Mozilla, the global community dedicated to building free, open source products and technologies, has released Firefox 3, a major update to its popular and acclaimed free, open source Web browser. Firefox 3 is the culmination of three years of efforts from thousands of developers, security experts, localization and support communities, and testers from around the globe.

Available in approximately 50 languages, Firefox 3 is up to three times faster than its Firefox 2 predecessor and offers more than 15,000 improvements, including the new smart location bar (dubbed the “awesome bar”), malware protection, and extensive under the hood work to improve the speed and performance of the browser.

New and improved features:

• Password Manager - Remember site passwords without ever seeing a pop-up.

• One-Click Bookmarking - Bookmark, search and organize Web sites quickly and easily.

• Improved Performance - View Web pages faster, using less of your computer’s memory.

• Smart Location Bar - Find the sites you love in seconds—enter a term for instant matches that make sense.

• Instant Web Site ID - Avoid online scams, unsafe transactions and forgeries with simple site identity.

• Full Zoom - See any part of a Web page, up close and readable, in seconds.

• Platform-Native Look & Feel - Browse with a Firefox that’s integrated into your computer’s operating system.

Firefox 3 was downloaded 8.3 million times during the first 24 hours, beating Mozilla’s expected goal of 5 million downloads and setting a new world record.

Firefox 3 is available for computers using Windows, Linux, and Macintosh operating systems, can be downloaded for free here.

Google and Yahoo have officially confirmed that they had reached a non-exclusive agreement that will allow Yahoo to use Google’s search and contextual advertising technology through its AdSense for Search and AdSense for Content advertising programs. Under the agreement, Yahoo! will have the option to display Google ads alongside its own natural search results in the U.S. and Canada.

In addition, Yahoo! will be able to serve contextually targeted ads on its U.S. and Canadian web properties as well as on its current publisher partner sites. Yahoo will still operate its own search engine, web properties and advertising services.

Official press releases from both companies can be found here (Google) and here (Yahoo).

What the deal means:

• Consumers will see more relevant ads when they are looking for information and browsing the web. And with interoperability between IM services, users will have easier access to even more of their contacts.

• Publishers currently in the Yahoo! Publisher Network will benefit from Google’s advertising technology, potentially increasing the revenue they earn from their sites.

• Advertisers will have new ways to reach their target customers online more efficiently.

A year after Apple launched its iPhone in an attempt to take advantage of the very profitable cell phone industry, the company has unveiled an improved and cheaper version of the successful device.

iPhone 3G, as it will be called, will be able to work over the faster 3G-based wireless networks, allowing a quicker downloading of websites, especially those that are rich in graphic images. It will be twice as fast as its predecessor, which runs EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technology to connect to the Internet.

The new generation iPhone was introduced by Apple CEO Steve Jobs during Apple’s yearly Worldwide Developers Conference keynote. iPhone 3G will sell for $199 (8GB model) and for $299 (16GB model). The price is $200 cheaper than the previous 8GB and 16GB iPhone models ($399 and $499 respectively).

Another major improvement to the new iPhone 3G is the addition of GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which will provide users to do real-time mapping capabilities, informing them of their exact location via satellite.

The new iPhone 3G will run an updated software version, iPhone 2.0, that will add significant functionality to the phone. Users will now be able to search for contacts by simply typing the name they are looking for. The software will also include a full iWork document support that let users view pages, numbers as well as Microsoft Office applications (Word, PowerPoint and Excel). Turning the iPhone into landscape mode will convert the Calculator into a scientific Calculator.

Complete list of iPhone 3G Applications:

The Mail application will now offer bulk delete and move capabilities. Mail users will also be able to save images from e-mails into their Photo Library.

iPhone 2.0 supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, delivering push email, calendar, and contacts. And it gives mobile users secure access to corporate resources with Cisco IPSec VPN and wireless network services with WPA2 Enterprise and 802.1X authentication. Support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and industry-standard corporate security standards allows IT professionals to seamlessly integrate iPhone into their corporate environments. [Apple Enterprise]

Updating to iPhone 2.0 software will be free for old iPhone users. iPod touch users will be able to update their software for $9.99.

Apple will start selling iPhone 3G on July 11^th in 22 countries including Canada, Germany, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. By the end of the year Apple expects to be selling the iPhone in 70 countries.

Pure Digital Technologies, a startup based in San Francisco, has introduced Flip Video Mino, an ultra portable camcorder that enables users to easily upload video directly to YouTube, AOL Video and MySpace.

The new Flip Video Mino, is an improved and smaller version of its successful predecessor, the Flip Ultra. The company launched the innovative Flip Ultra in 2006 and is now approaching a 20% market share.

With 2GB of on-board flash memory, Mino allows consumers to capture up to 60 minutes of high-quality video using the camcorder’s intuitive new touch-sensitive buttons to record, play, fast forward, rewind, pause and delete. Users can instantly play back video on the camcorder’s 1.5-inch anti-glare LCD display. Mino uses an internal, rechargeable lithium-ion battery that conveniently recharges

whenever the camcorder’s USB arm is connected to a computer and provides more than four hours of recording time on a single charge.
Using Mino’s built-in software, consumers are able to edit and share videos instantly from a PC or Mac. In addition to quickly posting videos on sharing and social networking sites, they can email videos and video greeting cards; create custom movies with their own music; capture still photos from video; save and organize videos on the computer; and, for the first time, seamlessly order and send DVDs anywhere in the world. [Flip Press]

The device is available in black or white and sells for $179 at major retailers including: Amazon.com, Bestbuy.com, Circuit City, Sears, Walmart.com, and TheFlip.com

Flip Video Mino Features:

• Weight: 3.3 oz.
• Dimensions: 3.94″ x 1.97″ x 0.63″
• Video: Full VGA, 30 frames per second, MPEG4
• 1.5 inch color LCD screen to play back and delete videos
• One-touch recording with 2x digital zoom
• Touch-sensitive buttons for instant recording, playback, fast forward, rewind, pause and delete
• Connect to computer via innovative, flip out USB arm
• 2 GB built-in flash memory
• Built-in rechargeable battery (Lithium Ion), charges on both USB and fast AC charger
• Built-in software compatible with PC or Mac:
  • Instant upload to YouTube, AOL Video and MySpace
  • One-click emailing of videos and video greeting cards
  • Custom editing of movie mixes, with the option to set them to your own music
  • Capture of still photos from video
  • Order DVDs online and have them shipped anywhere in the world
• TV connection for instant viewing on TV
• Tripod mount
• Available accessories: AC power adapter, tripod, action mount, and pouch

In an effort to provide more quality content to the growing community of e-book readers, Amazon has announced publisher Simon & Schuster will make 5,000 more books available for its popular Kindle portable digital book reader.

During the announcement, Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos, stated that the new commitment moves Amazon closer to its vision for Kindle, which is to make any book ever printed, in any language, available in less than 60 seconds.

Although the sales volume of e-books is considerably small compared to traditional books, it still represents the fastest growing category for publishers. Kindle e-books alone currently account for 6% of Amazon’s sales among the 125,000 titles available for download in electronic and print formats.

Amazon’s Kindle was first launched in November 2007 and was quickly sold out during the holiday shopping season. The device is restricted to the American market and currently sells for $359.

Google demonstrated its almost completed operating system for mobile devices, Android, during its recent I/O 2008 conference for developers held in San Francisco.

In addition to a set of core applications including an email client, SMS, calendar, maps, browser and contact listings, Android allows the use of Google Maps Street View and will offer several iPhone-like touch screen capabilities.

Android, which is based on Linux operating system, was announced in November 2007 with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance.

The Open Handset Alliance is a group of more than 30 technology and mobile companies who have come together to accelerate innovation in mobile and offer consumers a richer, less expensive, and better mobile experience. Together we have developed Android™, the first complete, open, and free mobile platform. We are committed to commercially deploy handsets and services using the Android Platform in the second half of 2008. [Open Handset Alliance]

Developers are encouraged to create applications for the platform using the Android SDK (Software Development Kit). Applications are written using the Java programming language and run on Dalvik, a custom virtual machine designed for embedded use which runs on top of a Linux kernel.

Android Features:

• Application framework enabling reuse and replacement of components
• Dalvik virtual machine optimized for mobile devices
• Integrated browser based on the open source WebKit engine
• Optimized graphics powered by a custom 2D graphics library; 3D graphics based on the OpenGL ES 1.0 specification (hardware acceleration optional)
• SQLite for structured data storage
• Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats (MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF)
• GSM Telephony (hardware dependent)
• Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi (hardware dependent)
• Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer (hardware dependent)
• Rich development environment including a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE

Netflix, the largest online movie DVD rental service, has recently introduced a new service that allows its 8.2 million subscribers to instantly watch movies from Netflix’s website, directly on their TV sets.

Using a device developed by startup Roku, Netflix will deliver movies and TV shows straight to the set-top box for no extra charge beyond the regular subscription fee.

The 5-inch-by-5-inch device uses high-speed Internet connection to stream more than 10,000 movies and TV shows from Netflix’s library.

The device does not have a hard drive. Movies play directly from the Internet which requires at least a 1.5Mbps speed connection to be able to view movies and avoid videos from freezing.

The set-top box costs $99.99 and comes with a remote control that allows viewers to rewind and fast-forward streamed videos, read synopses and rate movies. The device has Ethernet and wireless connections as well as several video output formats.

Netflix Roku Box is a simple solution for subscribers who want entertainment delivered directly to their television sets with just few clicks from a remote control.

Netflix will face competition from Amazon, which offers a similar service through TiVo, and Apple’s Apple TV.

In a desperate effort to increase its market share of online searches, Microsoft has announced a service called Live Search cashback, which will offer consumers money back if they buy certain products found through Microsoft’s live.com search engine.

With Live Search cashback, Live Search users can easily find some of the best deals on the Web either at the cashback gallery — where they can compare prices and get ad-funded rebates on more than 10 million products — or by discovering cashback ads in Live Search sponsored listings. Customers sign up for a Live Search cashback account at the time of their first purchase, accrue ad-funded rebates in their account each time they purchase a product in the Live Search cashback program, and receive their rebates in their cashback account directly from Microsoft 60 days after completing purchases. [Microsoft Press]

The move is a clear attempt to attract users away from major competitor Google, getting more traffic to use its search engine and, ultimately, increasing its search advertising revenue. Microsoft, which recently withdrew its bid to acquire Yahoo, has currently a 7% share of searches, far behind the industry leader Google (56%).

Live Search cashback would not only benefit consumers, it would also present interesting opportunities for advertisers. Unlike Google’s pay-per-click (CPC) model, which does not assure searchers complete a transaction, Microsoft’s Live Search cashback promises to pay only if a purchase is made (call-per-action model).

With Live Search cashback, Microsoft helps merchants maximize their advertising investments and drive more sales by providing consumers with an added incentive to buy — a cash rebate. Participating merchants choose to pay Microsoft a CPA fee each time a customer completes a sale through Live Search cashback. The fee is a percentage of the retail price, and when that transaction is complete, Microsoft returns that fee to the consumer in the form of a cash rebate. [Microsoft Press]

The complete Live Search cashback product portfolio includes more than 10 million product offers from more than 700 merchants, including more than 13 of the top 40 U.S. retailers.

The company also announced it has delivered a new Live Search travel destination, Live Search Farecast, making it easy for searchers to find the best travel deals on the Web.

Research In Motion (RIM) has unveiled its newest smartphone, the BlackBerry 9000, called BlackBerry Bold in reference to its gorgeous display and its symbol of accomplishment and aspiration.

For customers seeking a smartphone that makes a bold statement, Research In Motion (RIM) introduced the admirable BlackBerry® Bold™ smartphone. Crafted from premium materials, inside and out, that radiate elegance with a dramatic presence, the BlackBerry Bold is designed to give business professionals and power users unprecedented functionality and performance in an intuitive BlackBerry® smartphone. It is the first BlackBerry smartphone to support tri-band HSDPA high-speed networks around the world and comes with integrated GPS and Wi-Fi®, as well as a rich set of multimedia capabilities. From its lustrous black exterior, satin chrome finished frame and stylish leather-like backplate, to its stunning display, sophisticated user interface and newly designed full-QWERTY* keyboard, the BlackBerry Bold smartphone is a symbol of accomplishment and aspiration. [RIM Press]

BlackBerry Bold Smartphone features:

• Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g) and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity
• 480 x 320 displaywith 65,000 colors
• 624MHz Intel PXA270/Marvell Tavor PXA930 mobile processor
• 128 MB Flash memory plus 1 GB on-board storage memory, as well as a microSD/SDHC memory card slot
• Runs BlackBerry OS 4.6
• Applications include phone, email, messaging, organizer and browser and GPS
• DataViz® Documents to Go® suite preloaded to download Word, Excel or PowerPoint files and edit them directly on the handset.
• MP3, WMA, AAC, DivX4 and WMV3 codec support
• 2MP camera with flash
• 4.5 x 2.6 x 0.55-inches, 4.7 ounces
• Battery life: 5 hours of talk time, and 13 days on standby time

Price for the new BlackBerry Bold smartphone was not disclosed but it is scheduled to be available from wireless carriers around the world beginning this summer.

Research In Motion is still the smartphone market leader although it is facing increasing competition from Apple’s iPhone.

Powerset, the startup founded in 2005 with the objective of challenging Google with the development of an improved search engine, made its official launch to the public today.

As we anticipated last February, Powerset’s search engine, which uses “natural language” to organize and search documents, will initially only index content from Wikipedia.

Powerset created an index of Wikipedia by studying the meaning of entire sentences rather than the relationship between words. Users will be able to type language queries in the form of a question instead of conventional keyword searches and quickly obtain information from many different sources.