Firefox Finally Joins The Anti-Flash Revolution

Starting next month, Firebox will finally join the coup to banish Adobe Flash use, by blocking content that is deemed none-essential. This includes Flash elements that aren’t visible to the end user. As a result, Mozilla says, Firefox users will experience less issues with Flash crashing or causing the browser to hang. Battery life, page load speeds, Firefox’s responsiveness, and overall security will all be improved as well.

For those users that still want to enjoy Flash enabled sites, you know the ones that haven't moved to the new generation, Mozilla promises that Firefox will still support legacy Flash content. In order minimize website compatibility problems, the changes are initially going to be limited to a short, curated list of Flash content that can be replaced with HTML. So users won't suddenly be left in the dark. However, Mozilla says it will add more Flash content to the block list in the future, meaning site owners will eventually need to keep up with the times and change their content delivery systems.

Mozilla notes that over the past few years, Firefox has implemented Web APIs to replace functionality that was formerly provided only by plugins. This includes audio/video playback and streaming capabilities, clipboard integration, fast 2D and 3D graphics, WebSocket networking, and microphone/camera access. As websites have switched from Flash to other web technologies, the plugin crash rate in Firefox has dropped significantly:

Starting next year Firefox will require click-to-activate approval from users before a website activates the Flash plugin for any content. Websites that currently use Flash or Silverlight for video or games should plan on adopting HTML technologies as soon as possible. Firefox currently supports encrypted video playback using Adobe Primetime and Google Widevine as alternatives to plugin video.

Most of the major players including Google, Apple and Microsoft have all already implemented plans to phase out or completely end support for Adobe's Flash plugin. Largely citing security concerns as the plugin has notoriously been riddled with security vulnerabilities. Over the past several years Flash has been one of the most targeted exploits for hackers.

Firefox’s Unpopular Sponsored Tiles Feature Discontinued

When it comes to free and open source projects developing revenue can be a tricky situation. Developers have to walk the fine line between what actually works best and generates the most revenue and what the community that supports them actually approves of. So it came as no surprise when Mozilla first announced the Tile Ads (or sponsored tiles) ad program it was met with a lot of  opposition from Firefox users, supporters and developers.

The feature, which basically injected ads inside blank tiles in Firefox's New Tab page, may have been opt-in only. However, users felt that the ads where overly intrusive since they are based on user habits, involving a fair amount of user tracking. And no matter how much or how well Mozilla tries to reassure users that the tracking and system are safe and private, users didn't buy and thought the whole thing was too much intrusion.

After shortly over 6mos of being released to the public, Mozilla has said the feature is being retired. Writing on the official Mozilla blog, vice president Darren Herman explains that while they believe that advertising in Firefox could be a great business, it isn’t the right business model for them at this time. He continues on stating that, "Our learnings show that users want content that is relevant, exciting and engaging. We want to deliver that type of content experience to our users, and we know that it will take focus and effort to do that right. We have therefore made the decision to stop advertising in Firefox through the Tiles experiment in order to focus on content discovery."

Sponsored tiles will continue to appear for the next few months while Mozilla "fulfills its commitments" (i.e. clears out ad inventory), but then they'll be gone entirely.

While it appears that we will soon see an end to some advertising in one of our all time favorite browsers, it does not completely mark the end for possible changes and ad inclusions down the road. According to Herman's blog post: "Mozilla will continue to explore ways to bring a better balance to the advertising ecosystem for everyone’s benefit, and to build successful products that respect user privacy and deliver experiences based upon transparency, choice and control."

Amidst User Feedback Mozilla Dumps New Tab Ad Placement In Firefox

Earlier this year Mozilla revealed a new plan to place advertisements in the Firefox 'New Tab' page until the user has begun browsing. A plan which, we feel, rightfully met with enough negative feedback that it has caused the company to change course and explore options for other features in the Firefox new tab page.

In a blog post, Mozilla's vice president of Firefox Johnathan Nightingale wrote:

A few months ago Darren posted about some experiments we wanted to do with the new tab page. It didn’t go over well. A lot of our community found the language hard to decipher, and worried that we were going to turn Firefox into a mess of logos sold to the highest bidder; without user control, without user benefit.

That’s not going to happen. That’s not who we are at Mozilla.

While it appears as though this plan was foiled by strong user feedback the company hinted that we may still see some new changes. Nightingale added that Mozilla will still be experimenting with other features in the Firefox new tab page in its pre-release channels.

According to the posting the company plans to test a mix of their own sites and other useful sites on the Web as well as potentially adding in a few layout changes. Nightingale suggested that these tests are,"purely to understand what our users find helpful and what our users ignore or disable." Stating that for now at least these tests are not about revenue and none will be collected. He did however leave the door open to future revenue generation through "sponsorship" which may come down the road.

Mozilla Offering Free Firefox OS Phone Workshops To Developers

App developers looking to expand their reach to the newly announced Firefox OS have a have chance to attend a recently announced workshop series designed to help spark interest in app development for the forthcoming Firefox OS. As part of the program Mozilla is offering a chance to get hands-on access to Firefox OS devs, as well as Firefox OS Developer Preview hardware.

Workshops will be taking place in Madrid, Spain on April 20th, Bogota, Columbia on May 18th and Warsaw, Poland on June 1st. All applicants must go through an application process, in which interested developers must demo their skills to gain access to Firefox OS Developer Preview hardware.

Mozilla states that space is limited to these workshops, although an official number of how many developers will be let in has been provided. This move could bode well for Firefox, and possibly give the Firefox OS a chance against Android and iOS when it hits the U.S. in 2014.

What The Workshops Will Offer

• A great place to hack.
• Hands-on help from Firefox OS developers.
• Food, drink and demos. And t-shirts, of course.
• More code, less talk.
• Firefox OS Developer Preview phones, really!

How to Prepare

There’s more than one way to start building Firefox apps. Here are a few resources to get you started:

• Firefox OS Quick Start
• Getting started with Open Web Apps – why and how
• Using WebAPIs to make the web layer more capable
• Introducing Web Activities
• What is a FirefoxOS App anyways? (video introduction)
• Learn about the latest Firefox OS Simulator
• Read the docs: Creating Apps for Firefox OS

For those interested fill out the Firefox OS Workshop application form.

Firefox Phone Quickly Becoming A Reality

Back in July of last year Mozilla announced plans to develop the Firefox OS, promising we'd see the new operating system on a few smartphones in the coming months. That promise has come one step closer to realty as the company has announced the Firefox OS developer phone.

These developer preview phones are being developed by Geeksphone in partnership with Telefonic. The first phone, dubbed Keon, according to creator Geekphone's website, features a 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen, 1GHz Snapdragon S1 CPU, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, WiFi, and a 3-megapixel camera. It will be continually updated with OTA OS updates, and will be carrier-unlocked, so devs can tinker to their heart's content.

The second more powerful phone will be dubbed Peak. It's got a 4.3-inch qHD screen, 8-megapixel back-facing camera (with flash) and 2-megapixel shooter round the front. A 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 CPU and larger 1800mAh battery. Storage, RAM and connectivity specs are the same as the smaller Keon.

Looking to build a bit of a following for the new platform Mozilla has put together Firefox OS App Days, a worldwide set of 20+ hack days happening this week. At each App Day event, you’ll have the opportunity to learn, hack, share and celebrate Firefox OS, Mozilla’s open source operating system for the mobile web. Technologists and developers from the Mozilla community will present tools and technology built to extend and support the Web platform, including mobile Web APIs to access device hardware features such as the accelerometer.

Firefox OS App Days launch on 19 January and continue through 2 February, with the majority of the events taking place on 26 January. This wiki page has a master list of all the events and their registration forms, from Sao Paulo to Warsaw to Nairobi to Wellington — and many more.


There has been no word on pricing or availability of either device, however more information can be obtained through the Mozilla Hacks Blog or GeeksPhone (we love that name)

Adobe Releases Fix For Flash Player For Firefox

Earlier this month Adobe issues an update the the Flash player plug-in for Mozilla's Firefox browser. The update, Flash Player 11.3, causes several problems most notably none stop crashes with the Flash player. Adobe has now found a fix for the crashes and has issued an update to Flash Player 11.3.300.262.

As previously reported the initial suspicions pointed to a new sanboxing feature in Flash Player 11.3, but yesterday Adobe claimed that there were "different causes" for the crashes, which seemed to be concentrated on Windows Vista and Windows 7 machines. At this time Adobe hasn't made it clear what these different causes are. Tn a recent blog post they simply state "We continue to work closely with Mozilla to further improve pre-release testing to more reliably catch issues like these."

Flash Player 11.3.300.262 can be downloaded from Adobe's website. Firefox users can also wait for Flash's silent updater to automatically download and install the new plug-in. this is of course if you didn't turn off automatic updates.

I've been running the new update for a few days and have yet to see any crashes or any other issues. So users should be good to go.

Confirmed: Newest Flash Update Crashes In Firefox

If like me, you’ve been having trouble with Flash in Firefox, you’re not alone. Mozilla has confirmed that the latest update to Flash is causing problems with some Firefox users. Mozilla is telling users that the company is working with Adobe to fix the problem but as of yet there is no solid solution.

Some Firefox users on Windows Vista and Windows 7 are experiencing problems when viewing videos in Adobe Flash Player 11.3, released on June 8, 2012. Firefox and/or Flash Player may crash or not load videos using Flash Player, or videos may not display correctly. Adobe and Mozilla are working closely to diagnose and address these issues. In the meantime, Firefox users experiencing problems viewing videos in Flash Player should try the workarounds listed in this help article. We will post an update on this blog once that happens.

Last week Adobe released Flash Player 11.3, with support for secure sandboxing in Firefox. That is where all the problems started. At this time it's uncertain as to what the exact issue is but it appears to be related to the sandboxing feature. If you aren't aware of what sandboxing is its a built in security feature that is meant to mitigate attacks and keep damage limited so it won’t spill over into the rest of the browser or even the operating system.

For now Mozilla’s suggestion is to “uninstall Flash 11.3 and downgrade to Flash 11.2.”

Some readers might note that Mozilla is saying this is related to video. Personally I've had nothing but issues with just about any type of flash. For now I temporarily disabled Flash and plan on trying to re-install the older version to see if that helps.

How to Uninstall Flash 11.3

To uninstall Flash 11.3 on Windows, you will need to use the uninstaller provided by Adobe.

1. Download the uninstaller program from Adobe - uninstall_flash_player.exe (671 KB)
2. At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button (File menu in Windows XP) and then click Exit.
3. Run the uninstall Flash program that you download and follow the prompts.
4. When you are finished, start Firefox again and continue with the next section - Install Flash 11.2

See the Adobe help article Uninstalling Flash Player on Windows for more details.

Install Flash 11.2

1. Download the archive of older versions of Flash from the Adobe site - Flash 11.2 (170MB)
2. At the top of the Firefox window, click on the Firefox button (File menu in Windows XP) and then click Exit.
3. Open your downloads folder and look for the file named fp_11.2.202.233_archive.zip
4. Double-click the fp_11.2.202.233_archive.zip file and browse though the folders. You will have to look for the Flash 11.2 installer. It is named flashplayer11_2r202_233_win_32bit.exe (If you are using the 64-bit version of Firefox, look for the installer named flashplayer11_2r202_233_win_64bit.exe)
5. Drag the installer to your desktop, then double-click it to start the installation.
   

   




6. The last step of the Flash install program asks you to choose your update method. You should choose Notify me when updates are available to prevent Flash 11.3 from being re-installed automatically.
   

   

If all goes well you should see far fewer crashes when using Flash, or on Flash heavy website.

Australian Tech Retailer Taxes Internet Explorer 7 Users

Any webmaster out there knows that developing websites with cross browser support can at times be messy. A site that looks and performs great on one browser might not performs so well on another. Well one internet guru is taking matters into his own hands by implementing what he believes to be “the world’s first ‘Internet Explorer 7 Tax.’”

Ruslan Kogan may not be a known entity in the U.S. (yes I had to look it up when I first read this story), is well know in the land down under. The Australian entrepreneur is a pioneer of online retail and happens to be the country’s wealthiest self-made person under the age of 30. Kogan founded Kogan.com, a manufacturer and direct retailer of consumer electronics that’s projected to hit over $100 million in sales this year. But, more importantly, the guy seems to hate the fact that his developers have to spend added time, and money developing his sites that already run seamlessly on Firefox, Chrome and Opera by building a friendly version of the site for Internet Explorer 7 users.

He hates it so much that he is willing to wage war against IE7 and charge his customers a 6.8% tax on any item purchased on his site.

In a posting on his official blog Kogan explains his reasoning

Today at Kogan we've implemented the world's first "Internet Explorer 7 Tax". The new 6.8% tax comes into effect today on all products purchased from Kogan.com by anyone still insistent on using the antique browser.

The way we've been able to keep our prices so low is by using technology to make our business efficient and streamlined. One of the things stopping that is our web team having to spend a lot of time making our new website look normal on IE7. This is an extremely old browser, so from today, anyone buying from the site who uses IE7 will be lumped with a 6.8% surcharge - that's 0.1% for each month IE7 has been on the market:

As Internet citizens, we all have a responsibility to make the Internet a better place. By taking these measures, we are doing our bit. This will help us increase our efficiency, help keep prices for all smart shoppers down, and hopefully help eradicate the world of the pain in the rear that is IE7!

So, what are you waiting for? Time to upgrade your browser!

Now we may all laugh at this at first, but think about it. If it takes me an extra hour or two to develop a site for an older browser. That is cost out of my pocket. So why not pass some of the expense on. By means of telling you you need to upgrade, Kogan is actually doing you a favor. Once, by added security, and again by saving you the cost he is imposing.

Now obviously this is a bit of a PR stunt. Those Aussie's are well known for pulling off lavish stunts like this just to garner a bit of fame around the world. But it does have some merit. I'd just like to seem him take it a step further and add in a warning for users of any dated browser not just IE7. I mean IE7 isn't really that old, or that bad. It has been a bit of a P.I.T.A. to code for but at least its not IE6 or early editions of some of the other browsers with loads of security holes.

Firefox And Chrome To Get Windows Metro Style Apps

By the time Windows 8 arrives later this year most of your favorite browsers will be ready with a Metro style version built specifically around the new operating and its new user interface.

Earlier this week Mozilla confirmed that developers have stared development on the Firefox for Metro project with plans to unveil a concept version of it next quarter, and push out alpha and beta versions in the second half of 2012. Following suite Google is also reportedly working on a version of Chrome that runs on the Metro UI of Windows 8.

An unnamed Google representative discussed the company's plans with Mashable. The official said Chrome for Windows 8 will be based off the existing desktop browser, as opposed to the Android version of Chrome. Google will improve touch support on the desktop side, but will also build a Metro version for the tablet-friendly side of Windows 8.

Windows 8 is currently in a prerelease Consumer Preview state with no know official release date. Neither Mozila or Google have set official release dates for either browser and there is currently little information available on potential features the software may carry.

Firefox, Chrome And IE9 All Fall At Pwn2Own 2012

This year's Pwn2Own hacking contest saw almost all of your favorite browsers falling to "zero-day" exploits with only Apple's Safari standing untested at the end of the day.

HP TippingPoint's Zero Day Initiative (ZDI), Pwn2Own's sponsor, as well as Google who sponsored their first-ever hacking event called "Pwnium," have confirmed that Chrome, Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) and Firefox have all fallen to zero-day attacks exploiting a previously unknown vulnerability in the most up-to-date versions of each browser. In each case the security teams were able to bypass the browsers security to take complete control of the target machine and run malicious code.

ZDI has confirmed that for the first year Safari was the only browser not attacked.

This marks a significant change for Google. As to date, there are no known reports of a zero-day attack ever hitting Chrome in the wild, and at the previous three years' contests, Chrome was the only browser to escape unscathed. With Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari all being brought down by exploits.

Final results from Pwn2Own 2012: 1 Chrome and 1 Internet Explorer 0day from @VUPEN and 1 Firefox 0day from @_snagg and @_dvorak_. @VUPEN took 1st place netting $60k while @_snagg, and @_dvorak_ too 2nd places netting $30k.

Google also paid out $60k to Sergey Glazunov, a regular Chrome bug hunter, who during the first day of the contest, demonstrated an exploit that completely bypassed Chrome's sandbox. This exploit was later fixed and detailed by Google's Chrome team in a security update.

Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader Gains Firefox Support

Kindle books users now have the added option of reading their Kindle books live from within Firefox as Amazon added the popular browser to the support list which already included Apple's Safari on iPad, or Mac desktops and Google's Chrome.

Kindle Cloud Reader is the latest Kindle reading application and leverages HTML5. With Kindle Cloud Reader, customers can read Kindle books instantly using only their web browser - online or offline - with no downloading or installation required. As with all Kindle apps, Kindle Cloud Reader automatically synchronizes your Kindle library, as well as your last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights for all of your Kindle books, no matter how you choose to read them. To make it easy and seamless to discover new books, Kindle Cloud Reader includes an integrated, touch optimized store, allowing customers one click access to a vast selection of books.


Amazon.com customers can start reading their Kindle books immediately using Kindle Cloud Reader at http://read.amazon.com. 

Firefox With Bing Debuts

The folks over at Mozilla have released a new customized version of Firefox that, instead of being Google-centric, focuses use on Microsoft's Bing search engine.

Dubbed "Firefox with Bing," the new custom release uses a Firefox 7.01 foundation and features Bing as the default search engine in both the search box and in the browser's "Awesome Bar." Firefox with Bing also sets Bing.com as the browser's home page.

It is unclear whether the move to Bing is a step away from Google or if it is simply a move to offer users more options. Mozilla's lucrative contract with Google comes up for renewal in a few weeks and this move might be one to replace those contracts. Google has been working hard to develop their own strong following with Chrome which according to StatCounter data suggests that, on a global basis at least, has been out Firefox with a market share of 26.22% versus 26.16%. Chrome has showed continued growth through the year while Firefox has slipped.

Bing trails far behind Google in terms of overall search numbers. comScore reports Bing's U.S. search share was 14.7%, behind both Google, with 64.8%, and Yahoo, which held a 15.5% share in September.

Mozilla Very Quietly Releases Firefox 5.0

You might not have noticed but earlier today Mozilla released the newest version of Firefox for you to update to. Following up on their recent promises to push out rapid releases of Firefox faster than ever the company has officially released Firefox 5.0. To some surprise the company made none of the normal announcements, nor do you have any annoying pop-ups trying to tell you to install the update.

So whats new?

Good question, overall you won't see much in terms of UI changes. Its really whats under the hood that matters most. Here are the release notes that will give users all the info they might want or need.

Firefox 5.0 has the following changes:

• Added support for CSS animations
• The Do-Not-Track header preference has been moved to increase discoverability
• Tuned HTTP idle connection logic for increased performance
• Improved canvas, JavaScript, memory, and networking performance
• Improved standards support for HTML5, XHR, MathML, SMIL, and canvas
• Improved spell checking for some locales
• Improved desktop environment integration for Linux users
• WebGL content can no longer load cross-domain textures
• Background tabs have setTimeout and setInterval clamped to 1000ms to improve performance
• Fixed several stability issues
• Fixed several security issues

For more information you can view the complete list of changes and if you are interested in downloading it you can get the latest released version of Firefox here or from your toolbar click help>about Firefox and it will download automatically.

You should not that even though this is a minor update some of your add-ons might not support the new version. Its not that they won't work but the authors need to update support for the new release. So you might want to hold off for a day or two, or check with the add-ons site to see yours has been updated.

Mozilla Wants To Force Out Firefox 3.5

Firefox 4 has been out for sometime now and Mozilla wants users of their older browsers to migrate to the newest versions of the application. So much so that they have created plans to aggressively push the update out to Pre-Firefox 4 users.

We need a plan to obsolete Firefox 3.5 as we can't support it into perpetuity. We have been frustrated with our efforts to move users off of old releases and are worried too many people do not upgrade and are on vulnerable and unsupported versions of Firefox.

Mozilla believes there are currently more than 12 million people still running an outdated version of Firefox 3.5 which they are planning to end support for. Mozilla is now shifting to an 18-week release cycle, which means we'll see several updated versions of Firefox this year and they hope to get users updated as quickly as possible to their developers can concentrate on the newer releases.

So Mozilla is hoping through a continual nagging of messages at the bottom of the customized Google start/home page, continual messages from the automatic update channel and posts like this users will opt-in to the update. If not they have said they may "make the decision for users by automatically upgrading them versus leaving them vulnerable and unsupported."

According to the plans Mozilla would like to achieve 100% adoption of Firefox 4 and eventually Firefox 5 and beyond. However they would currently settle for anything above Firefox 3.6.x.

Mozilla believes pushing users to update from 3.5 to 3.6.x is ideal as there aren't any major variations between the two versions. Users will see little in UI changes and they note that more than 95 per cent of add-ons are compatible. Once users are updated to 3.6.x they can expect to be prompted to update to Firefox 4 and eventually to Firefox 5.

Firefox 5 is currently in Mozilla's Aurora channel, but is expected to move to beta soon. Aurora is a recently created channel that now comes between nightly builds and beta in order to "deliver features to users at various levels of quality and polish," Mozilla said last month. Firefox 5 is scheduled for a final release on June 21. Firefox 6 is currently in the nightly channel and is scheduled to move to Aurora on May 24.

My opinion

I understand Mozilla wanting to keep users updated and I totally understand the pains involved in supporting older versions. For me I just don't like the idea of being pushed to upgrade. I didn't care for the UI changes made in Firefox 4 and have yet to see Firefox 5. I have upgrade but only because I change my UI back to something that more resembles Firefox 3. Going from 3.5-3.6 really isn't that big a leap so users shouldn't have any regrets making the change but its still the 'forced change' I'm not big on.

I mean are we really going to see companies forcing us to change to new software every 1-2 years? I mean if it was several years off and if they gave me a UI I liked that would be one thing. I just can't think of any company that ends support that quickly?

Geolocater Add-On For Firefox Great For Facebook Pranks

In celebration of April Fools Day I give you the Geolocater Firefox Add-On, perfect for editing your default geolocation for check-ins to places like Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter or Gowalla thus allowing you to trick your friends into believing you are someplace you are not. Whats best is you don't have to know the latitude and longitude, simply use the search feature to find a point of reference you want and Geolocater will give you a handy little map to select your location. You can also pin-point specific addresses for specific sites and you can setup and save several locations.

For reference I wanted to check-in at Google's Mt. View headquarters. The address is 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway Mountain View, CA 94043. I select create new geolocation and then I have two options. Either I can use the search bar or I can switch to select geolocation. Since I know my address and the exact spot I want it might be easier to select the location manually. I input my exact information and as you can see from the image below I get a complete map of the area. This will now be my pinpoint location when checking in from Firefox.

Now I can go over to http://touch.facebook.com/ and check-in from Google's headquarters even if I'm half a world away.

I've been messing around with my friends and family all day. I've checked-in from Vegas, Hawaii and Mexico and from several different sites from each.

Firefox Dethrones Internet Explorer, In Europe Anyways

According to data compiled by web analytics company StatCounter, Firefox bumped Internet Explorer (IE) as the dominant browser in Europe at the end of 2010. According to the numbers compiled by StatCounter's research arm StatCounter Global Stats during December 38.11% of internet page views involved Mozilla's Firefox web browser, while Internet Explorer fell back to second place with 37.52%. Google Chrome made a strong showing coming in third place at 14.58%.

"This is the first time that IE has been dethroned from the number one spot in a major territory," commented Aodhan Cullen, CEO, StatCounter. "This appears to be happening because Google's Chrome is stealing share from Internet Explorer while Firefox is mainly maintaining its existing share."

Google Chrome is gaining market share in Europe which shows with their strong third place ranking. The 14.58% share Google Chrome holds is nearly triple that of 2009 which in comparison was 5.06% in December last year. "We are probably seeing the impact of the agreement between European Commission competition authorities and Microsoft, to offer EU users a choice and menu of browsers from March last," added Aodhan Cullen.

The news comes on the heels of reports that IE lost 1.4 percentage points of overall usage share in December which accounts for one of the largest one-month decline in more than two years. Chrome was again the prime beneficiary of IE's slide, as Google's browser reached the 10% milestone worldwide for the first time ever. According to Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based Net Applications, IE's total share fell to 57.1%, another record low for the Microsoft-made browser. IE has lost 5.6 percentage points in the last 12 months, and 10.7 points since IE8 was introduced in March 2009.

Facebook's New Font Size To Small? I've Got A Quick Fix

Facebook users out there might have noticed that Facebook has recently adjusted their page settings using not only a smaller font but what also appears to be smaller images. At first I thought it was just me until I saw a slew of complaints over on Twitter. Well no fear there is a quick easy remedy for anyone out there that is having issues.

For those of you with a scroll mouse the quickest easiest way is to hold down the control (CTRL) key and scroll the wheel up or down. This will adjust the entire page zoom so be prepared your images and everything will get bigger.

For you Firefox users out there look at your command tool bar select View (or alt V) then Zoom. Again this zooms the entire page in or out so your fonts and images will get bigger or smaller. If you just want to change font sizes select zoom just text.

IE users need to select Page from the command tool bar. There you'll see the zoom options or text options and similar to FF you can adjust just the text or the whole page.

Tip: You may want to adjust the font size only otherwise your pictures will look a little fuzzy.

All browsers including Google Chrome and Opera should have similar settings that allow a quick page zoom. Alternatively you can adjust your browser settings to set custom fonts and size, however the above described options are the easiest route for most users. They also allow you to change your zoom back and forth if another page is too large.

Fake Firefox Update Page Pushes Fake Flash Update

F-Secure has posted details of a fake Firefox "Just Updated" page which pushes users to install a phony update to Firefox and Flash that actually contains malware. In their recent post Rogue AV Masquerades as a Firefox/Flash Update F-Secure provides details of how the page works.

For starters lets explain what the page is, You know that page that instantaneously appears right after you install that recent update to your Firefox browser? And you open Firefox for the first time? Well this page looks almost identical to one of those.

 

Image courtesy F-Secure

Once a user is on the page there is a message box that suggests you not only update to the "latest and greatest version" of Firefox but also a message warning you that your Flash player is outdated and needs to be updated. Without clicking anything a download dialog box appears offering a fake file titled "ff-update.exe". Unsuspecting users that save and run the fill will find themselves infected with a rogue antivirus product named "SecurityTool" which starts finding threats which aren't there and demanding payment in order to remove them.

The files the "SecurityTool" software detects are an old virus, Virus.DOS.Glew.4245 and several trojans, worms and other vulnerabilities. Of course these aren't actually present, unless that is the software adds them. The name and URL of the site are obscured to we have no way of knowing how well the spoof was done but F-Secure says their software already detects this particular threat and has blocked the web site from which it spreads.

Mozilla Now Offering $3K For Firefox Bugs

The Mozilla Foundation has announced it will now reward users who discover and report critical security vulnerabilities in its software $3,000 for each vulnerability found.

The Mozilla Security Bug Bounty Program originally launched back in 2004. When it was first announced the programs reward for bugs was limited to just $500. Today several other companies, including Google have launched similar programs offering up more and more money for users that can find critical holes in their web browsers.

Eligible security vulnerabilities must be remotely exploitable (over the web or a local network) and not previously have been publicly documented.

Reward Guidelines

The bounty will be awarded for sg:critical and sg:high severity security bugs that meet the following criteria:

• Security bug must be original and previously unreported.
• Security bug must be a remote exploit.
• Security bug is present in the most recent supported, beta or release candidate version of Firefox, Thunderbird, Firefox Mobile, or in Mozilla services which could compromise users of those products, as released by Mozilla Corporation or Mozilla Messaging.
• Security bugs in or caused by additional 3rd-party software (e.g. plugins, extensions) are excluded from the Bug Bounty program.
• Submitter must not be the author of the buggy code nor otherwise involved in its contribution to the Mozilla project (such as by providing check-in reviews).
• Employees of the Mozilla Foundation and its subsidiaries are ineligible.

Mozilla also ask that users finding the security bug as part of your job (in other words, while being paid to work on Mozilla code) they then would appreciate your not applying for the bounty. Funds for the project are limited and they would like this program to focus on people who are not otherwise paid to work on the Mozilla project.

Mozilla reserves the right to not give a bounty payment if we believe the actions of the reporter have endangered the security of Mozilla's end users. If two or more people report the bug together the $3000 reward will be divided among them.

Mozilla Begins Disabling Unsafe Older Versions of Java Deployment Toolkit

That annoying pop-up you keep seeing asking you to disable the older versions of the Java Deployment Toolkit plug-in in your Firefox web browser are not spyware, malware or some fancy virus. According to security expert Brian Krebs its actually an attempt by Mozilla to "block attacks against a newly-discovered Java security hole that attackers have been exploiting of late to install malicious code."

In a post on his blog, Krebs, details the issue:

By default, installing Java automatically installs the Java Deployment Toolkit plug-in into Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's browsers. While Oracle Corp. has pushed out an update to its Java software to fix a dangerous security flaw in the program the update does not remove the older un-secure versions of the plug-in. Even uninstalling Java itself can actually leave the plug-in behind.

It has been advised that you go ahead and disable any older versions of the Jave Deployment Toolkit either through the pop-up or by manually going to Tools, Add-ons, click the Plugins and selecting the Toolkit, then hit the “Disable” button.

Here's a full list of Add-ons/Plug-ins Mozilla has blocklisted and the reasons why.