iris Browser escapes beta at MWC, now ready for WinMo devices
While most of the mobile browser attention these days seemed focused on Fennec and Opera Mini, there's another game in town, too. Torch Mobile has just announced that its long-awaited WebKit-based Iris Browser has finally reached version 1.1.0, and it's now ready for use on Windows Mobile 5 and 6 platforms. Torch Mobile's making some pretty bold promises about this here software, claiming that its "advanced WebKit-based engine easily renders virtually any site on the web the same as if viewed on a PC." Of course, you know what a phrase like this means, right? You better get to downloading in order to see if it's legit. Go on, get!
Yahoo! to distribute, cheer for Opera Mini
Maybe we're just imagining things, but it sure seems like a lot of deals are going down here in Barcelona. The latest partnership to arise from the middle of nowhere is this one, a tie-up between Yahoo! and Opera that will see the search engine company distribute and pimp the Opera Mini web browser to its many Yahoo! Mobile users. Under the deal, Yahoo! is expected to begin distributing Opera Mini via Yahoo! Mobile (gratis, of course) and also as a standalone download from Yahoo!'s mobile Web sites in the near future. A curious matchup, yeah? Should be interesting to see where this leads -- we get the feeling this is just the beginning of something much, much bigger. Or maybe just bigger.[Via phonescoop]
Novarra making web pages easier to view on Verizon Wireless
On far too many handsets, browsing the web is a lesson in futility. Particularly for dumbphone owners, who practically need a gun to their skull before they'll willingly engage in even mildly extensive surfing. We're hearing now, however, that Verizon Wireless is making things a little easier to stomach for its users -- though it's doing so for the bandwidth savings more than anything. Reportedly, the carrier has contracted Novarra in order to help out, and as subscribers request that certain pages be accessed, the aforesaid company "adapts the content (including Flash!) and optimizes it for a smaller screen" before letting it hit the user's handset. It's expected that Verizon will showcase the new approach at Mobile World Congress, and in the future, it could even help struggling smartphones surf more easily.[Via phonescoop]
Nokia bringing Mobile-XL's SMS-based XLBrowser to African mobiles
In an effort to bring the wonders of the world wide web to more remote locations, Nokia is teaming with Mobile-XL in order to pre-load handsets with the latter company's XLBrowser. Unlike traditional mobile browsers, this one relies on SMS technology in order to deliver "useful information, such as news, currency conversion, finance information and games." The software was designed to bring snippets of the web to handsets where internet, WAP and GPRS services are "slow, limited, and unreliable." We're told that a "select series" of Nokia handsets shipping to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will be equipped with said browser starting as early as next month, though there's no indication of exactly which phones will have it and which will not. Oh, and you should definitely opt for an unlimited messaging plan should you choose to take advantage here. Just sayin'.[Via mocoNews]
Opera Mini 4.2 escapes beta, arrives for Android
It's tough to find someone who doesn't appreciate the amenities in Opera Mini, and we have to say, that hamstrung version that hit the Android Market in November just made us yearn for the real deal. Thankfully, that waiting window has finally closed. As of today, mobile surfers can suck down the non-beta version of Opera Mini 4.2 for Android, complete with easier URL entry, upload / download support and the ability to zoom in / out on double tap and handle multimedia files. Give it a go and report back with any praises / gripes, won'tcha?[Via phonescoop]
Microsoft accused by EU of harming web browser competition, again
Gulp, here we go again. The European Commission is accusing Microsoft of unfairly dominating its competition by bundling Internet Explorer with its Windows OS. Yup, the very same argument heard in the US courts more than a decade ago after Netscape saw its 86% market share plummet in the face of a bundled IE. The commission, which already fined Microsoft $1.35 billion for anti-competitive practices in early 2008, has published the following preliminary view on the matter: "Microsoft's tying of Internet Explorer to the Windows operating system harms competition between web browsers, undermines product innovation and ultimately reduces consumer choice." Microsoft has 8 weeks to reply to the charge. It's worth noting that while Apple bundles its Safari browser with OS X, Apple commands a much, much smaller share of the operating system and web browser markets globally, particularly outside of the US. The EU's ruling does, perhaps, shed some light on why Apple's App Store is suddenly stocked with a variety of browsers for the hot selling iPhone, eh? Regardless, we have a feeling that the Norwegian cats behind Opera are feeling pretty smug right about now; Google too, as it kicks back licking its Chromium chops on the road to dominating "The Cloud."[Thanks, Marcus]
YouTube launches "10 foot" TV experience just for Wii & PS3 users
Sure, there's already TVs and devices out there ready to bring the YouTube experience directly to your living room, but today they've launched a page just for browser-enabled living room devices (the PlayStation 3 and Wii) to browse on a TV screen. Point your console to www.youtube.com/tv for the new page, those limited by their PC's can check out the video embedded after the break for a demo. It seems like it would be easy to throw a bone to Windows Media Center Extender devices and HTPC owners by opening things up a bit, but the Official YouTube Blog indicates this beta is intended to encourage more manufacturers to include unrestricted browser support (Xbox 360, please pick up the white courtesy phone.) Take a look and tell us what you think.Read - Official YouTube blogRead - PlayStation Blog
Apple suddenly approves a bunch of browsers for App Store; major policy shift in progress?
Okay, so maybe a new browser isn't the first thing we'd like to see replaced with some fresh thinking out of the App Store -- that honor probably goes to the email client, preferably with something that could rival the G1's capabilities -- but regardless, Apple's infamous "duplication of functionality" argument has hamstrung iPhone developers from even coming close to stepping on the mothership's toes from day one. Consistent application of policy is still at a premium when it comes to getting iPhone apps approved, it seems -- it's hit or miss, and as best as we can tell, a happy ending involves the crossing of fingers and getting a reviewer inside Apple who's having a good day. It looks like Apple's slowly and quietly tweaking its game in response to complaints, though, with MacRumors noting that a slew of browsers have gone on sale in the past day; some of these things have submission dates several months old, so it seems like they've been holding in some sort of purgatory while Steve and the gang debate the merits of letting programmers actually practice their trade in peace. Odds are none of these initial entries will hold up to Safari for good, old-fashioned browsing, but more importantly, this might just open up the door for Opera and others to get in on the game. Update: As it turns out, all these new browsers are WebKit-based, so while things do appear to be changing, we wouldn't hold out hope for an iPhone edition of Mobile IE just yet.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3 WiFi camera reviewed: wait for generation two
WiFi cameras are far from new -- over the past couple of years, we've seen P&S after P&S arrive with minimal functionality that would allow it to sync pictures with one specific online photo portal (or similar). Sony has stepped up the game for cameras to come with the Cyber-shot DSC-G3, which is the first of its kind to include a web browser for logging into pay-hotspots and uploading to practically any photo sharing site on the web. Popular Science got to handle one for a few weeks, and in the end, they were in love with the idea but hesitant to praise the execution. The T700-turned-wireless took satisfactory pictures, but the browser experience was less than awesome. You can hit the read link for all the dirty details, but unless you're willing to deal with "agonizingly" slow load times, you're probably better off waiting for the next revision. Or for some other company to whip out a bona fide competitor.%Gallery-41112%
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3 launches: world's first WiFi camera with web browser
No clue why Sony didn't unleash this pretty boy with its litany of items yesterday, but maybe it just saw fit to give it some special attention. Thanks to the all-admitting FCC, we already had a good idea that this was coming, but now that it's finally here, we're still pretty jazzed. Set to rival Panny's Lumix DMC-TZ50, the DLNA-certified Cyber-shot DSC-G3 is the planet's first WiFi camera with a built-in web browser, enabling users to upload images and video directly to popular sharing sites wherever a WiFi connection is available. Of note, the camera comes with complimentary access to Sony's Easy Upload Home Page via AT&T WiFi, which provides easy entrance into Shutterfly, Picasa, YouTube, Photobucket and Dailymotion. Other specs include a 10 megapixel sensor, 4x optical zoom and Face Detection. It's yours to grab right now for around $500.%Gallery-41112%
Mobile Firefox (Fennec) being developed for Symbian
We can't be certain, but we're fairly sure we just heard the remnants of a million celebratory shouts from Symbian users the world over. Mobile Firefox, the promising web browser that just went alpha a few months back, is reportedly well on its way to S60 land. According to Mozilla's Christian Sejersen, the team feels that "in order for Mozilla to be relevant in the smartphone space, it needs to have a presence on the Symbian platform." Better still, the crew has already sparked up conversation with Symbian engineers, and early word has it that an initial release could be but months away. It's cool, you have every right to be thoroughly stoked.[Via UnwiredView]
Skyfire v0.85 supposedly available for worldwide consumption
Being that we're currently situated in the United States of America, we can't personally test out Decoder's claims that the latest and greatest version of Skyfire is ready for global domination, but we're taking it's word for it. Reportedly, most WinMo users and Symbian S60 owners can point their browsers to Skyfire's download page and suck down v0.85 without having to prove that they're in the US / Canada. Stop salivating and give it a go, hopefully everything turns out just peachy.
WebKit-based Iris browser for Windows Mobile hits beta v2
We know how it goes -- once you get your Windows Mobile setup situated how you like it, making tweaks is a rare, rare occurrence. To that end, you probably passed on the highly dangerous first beta of the WebKit-based Iris browser. At long last, the entirely more stable beta v2 has emerged for those courageous enough to give it a go, and the designers are promising that the over 100 fixes and improvements make it "incredibly fast" and almost life-altering. If you're not keen on waiting for the next iteration of Internet Explorer Mobile, and if you're somehow not pleased with Opera Mini or Mobile Firefox, roll the dice with this one and see how things turn out.[Via the::unwired]
Internet Explorer Mobile 6 coming soon, emulator out now
In all honesty, Internet Explorer Mobile would've done good to come out yesterday (or the day / week / month before), but we guess the slow and steady approach may pay off eventually. Hot on the heels of Mobile Firefox comes word that the Internet Explorer Mobile 6 Emulator is available now for developers to tinker with, which is sure to excite throngs of coders across the web. For all of you out there simply waiting for a better browsing experience within IE Mobile, you're treated to yet another "coming soon" message. Still, we're totally looking forward to support for "full fidelity desktop rendering," enhanced Script / AJAX support, improved handling of multimedia and touch / gesture support, we just wish all of this was available already.[Via UnwiredView]
Choosy, your new default browser
It plays out like a Harlequin Romance for many a Mac user (especially web designers and developers): you have a fairly solid relationship with Safari, on a day-to-day basis. Despite your admiration for Safari's beauty and speed, though, the siren song of Firefox frequently seduces you away for extended romps, tempting you with a bounty of desirable extensions and themes. Personally, I've just decided to make my relationship polygamous, Safari for browsing, Firefox for web development. The rub, though, is in the definition of the system's default browser; for me, there's no winning that war. I'm constantly launching browsers unintentionally, wishing my Mac would just figure out which application I want to handle a link with at any given time. George Brocklehurst has a solution, though, and I'm loving it. Choosy is a Preference Pane (and accompanying helper application) which takes the place of the default browser. When you click a link anywhere outside of a web browser, it takes action based on your preferences: you can have it open the link in whatever browser is running (defaulting to your favorite browser if nothing is open), or you can have it always display a choice of browsers, among other configuration options. I set mine up to display the menu of browser icons every time, thereby ending the unintentional application-launching which stems from my need for multiple browsers. Choosy is in beta, and it's got some issues. The biggest for me is its inability to handle multiple displays. That, along with every other question I had about its future development, is already laid out in the development roadmap. Choosy will be a paid application once it's out of beta, but beta testers who provide George with an email address will be getting a code for a beta tester discount. If your own browser infidelity is causing problems for you, give Choosy a try. Fair warning, by the way: If you install Minefield, you'll lose Firefox from your Choosy browser list until you uninstall it. The ability to customize the browser list is on the roadmap (and there is a workaround -- editing the CFBundleIdentifier in Firefox's Info.plist to a unique value -- but that's not for the fainthearted), so hopefully that will soon be a non-issue. Thanks Laurie
Sprint WebCapTel On the Go brings call transcription to the mobile
Sprint has just made its WebCapTel service even better. In an effort to provide greater accessibility to Americans with hearing loss, the carrier has introduced the aforementioned service to allow "hard of hearing customers to read word-for-word captions on Windows Mobile 6 web browsers," and for what it's worth, it's also compatible with Safari 2.0. The free web-based system enables hearing impaired individuals to make a call using two phones -- one of which is used for reading captions while the other is used for listening and speaking. The process seems simple enough; before making a call, the user would log onto www.sprintcaptel.com on one device in order to receive the transcription of the discussion on the other. It's available now for calls made within the US (and its Territories).[Via RCRWireless]
Mobile Firefox (Fennec) alpha officially goes live
We knew the Fennec alpha was but moments away from release, but at long last, the wait is over. Mozilla has crafted a dedicated page for the early, early version of Mobile Firefox along with release notes, known issues, tips / tricks and installation instructions. Speaking of which, this release was made to be used solely on the N800 or N810 Internet Tablet from Nokia, though there are versions available for Windows, OS X and Linux computers in case you want to dabble from the comfort of your desktop / laptop. We won't bother keeping you any longer -- feast your eyes on the links below for all sorts of long-awaited mobile browsing goodness.[Via NetworkWorld]Read - Mozilla Fennec pageRead - Fennec video walkthroughRead - Fennec on Windows Mobile screenshot
Firefox Mobile for Windows Mobile screenshots emerge, excitement builds
What else can we say? Sure, 2010 is a long ways out, but you knew good and well alpha / beta versions of Firefox Mobile would emerge long before then, right? Here we have the first living proof that Firefox Mobile (or Fennec, as it were) is alive and well for Windows Mobile, albeit in decidedly alpha form. Currently, the browser is managing an 88 out of 100 on the strenuous Acid3 test, which surely ain't bad for a handset-stricken browser. Hit the read link for a few more looks, and cross your fingers for a beta release sooner rather than later.
Digia @Web goes gold, UIQ gets serious browsing power
As smartphone platforms go, UIQ is a pretty underserved one; it just doesn't command enough of a following (by either manufacturers or end users) to justify boatloads of serious third-party development. That's why we're especially delighted to see that Digia's @Web, a Webkit-based browser with touch control and desktop-grade rendering capabilities, has emerged from beta and gone live. The full version's not a free download -- you'll pay 8 (about $11) for the privilege, in fact -- but for diehard UIQers looking for a way to rock the interwebs, this is probably the ticket. [Thanks, All About Symbian]
Surfin' Safari, ignoring IE
Bloggin' buddy Jeff Gamet over at The Mac Observer provided an analysis of Web browser market share today that showed Apple's Safari gaining while Microsoft Internet Explorer's piece of the proverbial pie is still getting smaller.The numbers, reported from Market Share, show a slight increase for Safari from 6.37% of the browser world in August to 6.65% in September. On the other hand, Internet Explorer started with 72.15% of the market, and ended September at 71.52%. While that change seems infinitesimal, readers should note that IE's share has been steadily dropping over time.Firefox actually dropped in market share during September, down from 19.75% to 19.46%. Google's Chrome browser, which first appeared in September, has only grabbed 0.78% of the market so far.What does this all mean? Not much, when looking at just one month of data. However, the long-term trend is indicating that Safari and Firefox continue to gain market share steadily at Internet Explorer's expense.
