Firefox 2 beta 1 sees light of day

Mozilla has released the first beta of version two of the popular Firefox browser. The beta features an anti-phishing tool that is turned on by default. In the same vein as Microsoft's upcoming Internet Explorer 7, the technology checks URLs against a list of known phishing sites. ...more

Google claims victory over DoJ

As expected, a US Judge has ordered search engine Google to hand over a random 50,000 URLs in its database to the Department of Justice. However, Google managed to scale down the original request and Judge Wade has also ordered that any request by the Government to disclose the search queries of any users would be denied. Originally the Department of Justice had demanded access to the company's search logs running into billions of URLs and two month's worth of search queries. ...more

Google Desktop leaves beta

Google Desktop is now officially out of beta. The product aims to organise not only a user's web searches but will also index a range of files on the local hard disk including Word and Excel documents as well as stored email messages. It will also include chats via Chats from AOL 7+, AOL Instant Messenger 5+, and MSN Messenger. ...more

IGF - Major changes ahead for domain name system

The chairman of ICANN has given the biggest indication yet of a major change ahead for the domain name system. Vint Cerf told the open session of the inaugural Internet Governance Forum that he accepts that it will be necessary to expand the range of characters that can be used in domain name so that individuals and organisations can include characters from their own languages in their websites' URLs. 'There is a strong interest in the existing and nascent Internet community to have the ability to register domain names written in the characters used in their preferred languages,' he told the audience in Athens, Greece, before adding that, 'therein lies a huge technical challenge. ...more

Boeing cans in-flight wireless network

Boeing has dropped plans to use wireless networking to deliver in-flight entertainment on its new 787 Dreamliner plane because of problems with plane weight and the technology itself. A wireless network would add 200lbs (90kg) per plane, rather than 50lbs (22kg) for a wired network. Also, Boeing could not get permission to use certain wireless frequencies from some countries, spokeswoman Lori Gunter said. ...more