Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Technical Details

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, the latest release of Red Hat's trusted datacenter platform, delivers advances in application performance, scalability, and security. With Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, you can deploy physical, virtual, and cloud computing within your datacenter, reducing complexity, increasing efficiency, and minimizing administration overhead while leveraging technical skills and operational know-how. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 is an ideal platform to translate current and future technology innovations into the best value and scale for IT solutions.

Efficiency, Scalability, and Reliability

Scalability

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 supports more sockets, more cores, more threads, and more memory.

Efficient Scheduling

• The CFS schedules the next task to be run based on which task has consumed the least time, task prioritization, and other factors. Using hardware awareness and multi-core topologies, the CFS optimizes task performance and power consumption.

Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability (RAS)

• RAS hardware-based hot add of CPUs and memory is enabled.
• When supported by machine check hardware, the system can recover from some previously fatal hardware errors with minimal disruption.
• Memory pages with errors can be declared as "poisoned", and will be avoided.

Filesystems

• The new default file system, ext4, is faster, more robust, and scales to 16TB.
• The Scalable File System Add-On contains the XFS file system, which scales to 100TB.
• The Resilient Storage Add-On includes the high availability, clustered GFS2 file system.
• NFSv4 is significantly improved over NFSv3, and is backwards compatible.
• Fuse allows filesystems to run in user space allowing testing and development on newer fused-based filesystems (such as cloud filesystems).

High Availability

• The web interface based on Conga has been re-designed for added functionality and ease of use.
• The cluster group communication system, Corosync, is mature, secure, high performance, and light-weight.
• Nodes can re-enable themselves after failure without administrative intervention using unfencing.
• Unified logging and debugging simplifies administrative work.
• Virtualized KVM guests can be run as managed services which enables fail-over, including between physical and virtual hosts.
• Centralized configuration and management is provided by Conga.
• A single cluster command can be used to manage system logs from different services, and the logs have a consistent format that is easier to parse.

Power Management

• The tickless kernel feature keeps systems in the idle state longer, resulting in net power savings.
• Active State Power Management and Aggressive Link Power Management provide enhanced system control, reducing the power consumption of I/O subsystems. Administrators can actively throttle power levels to reduce consumption.
• Realtime drive access optimization reduces filesystem metadata write overhead.

Unprecedented Resource Management

System Resource Allocation

• Cgroups organize system tasks so that they can be tracked, and so that other system services can control the resources that cgroup tasks may consume (Partitioning). Two user-space tools, cgexec and cgclassify, provide easy configuration and management of cgroups.
• Cpuset applies CPU resource limits to cgroups, allowing processing performance to be allocated across tasks.
• The memory resource controller applies memory resource limits to cgroups.
• The network resource controller applies network traffic limits to cgroups.

Storage

• A snapshot of a logical volume may be merged back into the original logical volume, reverting changes that occurred after the snapshot.
• Mirror logs of regions that need to be synchronized can be replicated, supporting high availability.
• LVM hot spare allows the behavior of a mirrored logical volume after a device failure to be explicitly defined.
• DM-Multipath allows paths to be dynamically selected based on queue size or I/O time data.
• Very large SAN-based storage is supported.
• Automated I/O alignment and self-tuning is supported.
• Filesystem usage information is provided to the storage device, allowing administrators to use thin provisioning to allocate storage on-demand.
• SCSI and ATA standards have been extended to provide alignment and I/O hints, allowing automated tuning and I/O alignment.
• DIF/DIX provides better integrity checks for application data.

Networking

• UDP Lite tolerates partially corrupted packets to provide better service for multimedia protocols, such as VOIP, where partial packets are better than none.
• Multiqueue Networking increases processing parallelism for better performance from multiple processors and CPU cores.
• Large Receive Offload (LRO) and Generic Receive Offload (GRO) aggregate packets for better performance.
• Support for Data Center Bridging includes data traffic priorities and flow control for increased Quality of Service.
• New support for software Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) is provided.
• iSCSI partitions may be used as either root or boot filesystems.
• IPv6 is supported.

Designed-In Security

Access Control

• SELinux policies have been extended to more system services.
• SELinux sandboxing allows users to run untrusted applications safely and securely.
• File and process permissions have been systematically reduced whenever possible to reduce the risk of privilege escalation.
• New utilities and system libraries provide more control over process privileges for easily managing reduced capabilities.
• Walk-up kiosks (as in banks, HR departments, etc.) are protected by SELinux access control, with on-the-fly environment setup and take-down, for secure public use.
• Openswan includes a general implementation of IPsec that works with Cisco IPsec.

Enforcement and Verification of Security Policies

• OpenScap standardizes system security information, enabling automatic patch verification and system compromise evaluation.

Identity and Authentication

• The new System Security Services Daemon (SSSD) provides centralized access to identity and authentication resources, enables caching and offline support.
• OpenLDAP is a compliant LDAP client with high availability from N-way MultiMaster replication, and performance improvements.

Stable Application Development and Production Platform

Web Infrastructure

• This release of Apache includes many improvements, see Overview of new features in Apache 2.2
• A major revision of Squid includes manageability and IPv6 support
• Memcached 1.4.4 is a high-performance and highly scalable, distributed, memory-based object caching system that enhances the speed of dynamic web applications.

Java

• OpenJDK 6 is an open source implementation of the Java Platform Standard Edition (SE) 6 specification. It is TCK-certified based on the IcedTea project, and the implementation of a Java Web Browser plugin and Java web start removes the need for proprietary plugins.
• Tight integration of OpenJDK and Red Hat Enterprise Linux includes support for Java probes in SystemTap to enable better debugging for Java.
• Tomcat 6 is an open source and best-of-breed application server running on the Java platform. With support for Java Servlets and Java Server Pages (JSP), Tomcat provides a robust environment for developing and deploying dynamic web applications.

Development

• Ruby 1.8.7 is included, and Rails 3 supports dependencies.
• Version 4.4 of gcc includes OpenMP3 conformance for portable parallel programs, Integrated Register Allocator, Tuples, additional C++0x conformance implementations, and debuginfo handling improvements.
• Improvements to the libraries include malloc optimizations, improved speed and efficiency for large blocks, NUMA considerations, lock-free C++ class libraries, NSS crypto consolidation for LSB 4.0 and FIPS level 2, and improved automatic parallel mode in the C++ library.
• Gdb 7.1.29 improvements include C++ function, class, templates, variables, constructor / destructor improvements, catch / throw and exception improvements, large program debugging optimizations, and non-blocking thread debugging (threads can be stopped and continued independently).
• TurboGears 2 is a powerful Internet-enabled framework that enables rapid web application development and deployment in Python.
• Updates to the popular web scripting and programming languages PHP (5.3.2), Perl (5.10.1) include many improvements.

Application Tuning

• SystemTap uses the kernel to generate non-intrusive debugging information about running applications.
• The tuned daemon monitors system use and uses that information to automatically and dynamically adjust system settings for better performance.
• SELinux can be used to observe, then tighten application access to system resources, leading to greater security.

Databases

• PostgreSQL 8.4.4 includes many improvements, please see PostgreSQL 8.4 Feature List for details.
• MySQL 5.1.47 improvement are listed here: What Is New in MySQL 5.1.
• SQLite 3.6.20 includes significant performance improvements, and many important bug fixes. Note that this release has made incompatible changes to the internal OS interface and VFS layers (compared to earlier releases).

System API / ABI Stability

• The Red Hat Enterprise Linux: Application Compatibility Specification document defines stable, public, system interfaces for the full ten-year life cycle of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. During that time, applications will not be affected by security errata or service packs, and will not require re-certification. Backward compatibility for the core ABI is maintained across major releases, allowing applications to span subsequent releases.

Integrated Virtualization

Kernel-Based Virtualization

• The KVM hypervisor is fully integrated into the kernel, so all Red Hat Enterprise Linux system improvements benefit the virtualized environment.
• The application environment is consistent for physical and virtual systems.
• Deployment flexibility, provided by the ability to easily move guests between hosts, allows administrators to consolidate resources onto fewer machines during quiet times, or free up hardware for maintenance downtime.

Leverages Kernel Features

• Hardware abstraction enables applications to move from physical to virtualized environments independently of the underlying hardware.
• Increased scalability of CPUs and memory provides more guests per server.
• Block storage benefits from selectable I/O schedulers and support for asynchronous I/O.
• Cgroups and related CPU, memory, and networking resource controls provide the ability to reduce resource contention and improve overall system performance.
• Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability (RAS) features (e.g., hot add of processors and memory, machine check handling, and recovery from previously fatal errors) minimize downtime.
• Multicast bridging includes the first release of IGMP snooping (in IPv4) to build intelligent packet routing and enhance network efficiency.
• CPU affinity assigns guests to specific CPUs.

Guest Acceleration

• CPU masking allows all guests to use the same type of CPU.
• SR-IOV virtualizes physical I/O card resources, primarily networking, allowing multiple guests to share a single physical resource.
• Message signaled interrupts deliver interrupts as specific signals, increasing the number of interrupts.
• Transparent hugepages provides significant performance improvements for guest memory allocation.
• Kernel Same Page (KSM) provides reuse of identical pages across virtual machines (known as deduplication in the storage context).
• The tickless kernel defines a stable time model for guests, avoiding clock drift.
• Advanced paravirtualization interfaces include non-traditional devices such as the clock (enabled by the tickless kernel), interrupt controller, spinlock subsystem, and vmchannel.

Security

• In virtualized environments, sVirt (powered by SELinux) protects guests from one another

Microsoft Windows Support

• Windows WHQL-certified drivers enable virtualized Windows systems, and allow Microsoft customers to receive technical support for virtualized instances of Windows Server

Enterprise Manageability

Installation, Updates, and Deployment

• Anaconda supports installation of a “minimal platform” as a specific server installation, or as a strategy for reducing the number of software packages to increase security.
• Red Hat Network and Red Hat Network Satellite continue to provide management, provisioning, and monitoring for large deployments.
• Installation options have been reorganized into “workload profiles” so that each system installation will provide the right software for specific tasks.
• Dracut, a replacement for mkinitrd, minimizes the impact of underlying hardware changes, is more maintainable, and makes it easier to support third party drivers.
• The new yum history command provides information about yum transactions, and supports undo and redo of selected operations.
• Yum and RPM offer significantly improved performance.
• RPM signatures use the Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA256) for data verification and authentication, improving security.
• Storage devices can be designated for encryption at installation time, protecting user and system data. Key escrow allows recovery of lost keys.
• Standards Based Linux Instrumentation for Manageability (SBLIM) manages systems using Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM).
• ABRT enhanced error reporting speeds triage and resolution of software failures.

Routine Task Delegation

• PolicyKit allows administrators to provide users access to privileged operations, such adding a printer or rebooting a desktop, without granting administrative privileges.

Printing

• Improvements include better printing, printer discovery, and printer configuration services from cups and system-config-printer.
• SNMP-based monitoring of ink and toner supply levels and printer status provides easier monitoring to enable efficient inventory management of ink and toner cartridges.
• Automatic PPD configuration for postscript printers, where PPD option values are queried from printer, are available in CUPS web interface.

Microsoft Interoperability

• Samba improvements include support for Windows 2008R2 trust relationships: Windows cross-forest, transitive trust, and one-way domain trust.
• Applications can use OpenChange to gain access to Microsoft Exchange servers using native protocols, allowing mail clients like Evolution to have tighter integration with Exchange servers.

Source : Redhat

40 useful APIs for web designers and developers

An application programming interface (API) is a set of rules and specifications that software programs can follow to communicate or ‘interface’ with each other.

As developers are well aware, there are hundreds of APIs out there for doing almost anything you could imagine online. Some are better than others, and some are definitely more useful than others.

Below are forty of the most useful APIs out there. The included APIs will let you do everything from shortening a URL to displaying a book preview on your site to interacting with your Twitter account, and everything in between.

Please share with us which APIs have you found most useful and feel free to recommend others that we may have missed…

The Google APIs

Google offers dozens of APIs for web designers and developers.

Some are specifically related to popular Google products, like Gmail and Analytics, while others are more specialized and aren’t part of public programs.

All are free to use, of course. You can view all of Google’s APIs and code tools on their site directory.

• Feed API – The Google Feed API lets you download any public feed (including RSS, Media RSS, and Atom) and then combine them into mashups. It simplifies the mashup process by using JavaScript rather than more complex server-side coding.
• Places API – Google Places is a large directory of local businesses and attractions all around the world. The Places API lets you access that information and display it on your website, as well as display check-ins by users.
• Geocoding API – The Geocoding API lets you convert any address into geographic coordinates, which can then be used to place markers on a map.
• Tasks API – The Tasks API offers endpoints for reading, searching, and updating Google Tasks content and metadata.
• Analytics Management API – The Analytics Management API gives improved access to your Analytics data, and lets you fine-tune your requests to just pull the information and reports you need for your application.
• Blogger Data API – The Blogger Data API lets your application create and post new blog posts, edit or delete existing posts, and search for posts based on specific criteria.
• Books API – The Google Books API lets you integrate book searches into your application, and embed book previews on your site.
• Calendar API – The Calendar API gives access to many of the standard web interface tools and operations to your web app. Public calendar events can be searched and viewed without authentication, while authenticated sessions can access private calendars, as well as edit, create, or delete those calendars.
• Moderator API – Google Moderator is a tool for collecting ideas, questions, and recommendations from any size audience. The API allows your website or application to do the same.
• Prediction API – The Prediction API helps you make smarter apps that can analyze historic data and predict future outcomes. It can be used for things like recommendation systems, spam detection, upsell opportunity analysis, and more.
• Picasa Web Albums Data API – The PWA Data API can be used to create albums and upload, retrieve, or comment on photos, among other features. It’s been used for everything from powering digital photo frames to full-featured mobile clients and more.
• Static Maps API – You don’t always want an interactive map on your site. Sometimes a static map is just what you need. The Static Map API lets you embed static Google Maps onto your site, including custom styled maps.
• Directions API – The Directions API lets your users get directions from one point to another using a variety of travel modes from within your site or app, and doesn’t require a Google Maps API Key.
• YouTube APIs – YouTube has two APIs available: Player APIs and Data API. The Player APIs allow you to have an embedded player, or a chromeless player that you can then customize within HTML or Flash. The Data API lets your app perform a lot of the operations available on YouTube, including uploading videos and modifying user playlists.
• Webmaster Tools API – The Webmaster Tools API lets your client application use a variety of Webmaster Tools functions, including viewing sites, adding and removing sites, verifying site ownership, and submitting and deleting Sitemaps.
• Google Web Fonts API – The Web Fonts API makes it easy to add free web fonts to your website or application. Their collection of fonts grows on a continuous basis and already includes a huge variety.
• OpenSocial – OpenSocial can be used for building social applications, creating social app platforms, and sharing and accessing social data.

The Yahoo! APIs

Like Google, Yahoo! offers a number of APIs useful for developers. All are free to use and can help you integrate a variety of Yahoo!-owned web services into your app, including Flickr and Delicious.

• Answers API – The Answers API lets you access the collective knowledge contained within Yahoo! Answers. You can search Answers based on a variety of criteria (including specific user, category, and more), set your app to watch for new questions in the categories you choose, and track new answers from specific users.
• Contacts API – The Contacts API lets you access relationships in your Yahoo! address book. It reads a user’s Contacts information while respecting user privacy and permission settings.
• Delicious API – The Delicious API gives read/write access to Delicious bookmarks and tags.
• Fire Eagle Developer API – The Fire Eagle API helps you create location-aware websites and applications.
• Flickr API – With the Flickr API you can view, search, and manipulate photo tags, display photos from a specific user or group, and more.
• Local API – The Local API lets you access location-based information and user-contributed content.
• Maps APIs – Yahoo! offers a number of APIs for their Maps services, including an Ajax API, a REST API, and a No Coding API.
• Meme API – Meme is a multimedia light-blogging platform. The API lets you create apps that can read, post, and repost content through Meme.
• PlaceFinder – The PlaceFinder API, similar to Google’s GeoCoding API, and lets you convert a street address into geographic coordinates.

More APIs

Yahoo! and Google aren’t the only ones offering powerful APIs for designers and developers. A number of social media sites and others have their own API(s), including Twitter, Facebook, Yelp, Bit.ly, and many more.

• Twitter API – Twitter has a host of developer tools surrounding their API that let you create apps that interact with virtually any of Twitter’s functions.
• Facebook APIs – Facebook offers APIs for working with Credits, Ads, Chat, and more, including a couple of legacy APIs that are no longer actively supported. Also found here is the Graph API, which is the backbone of the Facebook Platform, and enables your app to read and write data to Facebook.
• Awe.sm – Awe.sm offers a number of developer APIs for integrating their social media campaign tracking tools into your app or website.
• Foursquare APIv2 – The Foursquare API not only allows you to create apps that interact with the Foursquare service, but also to use Foursquare’s place-related database as a standalone service.
• Ning API – Ning offers a set of APIs for developing desktop and mobile apps, custom network features, profile apps, and data importers.
• Soundcloud API – Soundcloud’s API includes tools for sharing, streaming, and customizing the Soundcloud player for your website.
• Klout API – The Klout API makes a variety of data available to developers, including Klout Scores, Network Influence, Amplification Probability, True Reach, and more.
• Social Mention API – The Social Mention API provides a stream of real-time search data from a number of social media services for integration into other applications. It’s free for personal and non-commercial use.
• Opus Social Media API – The Opus Social Media API can serve as a basis for developing a social networking and digital media site or app.
• Digg API – Digg offers an API that lets you access their newsfeeds for your own sites and applications.
• Yelp API – The Yelp API lets you access business listing info, business ratings, and review excerpts from Yelp in your application or website.
• Zillow Neighborhood Information APIs – Real estate site Zillow offers APIs that give access to neighborhood information that can be integrated into other applications. (They also offer a number of other APIs, including postings, property details, home valuations, and more.)
• Tropo – The Tropo API adds Twitter, IM, voice and SMS functionality to a variety of common programming languages. Development is free, though sending messages varies in price (with Twitter and IM messages currently free).
• Bit.ly API – Bit.ly offers an API for integrating URL shortening into your app or site.

 

HTC pays Microsoft $5 for every Android phone

Phone maker HTC is paying Microsoft $5 for every Android smartphone it makes in a legal settlement, according to a Citigroup analyst report on Microsoft.

The report, released today, said the fee was the result of a settlement reached between the Taiwanese phone maker and Microsoft over patent claims. HTC sells phones and tablets that run on Android, as well as Microsoft's mobile operating system Windows Phone.

Microsoft has sued Motorola and Barnes & Noble over patent claims on Google's mobile operating system Android.

Google gives away Android at no charge, and Microsoft is pursuing lawsuits against manufacturers that install the software on devices they sell.

"Our understanding is Microsoft is looking for a $7.50 to $12.50 per unit license to settled alleged infringement of Microsoft patents," the Citi report said.

As per the Update of 3:26 p.m.:

Microsoft declined to comment on the Citi report Friday.

The two companies said they had settled the patent dispute on April 27.

"HTC and Microsoft have a long history of technical and commercial collaboration, and today’s agreement is an example of how industry leaders can reach commercial arrangements that address intellectual property," said Horacio Gutierrez, a deputy general counsel at Microsoft, in an April statement.

Microsoft to Acquire Skype

Combined companies will benefit consumers, businesses and increase market opportunity

REDMOND, WA, and LUXEMBOURG, 10 May 2011 - Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) and Skype Global S.à.r.l. today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Microsoft will acquire Skype, the leading Internet communications company, for $8.5 billion in cash from the investor group led by Silver Lake. The agreement has been approved by the boards of directors of both Microsoft and Skype.

The acquisition will increase the accessibility of real-time video and voice communications, bringing benefits to both consumers and enterprise users and generating significant new business and revenue opportunities. The combination will extend Skype's world-class brand and the reach of its networked platform, while enhancing Microsoft's existing portfolio of real-time communications products and services.

With 170 million connected users and over 207 billion minutes of voice and video conversations in 2010, Skype has been a pioneer in creating rich, meaningful connections among friends, families and business colleagues globally. Microsoft has a long-standing focus and investment in real-time communications across its various platforms, including Lync (which saw 30 percent revenue growth in Q3), Outlook, Messenger, Hotmail and Xbox LIVE.

Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a wide array of Windows devices, and Microsoft will connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities. Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms.

"Skype is a phenomenal service that is loved by millions of people around the world," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. "Together we will create the future of real-time communications so people can easily stay connected to family, friends, clients and colleagues anywhere in the world."

Skype will become a new business division within Microsoft, and Skype CEO Tony Bates will assume the title of president of the Microsoft Skype Division, reporting directly to Ballmer.

"Microsoft and Skype share the vision of bringing software innovation and products to our customers," said Tony Bates. "Together, we will be able to accelerate Skype's plans to extend our global community and introduce new ways for everyone to communicate and collaborate," Bates said.

"Tony Bates has a great track record as a leader and will strengthen the Microsoft management team. I'm looking forward to Skype's talented global workforce bringing its insights, ideas and experience to Microsoft," Ballmer said.

Speaking on behalf of the investor group that sold Skype to Microsoft, Egon Durban, managing director of Silver Lake, said: "We are thrilled with Skype's transformation during the period of our ownership and grateful for the extraordinary commitment of its management team and employees. We are excited about Skype's long-term future with Microsoft, as it is poised to become one of the world's most dynamic and comprehensive communications platforms."

Founded in 2003, Skype was acquired by eBay in September 2005, and then acquired by an investment group led by Silver Lake in November 2009. Skype has made impressive progress over the past 18 months under Silver Lake's leadership, increasing monthly calling minutes by 150 percent, developing new revenue streams and strategic partnerships, acquiring the intellectual property powering its peer-to-peer network, and recruiting an outstanding senior management team.

Other members of the selling investor group led by Silver Lake include eBay International AG, CPP Investment Board, Joltid Limited in partnership with Europlay Capital Advisors; and Andreessen Horowitz.

The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The parties hope to obtain all required regulatory clearances during the course of this calendar year.
About Skype

Skype is communications software whose purpose is to break down barriers to communication. With an Internet-connected device, families, friends and colleagues can get together for free with messaging, voice and video. At low cost, they can also call landlines or mobiles virtually anywhere in the world. Skype has recently introduced group video, allowing groups of more than two people to do things together whenever they're apart.

Founded in 2003 and based in Luxembourg. Skype can be downloaded onto computers, mobile phones and other connected devices for free.
About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this release that are "forward-looking statements" are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties.
Actual results could differ materially because of factors such as:

• Execution and competitive risks in transitioning to cloud-based computing;
• Challenges to Microsoft's business model;
• Intense competition in all of Microsoft's markets;
• Microsoft's continued ability to protect its intellectual property rights;
• Claims that Microsoft has infringed the intellectual property rights of others;
• The possibility of unauthorized disclosure of significant portions of Microsoft's source code;
• Actual or perceived security vulnerabilities in Microsoft products that could reduce revenue or lead to liability;
• Improper disclosure of personal data could result in liability and harm to Microsoft's reputation;
• Outages and disruptions of services provided to customers directly or through third parties if Microsoft fails to maintain an adequate operations infrastructure;
• Government litigation and regulation affecting how Microsoft designs and markets its products;
• Microsoft's ability to attract and retain talented employees;
• Delays in product development and related product release schedules;
• Significant business investments that may not gain customer acceptance and produce offsetting increases in revenue;
• Unfavorable changes in general economic conditions, disruption of our partner networks or sales channels, or the availability of credit that affect demand for

Microsoft's products and services or the value of our investment portfolio;

• Adverse results in legal disputes;
• Unanticipated tax liabilities;
• Quality or supply problems in Microsoft's consumer hardware or other vertically integrated hardware and software products;
• Impairment of goodwill or amortizable intangible assets causing a charge to earnings;
• Exposure to increased economic and regulatory uncertainties from operating a global business;
• Geopolitical conditions, natural disaster, cyberattack or other catastrophic events disrupting Microsoft's business; and
• Acquisitions and joint ventures that adversely affect the business.

For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with Microsoft's business, please refer to the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors" sections of Microsoft's SEC filings, including, but not limited to, its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Microsoft's Investor Relations department at (800) 285-7772 or at Microsoft's Investor Relations website at www.microsoft.com/investor.

All information in this release is as of 28 April 2011. The company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the company's expectations.

[ NOTE  Ref : Skype, The Above posted article was been posted by Skype and the same is been published to update the readers without any kind of Alterations]  

Firefox 4 for Mobile

- By Kapil Bodke , 1st May 2011

  

It was a most happiest moment of every firefox user to see the same browser on the phone. As of now the browser is been released for Andriod and Maemo based phones. This version is packed with some good stuff let us have a eye on it :

1. Sync : This feature synchronizes the browsing between the desktop and mobile. This is really very helpful when we are heavily loaded with N number things to do and in the same time to reach the site very easy from mobile that we did saw on our desktop.

2. Customize : using this feature we can install the addon plugins and make it familiar the way we want.

3. Search : Type less and get to the Web faster using the Awesome Screen. This makes the searching very easy and handy and definitely will save the valuable time.

Release notes by Mozilla Firefox Team

Take your Firefox anywhere. Firefox 4 for Android and Maemo is built on the same technology platform as Firefox 4 for desktop computers, just optimized for browsing on a mobile device. Check out the new and improved features, known issues, and frequently-asked questions. As always, you’re encouraged to provide suggestions to improve Firefox for mobile or file a bug in Bugzilla. If you need help, visit the Firefox Mobile Support Forum.

There is also list of mobile devices that support this versions of firefox and are been tested sucessfully at Mozilla firefox labs. we just have a look at the requirements and list of these devices.

For operating system Maemo only 1 device is been listed as of now

• Nokia N900

Whereas about Android phones

• Firefox is compatible with Android 2.0 and above devices.
• Installation requires about 17 MB internal or SD card storage and 512 MB of RAM

Supported Devices - Tested

• Advent Vega (P10AN01)
• Dell Streak
• Dell Streak 7
• HTC Desire
• HTC Desire Z (T-Mobile G2)
• HTC Desire HD (AT&T Inspire 4G)
• HTC Droid Incredible
• HTC EVO 4G
• HTC EVO Shift 4G
• HTC Glacier (T-Mobile myTouch 4G)
• HTC Nexus One
• HTC Thunderbolt 4G
• Huawei Ideos S7
• LG Optimuz Z
• Motorola Atrix 4G
• Motorola Bravo
• Motorola Defy
• Motorola Droid 2, Droid 2 Global
• Motorola Droid Pro
• Motorola Droid X
• Motorola Xoom
• POV Mobii Tegra Tablet
• Samsung Continuum (i400)
• Samsung Galaxy S (i9000, Captivate, Fascinate, Vibrant, Epic 4G)
• Samsung Galaxy Tab
• Viewsonic gTablet

Full list of supported and unsupported devices by are listed at System Requirements wiki.

So, the above all was a update about the software. Now how far every reader knows about the firefox i would just like to share the same information with you all that is been released by firefox team.

Who makes Firefox?

Mozilla is a global, nonprofit organization dedicated to making the Web better. We emphasize principle over profit, and believe that the Web is a shared public resource to be cared for, not a commodity to be sold. We work with a worldwide community to create open source products like Mozilla Firefox, and to innovate for the benefit of the individual and the betterment of the Web. The result is great products built by passionate people and better choices for everyone.

How is Firefox different than the mobile browser I have now?

Firefox for Android and Maemo is built on the same technology platform as Firefox for the desktop, making it fast, easy to use and customizable. Firefox includes Firefox Sync to bring your desktop history, bookmarks, open tabs, passwords and form data across computers and mobile devices. Add-ons let you customize the look and functionality of Firefox, and the Awesome Screen helps you get where you’re going on the Web faster. Learn More

Is Firefox available for my mobile phone?

Firefox is available for download on Google Android (2.0 and above) and Nokia Maemo devices (Nokia N900). Download the latest version of Firefox for mobile by visiting Firefox.com/m on your phone. You can also install Firefox directly from the Android Market. See a full list of Firefox supported platforms and devices. Please check back for regular updates.

Firefox Home, our free app for the iPhone, is also available for download through the App Store. Firefox Home synchronizes your Firefox desktop history, bookmarks and tabs with your iPhone. Learn more.

Will Firefox be available on other mobile devices or platforms?

Due to platform or distribution restrictions, Mozilla is unable to bring the full Firefox browser to Blackberry, Symbian and iOS (iPhone, iPod Touch). We're working to bring Firefox Home to to to other devies and platforms in the future so that users can access their Firefox data wherever they go. Learn more.

Is Firefox available for tablets?

Firefox runs on select tablets and we are continuously adapting Firefox to offer the same experience on tablets as it does on smartphones. See a full list of Firefox supported platforms and devices. Please check back for regular updates.

Is Firefox available in my language?

Firefox for mobile is currently available for download in more than 10 languages and we are working on adding more languages.

Is it called Fennec or Firefox?

Fennec is the codename of Mozilla’s mobile project. Firefox is the official product name.

Downloading

How do I know if my phone is a Firefox supported device?

Check if your phone is on the regularly updated list of Firefox supported platforms and devices. If your phone is not on the list of tested or supported devices, we do not guarantee full functionality. We encourage you try Firefox on a supported device so you can experience the full capabilities.

Will Firefox work with my mobile phone?

Firefox is available for download on Google Android (2.0 and above) and Nokia Maemo devices. Download the latest version of Firefox by visiting Firefox.com/m on your phone. Android users can also install Firefox directly from the Android Market.

Can I download Firefox to the iPhone?

Due to platform or distribution restrictions, Firefox is not currently available for the iPhone. Firefox Home, our free app for the iPhone, is also available for download through the App Store. While not the full Firefox browser, Firefox Home synchronizes your Firefox desktop history, bookmarks and tabs with your iPhone. Learn more.

Why does Firefox request access to find my (GPS) location when I install it?

Location-Aware Browsing is one of the new features in the HTML5 specification which enables a website to ask for your permission to share your location in order to offer personalized features (see ‘Features” below). The browser will only use your location if you have granted a website permission to do so. It is not used for any other purpose or without your knowledge. Learn more.

Using Firefox

How do I use the Firefox user interface to browse the Web?

Firefox browser controls are stowed away to the sides of the screen to save space on your phone’s display. They can be accessed by swiping your finger left or right across the screen. Your tabs are on the left side of the screen, while bookmarks and settings are on the right. To let you see more of a given site, the address bar also disappears when you scroll down, but it’s quickly retrieved by swiping up or to the side.

How do I zoom in and out?

On your Android phone, pinch to zoom, or double tap the screen with your finger to zoom in and out. On your Nokia N900, double tap the screen or use the volume rocker to zoom in and out.

How do I bookmark a website?

Go to the site you wish to bookmark. Swipe left and tap on the bookmark star.

How do I open/close a tab?

Swipe right and tap the new tab button marked with a plus sign located at the bottom. To close a tab, tap the red X on the side of the thumbnail image of the open tab.

What if I close a tab by mistake?

If you accidentally close a tab, bring it back by tapping the undo arrow at the bottom of your open tabs.

Features

What does the Awesome Screen do?

The Awesome Screen appears by tapping the Awesome Bar (Smart Location Bar). As you type it will display websites that you have recently visited or bookmarked. The Awesome Screen learns as you use it, adapting to your preferences and giving you instant access to a smart list of your favorite history items, bookmarks and open tabs across all of your devices. A list of customizable search engines appear as you type if you’re looking for something new.

What are add-ons and how can I get them on my phone?

Firefox Add-ons let you customize the look, features and functionality of Firefox to personalize your browsing experience. Select the settings gear at the bottom right of your screen, then choose the add-ons puzzle piece. You can search for and install the add-ons that are most useful to you directly from your phone. Firefox will also recommend add-ons on your personalized Start page.

What is Firefox Sync?

Firefox Sync brings your Firefox desktop experience to your mobile phone. It allows you to securely access your Firefox history, bookmarks, tabs and passwords across devices.

How do I use Firefox Sync?

First, create an account on your Firefox on your desktop computer. Then go to Firefox on your mobile and connect your devices by tapping Tools » Preferences » Setup Sync. A single-use sync code will appear. This code will be put into the Firefox menu on your desktop. Select Firefox » Options » Sync » Activate New Device and enter your sync code. Watch the short setup video for more help.

How does Firefox Sync protect data?

Firefox Sync employs a system called “end-to-end” encryption. Firefox Sync asks you for a unique password which it then uses to create a key for encrypting your data. This password is known only to you and it remains only on your device, so that nobody can use it to read your data. For more information on how Firefox Sync protects your security and privacy, see the Firefox Sync page.

What is Location-Aware Browsing?

Location-Aware Browsing saves you time by allowing websites to ask you where you are. If you choose to share your location with a website, it can use that information to find nearby points of interest and return additional, useful data like maps of your area. It’s all optional – Firefox doesn’t share your location without your permission. Learn more about Location-Aware Browsing and view the privacy policy from the Google Location Service.

How accurate are the locations?

Accuracy varies greatly from location to location. In some places, our service providers may be able to provide a location within a few meters. However, in other areas it might be much more than that. All locations returned by our service providers are estimates only and we do not guarantee the accuracy of the locations provided.

Does Firefox on my phone support plugins like Flash?

Firefox 4 for Android and Maemo does not currently support the Flash plugin.

Security

How will Firefox keep me safe while I browse on my mobile?

Firefox features customizable security settings to manage passwords, cookies, loading images, and add-ons to give you complete control over your browsing experience. Instant Website ID verifies that the sites you visit are not suspicious. Mozilla’s open source development process allows thousands of security experts to collaborate on making your browsing experience as secure as possible. Learn more.

Developer Questions

Will a Firefox add-on I built for the PC transfer to mobile? If not, do I need to change it?

Although Firefox for the desktop and mobile are built on the same platform, there are some differences that will require developers to make changes to their add-ons. These changes are usually straightforward. Visit the Extensions Wiki to learn more.

What browser engine does Firefox use?

The desktop and mobile versions of Firefox both use the Gecko rendering engine. The mobile version of Firefox uses Gecko version 2.0, which is the best performing browser engine Mozilla has ever released and includes exciting features such as radically improved JavaScript performance, geolocation support, worker threads and much more.

What JavaScript engine does Firefox use?

Firefox 4 includes the enhanced high-performance SpiderMonkey JavaScript engine with TraceMonkey and Jägermonkey JITs. You’ll notice the speed in everything from faster start-up time and improved page-load speed to the performance of Web applications.

How do I develop a mobile add-on for Firefox?

Visit our mobile add-ons wiki to learn how to develop new and restartless mobile add-ons, as well as learn how to port an existing desktop add-on to mobile. Visit the Mozilla’s Mobile Developer Network for more support documentation and tutorials.

How do I develop a Location-Aware website for Firefox?

Firefox has implemented the first public draft of the Geolocation specification from the W3C. An overview on how to develop Location-Aware websites here.

Does Firefox on my mobile support HTML 5?

HTML5 is the next major revision of HTML. The HTML5 specification is an ongoing work, but there are several HTML5 and related features that will enable Web developers to create more innovative websites and applications. Firefox includes important features like Location-Aware browsing, the <canvas> and <svg> tags, Web workers and offline storage.

How can I get involved?

Check out the mobile page of the Mozilla Developer Network to learn more about how you can contribute. If you’d like to learn more about you can get involved in other mobile-related initiatives, check out our Get Involved page.

Dear Friends, This was all for this current article be in touch will soon post the new updates on various opensource updates

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