The Download Blog

Mozilla has updated its Firefox browser to patch three critical security holes.

Firefox 3.5.6 and 3.0.16 both fix earlier memory corruption issues. "We presume that with enough effort at least some of these could be exploited to run arbitrary code," the security advisory said.

In addition, the earlier version of Firefox 3.5 had two critical vulnerabilities in its technology for playing Ogg-format media, one with the liboggplay media library and one with the libtheora video library.

The patches are among 62 fixes in the new Firefox, software that's translated into dozens of languages and runs on multiple operating systems. Users of the OS/2 operating system will be delighted to know that problems with Firefox's full-screen mode and with print preview have been resolved.

"We strongly recommend that all Firefox users upgrade to this latest release," Mozilla said in a blog posting. By default, Firefox downloads updates automatically then prompts users to restart when it's ready; updates also can be retrieved through the "check for updates" menu option.

Mozilla plans to cease supporting Firefox 3.0 in January. Meanwhile, a significant update, Firefox 3.6, is due by the end of the year.

Correction 1:23 p.m. PST December 17: This story was corrected to note that it was the earlier versions of Firefox that suffered the vulnerabilities.

Even without extensions, Google Chrome's market share grew phenomenally during its first year. Now that the No. 1 most-requested feature comes baked into the Windows (beta and development) and Linux (beta and development) versions, it's time to look at some of the best extensions available for the upstart browser.

Google Chrome's extension manager.

(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)

The No. 1 extension on my list is the No. 2 most-requested feature for Chrome: RSS support. The RSS Subscription Extension allows Chrome to automatically detect RSS and Atom feeds on a page. It's not entirely clear why this isn't a default feature since it's part of every other browser, but at least now there's a way to add it.

There are a host of Google-service related extensions, all based on letting you know at a glance if there's an update for you to check in on. The Google Alerter covers Gmail, Wave, and Google Reader, although there's also individual support for them as the Gmail Checker, Google Wave Checker, and Google Reader Checker. There's a Google Calendar Checker, too.

The Google Translate extension adds a slick pop-up toolbar.

(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)

The Google Tasks extension hides your tasks behind a button that opens a list of them when clicked. The most useful Google-related extension is for Google Translate, which will offer on-the-fly translation of a site that doesn't appear in your default system language.

Expect security to be as big a subcategory of extensions for Chrome as it is for Firefox. Popular and effective secure personal password storehouse LastPass provides a safe and near-universal way to manage your passwords, making them easily accessible without compromising their integrity. LastPass also supports Firefox and Internet Explorer on Windows, making it an excellent one-stop solution. When Chrome's extensions get activated on the Mac version, the reasons for using LastPass will become even more compelling.

LastPass options in Chrome.

(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)

Also cross-browser, Web of Trust evaluates Web sites based on consensus. It may sound counter-intuitive to some, but it's proven in the past year to be an especially effective tool for determining whether you can trust that sketchy link you're thinking of clicking on.

UnShorten.com is one way to see what that shortened URL is hiding, but ChromeMUSE is another. This useful extension not only can shorten URLs via several different shortening services, it can also expand embedded short URLs automatically.

FlashBlock is a good way to kill Flash and Silverlight-based content. It leaves a blank spot where the ad or embedded video would've been, which you can then selectively load by clicking on it.

Despite the name, AdBlock+ should be avoided. It's not made by the same publishers who manage AdBlock Plus, the popular and effective ad-blocker for Firefox. This is actually a fairly serious problem with Chrome's extensions, where unknown entities are appropriating identical or similar names to well-known and trusted Firefox add-ons for what amount to nefarious purposes. So far, the ad-blocking extension that most users seem to be trusting in Chrome is AdBlock, but don't be surprised if it causes more problems than it solves until there's more consensus on these name-squatters.

AniWeather offers an animated weather pop-up.

(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)

On that note, there are some excellent Firefox add-ons that have been ported successfully to Chrome. Bookmark synchronizer Xmarks has a beta version for Chrome, as does IE Tab for viewing rendering sites with Internet Explorer's engine within Chrome, and the resource-heavy but still-fun way to view visual media Cooliris.

Facebook for Chrome simplifies Facebook access, putting news feed and status updating in your toolbar. YouTube Downloader grabs Flash video embeds and saves them to your hard drive but interestingly doesn't come from Google itself. AniWeather is another, providing those without windows an excellent way to see what meteorological events are going on outdoors. iMacros will run Greasemonkey scripts and allows users to create their own solutions for repetitive data entry and tasks. The one I can't live without is another name-squatter, AutoCopy. It will copy any text to your clipboard when you highlight it. Unlike the Firefox version, it doesn't open any options when you finish highlighting, so it's a bit hard to tell if it's working as it should.

TooManyTabs cleverly secrets away tabs you want to keep handy but out of your active memory.

(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)

TooManyTabs isn't TabMixPlus for Chrome, but it does something that TabMixPlus can't because Firefox doesn't yet support it. TooManyTabs manipulates Chrome's tab process isolation in a useful way, so you can move tabs to a holding dock where they're no longer eating memory, but they're still easily accessible. Click on the toolbar button and it opens up a window that displays your active tabs. Arrows next to each one let you move it to the nonfunctional area. A helpful indicator on the toolbar button tells you how many active tabs you've got. Conspicuously missing is drag-and-drop, so hopefully that's coming.

Aviary Screen Capture is another extension that offers Chrome-only features. It lets you take a screenshot of any Web site you're looking at and then automatically opens it in Aviary's image-editing Web suite to streamline your work flow.

The lack of a status bar in Chrome means that the management icons for extensions, if they have them, get added to the navigation bar, something that may annoy users who prefer Firefox's greater level of extension-placement customization. However, it's definitely a more visible placement, and may encourage users to keep their installed extensions to a utilitarian minimum.

More extensions can be downloaded from Google's site or Download.com.

Currently, extension support hasn't been activated in the Chrome for Mac, but that's expected no later than January 2010. There's also some notable popular Firefox extensions that aren't in Chrome yet, such as FoxyTunes. If I've skipped a favorite Chrome extension of yours, or if there's one for Firefox that you're dying to get in Chrome, tell me about it in the comments below.

Google's browser has passed Safari in terms of worldwide browser usage--at least by one measurement.

NetApplications' measurements of browser usage share, which track which browsers individuals use based on visits to the company's network of Web sites, gave Chrome the third-place spot after No. 1 Internet Explorer and No. 2 Firefox for the week of December 6 through 12, according to a Computerworld story Tuesday. Chrome had 4.4 percent share to Safari's 4.37 percent.

Google released beta versions of Chrome for Mac OS X and Linux on December 8. Earlier, only developer channel versions had been available. Google plans to release the "stable" versions January 12, according to the Chromium development calendar.

Take these usage share numbers with a grain of salt. Even though 0.03 percentage points still is a lot of people in the real world, it is a small fraction, and a change in Net Applications' assumptions in August led to share changes two orders of magnitude more dramatic. Weekly statistics also vary: Although Firefox cleared 25 percent share in one week of November, it averaged only 24.72 percent for the overall month.

I've asked various browser makers about how trustworthy they view NetApplications' statistics to be. The answers generally are favorable but not ringing endorsements.

Regardless of the precise details, though, the Chrome trajectory is upward: its November usage share was 3.93 percent to Safari's 4.36 percent.

And although Google relied on word of mouth for promoting its original online search product, it's taking a more active role with Chrome. The latest example: a "Chrome for Christmas" site that lets people send invitations to download Chrome.

Firefox proved that a browser not bundled with an operating system can be successful, and Chrome could show the idea isn't a fluke if its growth continues.

Google is promoting its browser through this 'Chrome for Christmas' e-mail campaign.

(Credit: Screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)

(Credit: CNET)

Looking at my iPhone yesterday, I noticed that there was a crack about a centimeter long right up the middle of the back of the handset coming straight from the charging area. It's hardly noticeable and I'm sure my iPhone will continue to work, but it definitely serves as a reminder that when my two-year contract is up in June, I'm going to be ready for a new iPhone.

Fortunately, a story over at AppleInsider points to a rumor that the next generation of iPhones are set to come out right about that time. Eldar Murtazin, an insider, said the next generation iPhone has recently been slated for production by Foxconn, Apple's Taiwanese iPhone manufacturer, putting the handset right in line for a June release. Some of the reworked features mentioned in the article include a new Apple-designed map replacement and the possibility for RFID swipe support (handy in checkout lines). Like any news related to Apple, almost everything revolves around rumors, but it does make me excited for when I can finally upgrade beyond the iPhone 3G.

This week's apps include a popular database app for movie buffs and a huge update for one of the first iPhone games.

The iPhone-friendly layout helps you get to info you want quickly

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

IMDb (free) is a new iPhone app that lets you access movie, TV, and celebrity information from the popular Internet Movie Database. Like the IMDb Web site, you'll be able to access just about any information you could want about movies, celebrities, TV shows, and photos, all on your iPhone. But even better than the Internet version, you'll also be able to browse movie and TV show times in your area once you give IMDb access to your location.

The interface for IMDb was clearly made for mobile, with a launch page that lets you access local movie and TV information so you can find a movie or schedule your evening viewing on the go. But at the very top of the interface is a searchbox for all those moments where you want to know a specific actor from some obscure movie. Simply type in the information you have, and IMDb gives you a huge list of results. When you drill down to actor and movie pages, you get an easy to browse layout with a filmography, actor bios, and much more. People who love movies or just like having a portable database to search for local movies, TV shows, and celebrities should definitely grab this app.

Navigating past those cannons and obstacles is going to be tricky

(Credit: Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET)

Labyrinth 2 ($4.99) is the sequel to one of the early games that showed off the accelerometer capabilities of the iPhone. But where the original was a straight-forward game where you tilt the phone to guide the metal ball to the goal, Labyrinth 2 adds several more maps, tons of features and obstacles, and breathes new life into an old game concept.

The first thing you'll notice about Labyrinth 2 is the enormous amount of playable map packs. Each map pack is rated so you can pick easy levels for more casual play, medium for a little more challenge, and hard levels when you're ready to dive in to a real challenge. What moves this iteration of the old game into modern times are new features to effect gameplay. Amidst the usual walls and holes you need to navigate around, there are now magnets and fans to knock you off track, cannons that shoot at your ball, and floor switches that open gates to get to the goal. Even if you manage to get past all the included map packs you can download free level packs to keep going. Overall, if you liked the original game for iPhone (and even if you didn't), Labyrinth 2 offers so much content and new concepts to the game that it's definitely worth checking out.

What's your favorite iPhone app? Are you happy to finally see the official IMDb on the iPhone? What do you think of Labyrinth 2? Let me know in the comments!

What's behind the Google Chrome OS, technologically and from a business perspective? This week on the Roundtable, I discuss the pending operating system with CNET writers Stephen Shankland (Deep Tech) and Gordon Haff (Pervasive Data Center).

Listen now: Download today's podcast

Google introduced two search features Friday that focus on delivering search results without having to visit the search results page.

The weather information at the bottom of the Google Suggest list used to only be found on search results pages.

(Credit: Google)

Universal search features such as weather, time, and flight-tracking information can now be found in the Google Suggest drop-down list of possible results for relevant queries, such as "weather San Francisco." In addition, Google has released an extension for its Chrome browser called Quick Scroll that is essentially Google's take on the Control-F (or Command-F for you other folks) basic search function.

Google has offered image-based answers to simple questions such as "What time is it in New York?" or "How many kilograms are in 2 pounds?" for some time. Of course, you had to click through to the search results page to get that answer. The company apparently felt that was two seconds of your life it was unfairly robbing from you, and so has added those types of results directly in the list of suggestions that appears below the search box on many queries.

Quick Scroll, on the other hand, provides a bit more search horsepower on a given Web page than the old-fashioned "Find" command. Google provided the example of someone wondering whether or not Belgian street vendors sell waffles, searching on that query, and clicking through to a Wikipedia page on waffles. At that point, Quick Scroll will pop up in a small window with your original search query and a link to the text where that information can be found on the page.

These features are all outgrowths of Google's obsession with speed, highlighted by its announcement of real-time search results earlier this week. Ordinary users might not care, but speed junkies are taking over the Web and could very well find something else to do with those spare two seconds: such as conduct another search on Google that brings up (contextual and relevant, of course) ads.

There's no reason to take the Web as it comes. Not when there are Firefox add-ons that turn Web pages into putty that you can shape as you wish. These three--Zotero, MashLogic, and RSVP Reader--let you gather and store all or parts of Web pages, open a customizable info box for whatever topics you encounter, and convert a block of text into a string of phrases that flash in a box at a speed you control.

Turn your favorite pages into collections
A few days ago, I wrote about three add-ons that go bookmarks one better by letting you customize the Web pages you save. Zotero is like bookmarks cubed. Not only can you save text, images, or entire pages, you can annotate and categorize the information for easy retrieval.

My only complaint is that the Zotero window takes up half the screen and can't be resized. Fortunately, it's easy to close the window to get a full view of your browser. To reopen the window, click the Zotero button in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Save all or parts of Web pages and categorize the content with the Zotero Firefox add-on.

(Credit: Zotero)

Zotero's capabilities go far beyond collecting and tagging Web pages. It's designed for researchers and lets them attach files and notes to items, take a snapshot of the page, and add bibliographic references. All entries are time- and date-stamped, and you can even open a mini-text-editing window. I sure wish I had one of these when I was a student.

Add-on lets custom search tag along
If you can get past the tiny blue dots the MashLogic add-on places below text and links, the add-on comes in handy. Hover over the dotted item and a small window pops up with information about the item from the sources you specify.

The MashLogic Firefox add-on opens an info box with customizable content related to the item.

(Credit: MashLogic)

Click the MashLogic icon that appears to the left of the address bar to select the sources supplying the add-on's information. Your choices include Wikipedia, New York Times, Twitter, Yelp, and Guardian UK, as well as such categories as movies, books, music, shopping, and news and feeds. You can also suspend the dots for all sites or disable them for the site you're currently on.

Convert a page's text into a video stream
I was hoping to report how much faster I plowed through Web text with the RSVP Reader add-on, but I just couldn't get used to reading words as they flashed in a small box one, two, and three at a time. I still get a kick out of the novelty of a page's text appearing in bits and pieces.

RSVP Reader appears as a toolbar with buttons for making the text larger or smaller, and positioning the text in the box. In addition to the standard Play, Pause, Stop, and Rewind, buttons, you get buttons to speed up or slow down the text playback.

See a page's text by the word or phrase at your choice of playback speed with the RSVP Reader Firefox add-on.

(Credit: RSVP Reader)

I tried reading several text-heavy pages with different types of content (news, literature, even poetry) with RSVP Reader and the old-fashioned way, and even after experimenting with different text-playback rates, it didn't feel like I was going through the material faster the flashing-text-box way. I was disappointed that I couldn't reposition the text box, which is at the far right of the toolbar. But the add-on does offer a totally different way to browse.

It's not fully baked yet, but Google Chrome for Mac reaches a major milestone with the release of an official beta version. More stable than the development version, this Chrome beta brings rocket-powered browsing to Apple's computers--but it still lacks some key features.

And just how does it compare with Safari? Watch and find out, and also check out our hands-on review of Google's next move forward for Macs.

(Credit: Skyfire)

The Skyfire mobile browser has gone through some dramatic design changes in the last year. The most recent version released on Wednesday continues to adjust Skyfire's visual composition--as well as its guts and performance--on Windows Mobile touch-screen and standard phones.

The changes to the navigation menu was the first thing we noticed when we booted up Skyfire 1.5 on an HTC Touch Diamond 2. Skyfire has replaced the Menu key and back button navigation with gray, balloon-like buttons that strike us as a hybrid of Opera Mobile browser and Internet Explorer Mobile. The back arrow, Home screen button, zoom control, favorites tab, and Options icons are more finger-friendly for sure, and take a cue in both looks and content from Skyfire's two strongest rivals. We also spotted two unfamiliar tabs at the top to show your recent searches and popular queries overall.

Also like Opera Mobile browser, Skyfire 1.5 gets a welcome Full Screen mode--for touch-screen users only--that you can access from the Options icon on the navigation bar. Tap it to enter full-screen mode, which hides the nav bar so you can see more screen. Tapping the screen again shows the single Options icon, from which you can exit full-screen mode.

Skyfire has not been idle behind the scenes, either. Version 1.5 has updated to Flash 10 and Silverlight 1.5, the latest stable versions of Adobe and Microsoft software for delivering rich media, like videos. Skyfire also introduces full native support for VGA and wVGA resolutions on Windows phones, smooth scrolling, and new behavior for the text field that keeps it visible on touch-screen phones when the virtual keyboard is engaged. Skyfire also boasts faster speeds, thanks to improvements to its server.

You can download Skyfire for free by pointing the mobile browser to get.skyfire.com, or can download Skyfire for touch-screen and non-touch phones via your desktop.