Mozilla publishes name and shame list of slow Firefox add-ons, cracks down on tardy devs

Mozilla, continuing its year-long crusade to speed up Firefox startup and shutdown times, has published a name and shame list of the Firefox's slowest add-ons.

The list is just one part of Mozilla's new efforts to highlight slow add-ons, and to help developers make their add-ons more efficient. Over the next two weeks, 'slow performance warnings' will be introduced in the add-on gallery so that users can see, before installation, which add-ons will slow down their browser. If that isn't enough to spur developers into cleaning up their add-ons, Mozilla has also begun reaching out to developers of slow add-ons with tips on how to improve add-on performance. Finally, add-on developers will soon have the ability to perform 'on-demand performance testing,' so that they can test their add-on before it's deployed publicly.

Mozilla reports that the average Firefox add-on slows down Firefox's start-up time by 10% -- which means, if you install 10 add-ons, you will double your start-up time. On fast desktop PCs that kind of slowdown might be negligible, but on older computers, laptops and smartphones, it could be the difference between a 5 and 10 second startup. Mozilla has obviously realized that while massive performance gains might've been made with Firefox 4, the addition of third-party add-ons can destroy any user-perceived improvements.

In other news, Mozilla says that a future build of Firefox will block the installation of add-ons (such as toolbars) by third-party software. Add-ons and toolbars that are bundled in this way will require explicit approval when you next open up Firefox. Hooray!

Mozilla publishes name and shame list of slow Firefox add-ons, cracks down on tardy devs originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 05:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/04/mozilla-publishes-name-and-shame-list-of-slow-firefox-add-ons/

EASTMAN KODAK CO EARTHLINK

Nobody knew how the clitoris really worked until four years ago

The clitoris. For thousands of years, humans (some of them, anyway) have known that you can give pleasure to its owner if you play with it in the right way. But it wasn't until 2009 that science understood how it actually worked. Discover... the Mystery of the Clit!

Read more...

Source: http://io9.com/5876335/until-2009-the-human-clitoris-was-an-absolute-mystery/1093115185

LINEAR TECHNOLOGY LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL

Daily Crunch: Liftoff

A

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/18/daily-crunch-liftoff/

DST SYSTEMS DISCOVER FINANCIAL SERVICES

Xbox Live Family Plans get converted to individual memberships starting August 27th

Microsoft just detailed how the Xbox One's "Home Gold" will spread the Xbox Live Gold love across multiple users of a particular system, but what about those with the current generation's Xbox Live Family Plan? The folks in Redmond stopped accepting new subscribers to the $99 / year package back in March, and now users are receiving an email (included after the break) with details about what happens next. First, the good news: As of August 27th, if you have the family plan then each one of your activated subaccounts get full Xbox Live Gold status for the duration of your remaining subscription, plus three extra months. Prior to the conversion, you can still add sub accounts to the maximum total of four, and if you're set to auto-renew prior to conversion then that will still happen. The conversion may not happen exactly on that date, but subscribers can expect another email a week before it actually occurs.

Now the downsides: Activity reports and Microsoft Points allowances are going away, with reports disappearing at the time of conversion and the latter with the next system update. Another issue will apply to those who used it to game on multiple consoles in or across multiple households, since they'll need multiple individual XBL Gold subscriptions to do so -- one of the big problems the Family Pack resolved when it launched back in 2010. That could make sticking with the Xbox 360 or upgrading to an Xbox One more expensive going forward, check out the FAQ for all the details and run the numbers for yourself.

[Thanks, Corey]

Filed under: Gaming, HD, Microsoft

Comments

Source: Xbox Live Family Plan conversion FAQ, Microsoft

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/10/xbox-live-family-plan-shutdown/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

IBASIS HYPERCOM

Chromecast all the things: Koush working on functionality to Chromecast everything in CM

Casting any media may soon be a reality in CyanogenMod

We've seen that Koush, the application developer and Android hacker everyone knows and loves, is working on all sorts of cool stuff for the Chromecast he picked up. We're glad, because who better to crack it wide open and see what it can do than Koush, amirite?

Early this morning on Google+, he showed off his latest project, which will allow any audio or video file to be streamed casted to your TV using a CyanogenMod-powered device and the Chromecast dongle. In his demo above he shows it off using the Twit.TV app, but he explains that the process should be the same for any media you can play through any app.

Right now, details are a little sparse, but we do know that he's coded the functionality right into the OS using framework extensions. CyanogenMod is open-source, so we'll be able to see exactly how it's done once completed and any pesky Developer Preview SDK agreements are finished.

We have to wonder — if it's this simple (no disrespect intended to Koush's hard and clever work), will Google be adding similar functionality right into Android in the future? Or will the copyright holders keep that from happening?

Source; +Koushik Dutta

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/BrbkVTS3IJk/story01.htm

ZORAN ZIONS BAN

Unplug your music with this wooden speaker

Are you tired of always having to recharge or replace batteries in your iPhone’s external speakers?  The Ambrosia Maple Original Koostik doesn’t have batteries; it passively amplifies your music.  Koostik says by “combining two hemispherical sound amplification chambers with carefully designed sound channels, it achieves natural energy free amplification of between 10 and 20 decibels.”  Although it will fit any model of the iPhone, the speaker’s design doesn’t allow you to use the charging cable while the phone sits in the speakers.  It’s available for $95 from Koostik.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod, News

Tagged: iPhone speaker

Unplug your music with this wooden speaker originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 9, 2013 at 12:00 pm.

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/08/09/unplug-your-music-with-this-wooden-speaker/

PRICELINECOM QIMONDA

YouTube Live now streaming select partners in real time

Not content with limiting its dominance in streaming uploaded videos, YouTube is now ready to take on competitors like Justin.TV and Ustream. The new YouTube Live service is being rolled out to select YouTube partners and will enable real-time broadcasting. In its official announcement, Google states that "The goal is to provide thousands of partners with the capability to live stream from their channels in the months ahead."

You can check out live broadcasts at http://www.youtube.com/live, where you'll also find a schedule of upcoming episodes from beta partners like Revision3 and Destructoid. You're also able to subscribe to YouTube Live broadcasts -- which will ensure you're notified when a new episode is coming up.

YouTube Live now streaming select partners in real time originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 11 Apr 2011 08:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/11/youtube-live-now-streaming-select-partners-in-realtime/

SATYAM COMPUTER SERVICES SES

Leaked Android Music app images and hands-on review

This morning, an updated version of the stock Android Music app was leaked along with a new version of Android Market. The new Music app, which is labeled 'version 3', is similar to the leaked build from December, but it has received a ton of polish -- and indeed, it looks almost ready for prime time.

If you don't have Android 2.3 -- or don't want to root your phone to install the leaked Music app -- take a look through our gallery, and then read on for our initial hands-on impressions.

Gallery: Leaked Honeycombish Android Music app

Continue reading Leaked Android Music app images and hands-on review

Leaked Android Music app images and hands-on review originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/05/leaked-android-music-app-hands-on/

SONIC AUTOMOTIVE SKYWORKS SOLUTIONS

High-Profile Silicon Valley Exec GUILTY of Mass Lego Theft

It's a sordid tale of greed, power and Lego. Last Monday, Thomas Langenbach, a successful tech executive (and Lego fanboy) struck a deal with prosecutors and pled no contest to burgling tens of thousands of dollars worth of bricks and hiding them in his $2 million dollar home.

Read more...

Source: http://lego.gizmodo.com/high-profile-silicon-valley-exec-guilty-of-mass-lego-th-1084170411

YAHOO YAHOO

Twitter’s Killer New Two-Factor Solution Kicks SMS to the Curb

When Twitter rolled out two factor authentication back in May, it hinted that the SMS authentication would be merely a first step in a more robust security solution. Today, WIRED got a better look at the company’s just-announced new system.

Source: http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661457/s/2fa3a254/sc/5/l/0L0Swired0N0Cgadgetlab0C20A130C0A80Ctwitters0Ekiller0Enew0Etwo0Efactor0C/story01.htm

YAHOO XILINX

Distro Issue 102: Demystifying the science behind particle accelerators

If you've yet to read up on particle accelerators because the thought of deep diving into science sounds terrifying, fret not friends. In the latest issue of our weekly, Terrence O'Brien steps inside the offers a crash course on the matter as the race towards the elusive Higgs boson surges on. As far as reviews go, we spend some quality time with the homegrown Moto X and HTC's One mini to see just how the pair of handsets holds up under pressure. Eyes-On peeks at some comfy cans, Recommended Reading recounts how Curiosity became a full-fledged astronaut and Forum is all about Google. Grab a tasty beverage and settle into to your favorite nook because the new edition awaits via the usual repositories below.

Distro Issue 102 PDF
Distro in the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Google Play Store
Distro in the Windows Store
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile

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Source: iTunes, Google Play, Windows Store

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/ey6IVq8_VEQ/

SALESFORCE COM SAIC

Windows 8 Explorer to feature Ribbon UI, SkyDrive and Mesh integration?

Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott have posted a second look at some of the early changes which have surface in Windows 8 milestone 3. First there was the restyled Welcome Screen, and now it appears that Microsoft is toying with bringing the Ribbon UI to Explorer.

The Ribbon, like in Microsoft Word and Excel, is context-aware, adding tabs for specific tasks which apply to the folder you're viewing -- such as library or picture management. You can also make out two new buttons in the status bar, which allow you to change the current folder's view style.

It's clear from all the placeholder images and repeated elements that this is very much a work in progress, but featuring the Ribbon more prominently in Windows 8 would certainly be a logical progression for Microsoft. It's slowly become more ubiquitous, moving beyond Office and into Wordpad, Paint, and several of the Windows Live Essentials applications.

There's more to the screenshots than the Ribbon UI, however. Our friend Long Zheng has noted two interesting elements in the images: Web sharing and sync (image after the break). That would likely mean users will be able to quickly upload files to SkyDrive and synchronize using Live Mesh right from Explorer in Windows 8. That's not a total surprise considering many of the earliest leaked images of Windows 8 showed Windows Live integration on the desktop.

Continue reading Windows 8 Explorer to feature Ribbon UI, SkyDrive and Mesh integration?

Windows 8 Explorer to feature Ribbon UI, SkyDrive and Mesh integration? originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2011/04/03/windows-8-explorer-to-feature-ribbon-ui-skydrive-and-mesh-integ/

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES (IBM) INTERDIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

Obama Administration Sides With Apple on Import Ban Ruling

The Obama administration overruled an import ban on older iPhone and iPad models issued by the International Trade Commission at Samsung's request, allowing Apple to continue imports of AT&T models of the iPhone 4, iPad 3G, and iPad 2 3G.

Source: http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661457/s/2f855047/sc/21/l/0L0Swired0N0Cgadgetlab0C20A130C0A80Cobama0Eadministration0Esides0Ewith0Eapple0Eon0Eimport0Eban0Eruling0C/story01.htm

MICROS SYSTEMS MICRON TECHNOLOGY

Amplified 66: Episode 66

Peter Cohen, who leads a super-hero-style double life at both iMore and The Loop, shared a mic with his (more) bearded half on Jim Dalrymple's Amplified podcast.

Jim and Dan are joined by Peter Cohen the other half of The Loop to discuss AMBER alert disruptions, The Newton's 20 year anniversary, PDAs as the predecessor to the MacBook Air, the sale of the Washington Post to Jeff Bezos, and more.

I've been stuck between Peter and Jim on a podcast before. I don't envy dan. Or Peter. Or Jim. Turned out fantastically well, of course, so give it a listen. Just watch out for the laugh.

Download and subscribe: 5by5.tv

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Podcast

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/6LDB5lw2rUY/story01.htm

AMKOR TECHNOLOGY AMPHENOL