Cinemas dim the lights during showings to help eliminate distractions, making it easier for you to focus on what you came to see. With media sites like YouTube, it's easy to become distracted by the other content on the page like the recommended videos or comments sections. And let's face it, not all videos look good in full-screen mode due to low resolutions. Wouldn't it be nice if you could dim the lights on the rest of the page to cut out the distractions? Well, there happens to be an add-on for Firefox and Chrome that does just that. Follow these three quick steps to recreate the cinematic effect when viewing videos or playing games on the Web:

Extension for Chrome.

Add-on for Firefox.

Step 1: Download and install Turn Off the Lights for either Chrome or Firefox.

Click the bulb!

Step 2: Find a page with media on it. To toggle screen dimming, click on the light bulb icon that appears to the right of the address bar.

... [Read more]

Microsoft has released a new update for Internet Explorer 9 that aims to patch several outstanding security holes.

Available through Windows Update since Tuesday, the security update is rated critical by Microsoft, which means that people who have Windows Update set to "install updates automatically" will automatically receive it.

Users who haven't enabled that option are advised to install the update manually from Windows Update. IT administrators who support large organizations should also apply the update with whatever patch management software they use in-house.

The update targets eight vulnerabilities in IE9, some of which could let a hacker remotely run code on a PC if the user visits a "specially crafted Web page" using Microsoft's browser. Such an exploit could allow someone to gain the same rights on the PC as the local user. The update specifically changes the way IE allocates and addresses memory, according to Microsoft's Security Bulletin.

Related stories: • Microsoft issue fixes, blacklists more DigiNotar certificates • ... [Read more]

The WebGL-powered version of Google Maps shows transparent 3D buildings such as this view of Kowloon and offers other fancy effects.

All that work to build 3D graphics into the Web just bore fruit on one of the Internet's most useful and widely used sites: Google Maps.

Google has enabled a "MapsGL" option to show 3D buildings on the site through the use of WebGL, a 3D graphics technology for the Web that four of the five top browsers have embraced.

The move marks another step in the convergence of the browser-based Google Maps and the more immersive Google Earth software that stemmed from Google's 2004 acquisition of Keyhole. Google Earth lets people fly around, overlays imagery on contoured terrain, and shows 3D buildings.

With WebGL, Google Maps gets the 3D buildings--also visible on Android's Maps app--and more.

Other features include a swoopy transition from an ordinary bird's-eye view to Street View; shadows appropriate to the local time of day; the ability to rotate a map so something besides north is at the top; and a gradual transition from a straight-down satellite view to the more detailed 45-degree aerial photography views Google offers in some areas.

I found it to be nice, but a bit rough around the edges, ... [Read more]

The Reader view looks very clean, and you can adjust font size for easier reading.

The new iOS 5 brings a refreshed mobile Safari, while Android's nameless Browser has been holding steady as the stalwart of Google's mobile operating system. I looked at two iterations of the latest browsers for iOS and Android: Safari for iOS 5 on the iPhone 4S, and the Android Browser for Gingerbread 2.3.4 on the Droid Bionic.

Although they come from two companies locked in fierce competition for users, the browsers are both built on the WebKit rendering engine and are remarkably similar.

Safari has some useful features that Apple has ported from the desktop version that Android's browser lacks. First is the Reading List feature, a convenient tool for marking pages and sites to be read later. If you tap the Action button (the box with an arrow coming out of it at the bottom of the browser,) the second option is to add it to your Reading List.

Once added, you can access it later by tapping the Bookmark button. The Reading List is the first option. That's no accident: Reading List is simply Bookmarks with a better public relations budget. You can also sync the feature with other iOS devices via iCloud.

Reader is another desktop... [Read more]

Rovio's "Mighty Eagle" Peter Vesterbacka.

Angry Birds maker Rovio could go public next year, according to the company's chief marketing officer and "Mighty Eagle," Peter Vesterbacka.

"We're not ready to file for an IPO tomorrow," Vesterbacka told Bloomberg Television in an interview published today. "Maybe a year from now." He went on to say that his company is valued at around $1 billion, and would likely go public on that valuation if and when it files its papers for an IPO.

Rovio is best known for its Angry Birds mobile game--which Vesterbacka told Bloomberg has seen 400 million downloads worldwide since its launch in 2009--and the company has created a full-fledged business around that franchise. Rovio currently sells everything from stuffed toys and t-shirts to cookbooks and school supplies with its Angry Birds branding on them. And so far, that strategy has worked out extraordinarily well for Rovio.

Related stories: • Angry Birds to fly into Starbucks • ... [Read more]

Among the many new features in iOS 5 for Apple's mobile devices, one seemingly small addition will make sharing your life in fewer than 140 characters much easier.

Once you have used Twitter in the integrated apps once, they will show up in the list.

Integrated Twitter features are now an option in most of the main iOS apps, and on first use, you'll see just how easy it is to send tweets from your browser, photo app, YouTube, Contacts, or Maps. iOS 5 doesn't come standard with a complete Twitter experience that lets you browse tweets as well, but during your first setup you'll find a handy button for downloading Twitter's official client.

To get started, you have the option to set up Twitter integration in your iPhone settings beforehand, or you can enter your information when sending a post from any of the integrated apps for the first time. You can either enter your Twitter log-in information or create a new account in just a couple of easy steps. You also have the option to create or log in to multiple accounts so it's no problem to separate your personal and work Twitter accounts. You can turn off Twitter integration for specific apps from within the settings, but you'll need to use Twitter in that app at least once for it to show up in the list. You also have an Update Contacts button in the settings, where Twitter will go through your contact... [Read more]

OSLO, Norway--Opera Software took the hardware acceleration plunge today with the release of its first alpha version of Opera 12, code-named Wahoo.

Hardware acceleration offers a range of benefits to Web browsers--faster performance, lower battery consumption, and new features that would be otherwise impractical. So it's no surprise that browser makers--catalyzed in part by Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9--have been rebuilding their engines to support the idea.

But Opera, while not the first with hardware acceleration, thinks it's got a competitive approach. It uses hardware for everything its Vega display engine handles--font display, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) effects, Canvas 2D graphics, and WebGL 3D graphics. (You can download the Opera 12 alpha, also known as Opera Next, for Windows, Mac, and Linux.)

The Norwegian browser maker had two priorities with acceleration, which is named after a fast-swimming fish, said Jan Standal, vice president of desktop products, in an interview at the company's Up North Web event here.

"One, it was more important to get it right than get it fast," Standal said. "Two, we wanted to reach as many users as possible."

Reaching Windows XP "Reach" means offering the feature to as many people as possible... [Read more]

The latest antivirus detection file update of Norton Antivirus blocked access to Facebook after mistaking it for a phishing site, Symantec told CNET today.

The problem was fixed yesterday within hours of it being noticed, according to a statement from Symantec, which acquired Norton and its antivirus software a decade ago. "The issue occurred due to content within the site being falsely identified as a phishing risk," the company said.

"We are aware that some Norton customers encountered a security warning page when attempting to access the Facebook Web site," Symantec said in a statement. "Norton has corrected this issue and delivered a fix via LiveUpdate, which will be downloaded automatically and will resolve the issue. Customers can also run LiveUpdate manually from the main user interface of their Norton product to ensure they have the latest updates."

The problem affected a subset of Norton Internet Security and Norton 360 customers who attempted to access Facebook during a limited window of time, according to Symantec.