Mozilla has been expanding its social network. The company has just announced a special release of Firefox with Bing search. This means that users can opt to make Bing their default search engine. Part of a revenue-sharing agreement with Microsoft, the new build is available for download from a Microsoft-hosted site. READ MORE
The press and public reaction to many high profile hacks–think Sony, or the Pentagon–is that the breaches are embarrassments at best or setbacks at worst. But hacks can have grievous real-world consequences for companies, as Dutch certificate authority DigiNotar proved this week when it filed for bankruptcy after finding itself unable to recover from the consequences of a massive hack it suffered this summer. READ MORE
Stroome is hoping to put an end to the lonely task of video editing by making it collaborative and social. The web-based video editing start-up lets friends and colleagues upload video clips then work together to create their visual works of art. READ MORE
In a bid to make its browser relevant in the mobile era, Mozilla is focusing on developing Firefox for Android and tablets. And with good reason, says CNet’s Stephen Shankland: Although Firefox enjoys the number-two spot in browser rankings, it is falling short when it comes to the mobile space. READ MORE
Although it’s hardly a prelude to War of the Roses, Google’s recent decision to remove support for the Firefox toolbar is likely to have some critical consequences. Google’s break-up announcement, which came in a blog post “Written by Brittney,” says Google Toolbar for Firefox will be supported only up to Firefox 4. READ MORE
How would you like your apps to anticipate your needs? Who wouldn’t, right? Mozilla Labs has launched what looks to be two promising new features. Currently developer focused, Web Activities lets web applications talk to each other; and an as-yet-unnamed feature simplifies app discovery and download. READ MORE
You’re probably at least vaguely aware of the onrushing doom predicted when the Internet runs out of available IPv4 device addresses. That day is coming soon, as the last batch of such addresses was handed out in February, exhausting a supply of 4.3 billion. What this means in the real world is that it’s getting harder for individual devices to have their own identity on the Internet, which could make it difficult to do things from make Skype calls to share files online. READ MORE
Google has thrown down the gauntlet to competing web benchmark tools made by Apple and Mozilla, says MG Siegler over at TechCrunch. Taking aim at Apple’s SunSpider and Mozilla’s Kraken JavaScript Benchmark, the Chrome-maker didn’t just challenge its rivals in claims of speed, it went one better by modding SunSpider and hosting a new version of Kraken, so they both can better measure Chrome’s (obviously superior, they’re asserting) speed. READ MORE
Whenever you surf the Web, websites use small bits of code called “cookies” to track your activity. Depending on your point of view, this practice is either an invasion of privacy or a beneficial practice that helps keep online content free, and makes browsing in general more interesting because you may see an ad for something you actually want. Newly proposed Do Not Track legislation is intended to make Internet surfing more private. READ MORE
The MIT Media Lab, arguably the nation’s most prestigious technology incubator, will be run by Joichi “Joi” Ito, the well-known Japanese-born entrepreneur and investor. Among other credentials, Ito in the 1990s founded Japan’s first Internet service provider as well as the country’s first search engine. He later co-founded Creative Commons, a group focused on the democratization of intellectual property around the world, and served on the board of Mozilla, the foundation that nurtured Firefox, the open-source web browser.A seasoned investor, Ito has helped to finance such élite tech companies as Twitter, Flickr, Kickstarter, Six Apart, and Last.fm. READ MORE
