Just 5 months ago, Firefox 4.0 came out. Just 2 days ago, Firefox 6.0 came out. And scarily enough, they’re already testing in the nightly builds version 8.0. Damn Mozilla, slow down. I can’t update and test fast enough!

App Tabs: Take sites you always keep open—like Web mail—off your tab bar and give them a permanent home in your browser.
Organize your Tabs with Panorama: Too many tabs? Reclaim your browser from tab clutter! Panorama lets you drag and drop your tabs into manageable groups that you can organize, name and arrange in a fun and visual way.
Scratchpad: One of our new, built-in developer tools, Scratchpad lets you build and test snippets of JavaScript code right in the browser, saving you time and precious keystrokes.

I’m already a fan of Scratchpad. And so far, it seems like Firefox 6.0 is a tad bit faster and also seems to use less RAM.

[ Links: Firefox 6.0 Download, Features ]

Why did you get a smartphone with the fastest processor and huge amount of RAM and a graphics processor that makes a prior generation video game system green with envy? For animated weather, that’s why.

Okay… perhaps not. But still, this application for Google Android phones is real impressive to say the least.

The exquisitely realistic video effects of cloudiness, rain and snow provide the vivid sensation of current or future weather conditions for more than 50,000 locations over the world.

• Animated daily weather forecast
• Realistic Video effects of cloudiness, rain and snow
• Multiple scene backgrounds
• Global world weather
• 50,000+ locations worldwide
• Auto update forecast

Currently on sale from $9.95 down to $4.95 for the Pro version in the Android Market, there’s also a Free version for your phone as well with widgets being promised sooner than later.

[ Links: Animated Weather Application for Android, MobilityFlow ]

Land Rover will be showcasing their most eco-friendly sport utility vehicle, the Land Rover Evoque during the Paris 2010 Motor Show on September 30th. However, some early information has already leaked out.

• Luxurious coupe design with a compact and more efficient footprint than other Range Rover models
• Targeting a new group of customers for the Range Rover brand
• Bold exterior is an evolution of Range Rover design language
• Strong, clean interior architecture with a contemporary and sporting feel
• Premium cabin with the high quality materials expected from a Range Rover.
• Available with full sized glass panoramic roof flooding the interior with natural light
• Use of efficient powertrain and advanced lightweight materials
• Smaller – at a 171 inches (434cm) it is 17 inches (432mm) shorter and 7 inches (178mm) lower than Range Rover Sport models
• Permanent all-wheel drive combined with turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an updated six-speed auto transmission deliver excellent perforrmance and fuel economy
• All-new 240 bhp 2.0-litre Si4 turbocharged engine combining six-cylinder refinement and performance with four-cylinder fuel economy
• All-new chassis specification delivers dynamic and agile handling across varied terrain, with optional Adaptive Dynamics featuring MagneRide™
• All-weather, all-surface capability with Land Rover Terrain Response®
• An extensive suite of Range Rover technologies including Bluetooth® audio streaming and optional Surround camera system
• To be sold in 160 countries worldwide, with deliveries from Fall 2011

With their new EcoBoost Si4 engine, the Evoque promises to be as fuel efficient as a 4-cylinder on the highway or in the city. With a release set for next Fall… I know what I’ll be saving for! No word on price yet though.

[ Links: Hello Evoque, Land Rover Evoque ]

Microsoft unveiled their new Internet Explorer today, in beta form and it’s a definite leap above their prior 3 iterations of their browser easily. With HTML5 support, built-in integration with Windows 7 and 32-bit and 64-bit versions for Microsoft Vista and Windows 7 as well as support for hardware acceleration and a real clean interface, Internet Explorer 9 is nothing like the versions before it – it actually works well and lacks that sluggishness in the UI.

The improvements to Internet Explorer are as much about what you don’t see as what you do see. Internet Explorer 9 has a streamlined design, fewer dialog boxes to click through, more intuitive navigation, and many new features that speed up your web browsing experience. Features like Pinned Sites let you pin your favorite website directly to the taskbar for one-click access. Other features, like hardware acceleration, deliver an all-around faster browsing experience. With Internet Explorer 9, websites perform and feel more like the programs you use every day on your PC.

The bad part? If you’re still running Microsoft Windows XP, don’t even attempt it. And to be honest, the integration in Windows 7 is a tad bit more in-depth and seamless than with Windows Vista – but the experience is close enough between the two operating systems that I think it’s merely reflective on my like of Windows 7 and my intense dislike for Vista.

Seriously though? I’m impressed. It’s fast – I mean like Opera 10.6 fast – and the UI is not in the way at all. Combined with Adobe’s release today of their 64-bit Native Flash 10.1 Player nicknamed “Square” (download here), it seems like Internet Explorer might become an option once again for developers and people who have long abandoned Internet Explorer since the very early Mozilla/Opera days… like me.

Bravo Microsoft. You’ve all but shut up my typical hatred for all things Internet Explorer. Besides speed and support for new technologies though, let’s hope you’ve worked on the security of this browser just as well. That’s the other reason I disliked Internet Explorer.

[ Links: Beauty of the Web, Download IE9 Beta ]

Apple today unveiled their new Apple TV device, which as rumors had suggested costs $99, tops out playback at 720p and is focused on renting TV episodes for a dollar or new films for five dollars.

There’s no hard drive in this incarnation, with everything streamed via either 802.11n Wi-Fi or Ethernet connectivity. The unit also comes with Netflix streaming service embedded. As rumors also suggested, broadcasters are still afraid of cannibalizing their traditional TV cash cow, so Apple scrapped a more interesting subscription-based TV service for this fairly standard rental model, which only features content from ABC and Fox.

Great price, great option if you were looking for one that has no internal storage is basically a “rent only” device; however it is not for me.

Link to the original article…

At the Apple Keynote today, Steve Jobs pulled out the oft-rumored $99 Apple TV (finally) and the long awaited update to the Apple iPod Touch that brings the best parts of the Apple iPhone 4 to the music player. Think about all of the good parts of prior Apple iPhone 4 announcements:

• Facetime – forward facing camera
• Retina Display – 960 x 480 high-density pixel display
• 720p HD Video Recording via improved, 5mp back camera
• Apple A4 SoC chipset for improved performance and battery life
• 40 hours audio playback, 7 hours video playback
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only)
• Bluetooth

And the inability to also make phone calls! har har

Showing up at 8, 32 and 64GB sizes, at $229, $299 and $399 respectively, the Apple iPod Touch just upped the ante for the mp3 players with extended abilities. Not bad at all Apple. More on the Apple TV later.

[ Links: Apple, Apple iPod Touch ]

Google finally is showing off what exactly that Gizmo Project purchase can do for you. Earlier this year, Google Voice was made available for all US citizens, finally leaving the closed beta since it’s Grand Central days – yet another Google purchase. Anyway, it works as easy as follows:

Calls to the U.S. and Canada will be free for at least the rest of the year and calls to other countries will be billed at our very low rates. We worked hard to make these rates really cheap (see comparison table) with calls to the U.K., France, Germany, China, Japan and many more countries – for as little as $0.02 per minute.

Dialing a phone number works just like a normal phone. Just click “Call phone” at the top of your chat list and dial a number or enter a contact’s name.

Also, last week, Linux users got the ability to finally use video chat via the browser too. Gmail is getting even better and better.

[ Links: Official Gmail Blog ]

OtterBox has popped out another case for the Apple iPhone 4, this time part of their Commuter Series.

The OtterBox Commuter Series offers three sleek layers of security to complement the iPhone 4’s thin design. First, a self-adhering screen protector keeps the Multi-Touch display screen safe from scratches. Next, a silicone mid-layer absorbs shock, keeping the glass panels safe from bumps and shock. Finally, a polycarbonate shell provides added strength and helps the device slide easily in and out of a pocket or purse. The Commuter Series offers coverage for the iPhone 4 power button, volume rocker and home button, while silicone plugs for the charging port and headphone jack keep out dust and dirt but flip open for easy access.

With a good layer of protection on the sides, this is yet another way to avoid Apple’s “Antennagate” and the dreaded “death grip” where you lose all of your signal. Priced at $34.95.

[ Links: OtterBox ]

It all started with Microsoft registering “arctouchmouse.com” in March of this year that started the speculation that Microsoft had indeed conjured up a touch variant of their Microsoft Arc Mouse. Now just a few months later, it seems like Microsoft has a bit of a leak and some of the product pictures have surfaced on the Internet, showing their upcoming multi-touch Arc Touch Mouse.

The unconventional looking mouse sports touch-based scrolling, replacing the scroll wheel with a sensor running between the buttons, and like a traditional mouse it can glide over flat surfaces using BlueTrack technology. As its name implies, the device has an arching palm rest to comfortably fit your hand, but the real kicker is that it can also flatten out for easier transportation. There’s also a battery level indicator and ultra-compact nano-transceiver for 2.4GHz wireless connectivity that disappears when not in use in the battery compartment.

Set to go on sale in October – looking like it might be released in Europe first, then the US – for around $69.95, the same price as the Apple multi-touch Magic Mouse.

[ Links: TechSpot, I Started Something ]

Exclusive this month at Bloomingdales with wider distribution next month, Marc Jacobs set out to make a spicy cologne that would allude to sexuality while maintaining an intimate scent that would entice your partner to stay close. With notes that include: cedar, white, black and pink pepper notes, vetiver, white moss, and patchouli; Bang is an utterly masculine scent that doesn’t give off killer sillage.

In simpler terms, it’s to be enjoyed by you and the person close to you, not the entire room. After one wearing of this scent, I’m a fan – reminds me of Hermes Terre D’Hermes but lighter, yet slightly spicier. Sold at 3.4 and 1.7 ounce sizes for the eau de toilette at $75 and $55 respectively, this is definitely a scent to add to your list.

[ Links: Marc Jacobs Bang at Bloomingdales ]

Google Earth just keeps on getting better and better. The latest improvement comes in the form of the “clouds layer”, which displays what is happening with the weather in real time (in a few supported locations). Once the layer is activated, you can watch it rain or snow in real time.

For now it is limited to parts of North America and Western Europe, but knowing Google it won’t take long for other locations to start appearing.

Link to the original article…

I’ve already posted at least one anti-Apple iPad rant or so here already. But the guys over at TechStartups have compiled an even better list:

5 Reasons NOT to buy an Apple iPad:

• No Multitasking – No searching the web as you chat on AIM, no listening to Pandora as you read an eBook. Sure, the iPad is faster than your smartphone, but what good is added speed when you will have to be constantly going in and out of apps instead of being efficiently able to do them all at once?
• No Flash – An understandable limitation in the world of cell phones, but this is unacceptable in a product trying to position itself in the world of notebooks. Not only do many websites require flash to view certain content, some require it to access the website.
• Limited Software – Like the iPhone, only runs apps from the Apple’s App Store. Although there are tons of apps at Apple’s store, it still bans certain apps, such as Google Voice, your notebook does not.
• What will you use it for? – The iPad is not going to replace any of your existing technology. Your smartphone may have a smaller screen, but it does just about everything the iPad does (not to mention makes phone calls), the iPad’s clumsy touch screen keyboard and limited capabilities make it incapable of replacing your laptop, and even a Kindle is a more practical alternative to the iPad as an eReader.
• It is sure to get better – If you still feel like you really need an iPad, at least wait until the next model comes out. By then Apple will have heard all the above complaints and it will be greatly improved, and probably cheaper. Case in point: the iPhone.

I’m sure people will want to argue about the multi-tasking since it’s an update that’s been rumored to happen with the upcoming OS 4.0 – but remember this. For each update for the Apple iPod Touch, the users have had to pay for those updates. And if multi-tasking is coming, it’s yet to be officially announced.

Love the list, now go check out Techstartups.

[ Links: Just Say No, Techstartups ]