Just to get it out of the way, Mozilla had no official news to share at CTIA 2010 in Las Vegas. That didn't stop us from catching up with Jay Sullivan, Mozilla's vice president of mobile, to lay a finger on the pulse of Firefox's browser for mobile phones. (After all, why should Opera have all the fun?)

Mozilla continues to actively develop for Nokia's Maemo/MeeGo platform, the host of the first-ever Firefox for Mobile 1.0. The problem is that Firefox is far from being widely available in its cell phone-friendly form, extensions and all. The Nokia platform's short reach makes up just a fraction of the mobile market, and Firefox is only available on two devices--the Nokia N900 and the N810 Internet Tablet.

There's even more bad news: Mozilla has put the skids on developing Firefox for Windows phones (it reached its fourth alpha stage) as a result of some decisions Microsoft made in supporting code going forward (Silverlight and XNA, to be specific) that Mozilla does not use to write its browser--essentially creating a coding impasse. Unless or until Microsoft can provide a native development kit (NDK), work on Firefox mobile for Windows phones has flat-out stopped.

The good news, if you're patient (and not a Windows phone user), is that Mozilla is also actively working on a version of Firefox for Android phones. Mozilla powers all its various Firefox versions from the same Gecko engine, which means that Firefox for Windows, Mac, and mobile are all created with the same ingredients (specifically, Mozilla's XUL and Web standards like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS programming languages.) The takeaway message here is that once Mozilla can get the Gecko platform running smoothly for Android, porting an Android version of Firefox is a fairly simple next step. Sullivan stressed that his goal is to ship at least a beta version of Firefox for Android by late 2010, but no promises to the browser-hungry Android mob.

What about video?
When asked about how Firefox will handle video playback on mobile going forward, Sullivan's answer was consistent with Mozilla's one-for-all programming philosophy. Firefox will support HTML 5 video tags on all its browsers, leaving it up to producers to encode their videos with the new standards, so said videos can play back in Firefox mobile as they would from the desktop.

On mobile handsets that harbor Adobe's Flash plug-in, it's possible to enable support for that video technology, too. However, Mozilla disabled Flash by default at the n'th moment before the browser's final release, citing that the video playback quality in Firefox just wasn't up to snuff. A YouTube extension for Firefox mobile provided the workaround users needed to get YouTube videos to play.

While Mozilla's Sullivan made no promises, we're keeping those fingers crossed that production on Android will include a public alpha in the next few months. A spate of mobile-ready add-ons will be sure to join the few dozen that already exist.

Originally posted at CTIA 2010

Back in February, we read between the lines of a joint Skype and Verizon announcement to deduce that a much-coveted Skype app for BlackBerry was in the works. On Tuesday at CTIA 2010, the two companies took the podium again with a hard release date to share. Luckily, some Blackberry--and Android users--will only have to wait until Thursday to get the new Skype Mobile on their smartphones.

We say "some" phone owners and not "all" because at launch, Skype Mobile will only be available for nine handsets on Verizon's network: the BlackBerry Storm series, Curve series, and Tour; and the Motorola Droid, HTC Droid Eris, and Morotola Devour, (which also launches Thursday in Verizon stores.) Skype and Verizon anticipated expanding the app to other phone models and platforms in the future.

We got a chance to demo Skype Mobile after the press conference. As far as features go, it's slimmer than Skype on other mobile platforms, sticking to the bare basics of calling and instant messaging. One unique implementation lets you import contacts from the phone's native address book, a plus. Other than that, the app shows your Skype Mobile history and can update the status and mood you broadcast to others. However, you'll be disappointed if you look for goodies like file transferring, SMS, and Skype voice mail support at this stage.

Though Skype Mobile's feature set may not wow us, the convenience of using Verizon's voice network to make calls should in theory keep call quality stable as long as there's reception. Contrast this with having to hold out until you're in 3G or Wi-Fi range and the advantage of partnering with a carrier becomes clearer. In addition, Skype Mobile will run persistently in the background so you can opt to maintain a constant Skype presence for other users to reach you. We would have liked to have seen a setup where users could make Skype calls from the native address book, akin to using Google Voice on Android phones.

Skype Mobile will be free on Android and BlackBerry phones, with free Skype-to-Skype calls that won't cost extra or drain your minutes. You can still purchase Skype credit for international calls to landlines and cell phones. BlackBerry users on supported Verizon handsets should see Skype Mobile pushed to their Downloads folder, but you can alternatively download the app from http://skype.com/go/mobile or text Skype (2255). Android users can find Skype Mobile in the Android Market on Thursday.

We didn't get a chance to test out Skype's voice features apart from the odd test call, so keep your eyes peeled for our take on calling over Verizon's service, and a hands-on video tour of Skype Mobile's interface and features.

Related stories: No more Skype for Windows and Java phones?
Skype lands in Nokia's Ovi Store

Originally posted at CTIA 2010

Though it might seem otherwise just now, there's more to life than college basketball. Oh, who am I kidding? No, there's not. But you need something to keep you busy during those endless Southwest Airlines commercials, right?

With that in mind, here's this week's batch of new games for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and, soon enough, iPad.

1. Fisher-Price games Not all games are for grown-ups. Fisher-Price's App Store debut includes three titles for the toddler set: Chatter Telephone (99 cents), Little People Farm ($1.99), and See 'n Say ($1.99). I must admit I have mixed feelings about substituting an electronic screen for actual tactile toys--but if these apps can buy you a five-minute break from screaming, then I say, let 'em tap!

2. Frogman Look! Crossing the street! It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's...Frogman! This Frogger-inspired, superhero-themed slice of 3D awesomeness isn't in the App Store just yet, but it's due "very soon"--and when you get a peek at the promo video, you'll understand why I can't wait. Kinda makes the original Frogger look like, well, roadkill.

3. LED Basketball 78 From the same team that brought you LED Football and LED Football 2, this nostalgia-fueled recreation of the classic Mattel electronic game looks and plays exactly like the original. (Well, you don't get quite the same button-mashing satisfaction from tapping the iPhone's screen.) Just one problem: It gets just as boring, just as fast, as the original did. Still, for 99 cents, it's a fun dribble down memory lane.

4. Touch Tanks Online: FS5 I love a good tank-combat game, and Touch Tanks Online has the makings of a great one. It's just you and up to five other live drivers on an open battlefield. Well, not entirely open: there are obstacles and tree cover you can use to your advantage, plus power-ups and upgrades for your tank. Amazingly, TTO is free. Sadly, it appears to be a victim of its own success, as midgame lost connections are commonplace.

5. We Rule Think: FarmVille for iPhone, but with a medieval theme. Farm the land, harvest crops, collect taxes, and grow your kingdom. You can even "visit" friends' kingdoms thanks to integration of the Plus+ social network. The only thing you won't be "ruling" is your productivity. We Rule is, surprisingly, free.

What new games have been occupying your time this week? Talk 'em up in the comments.

Originally posted at iPhone Atlas

We admit it: when we first heard that Opera was creating a browser for iPhone, we wondered if the browser company was bluffing to prove a point, namely, to pressure Apple into accepting a browser to compete with Safari. Yet Opera followed through on Tuesday, submitting Opera Mini 5 to the iPhone App Store. Before Opera submitted, we got a chance to play with the final version of Opera Mini on one of Opera's iPhones.

Opera Mini 5 running on an iPhone looks and behaves almost identically to Opera Mini 5 on other mobile browsers, like Java and BlackBerry. The one major exception is the addition of session restore for iPhone, which will reload browsers from the previous session if you need to close and restart the browser. This is an important feature for a platform that runs only one third-party application at a time. Page caching was also notable on the demo version of Opera Mini for iPhone. Pressing the back arrow quickly surfaced the previous page without reloading it from scratch.

As interesting as these details might be, the real elephant in the room--the question perhaps being asked by those who follow Apple's submissions and rejections--is why Opera would go to lengths to submit a browser that has a high chance of never making it into the app store. Apple isn't known for approving browsers that aren't based on Webkit, which Opera Mini absolutely is not. Like many other iPhone apps, Opera wrote the back end of Mini using the Objective C programming language, Opera's founder and former CEO Jon von Tetzchner told CNET, and developed the front end "in our own little language."

Von Tetzchner has high hopes that Apple will accept Opera Mini, citing the browser's merits of speed, high compression rates that lead to rapid loading, and bookmark-syncing. What's more, he said, users should have plenty of choice when it comes to browsers, especially if Opera Mini is in high demand. But Opera's conviction would hardly seem like a compelling enough reason, and we can't imagine it would sway Apple.

More on the mark, perhaps, is the argument that Apple shouldn't nix Opera Mini because it may not actually violate rules laid out in Apple's software development kit (SDK). Unlike other Web browsers (including Opera Mobile,) Opera Mini is a proxy browser that delivers Web pages through Opera's servers. It isn't a standalone HTML browser that interprets and executes code on its own. This loophole is the more realistic justification for how von Tetzchner and the rest of the Opera team hope to get Opera Mini through the golden doors.

"The way we read things, we don't violate anything with [Apple's] SDK license," von Tetzchner told CNET. "From our perspective, there's no reason why Apple would not allow Opera...It brings something really different to iPhone users."

Again, we're not convinced that will be reason enough for Apple's application approval team, but if it is, acceptance could signal a sea change that would make Opera Mini the most notable browsing alternative to Safari on iPhone.

Originally posted at CTIA 2010

Avira's AntiVir has been a player in the security world for some time, but it boomed in 2008 with remarkably strong detection rates. Available today exclusively from CNET Download.com, it still remains near the top of independent efficacy tests. Version 10 of Avira's suites maintain the status quo, but don't really go beyond it with AntiVir Free, AntiVir Premium, and AntiVir Premium Security Suite. The free version is the best-known, and while the 2009 version more or less kept pace with the competition, the 2010 edition isn't quite as good as it could be.

Like most security suites, these versions contain the same core engine and features, but when you upgrade to the various paid versions you get additional features. The free version contains the main antivirus and antispyware engine, detection but not removal of rootkits, Netbook support for low-resolution monitors.

This isn't to say that AntiVir Free 10 isn't stuffed with robust features. The program offers a wide selection of scan customization, allowing the user to fully scan both internal and external hard drives, run a preloaded scan--for rootkits, for example--or customize a scan. On a real-world computer, the full scan took about an hour and 12 minutes, which is about average. There's scanning tech that can crack open "locked" files, improved internal security to prevent AntiVir's files from being maliciously altered, and one-click threat removal--baby-sitting was taken out in the last version.

In addition to those features, AntiVir Premium 10 introduces antiphishing protections, a download blocker to stop unwanted ''drive-by'' downloads, an e-mail scanner, Web guard, rescue CD creator, and a behavioral engine tuned to unknown threats. AntiVir Premium Security Suite 10 adds to all those a botnet protector to prevent bot hijackings, a backup utility, firewall, and parental controls.

New features are a bit thin in the free version of Avira 10. There's a new generic repair mode, which really just takes the choice out of how Avira tells you about threats it has discovered. In version 9, you could be informed in the middle of a scan or at the end; now, only the latter is available. This streamlines the process, though, so it's actually beneficial.

Windows 7 users will get the ability to run a scan as an administrator directly from the interface, which is a smart but minor development. The installation sequence has been revamped, and now only takes users through five windows. Theoretically, this means it's a five-click installation, but new users will have to complete the registration form. However, the installation file unpacking process appeared faster, and it was no longer necessary to reboot after the install.

Both longtime and new users alike will note the pop-up ad that appears whenever a program update is downloaded, but it has been the unaddressed focus of critical and user dislike for several years. While the occasional ad that interfered with user workflow used to be considered tolerable for effective free security, that's no longer the case. The lack of a silent-running entertainment/gaming mode is also noticeable, since so many free and paid competitors now offer one.

The scheduler, once a major selling point because it was light-years ahead of other free security suites, has now been caught up to by the competition. AntiVir 10 doesn't require a special uninstaller like some of its competitors, but it doesn't come with an uninstall utility, either. Using the Windows uninstaller or a third-party program like Revo Uninstaller should work.

Avira AntiVir Free 10 requires registration, but is available to all users. AntiVir Premium 10 costs $21.43 for a one-user license and a 30-day trial. AntiVir Premium Security Suite 10 comes with a 30-day trial and costs $53.95 for a one-user license.

Avira 10's free suite makes for an excellent backup suite, but competitors have since caught up with or surpassed what it can do. The paid versions offer solid tools and competitive pricing, but they lack the sharp confidence of the bigger-name paid-only suites like Norton, Eset, and Kaspersky.

Author's note: CNET Labs benchmarking and third-party efficacy test results will be added to the reviews linked above as they become available.

Mozilla released Firefox 3.6.2 late Monday to fix a critical security hole involving Web-based font technology.

"We strongly recommend that all Firefox users upgrade to this latest release. If you already have Firefox 3.6 you will receive an automated update notification within 24 to 48 hours. This update can also be applied manually by selecting 'Check for Updates...' from the Help menu," Mozilla's director of Firefox, Mike Beltzner, said in a blog post.

With the vulnerability, an attacker could crash a person's browser and, worse, run arbitrary code on the person's machine, Mozilla said. Because it involves a technology called Web Open Font Format (WOFF) introduced in Firefox 3.6, it doesn't affect earlier versions.

Here are further details about the 111 changes in the new version and the not terribly verbose 3.6.2 release notes.

Originally posted at Deep Tech

As expected, Adobe Systems did indeed release a new Lightroom beta on Monday, but there are a few extra tibits beyond what we suspected earlier.

First and most important, there's now a Lightroom 3 beta 2 download site so you can actually try it. Second, there's a helpful video guide to new features, forum discussion on the new beta, and release notes (PDF).

Also worth a look are a blog post by Lightroom product manager Tom Hogarty and a detailed, annotated list of changes from "Lightroom Queen" Victoria Bampton.

Regarding features, we knew about a few big ones: support for ingestion and management of video, support for "tethered" shooting so a computer controls the camera and automatically ingests photos as they're taken, a revamped import dialog box, faster image loading, and more noise reduction improvements.

Now we know some more.

First off, we have a list of the initially supported cameras for tethered shooting. They're only from Canon and Nikon, the two dominant powers of SLR photography, but Adobe "look[s] forward to adding additional Nikon and Canon camera models going forward," Hogarty said. The cameras are as follows.

Canon: EOS-1Ds Mark II, EOS-1D Mark III, EOS-1Ds Mark III, EOS-1D Mark IV, EOS 5D, EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 40D, EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi/EOS Kiss X2), EOS 500D (Digital Rebel T1i/EOS Kiss X3 Digital), EOS 7D, EOS 1000D (Digital Rebel XS/EOS Kiss F). Nikon: D3, D3X, D3s, D300, D300s, D5000, D700, D90.

Also new is the resurrection of Lightroom 2's vignetting approach as an option, details on video and video metadata handling, better image watermarking, point controls in the tone curve, and user interface changes. Stay tuned for a hands-on look at the new beta.

Lightroom, which can be used to edit, catalog, and print photos, is geared for enthusiasts and professionals. It's particularly suited to handling raw images taken directly from a camera's image sensor with no in-camera processing, a technology that offers higher flexibility and quality than JPEG but less convenience. Processing raw photos can bring a computer to its knees, though, especially with high-resolution images, so performance is key in raw-processing software.

Originally posted at Deep Tech

Live streaming and video archiving service Justin.tv is headed to the iPhone in app form.

Justin.tv uses Adobe's Flash player for its video content, which as we know is currently incompatible with the iPhone, making the app (iTunes link) a welcomed feature for users who wish to watch live or archived content when away from their computer.

The app can display live content, along with user chat. The chat can be viewed alongside the video while it plays, however typing in your own messages to other channel viewers obstructs the video.

Other features include being able to save favorited channels, as well as sharing them as e-mails. Users can also register with Justin.tv within the app.

A future update will bring live video broadcasting from the iPhone itself, as well as push notifications for upcoming programming. Users who subscribe to certain shows will be able to get free push notifications when that show starts. This will come complete with a link that hops straight to the show.

Below is a demo of the app in action:

Originally posted at Web Crawler