Mozilla is rolling out its latest stable version of Firefox browser to the public today. It is in the version 3 RC (Release candidate) 1. Not only this Firefox 3 RC1 view as a first major new release in nearly 19 months, we can see it as a new browser that provides numerous rich Internet experience to the Firefox lovers. I am as a Firefox rabid user, I will download my copy after this post.

There are many notable features can be found on this Firefox 3 RC1, albeit that the final version will only be released probably in late May. This new version is driven by technological advancement in areas such as more secure, more easy to use, more personal, etc. Performance wise, it should be more faster, as now this browser was bundled with a smart bookmarking offering. Additionally, users will find this new version available in more than 45 languages and it can be downloaded to Windows, Mac or Linux platforms.

Since Firefox 3 RC1 is served as a testing purpose, not all the add-ons are applicable in use with this version of browser. Users without this understanding when upgrading to this version may risk losing some of their favorite add-ons.

via [mozilla developer center]

A new Canadian image search engine called TinEye has launched. It is a search engine project developed by Idée Inc. Though still in private beta, but is best understood by watching a demo video regarding its technology.

According to the demo video, TinEye has currently indexed more than 487 million images. Users who search the images through this search engine are not search by text, instead they need to upload an image or type an image’s URL link to the search bar. This contrast with the ordinary search engine approach, and TinEye potentially search all the images available on the Web and match the image an user uploaded, whether they’re in the form of photoshoped.

Additionally, TinEye will release its Firefox plugin for the Firefox users in near future.

I am in a mix feeling when reading Netscape blog on the end of the Netscape browser. According to them, they will not support the Netscape browser after 1st March 2008, initially they decided to discontinue the support after February 1, 2008. Also, noted that after 1st March, we’ll see the Netscape browser users will split into two different group of users, Mozilla (behind Firefox) and Flock as they appear to be benefited by this decision. Meanwhile, Netscape is reminding all its browser lovers to make a switch to Firefox or Flock, or continue to use Netscape’s latest version, i.e. Navigator 9.0.0.6 until 1st March.

There is a new add-on called PDF Download that was just released in the Firefox recommended add-ons page. What’s great you can find about this add-on is the control mechanism of this software; it allowed users to decide how they want to deal with the PDF files in Firefox browser. In their own words, this add-on enable:

- Stop PDF files crashing your browser.
- Stop PDF files taking forever to open.
- Make PDF files download like other files in Firefox.

After you download it, click on any PDF file when you use Firefox in surfing the Web, there will be a dialog box prompted you on a variety of choices on what you would like to do with the file: Download it, Open PDF, View as HTML, Bypass PDF Download, or Cancel the action.

Download and enjoy.

AOL has announced that they won’t provide any support on Netscape browser after February 1, 2008. In matter of fact, the shrinking of user base with the stiff competition likely put the end of a browser’s era. However, the Internet portal of Netscape will always open to serve the other needs of their users, but not that surprise, they recommended their existing users to switch to Firefox.

Indeed, people nowadays no longer speculate on the next generation of Netscape browser. What’s on their mind is how powerful the Firefox 3.0 when it ready to be released to the market. For existing Netscape browser users, a switch to Firefox is a wise move as Mozilla has provided more support on its browser through shorter release cycles.

On Mozilla Labs, they’ve just released the Personas for Firefox version 0.91, a lightweight extension that helps a Firefox user to change the theme, skin or fur coat of her Firefox browser. According to Mozilla, it is a prototype that builds upon the ideas that:

- themes today are too hard to find, install and use,
- graphic designers should be able to style the browser without having to code,
- browsers can be more than just desktop software, they can include online components,
- people just want their computer to be a little more fun and personal.

Once an user installed this extension, just look for the little Fox mask in the lower-left corner of the browser, click on it, and it shows several themes ranging from Popular, Recent, to All. An user has the options of selecting the theme that she like and change from time to time without the need to reload her Firefox browser. Most users that choose to use Firefox browser are due to the flexibility of install the Add-ons, with the introduction of Personas for Firefox, it has made the Internet surfing by using Firefox “a lot more enjoyable”.

WASALive is an Ajax search engine that I included on my Web tracking list, and they’re just release the Buzz Firefox toolbar. When I finished installed on my Firefox browser, it will provide a new user like me with the hot keywords, or tags such as Google, Halloween, Life, People, Prostate Cancer, Web, and etc. Click on any of these tags will bring you to a succinct list of links that related to the tag. Each link has a heading and a brief introduction of the article that underneath the heading. You can also find the date and time of a particular article, as well as the information of the source. If an user is not satisfy with the search results of the WASALive, she is allowed to key in her own search query in the search box located in the left-hand side of the WASALive Firefox toolbar.

I believed WASALive was founded by a French startup that called Cedrat Net. Currently, their search results are available in 7 languages: French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Polish. Each language has its own set of hot keywords or tags, and their search results are fetching from 173,898 news providers at the time of my writing.

Today a California based startup Clupedia has released a new Web 2.0 browser toolbar that called Clucast. The download program file is weighs in at 1.3MB, and currently under reviewed by Mozilla and potential users need to double confirm the installation process in order to download and use the Clucast services rendered. This toolbar allowed users to effectively find the clues and view those clues created by other users without any registration required. However, when you want to create the clues, you’ll need to sign-up and register a new account. What is a clue? It is a word/phrase that found in any Webpage that one comment on, once it submitted, it will become a clue that is flagged and viewable anywhere on the Web.

This Web 2.0 browser toolbar offered two main functions: Generate new clues or retrieve clues in a peer-to-peer central repository. One can generating the new clues by sharing the opinion and the reward for doing so is the recognition one could received in return, win prizes, earn cash, or become a famous Clucaster. On the other hand, retrieve clues help an user to be able to discover trends, find influencers, be in the know or boost the surfing habit. By generate or retrieve clues, Clupedia strove to increase the users of its own Web community that labeled as Clugen, the “Clues Generation.”

Clupedia stands for encyclopedia of clues from crowd. It is a startup based in Santa Ana, California and has raised $1.3 million in a round A financing from Tech Coast Angels, Pasadena Angels and Frontera Capital.