Mozilla has pushed out another beta of Firefox 4 – this time one with over 1,000 bug fixes.
Other changes include a simplified bookmark sync set-up, ‘polish’ to the add-ons manager and the usual bout of speed, performance and stability enhancements.

Download @ mozilla.com/firefox/beta/
For those who demand it be installed properly a PPA is also available

Microsoft has issued a warning about a serious vulnerability in all versions of its Internet Explorer (IE) browser.
If exploited by a booby-trapped webpage the bug would allow attackers to take control of an unprotected computer.
Code to exploit the bug has already been published though Microsoft said it had no evidence it was currently being used by hi-tech criminals.
A workaround for the bug has been produced while Microsoft works on a permanent fix.
Code injection
The bug revolves around the way that IE manages a computer’s memory when processing Cascading Style Sheets – …

Sony has launched a new music and video download service as it gears up to challenge Apple’s iTunes.
The announcement, made at the IFA technology fair in Berlin, was timed to coincide with an Apple media event in the US.
The cloud-based service will be available on PlayStation 3s, Bravia TVs, Blu-Ray players and Sony’s personal computers.
Initially it will offer movies. Music will be added at the end of the year.
Sony’s online services platform Qriocity has offered video-on-demand in the US since April this year but will now be available in Europe.
The …

There’s a Linux distribution for every occasion and the main purpose of Jolicloud is to present a web enabled GUI for netbooks and similar devices. I’m going to take a look at a preview release of the forthcoming 1.1 version. Under the hood, it’s based on the Ubuntu long term service release (10.04), and the front end is handled by a combination of the Chromium web browser and a full screen user interface that eschews overlapping windows.
Netbooks are the obvious target of this distribution, and by default, it’s setup as a …

The first release candidate of office-suite LibreOffice is now available to download.
The RC1 sees bug fixes, branding refinements and stability improvements. As with the beta releases, use of this version is not recommended in a production environment.
Full change-log
Download
Unofficial .deb installers exist for Ubuntu users to use. Users upgrading from LibreOffice Beta 2 need to uninstall the suite prior to installing the release candidate.

download.documentfoundation.org/libreoffice/testing/3.3.0-rc1/deb/

Bing is putting social gaming into search results pages, letting users play a title without ever having to visit its specialty Bing Games site, or the publisher’s hosted game page on social networks like Facebook.

The first social title to be offered with this functionality is Happy Island from social gaming company Crowdstar. When a Bing user searches for the game in Bing, the full playable title will show up as an embedded result on the top of the page using technology from Sibblingz. Users can then play through the first …

Apple announced today that unit sales of its tiny set-top box are expected to reach 1 million by the end of this week.
The Apple TV, which launched in September, is one-quarter the size of its predecessor, and allows users to rent and stream television shows and movies from iTunes on their televisions. The set-top box also features access to Netflix, podcasts, and Flickr. Users can stream music content from their computers, and use AirPlay to send multimedia content from their iOS-based devices to the Apple TV. It retails for $99.
But …

The Humble Indie Bundle is back! Independent gaming company WolfireGames are once again letting you set the price for five of mutli-platform DRM-free games.
The games making up the bundle include the first ever Linux releases of platform puzzler ‘Braid’ and side-scrolling action game Coretx Command, the launch of new game Revenge of the Titans as well as indie favourites Osmos & Machinarium.
The bundle is only on offer for the next 7 days. Set your price (don’t be a grinch) over @ humblebundle.com

The latest iteration of web browser Opera has been released.
Adding in many new features, refinements and obligatory performance boosts, it’s an essential upgrade for Opera fans and well worth a punt for the curious.
This minute-and-a-bit video by Opera demonstrates the new features succinctly. For the stat hounds the the full change-log for Linux is here.
Download @ opera.com

Unveiled earlier this year at the D8 Conference in California, the Tegra toting tablet is designed to replace traditional teaching aids such as textbooks and notepads with one tool: the Kno. It will be complimented by the ‘Kno Bookstore’ – an online shop accessible from the Kno where students can purchase textbooks at a substantially lower price than that of physical RRP’s.
The Kno will is available in two versions: A dual screen ‘book’ version that boasts two huge 14.1″ screens, each just shy of A4 size, and a single-screened traditional style tablet – again with a 14.1″ screen. These …