Mozilla revealed preliminary plans today to take the Gecko engine that drives its Firefox browser and turn it into an open-source operating system that will eventually work on phones and tablets.

Called Boot to Gecko, it is known that the source code will be released to the public "in real-time," wrote Andreas Gal, a Mozilla researcher. Gecko is the rendering engine that powers Firefox and the e-mail client Thunderbird. By contrast, while Google's Android mobile operating system is open source, the main development work on it does not become available until after Google has green-lit its publication--sometimes not until months afterward.

"We will do this work in the open, we will release the source in real-time, we will take all successful additions to an appropriate standards group, and we will track changes that come out of that process. We aren't trying to have these native-grade apps just run on Firefox, we're trying to have them run on the web," Gal said in a forum post. Mike Shaver, Mozilla's vice president of technical strategy, said that the Boot to Gecko apps won't use the Android SDK but instead run new and current Web app APIs

He also identified four areas for development. One is new Web APIs, which means building "prototype APIs for exposing device and OS capabilities to content." This is how the operating system would support current essential mobile features such as telephony, SMS, cameras, USB, Bluetooth, and near-field chips. A second area for development is to build a privilege model, which is a key security feature for ensuring that new features are "safely exposed to pages and applications," he said.

Boot to Gecko will include some low-level Android code for kernel and driver support so that it can run on Android devices. This does not exist yet, and porting it to a new system could prove to be extremely challenging. Then there is the final area of development--that of applications. The idea behind Boot to Gecko is to create a system where native Web apps can run just as well as the native apps for iOS do on that device.

Shaver added that the company is looking at Tegra 2 devices because they offer hardware acceleration of open audio and video formats.

For people who want to get a stronger idea of what Boot to Gecko will amount to, Gal noted that its "starting point" is a device running Firefox for Android as its homescreen, with some custom APIs thrown in. He also admitted in that post that there is an "ultimate goal" to the project, that of "breaking the stranglehold of proprietary technologies over the mobile device world."

I'll be honest: the most fun I had this weekend was not eating pizza and watching "Cool Hand Luke." It was not sitting on the deck and reading "Game of Thrones" on my Nook Color. It wasn't even playing with my kids (because they're out of town--how shallow do you think I am?!).

No, the best part of my weekend was discovering Futurama Head in a Jar. This new app lets you design your own heads, "Futurama"-style, then save or share them as you wish.

This isn't a new concept. "The Simpsons" and "South Park" have long offered their own character-building tools (though neither of them builds actual character). Futurama Head in a Jar may not be original, but it's no less welcome.

The app gives you seven design elements: species, head, eyes, nose, hair, extras, and scene. Just tap any option, then swipe to cycle between the various choices. The creation process is as easy as it is fun.

Indeed, I couldn't help giggling upon seeing some of the eyes, hairstyles, and accessories--all of which are plenty familiar to any "Futurama" fan. And I love the fact that you're not limited to humans; the app also lets you create robots and aliens.

When you're done, you can share your head via e-mail, Twitter, or Facebook (though there's currently a known bug that prevents Facebook sharing).

You can also add the head to your photo library, assign it to a contact (I'm having way too much fun turning my friends into "Futurama" heads), and add it to your very own head exhibit in your very own head museum.

The app also includes a good helping of video clips from recent episodes--along with the option to buy full episodes, of course. You can forgive that little bit of marketing, seeing as Futurama Head in a Jar is free.

Free, and fantastic. If you're a fan of a show, this is a must-have app. Bite my shiny metal head!

Originally posted at iPhone Atlas

Facebook's long-awaited iPad app might actually be hidden in the company's latest iPhone app update, TechCrunch is reporting.

According to the blog, Facebook's latest update to its iPhone app, version 3.4.4, includes executable code that allows users with jailbroken iPads to access and use the social network's full, native tablet application.

A Facebook iPad app has topped the wish lists of the social network's users for quite some time. The company currently offers full-featured smartphone applications across several different operating systems, including iOS and Android, but iPad owners need to access Facebook via their Safari browser.

Since the launch of the iPad, rumors have cropped up from time to time claiming Facebook was nearing the launch of its tablet application. Last month, for example, The New York Times reported that the social network would be launching its iPad app "in the coming weeks."

That rumor was bolstered by Facebook's announcement late last month that it was planning to "launch something awesome" early on in July. Rather than announce an iPad app as hoped, however, Facebook unveiled Skype video calling and group chatting.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg kept the hope alive, however, saying that this month's announcement was the first of what would be many in the company's "launching season 2011."

In the iPad app that TechCrunch tried out, Facebook's many features were present. The blog was able to view the news feed, chat with friends, interact with content across the social network, and input locations through Places. TechCrunch said that the app is "spectacular."

Of course, whether or not the app TechCrunch accessed is actually Facebook's official iPad program is unknown at this point. The blog said that it has "confirmed with a source" that the app it used will be the one Facebook launches, but until the social network confirms that report, consider this one a rumor.

Facebook did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.

Originally posted at The Digital Home