Firefox G-Fox: Plush Edition (hands-on)

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="copy post-body" dir="ltr" itemprop="text" style="text-align: left;"> <div class="image-container" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Image" data-src-height="348" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/ff2013-03-2917-52-31600.jpg" /></div>With the introduction of Google's Chrome and stepped-up games from the likes of Internet Explorer and Safari, Firefox is arguably not quite the darling of the browser wars it was when it first hit the scene in 2003. And while Mozilla has certainly made progress on that front, the organization understands that diversifying is an important factor in the future success of the company, first through Thunderbird and more recently through the Firefox OS, a mobile operating system targeted toward users in developing nations. G-Fox, meanwhile, marks a decidedly different direction for the foundation, which has made its name in the world of software. It's an adorable attempt, perhaps, to take the world's bedrooms and playrooms by storm.<br /> The plush is the real-world port of G-Fox, Mozilla Online China's large-headed, big-eyed take on the American mascot, Kit. The fox was first spotted in the wild at last year's Mobile Asia Expo in Shanghai. Mozilla Online wasn't talking it up too much at the event, but naturally, we couldn't wait to get our hands on an early build. And for a first-generation product in a new space, we have to say, in the whole time we've been playing around with G-Fox, we've yet to encounter a single crash or slowdown in spite of extensive squeezing, head patting and tossing up in the air, adorably.<br /> <div class="image-container" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Firefox GFox Plush Edition handson" data-src-height="348" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/g-fox2012-01-0500-20-17600.jpg" /></div>G-Fox is primarily constructed from a bright, orange felt -- and while we're slightly disappointed that Mozilla does not yet possess the technology to construct stuffed animals from actual fire, this route is certainly far more cuddly and less prone to burn down one's home, both definite pluses in the stuffed animal department. As mentioned above, G-Fox is about 75 percent head, making it fairly top-heavy. And while we've not experienced crashes, its proportions do lead to a few minor stability issues -- thought it's nothing that can't be solved by leaning the fox up against a nearby wall -- or maneuvering its tail as a kickstand.<br /> The fox's eyes are great big things, shaped like watery teardrops to help harness maximum adorableness. Its nose, meanwhile, is made of a hard plastic, so you're going to want to avoid tossing it at animals or small children. G-Fox's ears, meanwhile, are floppy affairs, though we found that ours stood far more alert than the one we had originally seen in Shanghai, in spite of the fact that one was pierced with a tag. Attached to the rear of its little body is a big, lightning-shaped tail with the familiar swirling, yellow fire pattern on its end. The nicest details of all, however, are the small pads on the bottoms of its hind legs, features that will no doubt become standard in future browser-based stuffed animal builds.<br /><div class="image-container" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Firefox GFox Plush Edition handson" data-src-height="348" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/g-fox2012-01-0500-19-15600.jpg" /></div>It's encouraging to see Mozilla experiment in a new space, and as we wait to gauge the success of the foundation's Firefox OS offering, we can say now that it really hit it out of the park on this front. It's exciting to imagine what future builds will bring -- a pull-string? Tabbed browsing? The future is bright indeed.<br /> </div></div>

Firefox G-Fox: Plush Edition (hands-on)

With the introduction of Google's Chrome and stepped-up games from the likes of Internet Explorer and Safari, Firefox is arguably no...

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Microsoft updates its Windows Phone web demo for WP8, hopes you'll update your phone too

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <img alt="Microsoft updates its Windows Phone web demo for WP8" data-src-height="465" data-src-width="510" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/windows-phone-8-web-demo.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Microsoft remains convinced that you'll like Windows Phone if you only give it a try. Accordingly, it just recently updated its web-based demo to reflect all the changes in Windows Phone 8. If you let the web app access Facebook, you'll get a personalized sample of the OS on your desktop or mobile browser that includes resizable home tiles, Kid's Corner and other newer additions. No, it's not a full-fledged simulator, but it does give about as good a taste as you'll get without the real hardware in your hands. We also can't say that everyone will be sold on the concept -- still, it's worth a spin for anyone keeping their smartphone options open.</div></div>

Microsoft updates its Windows Phone web demo for WP8, hopes you'll update your phone too

  Microsoft remains convinced that you'll like Windows Phone if you only give it a try. Accordingly, it just recently updated its web-ba...

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Chrome OS fends off all hacks at Pwnium 3, others fall at Pwn2Own

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <img alt="Chrome OS fends off all hacks at Pwnium 3" data-src-height="412" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/samsung-chromebook-550-619.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Google's Pwnium challenge followed a familiar pattern in its first two years, with white hat hackers invariably finding a Chrome vulnerability and prompting a round of patches that ultimately made the software stronger. For the Chrome OS-focused Pwnium 3, there's been a slight hiccup: there were no hacks to patch. Despite Google offering a total of $3.14159 million in bounties, entrants couldn't demonstrate a working exploit on the Series 5 550 target machine. That may be a testament to Google's steady security improvements, but it doesn't help discover what holes are left. We'd add that few were left unscathed at the Pwn2Own competition running in tandem -- the regular Chrome browser, Firefox and Internet Explorer all came tumbling down, and Safari may have escaped only because contestants didn't register in advance. Even so, the Chrome OS results may have Chromebook Pixel owners feeling better about their purchases.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h2> <a href="http://gdgt.com/google/chrome-os/" itemprop="url" target="_blank">Google <strong>Chrome OS</strong></a> </h2></div>

Chrome OS fends off all hacks at Pwnium 3, others fall at Pwn2Own

  Google's Pwnium challenge followed a familiar pattern in its first two years, with white hat hackers invariably finding a Chrome vul...

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Incredimail launches for iPad with a photo inbox and built-in browser

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <img alt="Incredimail launches for iPad with a photo inbox and builtin browser" data-src-height="340" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/03/incredimail-ipad-1362675845.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">Many of us whose parents discovered the internet in the past decade are all too familiar with Incredimail, mostly through the excessively cute stationery that would come attached to virtually every message. It's time to shake some of those old preconceptions now that an iPad version is here. The tablet port has stationery for anyone who craves it, but it's more focused on becoming a one-stop shop for everything associated with communication: it centers on a unified inbox for IMAP-based email accounts (POP3 soon) that shows quick peeks of both mail and any included links. Users won't have to leave the app at all for a few common non-messaging tasks. There's both an integrated web browser as well as a photo inbox that currently shows Facebook images, with plans to support Flickr, Instagram and Picasa in the long run. Those on Android devices or the iPhone will have to wait for their eventual turns at Incredimail, but everyone using Apple's tablet can give it a whirl today, for free -- even if they have no intentions of sending messages that could be confused with greeting cards.</div><div class="open" dir="ltr" id="pr_box" style="text-align: left;"> <div id="pr_box_button">Hide Press Release</div><div id="pr_text"> <em><strong>Incredimail Recreates the Email Experience</strong></em><br /> <em>Beginning with the iPad, Incredimail gives you your inbox with a better view</em><br /> <em>TEL AVIV, Israel & SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Perion Network Ltd. (NASDAQ: PERI), developer of the leading email client Incredimail, today debuted its latest version of Incredimail, forever changing the email experience for iPad owners. Incredimail for the iPad is the first email application truly adapted for the touch-screen, and is the first major redesign of email in over 20 years. It redesigns the inbox, unifies multiple email accounts, creates a photo inbox from your friends and family Facebook photos, and elevates messages so their contents can easily be seen by users at a glance, in an intuitive "magazine-by-touch" format.</em><br /> <em>"The team has been focused on the vision of bringing a new look to email and we're proud to deliver some exciting new tweaks to the best of traditional email."<br /> "We love email and believe it is, and will remain, a vital form of communication for years to come. But the new Incredimail is more than that. It is both a unified messaging application, including a photo inbox, as well as a bold new step in recreating the experience as needed for a multi-screen world, especially for newer mobile formats that have seen explosive growth," said Josef Mandelbaum, CEO of Perion. "We think users, especially our users, are going to love Incredimail for the iPad. It changes the entire email experience, tailored just for devices like the iPad. We look forward to extending this quality experience to the iPhone, Android and other devices later this year and eventually even bring this exciting new email to the desktop."</em><br /> <em>In its recent survey1, Perion found that consumers, especially second wave adopters, now prefer the iPad for reading and writing email, beating out PCs and smartphones by a wide margin. But the survey also found that typically passionate iPad users were not as pleased as they could be with their current email choices. Previous email applications were designed for the PC era, and until now, there has not been a major rethink of the email experience for a multi-screen mobile world.</em><br /> <em>Incredimail's striking visual design provides innovative functionality for users, to easily view and share email content, including articles, photos and videos. Incredimail redesigns the email experience, bringing the elegance and ease-of-use consumers love from the iPad to their inboxes.</em><br /> <em>Incredimail is available for free download in the App Store. Highlights that users can enjoy with Incredimail for the iPad include:</em><br /> <em>* Unified Inbox: Add as many email accounts as you want and view them in a unified inbox, or view each account separately. Incredimail currently supports Gmail, Yahoo!, AOL, and any other IMAP account.<br /> * Quick Peeks: See a quick preview of emails directly from the inbox, without having to open them.<br /> * Photo Inbox: In addition to the regular email inbox, enjoy a photo inbox that features photos from friends and family, keeping you fully up to date with the people that matter most (starting with Facebook photos, others will be added soon).<br /> * Link Previews (a.k.a. Snippets): All links sent to you including photos, videos and articles, are presented as a preview within the email for a pleasant and uninterrupted email experience. Links you send are also viewed as previews by the email recipient.<br /> * Email Stationery: Enjoy a specially designed email stationery collection to add a personal style to emails you send. Additional stationery and rich content coming soon.<br /> * Built-In Web Browser: Search and browse the web right inside your inbox, ensuring an uninterrupted experience.<br /> * Future features to include: POP3 email support, other social platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and more photo integration with Picasa Web, Flickr and Instagram.</em><br /> <em>"Incredimail brings together the potential of new devices with the beautiful visual interface that iPad users enjoy," said Ron Harari, General Manager of Perion's Communication Products Division. "The team has been focused on the vision of bringing a new look to email and we're proud to deliver some exciting new tweaks to the best of traditional email."</em><br /> </div></div></div>

Incredimail launches for iPad with a photo inbox and built-in browser

  Many of us whose parents discovered the internet in the past decade are all too familiar with Incredimail, mostly through the excessively...

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Google Chrome 25 for Android arrives with background audio

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><hr dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" /> <div class="copy post-body" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <div class="image-container" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Google Chrome 25 for Android allows background audio" data-src-height="340" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/02/chrome-android-galaxy-nexus-1361992811.jpg" /></div>If you've ever tried to play audio from a web app in Chrome for Android, you've likely had the fun cut short the moment your attention wandered over to Google Maps or Instagram. A stable version of Chrome 25 is here to address that headache. Audio in the new browser build will continue to play in the background, and optionally pauses if there's an incoming phone call. Google has less perceptible upgrades behind the scenes, as well: multi-touch zoom and scrolling are faster, and the V8 rendering engine should be quicker on the draw with interactive pages. Those who won't wait for anything, including the end to an audio stream, can hit Google Play for the Chrome refresh.<br /> </div></div>

Google Chrome 25 for Android arrives with background audio

If you've ever tried to play audio from a web app in Chrome for Android, you've likely had t...

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Chrome browser gains Web Speech API support in latest stable build

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><hr dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" /> <div class="copy post-body" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <div class="image-container" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/04/chrome-logo-2011-04-27.jpg" /></div>Good news, everyone: a safer and more robust version of Google Chrome has just been tipped for the masses. Like we've previously seen in the beta release, the stable version of Chrome 25 brings support for the Web Speech API. With this update, you'll find the ability to create dictations and issue voice commands within any web app that taps into the feature. Also of significance, silent extension installs are now a thing of the past for Windows users in Chrome 25. While you'll now need to consent to each add-on before it's installed, we're sure you'll agree that the added security is worth the extra trouble. As you've come to expect, the update to Google Chrome will be rolled out to users via the browser's auto-update feature, which means it won't be long before you have a shiny new version number.<br /> </div></div>

Chrome browser gains Web Speech API support in latest stable build

Good news, everyone: a safer and more robust version of Google Chrome has just been tipped for the mass...

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Did Google make its latest Android statue out of chrome for a reason?

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><hr dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" /> <div class="copy post-body" dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <div class="image-container" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Did Google make its latest Android statue out of chrome for a reason" data-src-height="340" data-src-width="620" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/01/chrome-android-lead2.jpg" /></div>When Google staffer Paul Wilcox started throwing pebbles at his girlfriend's office window, he never expected to be confronted by an angry giant Android made out of chrome. But crazy things happen at Mountain View all the time and Wilcox was quick to recover his composure.<br /> "What have you done with my girlfriend?" he cried. And then, "why, of all things, are you made out of chrome?!"<br /> Eventually Wilcox realized it was just a statue, recently put up in the mostly-green robot's honor, and that his girlfriend was safe and well. (Honestly, we just invented the whole girlfriend thing for dramatic effect, and we don't know where she works.) Anyways, the question remains: why this particular metallic finish? Is it to mark the constant updates to the Chrome browser on Android devices? Possibly. Or could it be, as <em>MobileGeeks</em> suggests, some oblique reference to Android apps running in a Chrome browser on some other OS? We don't know, but imagine this: an Android app running in a Chrome browser running as an Android app running in a Chrome browser... Freaky, right?<br /> </div></div>

Did Google make its latest Android statue out of chrome for a reason?

When Google staffer Paul Wilcox started throwing pebbles at his girlfriend's office window, he nev...

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