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This week: News, tips and tricks, poll, projects information, and more.
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Mozilla Links - English Edition
Issue # 13 - February 17, 2004
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Welcome back to Mozilla Links!
It's all about the brand new Mozilla brand. Mozilla Firefox is the
final name for the standalone browser and 0.8 is the new version
number. With this change, the Mozilla Foundation is honoring its
commitment to the Firebird Database open source project to drop the
name to avoid confusion among open source software users. Among
several improvements, perhaps the most welcomed is the availability
of a Windows installer which not only eases the setup process but also
simplifies the installation of popular plug-ins like Macromedia Flash
and the Java Runtime Environment (JRE).
Firefox 0.8 is such a highly anticipated release that mozdev.org,
mozillazine.org, and the Mozilla Firefox Help site had problems
handling the wave of users looking for the latest information,
downloading extensions or participating in forum discussions covering
the always controversial topic of naming.
Along with the new name and version, a definitive logo for Mozilla
Firefox was released. A new image featuring an agile firefox (red
panda) surrounding a globe, a product slogan ("The browser,
reloaded") and a marketing slogan ("Take back the web") were unveiled,
as well as buttons you can use to let your web visitors know about
this terrific product. Grab them at:
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/buttons.html
Thanks for reading and please send any comments to
newsletter-feedback@mozilla.org .
Percy Cabello
Mozilla Links
----------------------------------------------------------------------
In this issue:
1. BETTER MOZILLA
- WML Browser
- Hidden Tricks With Bookmark Drag and Drop
- Set Your Translation Engine
2. THE NEWS
- Mozilla Firebird Renamed Firefox, Version 0.8 Released
- Mozilla Thunderbird 0.5 Released
- Nvu 0.1 Released
- MozillaZine Launches Knowledge Base
- Introducing the Mozilla Visual Identity Team
3. MOZILLA INSIDER
4. MOZILLA PROJECTS
- Project of the Week: Dictionary Search
- Independent Status Report
5. MOZILLA LINKS POLL
6. CONTACT INFO
1. BETTER MOZILLA
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Featured Resource: WML Browser
(developed by Matthew Wilson)
If you have ever hesitated exploring the web-browsing capabilities
of your cell phone because of wasting precious minutes or megabytes
in just getting to know the mobile web, fear no more.
WML browser adds to Mozilla Browser and Mozilla Firefox (preview
technology) the capability to browse WML files (web pages for mobile
devices). Just install this small extension (13 KB), restart your
browser and type a mobile web address in the Location Bar.
A new window will open displaying the -usually- small web page.
For starters, you can visit http://www.google.com/wml
Visit http://wmlbrowser.mozdev.org/ to give this nice extension a try.
****
Mozilla Links Tip: Hidden Tricks With Bookmark Drag and Drop
(contributed by Daniel Wang)
You may have noticed that in Mozilla Application Suite, you can't drag
bookmark folders within bookmarks or to the Personal Toolbar. In fact,
it is possible; just press Alt or Shift while you drag and that's it.
Bug warning: If you drop a folder to the Bookmarks button and release
the mouse button before the Bookmarks menu opens, the entire content
of your folder may be lost. To avoid this problem, remove the
Bookmarks button from the Personal Toolbar in Edit/Preferences/
Navigator.
Other similar tips about bookmarks:
- To copy a folder or bookmark, press down Ctrl and drag it.
- To set a new home page, drag a bookmark or the site icon in the
Location Bar to the Home button. (However, you can't do the same with
bookmark folders).
- To switch between tab groups fast, put your tab group bookmarks on
your Personal Toolbar.
****
Mozilla Links PowerTip: Set Your Translation Engine
(contributed by Percy Cabello)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Following our previous issue's PowerTip, we'll now show you how to
further customize the translation functionality Mozilla 1.6
brought back.
By default, Mozilla Browser directs the current webpage address (URL)
to the Google Translation Tool which returns the translated web page.
So the trick consists of getting Mozilla to direct the URL to the
desired translation engine instead of Google's. There could be many
reasons for doing this: from the fact that Google offers a limited
number of languages, to improved correction another translation engine
could provide.
For this Power Tip, we will use the Systran free translation engine.
- Type "about:config" in the Location bar
- Search for the parameter "browser.translation.service"
- Change the value from:
http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=/language_tools&u...
to
http://www.systranbox.com/systran/box?systran_id=SystranSoft...
en&systran_charset=utf-8&systran_lp=en_es&systran_url=
It's important that the parameter for the URL to be the last one,
since Mozilla will append the current URL to this string.
You may also notice a parameter called systran_lp in this example with
the values "en_es". It means, for Systran, that we want to translate
from (en)glish to spanish ((es)panol). The specific parameter names
and values are particular for each translation engine.
Visit a translation website that supports typing in a web address to
be translated, and try it. In the resulting web page, check for the
URL displayed in the location bar and you should be able to figure
out
which parameter is which and set the specific string for
browser.translation.service in about:config to your convenience.
Need to find a translation engine? Visit Google Directory:
http://directory.google.com/Top/Science/Social_Sciences/Lang...
Linguistics/Translation/Tools/Translation_Engines/
****
Need more tips? Try the TipBar Extension to get the Tip of the Day in
Mozilla Firefox. Grab it at http://tipbar.mozdev.org
You can also visit http://www.mozillatips.com for more fun tips for
your favorite browser.
Have a Tip or a PowerTip? Let other users know about it by sending it
to newsletter-feedback@mozilla.org .
2. THE NEWS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(contributed by MozillaZine, your source for Mozilla news and
advocacy. http://www.mozillazine.org )
Mozilla Firebird Renamed Firefox, Version 0.8 Released
------------------------------------------------------
The standalone Mozilla Firebird browser has been renamed to Firefox
and received an upgrade to version 0.8. This latest release features a
new download manager, bookmarks enhancements, better support for
extensions and several thousand other improvements. Windows users can
benefit from a new installer, while Mac OS X users will enjoy the new
Aqua-style theme, Kevin Gerich and Stephen Horlander's Pinstripe.
Firefox is the browser's third name. The last name, Firebird, drew
strong objections from the Firebird database community when it was
announced in April. The database community's supporters and commercial
backers waged a high-profile campaign against mozilla.org and
affiliated parties until mozilla.org announced that Firebird would
only be used as a codename. The new Firefox moniker is intended to be
used as a permanent product name and a strong brand identity will be
built around it. The new name was chosen after extensive international
trademark searches and consultations with lawyers. The process of
registering Firefox as a trademark with the United States Patent and
Trademark Office began in December last year.
Download Mozilla Firefox 0.8:
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/download.html
Mozilla Firefox 0.8 Release Notes:
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/releases/0.8.html
Full story: http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=4278
Mozilla Thunderbird 0.5 Released
--------------------------------
The Mozilla Foundation has released the latest preview release of its
new email and newsgroups application, Mozilla Thunderbird. This
release features Palm address book synchronisation, IMAP performance
improvements, better LDAP support, enhanced Netscape 4.x migration,
spell check/dictionary improvements, and many other bug fixes and
minor tweaks.
Download Mozilla Thunderbird 0.5:
http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/
Mozilla Thunderbird 0.5 Release Notes:
http://www.mozilla.org/projects/thunderbird/release-notes.ht...
Full story: http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=4277
Nvu 0.1 Released
----------------
Version 0.1 of Nvu, the open-source Web development tool based on
Mozilla Composer, has been released. The application, developed by
Daniel Glazman's Disruptive Innovations for Linux distributor
Lindows.com, is available for LindowsOS, other Linux distributions and
Microsoft Windows from the Nvu download page.
Download Nvu 0.1: http://nvu.com/download.html
Full story: http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=4254
MozillaZine Launches Knowledge Base
-----------------------------------
Mozilla news and community site MozillaZine has officially launched
its new Knowledge Base (KB), which was previously available in beta
form. The KB uses the same software as the popular Wikipedia
open-source encyclopedia, MediaWiki. A Wiki allows anyone to not only
view it, but also add, edit and remove information. In the coming
months, MozillaZine hopes that enough people participate so that they
can use the content to build an enterprise version, which will help
the Mozilla Foundation to land more licensing and support deals, and
secure further funding for the Mozilla project.
MozillaZine Knowledge Base: http://kb.mozillazine.org/
Full story: http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=4279
Introducing the Mozilla Visual Identity Team
--------------------------------------------
One of the most striking aspects of the Mozilla Firefox 0.8 release
is
the browser's new logo. This graphic is the work of the Mozilla
Visual
Identity Team, part of the Mozilla Marketing Project. The Visual
Identity Team is headed by Steven Garrity of silverorange, who was
contacted by Mozilla Marketing lead Bart Decrem after writing
document
of Mozilla branding suggestions last year. Steven began to assemble a
group of designers, including his coworkers Daniel Burka and Stephen
DesRoches, to improve quality and consistency of the visual elements
of the Mozilla products. The creators of Firefox's default Mac OS X
theme, Kevin Gerich and Stephen Horlander, are also part of the team.
The actual Firefox logo itself was created by Jon Hicks of
hicksdesign, who was recruited by Steven Garrity when he saw a set of
Camino icons Jon had designed. The concept for the Firefox logo came
from Daniel Burka and the final image is based on a sketch by Stephen
DesRoches.
Full story: http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=4319
3. MOZILLA INSIDER
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(contributed by Alex Bishop)
Even though the most recent milestones of Mozilla Firefox and Mozilla
Thunderbird were only released a few days ago, development continues
unabated. There's a new test build of Thunderbird with an enhanced
junk mail detection algorithm available for Windows users who like to
live at the cutting edge (bug 181534) and Firefox will soon be gaining
powerful new migration abilities. The Firefox feature will allow users
of the Mozilla Application Suite, Netscape Communicator 4.x, Internet
Explorer (Windows and Mac), Opera, Safari and OmniWeb to transfer
their settings and data to Firefox automatically, smoothing the
transition.
Meanwhile, popup blocking continues to get better, with fewer events
(occurrences such as the mouse pointer moving over an area of a page
or a key being pressed) now able to trigger popups. In addition, a new
limit to how many popups can be open at once should prevent users from
being overwhelmed (bug 197919).
Finally, full support for Scalable Vector Graphics edges closer, with
a backend rewrite landing, though the format is still not enabled in
the regular builds (bug 182533).
Details about the Thunderbird junk mail test build:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=53709
Bug 197919: http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=197919
Bug 181534: http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=181534
Bug 182533: http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=182533
Full status update: http://www.mozilla.org/status/2004-02-16.html
4. MOZILLA PROJECTS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(contributed by Brian King)
Project of the Week: Dictionary Search
Dictionary Search provides a very easy way to lookup or translate a
word on a webpage in an online dictionary of your choice such as
dictionary.com. Simply select the word that you want to lookup, then
context click and select "Dictionary Search for ...". A new tab will
open with the meaning of the word you selected. It works for both the
Mozilla Application Suite and Mozilla Firefox.
http://www.mozdev.org/featured/index.html
****
Independent Status Reports
The independent status reports include news and updates from
Mozilla application and extension projects hosted on mozdev.org
and elsewhere in the Mozilla community.
The latest report was posted on February 15, 2004 and includes:
* Firefox 0.8 and Thunderbird 0.5 were released earlier in the week.
Despite the name change, Firefox is continuing to get positive reviews
and set the standard for modern Web browsing. The name change may have
broken some extensions, so if you suspect this is the case with one
you have installed, contact the project owner or file a bug on it.
Your continued participation will help Mozilla grow to a wider user
base. *
MSDbar - v0.6, a Bioinformatics Toolbar to search the Protein Data
Bank (wwPDB), has added an uninstallation procedure using jslib.
Searches now include Lucene keyword searches and other features
include a tidied up Options menu to make it more accessible.
http://msdbar.mozdev.org/
DownloadWith - v0.0.6.
DownloadWith is a Mozilla/Firefox extension to download files with
external programs like wget, prozilla, Downloader for X, Download
Accelerator Plus and GetRight. It features support for Windows,
Linux and Unix and you can download sample downloader settings to get
you started.
http://downloadwith.mozdev.org/
Mozilla-Delphi, a project with resources for working with Mozilla in
Borland Delphi and Kylix, has made available JavaScript Bridge classes
online! These classes allow you to use Mozilla's JavaScript engine to
provide run-time scripting in Delphi and Kylix applications. A new
article, Delphi 4 Lizard Taming, provides solutions to some current
project problems and a reworked browser framework for Delphi 4.
http://delphi.mozdev.org/
MozManual - Final 1.0, a Manual for First Time Users; a brief overview
and feature guide, has a draft preview of an HTML version now
available.
http://mozmanual.mozdev.org/
mozCC - v0.7.7, is an extension which provides an easy way to view
Creative Commons license metadata embedded in Web pages. This week saw
the release of 0.7.7, with major bug fixes. It also adds support for
non-HTML content, including SMIL and SVG (for SVG-enabled builds only)
files.
http://yergler.net/projects/mozcc/
Launchy - 1.7.0, which opens links and mailto's with external
applications, has added support for more applications including
Mozilla Firefox, MyIE2 and Eudora.
http://gemal.dk/mozilla/launchy.html
Reload Every - v0.2, which enables you to reload a web page
automatically every so many minutes or seconds, was released on the
14th of February. This version adds the ability to enable/disable
Reload Every on all tabs at once. Furthermore, a custom reload time
can now be set by the user.
http://reloadevery.mozdev.org/
Dictionary Search - v0.3, is a context menu item which looks up words
in a Web page using an online dictionary. The new version fixes a bug
which can freeze Mozilla and Firefox and adds the ability to search
for a phrase, for example "The King", instead of a word.
http://dictionarysearch.mozdev.org/
Read more about each of these projects in the full report at
http://www.mozdev.org/status/2004-02-15-status.html
5. MOZILLA LINKS POLL
----------------------------------------------------------------------
In our last issue we asked what Mozilla merchandise you would be more
likely to buy, here are the results:
- Clothing 29% |]]]]]]
- Accessories 6% |]
- Mugs, glasses, coasters, etc. 27% |]]]]]]
- Paper stuff 10% |]]
- Tech related 21% |]]]]
- Tools 2% |
- Bags 5% |]
- Car gear 1% |
(*) Results may not sum up to 100% due to rounding.
This issue's poll: Do you plan to make Mozilla Firefox your main
browser?
- It already is
- Yes, as soon as it gets some feature in the roadmap I am missing
- Yes, as soon as it hits 1.0
- Yes, if it becomes part of a suite
- No, I'm fine with Mozilla Application Suite
- No, I'm fine with my current browser
Let your voice be counted at http://newsletter.mozdev.org
------------------------ ADVERTISEMENT ------------------------------
Mozilla CDs are available worldwide right now for only US$5.95 plus
low shipping and handling. This is a great opportunity to contribute
to the Mozilla Foundation and have a handy copy of your favorite
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You can also subscribe to the Mozilla CD for US$17.95 and get every
Mozilla CD release delivered to your hands for a year.
Mozilla T-shirts are available starting at $15.95.
Visit http://store.mozilla.org now!
Your ad can be here! Visit http://newsletter.mozdev.org/mlsp.html
for more details!
7. CONTACT INFO
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mozilla Links(TM) is a bi-weekly electronic newsletter published by
the Mozilla Links Newsletter project.
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COMMENTS : Welcome at newsletter-feedback@mozilla.org
Mozilla Links is currently translated into Chinese (Traditional),
Czech, Dutch, German, Japanese and Polish.
Copyright 2004 by the Mozilla Links Contributors.
The Mozilla Links Newsletter is released under the Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 1.0 license, available at
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/1.0/legalcode
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