Firefox JavaScript performance on Mozilla's own Kraken benchmark.

A new version of Firefox released today puts some extra speed into online games and Web apps powered by JavaScript, thanks to a new compiler called IonMonkey.

Mozilla stated in a blog post announcing the update to Firefox 18 (download for Windows | Mac | Linux) that the new engine makes JavaScript-powered Web sites run up to 25 percent faster than before.

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Firefox will now look better on Macs thanks to new Retina support, and all versions of the browser work with W3C touch screen events in addition to MozTouch events.

One security change to the browser lets you disable insecure content at... [Read more]

(Credit: Google)

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For some paid apps there are also trial or free counterparts. On a lot of these trial apps, you'll find that the only difference is that they are ad-supported. Upgrading may remove the ads and nothing else, so you may not even need the paid version. However, many paid versions of apps offer the best features -- you know, their selling point.

Let's say you bought an app that you can't gauge its usefulness in 15 minutes or less. Or maybe the app is freezing your device when you use it and figuring out what's going on is taking more than 15 minutes. Are you stuck with the app now? Well, maybe. Maybe not.

If the app is relatively cheap, it may be less hassle to just eat the cost. But if the price is $10 or more and causes your device to freeze when using it, asking for a refund seems understandable. You won't be able to return the app via the automated system on the Google Play S... [Read more]

(Credit: bytNotes)

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Like most humans, you probably forget to ask certain questions or make certain plans when you're on a call with someone. It's that moment when you hang up, only to remember exactly what you were supposed to talk about. How annoying. Instead of trying to remember everything in your busy life, or having to call people back all the time, why not let your Android remind you of what you need to say?

Naturally, there's an app that does this -- though seeing it integrated into the stock Android system would be a nice future perk. bytNotes, by MSGA, offers a way to add additional information that appears during a call. Here's how to get started:

First you'll want to install a copy of bytNotes&nbs... [Read more]

Apple's Podcasts app: barf.

Podcasts are all kinds of awesome. A Prairie Home Companion, This American Life, Wiretap, The Truth -- there's a virtually endless supply of great listening to be had free of charge.

Apple's Podcasts app, on the other hand, is all kinds of suck. It's so abysmal that I'm breaking my if-you-can't-say-anything-nice rule to vent my hatred of it. Ever since it debuted last June, I've tried to put up with it, tried to work around its countless limitations and atrocious interface. But no more. I'm done.

What's the problem with Podcasts? Ye gods, where do I start? Maybe with its very existence: Apple pried podcast listening out of the Music app instead of giving users a choice in the matter. What used to be easy -- tap the Music icon that lives, omnipresently, in my bottom row, then tap Podcasts -- now requires me to hunt for a separate app.

Plus, I can no longer navigate or listen to podcasts using my car's audio controls. Oh, and playlists? Nuh-uh. I realize podcasts aren't music, but I sure did like having them under that same roof. To my thinking, Apple tried to fix something that wasn't broken.

The new Podcasts app consists of thre... [Read more]