Avencius

In a response to the growing concern for privacy and security among educational institutions, Opera Software announced that it will offer a site license free.

Students surf safely with Opera: Opera site license free for educational institutions
Oslo, Norway Jan. 12, 2005

Opera Software today announced that it will offer free site licenses to higher education institutions. In an effort to meet the student and university need for security on the Internet, Opera offers a secure, fast and reliable Internet browsing alternative at no cost to schools. This new offer is in response to schools' increasing concern over potential security threats students may encounter while using less secure browsers.

As Internet users become more and more concerned about security risks while surfing the Web, Opera's tightly coded, cross-platform browser serves as an alternative to more vulnerable browsers. Opera provides additional value to students by offering tabbed browsing, integrated searches and pop-up blocking. Opera's saved sessions feature can also be used as an organizational and management tool for students who are researching various topics on the Web. A number of institutions, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and Oxford University, have already made Opera available to their student community.

The Mozilla Foundation officially announced today that Mozilla Thunderbird, the open-source mail client with news and RSS support, has been downloaded 2 million times! This is a good move for the people using previously Outlook Express as Thunderbird enjoys the same good security as Firefox.

Opera Software today announced that their product will be included on ARCHOS' new WiFi enabled Pocket Media Assistant PMA400, which will be the first portable video player to include full internet access with the Opera browser.

Opera completes portable video player: Bringing The New ARCHOS Pocket Media Assistant PMA400 Into the Wireless Realm
Oslo, Norway Jan. 11, 2005

Opera Software today announced that the Opera browser will be included on ARCHOS' new WiFi enabled Pocket Media Assistant PMA400. The PMA400 will be the first portable video player to include full Internet access with the fast Opera browser and its unique rendering technology for all screen sizes.

The Pocket Media Assistant is the first Linux®-based 30GB portable video player and recorder, which allows consumers to record directly from the TV, listen to music, browse the Internet and stay connected, for entertainment or productivity anytime, anywhere. With integration of the Opera browser, users can enjoy full Internet access while on the move, making the PMA400 the most versatile portable video player and recorder on the market.

The Mozilla Foundation announced that Mozilla Firefox and Mozilla Thunderbird will support the new U3 standard proposed by Sandisk and M-Systems. This new standard is already backed by a growing list of companies and is specifically specified for managing applications and data on USB flash drives.

Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird to Support New Open Standard Platform for USB Drives

Award-winning Open Source Software to Extend Reach with U3â„¢ Platform

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – January 7th, 2005 – The Mozilla Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving choice and promoting innovation on the Internet, today announced that its Mozilla Firefox web browser and Mozilla Thunderbird e-mail client will support the new U3 standard for managing applications and data on USB flash drives, allowing people to easily carry, store and launch Mozilla software from any PC. As an industry consortium founded by SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) and M-Systems (NASDAQ: FLSH) along with other industry leading software vendors and content providers, U3 looks to expand the USB Flash Drive technology market beyond storage by creating an open standard platform to attract a community of independent developers to build applications for U3 devices. Through Mozilla’s vibrant open source development community, an existing project to provide portable versions of Firefox and Thunderbird for USB flash drives, led by volunteer developers, will be extended to embrace this new standard.

Neowin.net informs us that Secunia has issued a less critical deemed advisory for Mozilla 1.7.5 (and lower) and Firefox 1.0.

Description:
Secunia Research has discovered a vulnerability in Mozilla / Mozilla Firefox, which can be exploited by malicious people to spoof the source displayed in the Download Dialog box.

The problem is that long sub-domains and paths aren't displayed correctly, which therefore can be exploited to obfuscate what is being displayed in the source field of the Download Dialog box.

The vulnerability has been confirmed in Mozilla 1.7.3 for Linux, Mozilla 1.7.5 for Windows, and Mozilla Firefox 1.0. Other versions may also be affected.

Solution:
Do not follow download links from untrusted sources

Opera Software released the first preview of Opera 8.0 for the Mac platform. As this is a preview release, unlike the beta releases for Windows and Linux, it is only intended for those with daring hearts. Happy bug hunting!

Today is an organized day in the Netherlands for raising funds for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Asia and East Africa. Please consider donating to international or national organizations to help these victims. Make sure your donation will come to the right place by using Google's Tsunami Relief page which lists international organizations. Dutch people can donate to giro 555 or SMS the message "Geef" to the number 2020 which will send € 1,50 to giro 555 from your mobile account.

Opera Software ASA today released a new Opera Beta (version 8.00) for Linux-based operating systems.

New Opera Beta now available for Linux
Oslo, Norway Jan. 6, 2005

Opera Software today released the much awaited beta version of its next browser for the Linux platform. Opera is breaking ground once again with a range of new usability tools, including Fit-to-Window-Width, Fit-to-Paper-Width, improved RSS handling, Start Bar for easy access to main features, and automatic update checks -- all presented in a simplified user interface (UI). Still keeping some secrets up their sleeve, Opera has yet to reveal the name of their newest browser version.

"We were preparing for the 7.60 release, but as work progressed and we kept adding improvements and functionality, it became very evident that we now have a browser that is so powerful, secure, and easy to use that it exceeds the next logical version number and warrants a major release," says Jon S. von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software, and adds that all those who have licensed Opera 7 will, of course, receive free upgrades. "The new Opera version has dramatic improvements under the hood, in addition to some very helpful new features to welcome more and more users to take advantage of browsing the Internet in a fast, safe, and customizable way."

Ben Goodger, leading the Firefox development, has updated his Inside Firefox blog with more information concerning the 1.1 release which will not be a hugely ambitious release.

Firefox 1.1

OK, the realization that March is approaching rapidly is dawning on us. This week or next we're going to get our acts together and draw together a rough list of things we need for Firefox 1.1. This is not a hugely ambitious release, but what it will see is:

• a resync with the Mozilla development trunk, and all the performance, stability and feature work that goes along with that,
• various other Firefox bugfixes (Firefox1.1 milestone)