Mozilla on Tuesday released the latest version of its Firefox browser. In addition to allowing users to run full-screen apps, Firefox 10 offers the following enhancements:

• The forward button is now hidden until you navigate back.
• Most add-ons are now compatible with new versions of Firefox by default.
• Anti-Aliasing for WebGL is now implemented.
• CSS3 3D-Transforms are now supported.

Mozilla also made some HTML5 changes and noted two bug fixes. The company said that it has fixed a Java-related crash, which Mac OS X users experienced in earlier versions, as well as a crash related to moving bookmarks. Firefox 10 is available immediately as a free download.

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Microsoft released its Kinect for Windows SDK Beta 2 on Friday that adds support for Windows 8, among other changes. According to ZDNET, Microsoft has two Kinect development kits. One software development kit for commercial usage will be available early next year. The second kit, released on Friday, is targeted at enthusiasts running Windows 7 or the developer build of Windows 8. “Developing Kinect enabled applications is essentially the same as developing other Windows applications, except that this SDK provides support for the features of the Kinect sensor,” Microsoft explained in a note accompanying the release. The SDK also adds support for 64-bit apps, improved accuracy and a number of enhancements to skeletal tracking.

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Apple has failed to make good on its promise to deploy its iTunes Match service by the “end of October.” A beta version of the service, which allows users to access their entire music library in iCloud from any iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or computer, originally became available in late August and it was first included in early builds of iTunes 10.5. The service was supported in the latest iTunes 10.5.1 developer build, too, but that version expired on Tuesday. It remains unclear when Apple will officially launch iTunes Match or what is causing the delay. iTunes Match typically wipes a developer’s library before a new version launches, and the last wipe occurred on Thursday. That suggests either a final build or a new developer build of iTunes 10.5 will be rolled out shortly.

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Apple released iTunes 10.5 beta 9 to developers on Friday. Apple said the new release includes a number of bug fixes and performance enhancements. The update is required for developers currently testing Apple’s iTunes Match beta. Additionally, Apple reiterated that iCloud libraries will be deleted at the end of the beta period. Apple said known issues include:

• The scan & match feature is not yet complete. Some songs may not match (even if they is available in the iTunes Store) and will be uploaded to iCloud. Other songs may match to a different version of the same song on the iTunes Store.
• You can only add music to iCloud from one computer at a time.
• After updating to iOS 5 beta 7, your music may fail to play. If this happens, turn off iTunes Match in Settings > Music, then turn it back on.

Read on for the full release notes from Apple.

iTunes 10.5 Beta 9 Release Notes

iTunes 10.5 beta 9 includes several performance enhancements and bug fixes, and is a required update for all subscribers to iTunes Match beta.
Your iCloud libraries will be deleted at the end of this beta.

Backup regularly and do not delete the music you add to iCloud from your computer. Apple may periodically delete all iCloud libraries during the beta period. This will require you to scan, match, and upload songs again. Also note that some of the features and optimizations of iTunes Match may not be available during this beta.

About Subscribing
iTunes Match beta is available to iOSdevelopers in the United States.
•    iTunes Match beta is available as an automatically renewing subscription for $24.99 per year. You may cancel at any time from your Account settings.
•    You can subscribe to iTunes Match using iTunes 10.5 beta 9 on your Mac. iTunes Match is not available with iTunes for Windows at this time. You cannot subscribe to iTunes Match from your iOS device.

•    You can access your iCloud library on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch with iOS 5 beta, or your other computers with iTunes 10.5 beta 9.
•    Once subscribed, you can add up to 25,000 songs to iCloud, and iTunes purchases do not count against this limit. iTunes Match will not add your apps, books, movies, TV shows, ringtones, and audiobooks to your iCloud library. These items can continue to be synced to your iOS device with iTunes. iTunes LPs and iTunes Extras are also unsupported.

•    iTunes Match includes limits to how you may access your iCloud library:
-    You can use iTunes Match on up to 10 computers and iOS devices, up to five of which can be computers authorized with your Apple ID.
-    You can only associate computers and devices with a different Apple ID once every 90 days.

Getting Started
To subscribe to iTunes Match:
Install iTunes 10.5 beta 9 on your Mac Open iTunes and choose Turn On iTunes Match from the Store menu Click the Subscribe for $24.99 button and follow the onscreen instructions. Once complete, your Music library will include songs on your computer and in iCloud.

Once iTunes has completed matching your music with the iTunes Store, you may begin accessing your iCloud library:

• From your iOS device:
• 1.    Tap Settings > Music > turn iTunes Match ON. This will disable syncing music with iTunes.
• 2.    Press the Home button and tap Music.

• From your other computers:
• 1.    Install iTunes 10.5 beta 9 on your other Macs
•  2.    Open iTunes and choose Store > Sign In. Sign in using the same Apple ID you used to subscribe to iTunes Match.
• 3.    Choose Store > Turn On iTunes Match
• 4.    Click the Add This Computer button 5. Once complete, your Music library will include songs on your computer and in iCloud.

Known Issues

• The scan & match feature is not yet complete. Some songs may not match (even if they is available in the iTunes Store) and will be uploaded to iCloud. Other songs may match to a different version of the same song on the iTunes Store.
• You can only add music to iCloud from one computer at a time.
• After updating to iOS 5 beta 7, your music may fail to play.    If this happens, turn off iTunes Match in Settings > Music, then turn it back on.

Thanks CDeeRON!

Apple started seeding OS X Lion 10.7.2 11C37 and iCloud beta 7 to developers on Friday afternoon. The latest iCloud beta 7 build includes updated versions of Documents & Data Cloud, Find my Mac and Back to my Mac, 9to5 Mac said. The latest OS X Lion 10.7.2 build is being offered “solely for testing iCloud and updates to the public release of OS X Lion and any earlier seed of OS X Lion 10.7.2,” Apple said. iCloud, which is still only open to those with developer accounts, allows users store up to 5GB of free data online. Apple opened iCloud up to developers on August 1st and it offers a tiered pricing system for additional storage.  The latest OS X Lion and Cloud Beta 7 builds can be downloaded from Apple’s iCloud developer portal now.

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Enjoying a quiet Saturday? Well, Apple has just released iOS 5 beta 5 for developers. While the update continues the tradition of bringing OTA updates to iOS devices, beta 5 will require your device to be erased before being able to update — a little frustrating, though it’s obviously not meant for the general public. Apple also released an updated iTunes 10.5 beta 5 and Apple TV beta 4.

• I have noticed the ability to send a photo from the camera roll directly to the Messages app for iMessage or MMS, additionally the inclusion of a camera button in the camera roll to skip back to the camera after viewing a photo.
• The terrible autocorrect algorithm seems to have been fixed.

HTC has issued a statement naming the first phones that will receive unlocked bootloader updates this coming September. In a statement to BGR via email, the company said that the international version of its Sensation smartphone, T-Mobile’s Sensation 4G, and Sprint’s EVO 3D will be among the first phones to receive a patch that enables bootloader unlocking.”While we wish we could flip a simple switch and unlock all bootloaders across our device portfolio, this is actually a complex challenge that requires a new software build and extensive testing to deliver the best possible customer experience,” HTC said in a statement. “We’re in the testing phase for the unlocking capability now, and we expect it to be fully operational by early September for devices that have received the software updates. We’ll continue rolling out the unlocking capability over time to other devices as part of maintenance releases and new shipments.” HTC noted that it is continuing its commitment to unlocked bootloaders in an effort to support the developer community, and said that it will issue updates on its progress every few weeks. An unlocked bootloader will allow users to customize their devices more easily. Read on for the full statement from HTC.

We wanted to provide an update on HTC’s progress with bringing bootloader unlocking to our newest phones. We know how excited some of you are for this capability, and we’ve put significant resources behind making this change as soon as possible. While we wish we could flip a simple switch and unlock all bootloaders across our device portfolio, this is actually a complex challenge that requires a new software build and extensive testing to deliver the best possible customer experience.

We’re thrilled to announce today that software updates to support bootloader unlocking will begin rolling out in August for the global HTC Sensation, followed by the HTC Sensation 4G on T-Mobile USA and the HTC EVO 3D on Sprint. We’re in the testing phase for the unlocking capability now, and we expect it to be fully operational by early September for devices that have received the software updates. We’ll continue rolling out the unlocking capability over time to other devices as part of maintenance releases and new shipments.

HTC continues its commitment to unlocking bootloaders and supporting the developer community. Because of the importance of this community to us, please expect an update on this about every few weeks as we make progress toward launch. Thank you for your patience and continued support!

Microsoft is prepping to release a Windows 8 preview build during its Worldwide Partner Conference on July 11th, according WinRumors. Reportedly, the Redmond-based firm will “detail Windows 8 substantially,” during the conference, and it could present a second preview “building Windows 8″ video, which we hope will show off several of the OS’s new features. Microsoft first took the wraps off of its Windows 8 demo during the D9 conference in June, when Microsoft’s Steven Sinofsky discussed the Metro UI and other features that will apply to both PCs and tablets. So far we know that Windows 8 will include Internet Explorer 10, and will be able to run both desktop applications as well as HTML 5 and Java apps that are designed for tablet-sized devices. Microsoft’s current demo devices run on Intel processors, but there are reports the company is running tests on ARM chips as well. The Consumer Electronics Association also announced on Thursday that Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer will give the opening keynote during the annual Consumer Electronics Show in January 2012 — and we suspect we’ll hear a lot more about the new OS at that time.

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Daniel Amitay, the iPhone developer who created “Big Brother Camera Security” application, has released a list of the top 10 iPhone passcodes. Amity implemented code into his last software update that allowed the application to record passwords entered in by its users. Since his app’s lock and passcode screens look identical to the iPhone’s, he argues that his data reflects an iPhone user’s actual password. Of the 204,508 recorded passcodes collected, the most popular was, not surprisingly, 1234. That’s followed by 0000, 2580, 1111, 5555, 5683, 0852, 2222, 1212, and 1998. Amity says those codes represent 15% of all passwords in use. As you might expect, many of them follow simple patterns on the keyboard. “iloveyou” has always been a popular password and 5683, the No. 6 passcode on the list, can be translated into ‘LOVE’ on a standard alphanumeric keypad. Amitay also found that the numbers 1990-2000 were all in the top 50 passcodes, and 1980 – 1989 were all in the top 100, suggesting that many users may be entering in the year of their birth or graduation. Hit the jump for another chart.

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Earlier this week we reported that a firm named Lodsys had started to send out letters to Apple developers claiming that they were infringing on a Lodsys patent related to in-app purchases. Apple stepped in and claimed that, since it licenses Lodsys’ products and services, its developers were also entitled to use the technology. Now it appears that Lodsys is also going after Android developers for the same reason. “We recently implemented in-app purchases for our Android application and several weeks later we received a letter from Lodsys, claiming that we infringed on their patents,” one programmer said in a Google forum. It is unclear how many Android developers have been contacted, and Google’s Android team has yet to respond, but we hope the search giant backs its developers the same way that Apple did.

[Via MacRumors]

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Earlier this month we heard reports from TechCrunch that TweetDeck had been acquired by Twitter for $50 million. CNN now says that Twitter has finalized its purchase of TweetDeck in a $40 million cash and stock deal, and that the paperwork was signed on Monday. Neither Twitter nor TweetDeck have confirmed the purchase, and Twitter’s PR team tweeted: “For all those who might be curious, we continue to not comment on rumors.”

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As if Sony didn’t have enough issues to deal with, Rockstar, the developer behind hits like Grand Theft Auto and L.A. Noir, is reporting that the latest 3.61 firmware update for the Sony PS3 is causing units to overheat. “We have received some reports of PS3s overheating while playing L.A. Noire or beeping three times before shutting down / turning themselves off, mostly on older 60GB and 80GB fat models,” Rockstar customer service team said on its support page, as reported by MCVUK. The developer suggested that the problem is not limited to L.A. Noir and that gamers are experiencing the same issue on other titles — the red light or PS3 freeze usually occurs 30 minutes to 2 hours into gameplay. Hit the jump for a statement from Rockstar’s customer service, which the company has clarified is not official.

“At this time we are recommending contacting Sony directly to report the overheating issue. However, this is not the end of our support; we are continuing to test L.A. Noire on all firmware versions and hardware models to isolate the issues and see what can be done. As always, we will update this article as soon as we have updates.”

[Via gamrFeed]

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During the Google I/O developer conference in San Francisco today, Google discussed the future of its “Chrome OS” platform, as well as some future products that will soon hit the market. Google has improved the performance of Adobe Flash playback within the browser, and the OS will now recognize I/O devices — such as cameras — when they’re plugged into the computer. Other new features include Google Music integration, a new photo manager that allows you to send directly to Picasa, and an option to upload files directly to Box.net. Google’s bread and butter, Gmail, Calendar, and Docs are all now accessible while offline. Hackers will also appreciate a new built-in jailbreaking feature. Samsung and Acer will both introduce “Chromebooks” on June 15th for $429 and $399, respectively. Samsung will also sell a 3G version of its Chromebook for $499. Those prices sound a bit high to us considering that you can get a full-fledged Windows 7 netbook for that price, but we’ll see if the market agrees.

It’s a beautiful day in San Francisco, California today — the perfect setting for the Google’s 2011 global developer conference, better known as Google I/O. The battalion of Google staffers is currently putting the finishing touches on the Moscone Center before it’s swarmed by Android enthusiasts, developers and the press, and we’re here to bring you the action live. What does Google have up its sleeves for this year? We’ll find out soon enough. The Day 1 keynote kicks off at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time, 12:00 p.m. Eastern, and we’ll be live blogging it right here in this post. Be sure to check back then for the live coverage, and don’t forget to refresh the page for all the details as they break!

11:43AM:We've found out seats! There is a great buzz in the room. Google VP Andy Rubin is a few rows in front of us, and we're ready to rock. T-minus 17 minutes!

11:50AM:Here's what we see on stage: a Life Fitness exercise bike, a main speaking podium, a podium left of center with a video-based projector and a few Apple laptops, and a right of center podium with two Android devices hooked up to speakers.

11:54AM:Five minute warning. Get your popcorn ready!

11:58AM:Voice over PA: "We should begin in 2 minutes."

12:01PM:Now taking the stage, senior Vice President Vic Gondtra

12:02PM:"We want to thank you for making Android the global phenomenon it has become. This year, for the first time we did something new. We allowed developers to set up their own viewing parties."

12:03PM:"We are humbled by your enthusiasm and thank you for sharing your most precious resource: your time."

12:04PM:

12:04PM:

12:04PM:"Today we are going to focus on three things: mobile, momentum, and 'more'"

12:05PM:"Remember this device?" *holds up a G1* "We were on one carrier in one country, and now, we're everywhere."

12:06PM:"We've activated over 100 million ANdroid devices worldwide."

12:06PM:"There are over 312 devices in over 120 countries."

12:07PM:"Today we're activating over 400,000 Android devices every day."

12:07PM:"Today, we've announced that we've hit over 200,000 apps in the ANdroid Market."

12:08PM:"It took the Android ecosystem to see 1B application installs. 5 months to get to 2B. And today, we have 4.5B application installs."

12:09PM:"This wraps up the momentum section. Now we're going to cover Mobile and show you 2 exciting new services that we're announcing today."

12:09PM:We're about to see some demos!

12:10PM:"Today, we're announcing Android 3.1 for Verizon XOOM owners."

12:12PM:New features include: a new multitasking functionality, resizable widgets, Android 3.1 devices can act like USB hosts (allows you to download images directly from digital camera to tablet; supports game controllers, keyboards, mice, etc.)

12:13PM:"Android 3.1 is not just for tablets, it's coming to Android 3.1 this summer. Google TV will also be getting the Android Market."

12:14PM:"Let's look a little further down the road. Our next mobile release: Ice Cream Sandwich. We're targeting a Q4 launch and it will be our most ambitious launch to date."

12:15PM:"We're taking our Honeycomb holographic UI and mutitaking UI to Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS from now on)."

12:18PM:We're seeing a demo of head tracking and OpenGL. Running on the GPU, the device's camera can track your movements and orient the screen and applications to your point of view.

12:19PM:"Now we're going to shift topics and talk about media. We're going to announce a new service."

12:20PM:"Starting today, users can rent movies from the Android Market and stream them directly to their devices using the cloud."

12:22PM:"Movies have a 30-day rental period. Once you being watching you'll have 24-hours to complete viewing. You can also stream the movie over your browser and watch on your computer."

12:22PM:"We enable offline viewing with a feature called 'pinning'. What this means is that these movies will be automatically downloaded to the device and viewable offline; like when you're on an airplane."

12:23PM:"In addition to playing back movies we can rent movies directly from a smartphone or tablet. There is a new section in the Market with categories and featured content; similar to the applications and books sections."

12:25PM:"Verizon XOOM 3G users will begin getting Android 3.1 today and it will include the movies rental feature. It will be available on smartphones running Android 2.2 and higher in the next few weeks."

12:25PM:"We just talked about movies, what's the other content we love?" MUSIC!

12:26PM:Paul Joyce is on stage: "Today we're introducing Music Beta by Google. No wires, no syncing. You music is stored in the cloud so you can stop worrying about storage and starting enjoying your music."

12:27PM:"Applications will be available for both PC and Mac. It will help you get the content you already own into the cloud."

12:28PM:"We have a new feature called 'Instant mix'. Select a song and Instant Mix picks 25 songs that are similar. Unlike other services, Mix actually listens to your track and finds similar sounds tracks... it's truly ingenius." ZING!

12:29PM:"My phone connects to the cloud. I'll never have to use a cable to get songs on my device again!"

12:30PM:"We cache music that is recently played. So you instantly have access to songs when offline. You can also pin songs to your device, making them available offline at all times."

12:31PM:"The best part? If I get a brand new phone all I have to do is sign in, my music is now right there right away."

12:32PM:"We're really excited about this service. We're rolling it out in beta today, you can add up to 20,000 songs to your library and... at least while it's in beta... the service is free."

12:32PM:"It will roll out in stages, to the U.S. only at first. All those attending Google IO that are based in the United States will get an invite (eat your heart out), others interested can visit music.google.com/about to apply for the beta."

12:34PM:"We're creating a new team that will determine how quickly devices will get updates when we push out new Android platforms and for how long they will get those updates."

12:34PM:"We're jointly announcing today, that devices from our partners will receive updates for 18 months as long as the hardware allows."

12:35PM:"Now we want to talk about 'more'. ABout our vision for the future."

12:36PM:"

12:37PM:"Today we're announcing Android Open Accesory" which will provide hardware makers the ability to create hardware that will work with any mobile device."

12:38PM:We're seeing a demo of the Life Fitness bike controlling gameplay on an Android devices that encourages and tracks progress.

12:39PM:Open Accessory supports USB now and will support Bluetooth in the future. They are also releasing a hardware development boards."

12:40PM:We're seeing a demo of someone moving a XOOM tablet that is controlling a physical labyrinth board.

12:41PM:More information is at accessories.android.com

12:42PM:"This program is completely open. No NDAs, no feeds, no restrictions."

12:43PM:"So we're going to go one step further and talk about what the ultimate accessory is: your home. We call this vision ANdroid@Home."

12:44PM:"We want to think of every device in your home as a potential Android IO device."

12:44PM:We're seeing a demo "Hello World" type application that is controlling the stage lights.

12:46PM:"To bring this vision to reality we're partnering with Lighting Science. You can buy Android@Home light bulbs beginning later this year."

12:48PM:Next, we're working on something called Project Tungsten. You can enjoy your music throughout your house, syncronized, via this Tungsten boxes. And these protocols will be completely open to developers."

12:51PM:We're getting a recap of what we've covered.

12:53PM:We're seeing the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1... and we're all getting one.

12:54PM:Thank you and have a great Google IO. That's it folks. Thanks for tuning in!

According to source speaking to TechCrunch, Twitter purchased the popular third-party client TweetDeck for between $40 and $50 million on Monday. The Wall Street Journal originally reported that Twitter was in “advanced talks” to purchase TweetDeck – a 15 person company – back in April. Sources speaking to TechCrunch said that Twitter made the purchase in an effort to stop Uber Media, another third party company with a handful of Twitter applications across multiple platforms, from buying TweetDeck first. Neither company has officially announced the acquisition, yet.

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