fox

Rapid-release takes hold in Firefox 6

The bottom line: Firefox 6 is a worthy expression of Mozilla's ideals. The browser is competitively fast, sports a new minimalist look, and includes some excellently executed features. Unfortunately, that describes most of Firefox's competition, too.

Review: The second version of Firefox to come under the new rapid-release aegis, Firefox 6 follows in the footsteps of Google Chrome, which adopted the rapid-release cycle a while ago and is now up to version 13 (at the time this review was written) despite having its first release only in 2008.

Firefox 4 had a massive impact on Firefox 5 and … Read more

Late for a meeting? Bike-mounted speakerphone lets you dial in from road

Bluetooth speakers are ideal accessories for outdoor activities where music is a must, but only the Soundmatters FoxLv2 wireless speaker features custom vehicle and bicycle mounts designed by ProClip.

The in-vehicle mount attaches easily to any vehicle model by clipping into the seams of the dashboard. The speaker can rotate freely in the mount to achieve the best angle for listening, and ProClip claims the average installation time is approximately 2 minutes no matter what kind of car you're driving. We imagine this bracket would come in handy for someone who already has a SoundMatters FoxL player and wants … Read more

The rising cost of video on the Web (week in review)

Things are changing fast in the Web video space, with Netflix and Fox raising the ire of frequent users.

Netflix said that while it "hates" upsetting customers by raising prices as much as 60 percent, the customer backlash to the rate hike announced last week would likely stifle growth and hurt earnings in the short term. But in the long run, Netflix expects the price hike to yield some important benefits and may help the company hit a key benchmark: generating $1 billion in revenue during a single quarter.

No doubt, many Netflix subscribers won't be impressed … Read more

A defense of charging more for Web TV (Q&A)

Apparently we were just kidding ourselves and the Internet really isn't going to send us to some digital TV Shangri-La, where all the content is free of charge, available at our fingertips, and stripped of commercial breaks.

All the signs coming out of Web TV over the past year or more tell us that the TV networks are done with their experiment with ad-supported online distribution and super low-cost content. The returns that these companies were collecting from Hulu just weren't attractive enough for them to brush off cable companies and other distribution partners.

Fox announced yesterday that … Read more

Windows Phone Mango RTM

Fox delays streaming TV shows on the Web, Mad Men hits Netflix streaming, and Microsoft releases the first major update to Windows Phone codenamed Mango.

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

Microsoft releases Windows Phone Mango Facebook for Businesses Fox limits web access to shows Mad Men comes to Netflix Google updating Chrome for Lion multitouch Xoom owners get 4G in Sept. Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3) |  iTunes (320x180) |  iTunes (HD) |  RSS (MP3) |  RSS (320x180) |  RSS HD

Fox Network to limit Web access to its shows

Fox Network announced late today that it will begin delaying Web access to many of its popular TV shows to give cable and satellite TV providers greater exclusivity with programming, essentially putting up a de facto pay wall around its content.

Beginning August 15, only those people who subscribe to a participating video distributor will be able to view TV shows on an Internet portal the day after shows air on the network, the company said in a press release. All other viewers who are used to seeing episodes of "The Simpsons," "Bones," and "Glee&… Read more

'X-Men: First Class' the first downloadable flick for Android

Mutants are coming to your Android phone. Twentieth Century Fox Film has announced that it's bringing movie downloads to Google's mobile platform, allowing legal viewing of flicks like "X-Men: First Class" on Android devices.

It won't be quite as simple as movies magically arriving on your phone through the air via Wi-Fi or 3G, however. First, you'll have to buy a Blu-Ray copy of "X-Men:First Class"--the first movie being offered for Android--then you can download a digital Android-compatible copy to a laptop or desktop and side-load it onto your device. You didn't really think a Hollywood studio was going to make this easy, did you?

Snark aside, the move represents another step toward an Android-based service to compete with Apple's media download dominance. Earlier this year, movie rentals were added to the Android market and Netflix also began offering an app for its streaming service on an increasing number of Android devices.

Apple had previously been the de facto platform for studios willing to make films available for streaming or download, owing to the established track record of the iTunes store and an edge over Google in certain technologies, such as copy protection. Then last year Google bought digital rights management firm Widevine. The acquisition opened a door to Hollywood that had previously been closed thanks to Google's free-for-all approach to content, which can often be taken literally.

Widevine's ties to Netflix and Hollywood studios have surely helped Google get a toe in a door that was previously slammed shut and probably had something to do with the Twentieth Century Fox announcement.

The new download deal won't start until the X-Men flick hits stores this fall. One title is a long way from competing with iTunes, but the combination of Androids and comic book heroes is definitely a show I can't wait to watch.

Via the Financial Times.… Read more

The 404 864: Where there's Lion pie in my eye (podcast)

Wilson's especially giddy today because Apple just released two new MacBook Airs and a pair of new Mac Minis that all feature a data port for high-speed Thunderbolt peripherals. On today's episode, we're also talking about Rupert Murdoch's pie in the face, a social network for Anonymous hackers called AnonPlus, and the proper way to teach your parents how to use modern technology.

The 404 Digest for Episode 864

Apple updates MacBook Air, Mac Mini. Anonymous unleashes social network AnonPlus.

Episode 864 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Study: Facebook at bottom on customer satisfaction

Facebook may be one of the most popular Web sites around, but it doesn't seem to be one of the most loved.

The social network scored dead last in a new study out today that tracked customer satisfaction among a variety of Web sites and companies. Produced in partnership with analytics firm ForeSee Results, the 2011 American Customer Satisfaction Index E-Business Report analyzed how users feel about news sites, search engines, and social networks.

Although Facebook's reputation actually grew 3 percent from last year to reach 66 out of 100, the site was at the bottom of the … Read more