Because of higher security, more modern functions and speed more users are switching from the obsolete internet Explorer to alternative browsers every day. The most popular alternative browser is Mozilla Firefox. Version 1.0 was released on 9th November 2004 and at this moment this free and opensource browser has been downloaded 50 million times. This huge number doesn’t even include downloads from non-official web sites, downloads using filesharing apps or installations from CDs that you can get with many magazines.

Here are some Firefox download milestones:

• 1 million - in first 24 hours
• 2.5 million - in first two days
• 10 millions - in first month
• 25 millions - in less than 100 days

What are you waiting for? Download and install Firefox and rediscover the web!

More:
Firefox: Blazing a Trail to 50,000,000

Linux users are able to run their operating system and almost all of the apps (including Firefox and Thunderbird) in 64-bit mode on AMD64 compatible processors (like AMD Athlon 64) for more then a year now. A couple of days ago Microsoft has also finally released their 64-bit version of their OS and they call it Windows XP Professional x64 Edition. Many of us now wonder when will we be able to get 64-bit Firefox for 64-bit Windows. There are still some bugs that need to be fixed before we will be able to download official release from Mozilla. But if you can’t wait you can get third party binaries on this page.

Before using 64-bit Firefox you have to know that you will also need 64-bit plugins. 32-bit ones will not work. Unless Firefox developers come up with some solution similar to the one in Konqueror from KDE, where 32-bit plugins work just fine inside a 64-bit browser (or so I heard). The good thing is that extensions should work without a problem as they don’t need to be compiled.

More info:

• New binary will work on XP x64 release
• Is Windows XP x64’s IE relatively secure (for now)?

This Thursday, at the second anniversary celebration of Opteron, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) started selling world’s first 64-bit multi-core processors. At first they are only available for servers and workstations as dual-core AMD Opteron CPUs. AMD also announced the new brand name for desktop dual-core processors: AMD Athlon 64 X2. We will be able to buy these in June.

Besides improved performance and true multi-tasking another great thing about dual-core AMD processors is that you will not have to replace your motherboard (if it has socket 939 or 940). You only need to upgrade the BIOS and replace single-core CPU with dual-core one and you are ready to rock.

Visit this web page to read more:
AMD Announces World’s First 64-Bit, x86 Multi-Core Processors For Servers And Workstations At Second-Anniversary Celebration Of AMD Opteron™ Processor

Version 4.0.0 of GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) has just been released. GCC is by far the most widely used compiler (its job is to transform source code into program you can use) for Linux and other open source software. In this major version there are many new features and a new optimization infrastructure. All this means we get faster compiles and quite a bit faster running apps. BTW, Gentoo users, GCC 4.0.0 is already in portage. But I would wait a bit before using it because the new version is also more strict about the code syntax and many apps don’t even compile with it.

A very informative article about the danger of software patents has been written by Christian Schaller and posted on OSNews.com. It tells you a lot about why software patents are so bad for all of us and how we should tell this to politicians so they can do something to keep them away from us. Here is the introduction:

We today face the risk of software patents being approved in the EU because not enough parliamentary members will be showing up to vote. Due to this it is important for those of us who oppose software patents to make sure EU parliament members see the damage software patents cause, so they realize it is important to be there to vote providing the needed absolute majority. But sending out a clear message is also important for the process of patent reform in the US and other places who have fallen into the trap of introducing them.

Full article:
The argument against software patents

Check out this very cool poster for Mozilla Firefox:

What do you think? Is it too offensive? For more information and for a larger, high quality image check out this post:
Please release “Always Use Protection” condom Poster

Two days ago Russian spacecraft Soyuz TMA-6 lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. On board were European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori and two members of ISS Expedition 11 crew (the Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev and NASA astronaut John Phillips). Today they successfully docked with the International Space Station.

For Vittori this is the second visit to the ISS. During his 8-day stay he will carry out an extensive experiment program in the fields of human physiology, biology, technology and education. He will leave the station on 24 April together with the old ISS crew and inside the old spacecraft Soyuz TMA-5 (Soyuz needs to be replaced every six months).

Read more:

• Eneide Mission

People from Mozilla have released a new versions of Firefox, the best web browser. In version 1.0.3 they have fixed several security problems and enhanced the upgrading routine. You can download the new version from here. If you would like to get this free download with eMule, aMule or any similar application, then the ED2K links are available here.

European Space Agency’s space workshop was held at Aston University, Birmingham, England on the 6th and 7th April 2005. Scientists from all over the world debated robotic mission options up to 2013 in the first phase of the Aurora program. European scientists have strongly recommended a rover equipped mission should be the next one to visit Mars. It would conduct a detailed analysis of the Martian environment and search for traces of past or present life. Three candidate missions are considered: BeagleNet, ExoMars and its variant ExoMars-Lite. The launch is expected for June 2011. Detailed proposal is being prepared for consideration in December 2005.

More here:
Europe goes back to Mars

Firefox is already one of the best web browsers. It is well known for its security, speed and modern features. Despite all this development of the next version is happening at fast rate. Asa Dotzler has posted a plan for the 1.1 releases of Firefox, Thunderbird and XULRunner.

There will be three cycles. In the first one they plan to finalize and stabilize developer features and after that release Deer Park Developer Preview. Deer Park is the project codename for Firefox 1.1. About five weeks after this the second cycle should complete and we should get Firefox General Preview. In the third phase we can expect a couple of release candidates and then finally the highly anticipated 1.1 final releases sometime in June/July.

More in this blog post:
the plan for the 1.1 releases

So you have installed 64-bit Windows XP x64 on your AMD64 machine and now you are searching for a good 64-bit firewall to go along. If this is the case, take a look at Tiny Firewall 64. As they say, it is a native 64-bit version of Tiny Firewall 2005. You can download a public beta version from this page. The final version is expected sometime in May 2005.

Press release:
Tiny Software Releases 64-bit Firewall for AMD64, EMT64 and Itanium

From this day forward Mandrake is no more. The French company, famous for their simple to use Linux distribution, has changed the name into Mandriva. There are two primary reasons for this step. Firstly, Mandrakesoft - Conectiva merger needs a new identity. Furthermore, they avoid a long-winding trademark lawsuit with Hearst Corporation. It is time to update your bookmarks to Mandriva Linux, Mandriva Club and other web pages

You can read more in this press release:
Mandrakesoft Announces Name Change!

More news from AMD. They have just started shipping the new revision (E3) of their 64-bit processor AMD Athlon 64. It is codenamed Venice and brings an improved memory controller and support for SSE3 instructions. It also uses the new 90nm production process which enables even lower power consumption and has higher frequency and overclocking potential. You can also get these new CPUs with 1 MiB of L2 cache and those are codenamed San Diego. The fastest AMD Sempron also got upgraded to the new technology and is known under the codename Palermo.

People at X-bit Labs have a lot of information about the new revision and they have also made some benchmarks. The new CPUs can be overclocked quite high. Especially Sempron:

• AMD Athlon 64 3800+ CPU: E3 Processor Core aka Venice at the Door
• Another Gift to Overclockers: AMD Sempron 3100+ on E Core Revision

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) at first intended to launch dual-core AMD Opteron processors in the third quarter of this year. But server makers from Taiwan say that we could see them sooner, sometime in the middle of the second quarter. If true this would mean May 2005.

More here:
AMD may advance dual-core Opteron processor launch

Mozilla Firefox is a very well known web browser and extremely popular these days because of the security, speed and modern features. Have you ever wondered how did it look like during development phase? When has some cool feature been added? How many times was its name changed? To read about the history of Mozilla Firefox and see some screenshots from the old days check out this article:
The History of Mozilla Firefox: From Phoenix, to Firebird, to Firefox