Orbit by #Mozilla (AI Add-on for #Firefox) Shuts Down This Month
▻https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/06/orbit-by-mozilla-shutting-down-june-26-2025
Orbit, Mozilla’s AI assistant add-on for its Firefox web browser, is being discontinued as most of its features are now available natively. You’re reading Orbit by Mozilla (AI Add-on for Firefox) Shuts Down This Month, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.
#Mozilla Kills #pocket & Fakespot to Focus on #Firefox
▻https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/05/mozilla-kills-pocket-so-it-can-focus-on-firefox
Mozilla is shutting down Pocket, the “read it later” service it acquired in 2017 and integrated into the Firefox web browser. Pocket shuts down on July 8, but existing users and paying subscribers will be able to export saved stories until October 8, 2025. After that, finito. “Pocket has helped millions save articles and discover stories worth reading. But the way people save and consume content on the web has evolved, so we’re channeling our resources into projects that better match browsing habits today,” they say. Why kill it? The driver, they say, was so it could “…focus our efforts […] You’re reading Mozilla Kills Pocket & Fakespot to Focus on Firefox, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without (...)
#News
#Firefox Now Lets You Add Custom Images to New Tab Page
▻https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/05/firefox-now-lets-you-set-a-custom-new-tab-background-image
A number of new personalisation features have been added to the Firefox New Tab page in the past year, including the ability to pick a background image from a small set of hand-picked pics and solid colours. Pleasant though those curated images are, they’re not to everyone’s tastes. This is why #Mozilla’s engineers have been beavering away on a few enhancements to provide greater customisation — you can “test” them in the latest stable release, which is Firefox 138 at the time I write this. The big change is that you can now “upload your own image” to use as […] You’re reading Firefox Now Lets You Add Custom Images to New Tab Page, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without (...)
#Mozilla Say #Google Search Deal Vital to #Firefox’s Survival
▻https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/05/mozilla-says-google-search-deal-vital-to-firefoxs-survival
Google’s search deal with Mozilla is such a sizeable portion of its overall income that without it, Firefox would struggle to compete – or even survive, say Mozilla. It’s no secret that Google has paid Mozilla handsomely for its search engine to be set default in the Firefox web browser for decades. Mozilla’s financial report for 2023 revealed that the amount of money accrued from its “search deals” that year made up roughly three quarters of its entire income (specific amounts and from whom is confidential; it’s lumped together). That figure was noted to be less than it used to be, […] You’re reading Mozilla Say Google Search Deal Vital to Firefox’s Survival, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without (...)
#News
#Mozilla is Introducing ‘Terms of Use’ to #Firefox
▻https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/02/mozilla-introducing-terms-of-use-to-firefox
Hot off the back of its recent leadership rejig, Mozilla has announced users of Firefox will soon be subject to a ‘Terms of Use’ policy — a first for the iconic open source web browser. “Although we’ve historically relied on our open source license for Firefox and public commitments to you, we are building in a much different technology landscape today. We want to make these commitments abundantly clear and accessible,” say Mozilla. This official Terms of Use will, Mozilla argues, offer users ‘more transparency’ over their ‘rights and permissions’ as they use Firefox to browse the information superhighway1 — […] You’re reading Mozilla is Introducing ‘Terms of Use’ to Firefox, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without (...)
#Mozilla Announce Leadership Changes, Plans to ‘Diversify’
▻https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/02/mozilla-announces-leadership-changes-in-an-effort-to-diversify
Mozilla Corporation’s president, Mark Surman, today announced plans to tackle what he says are ‘major headwinds’ facing the company’s ability to grow, make money, and remain relevant. “Mozilla’s impact and survival depend on us simultaneously strengthening Firefox AND finding new sources of revenue AND manifesting our mission in fresh ways,” says Surman. To do this, Mozilla plans—no groaning—to ‘diversify’ its efforts. How? It will continue to invest in privacy-respecting advertising; fund, develop and push open-source AI features1 in order to retain ‘product relevance’; and will go all-out on novel new fundraising initiatives to er, get us all to chip in […] You’re reading Mozilla Announce Leadership Changes, Plans to ‘Diversify’, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without (...)
#News
#Mozilla’s Nifty AI Detector Add-On for #Firefox
▻https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/02/deepfake-is-an-ai-detector-firefox-addon
Want to find out if the text you’re reading online was written by an real human or spat out by a large language model (LLM) trying to sound like one? Mozilla’s Fakespot Deepfake Detector Firefox add-on may can help give you an indication. Similar to online AI detector tools, the add-on can analyse text (of 32 words or more) to identify patterns, traits, and tells common in AI generated or manipulated text. It uses Mozilla’s proprietary ApolloDFT engine and a set of open-source detection models. But unlike some tools, Mozilla’s Fakespot Deepfake Detector browser extension is free to use, does […] You’re reading Mozilla’s Nifty AI Detector Add-On for Firefox, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without (...)
#Mozilla Revenue Jumped in 2023, But Search Deal Cash Fell
▻https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/12/mozilla-financial-report-2023-revenue-increase
Mozilla’s overall revenue saw a sizeable boost in 2023, despite a drop in income from its lucrative search engine deals. According to its latest financial report, Mozilla’s revenue in 2023 hit ~$653 million (US), up from ~$593 million in 2022. The cause of the increase? Not any flashy new products, services, or deals – just ol’ fashioned interest and dividends (~$47 million) and returns on its investments (~$24 million). In fact, Mozilla’s income from search engine deals actually fell by ~$15 million in 2023. Revenue from ads, sponsored links, and its own product subscriptions (like Pocket) also dipped by ~$9 […] You’re reading Mozilla Revenue Jumped in 2023, But Search Deal Cash Fell, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without (...)
#News
#Mozilla Formally Unveils its Rawr-Some New Logo
▻https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/12/mozilla-new-brand-identity-unveiled
Mozilla has finally announced its new branding, describing its first refresh in over a decade as not merely ‘a facelift’ but an effort to lay the foundation for the company’s next 25 years. If you read this blog regularly — thank you! — you know what the Mozilla’s new branding looks like because I first reported on it back in August. And then again in October when a reader tipped me to the design agency Mozilla had contracted to undertake the work and I shared some of the cool animated mascot art created for it. Personally, I love the new […] You’re reading Mozilla Formally Unveils its Rawr-Some New Logo, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without (...)
#News
#Mozilla’s New Branding Looks Even Better Animated
▻https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/10/mozillas-new-branding-looks-even-better-animated
A few months ago I reported that Mozilla is getting a brand revamp and that it incorporates the non-profit company’s iconic red dinosaur mascot – now I have a lick more info. A reader, Nicolas, recently pointed me to the website of global #design agency Jones Knowles Ritchie, who Mozilla hired to update, refine, and revitalise its brand identity. As design agencies go, Jones Knowles Ritchie has considerable cultural cache having worked with major world-famous brands, ranging from Burger King to Budweiser – and now web browser maker Mozilla. Their website has a dedicated page to showcase their work on […] You’re reading Mozilla’s New Branding Looks Even Better Animated, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without (...)
#News
#Mozilla’s New Logo Brings Back the Dinosaur Mascot (Kinda)
▻https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/08/mozilla-new-logo
A new Mozilla logo appears to be on the way, marking the company’s first major update to its word-mark since 2017. The existing logo, which incorporates the internet protocol “://” and chosen based on feedback from the community, has become synonymous with the non-profit company. But German blogger Sören Hentzschel, an avid watcher of all things Mozilla, recently noticed that a different Mozilla word-mark accompanying the (unchanged) Firefox logo on Mozilla’s ‘Nothing Personal’ webpage: Some digging uncovered a number of recent code commits readying and referencing a refreshed word-mark and symbol for use in the navigation areas of Mozilla websites, […] You’re reading Mozilla’s New Logo Brings Back the Dinosaur Mascot (Kinda), a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without (...)
New #Firefox Features in #Mozilla Roadmap : Vertical Tabs, AI + More
▻https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/05/mozilla-shares-firefox-roadmap
Wondering what sort of features Mozilla has planned for upcoming versions of its Firefox web browser? You needn’t wonder too hard; Mozilla has shared an updated roadmap on its ideas platform outlining its near-term priorities, features, and enhancements that its engineers are already or are soon to begin working on. And be excited, be-be excited as a number of tentpole new features are namechecked, including vertical tabs, tab grouping options, greater personalisation options, and a heads-up on how it plans to approach AI-based helpers/integrations. What’s neat is that the roadmap covers a few things we can test (via the about:config […] You’re reading New Firefox Features in Mozilla Roadmap: Vertical Tabs, AI + More, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without (...)
#Mozilla Drops Axe on its Privacy-Friendly Location Service
▻https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/03/mozilla-location-services-axed
Mozilla has announced it is ending access to Mozilla Location Service (MLS), which provides accurate, privacy-respecting, and crowdsourced geolocation data. Developers and 3rd-party projects that use MLS to detect a users’ location, such as the freedesktop.org location framework #GeoClue, which is used by apps like GNOME Maps and Weather, have only a few months left to continue using the service. New API access keys will not be granted going forward (and pending requests deleted), Mozilla say. In late March, POST data submissions will return 403 responses. Finally, on June 12, all 3rd-party API keys will be removed and MLS data […] You’re reading Mozilla Drops Axe on its Privacy-Friendly Location Service, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without (...)
#Mozilla Announces Layoffs, Renewed Focus on Firefox
▻https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/02/mozilla-announces-layoffs-firefox-ai-plans
Mozilla, makers of the Firefox web browser, is the latest tech company to announce layoffs. The non-profit says it is scaling back development on a number of projects and, as a result, 60 employees (roughly 5% of its total workforce) will lose their jobs. Among projects TechCrunch reports Mozilla has earmarked for cutbacks is its Online Footprint Scrubber — a paid-for feature that was announced barely a week ago. Mozilla VPN, Relay and other privacy products are also being scaled back, with the company of the opinion its products don’t offer much differentiation with competitors. The Mozilla.social Mastodon instance is also […] You’re reading Mozilla Announces Layoffs, Renewed Focus on Firefox, a blog post from OMG! Ubuntu. Do not reproduce elsewhere without (...)
#News
Mozilla says Apple’s new browser rules are ‘as painful as possible’ for Firefox - The Verge
▻https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/26/24052067/mozilla-apple-ios-browser-rules-firefox
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“We are still reviewing the technical details but are extremely disappointed with Apple’s proposed plan to restrict the newly-announced BrowserEngineKit to EU-specific apps,” DeMonte says. “The effect of this would be to force an independent browser like Firefox to build and maintain two separate browser implementations — a burden Apple themselves will not have to bear.”
#apple #mozilla #firefox #mobile #business #dma #ue #union_européenne
La fondation Wikimedia ne veut plus recevoir d’argent en cryptomonnaies
▻https://www.ladn.eu/tech-a-suivre/la-fondation-wikimedia-nacceptera-plus-les-dons-en-cryptomonnaies
La fondation à l’origine de l’encyclopédie Wikipedia acceptait les dons en cryptos depuis 2014, mais déclare que c’est terminé. Derrière ce changement, la révélation de deux visions du web qui s’affrontent.
Fin avril, après plusieurs mois de débat, les membres de la fondation Wikimedia ont tranché : les dons en cryptomonnaies ne seront plus acceptés et ceci jusqu’à nouvel ordre. Ils étaient autorisés depuis 2014.
Le sujet a été lancé par Molly White, une modératrice de longue date connue pour ses positions contre les cryptomonnaies en particulier et le Web3 en général. L’ingénieure en informatique tient le blog « Web3 is going just great » , qui recense les arnaques et pires dérives liées aux ventes de NFT et aux cryptomonnaies. Pour elle, les cryptos vont à l’encontre de l’engagement de la fondation contre le réchauffement climatique compte-tenu de l’impact environnemental du Bitcoin et d’Ethereum, les deux principales monnaies numériques en circulation. Par ailleurs, elle explique que « les cryptomonnaies sont des investissements extrêmement risqués qui ne font que gagner en popularité chez les investisseurs particuliers » , et qu’en acceptant les cryptos, Wikimedia démocratise l’utilisation de ces investissements « intrinsèquement prédateurs » .
Mozilla pas fan non plus des cryptos
Cette décision fait écho à celle de la fondation Mozilla, prise quelques mois plus tôt. Suite à de virulentes critiques de ses utilisateurs, l’éditeur du moteur de recherche Firefox a lui aussi d’abord décidé d’abandonner les dons en cryptomonnaies qu’il acceptait depuis 2014. L’un de ses fondateurs Jamie Zawinski, aujourd’hui retiré du projet, avait notamment fait part de son agacement en janvier 2022 sur Twitter. Clair et direct. « Bonjour, je suis sûr que celui qui gère ce compte n’a aucune idée de qui je suis, mais j’ai fondé Mozilla et je suis ici pour dire "allez vous faire voir" et "merde". Toutes les personnes impliquées dans le projet devraient avoir terriblement honte de cette décision de s’associer à des escrocs de Ponzi qui incinèrent la planète » , avait-il envoyé au compte officiel de Mozilla au sujet des dons en cryptos.
Mozilla est toutefois en partie revenu sur sa décision. Depuis avril, les cryptomonnaies sont de nouveau autorisées, mais seulement celles basées sur la « preuve d’enjeu » , un protocole de validation des transactions moins énergivore que la preuve de travail (qui nécessite d’importants calculs informatiques) utilisé par Bitcoin et Ethereum.
L’internet des communs vs le Web3 ?
Le fait que deux acteurs historiques de l’Internet « des communs » prennent position contre les cryptomonnaies n’est pas anodin. Cela montre une rupture idéologique entre le monde du Web3 et celui de la culture libre des années 1990-2000. On aurait pu penser que ces deux cultures du web se rapprocheraient, puisque les défenseurs du Web3 militent pour un internet détaché des grandes plateformes, où les utilisateurs « reprendraient » le pouvoir. Mais le Web3 est aussi le lieu de la sur-monétisation des échanges sur le web, et d’un accès à une forme de propriété. Ce qui n’est pas vraiment la vision défendue par Wikipedia ou Mozilla, qui ont toujours plaidé pour un accès gratuit et universel à la connaissance.
Il est intéressant de noter qu’en 2014, les décisions de Wikipedia et de Mozilla d’accepter les cryptos n’ont pas suscité tant de remous. Mais en 2022, l’usage des cryptomonnaies s’est démocratisé, les NFT et leur mauvaise réputation sont passés par là, et la critique environnementale est bien plus prégnante qu’elle ne l’était il y a dix ans.
Marine Protais
Mozilla démoli par l’un de ses fondateurs pour s’être ouvert aux cryptomonnaies - Les Numériques
▻https://www.lesnumeriques.com/vie-du-net/mozilla-demoli-par-l-un-de-ses-fondateurs-pour-s-etre-ouvert-aux-cryp
Quel sujet divise plus la sphère tech que les cryptomonnaies ? Cette question, la fondation Mozilla aurait peut-être dû se la poser avant d’ouvrir ses dons aux bitcoins, dogecoins et compagnie. À la suite du tweet annonçant cette décision le 31 décembre, l’un des cofondateurs de l’organisation, Jamie Zawinski, s’est fendu d’un message sans équivoque à l’encontre de son ex-société. « Je suis sûr que celui qui gère ce compte n’a aucune idée de qui je suis, mais j’ai fondé @mozilla et je suis ici pour te dire d’aller te faire foutre avec cette idée de merde », éructe-t-il. « Toutes les personnes impliquées dans ce projet devraient avoir honte de s’associer aux escrocs de Ponzi qui incinèrent la planète. » Un tweet très violent qui n’est que l’écho de nombreux autres messages venus d’internautes plus ou moins anonymes, qui voient dans cette décision de Mozilla une véritable trahison des idéaux de la fondation, notamment sur le plan écologique. En difficulté face à la concurrence propriétaire et souvent défendu par les adeptes de l’open source et du logiciel libre, Mozilla se serait-il tiré une balle dans le pied ?
Sur les cryptos et l’histoire sur son blog :
▻https://www.jwz.org/blog/2022/01/today-on-sick-sad-world-how-the-cryptobros-have-fallen
The cryptocurrency industry, whose business model would seem unrealistic and ham-handed if it was a villain on Captain Planet: they manufacture only POLLUTION, nothing else, and they turn that into money.
Sinon dans sa boite de nuit / bar :
▻https://www.dnalounge.com
Because antivaxxers have ruined it for everybody, you will be required to show proof of full vaccination before entering DNA Lounge: either your original CDC Vaccination Card (not a copy or photo); or a SMART Health QR Code, downloadable from myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov and participating states and networks. A valid, government-issued photo ID is also required for entry.
You must wear a mask while indoors.
New rules: As of Jan 17th, you must show proof of a booster shot if you are more than 6 months from your first round. As of Jan 31st, you must also be two weeks past your booster.
Partially vaccinated? No. Negative test? No. Student ID? No.
Firefox 89 Features Highlights, Download Details and More #linux #opensource #firefox #mozilla
▻https://www.debugpoint.com/2021/06/firefox-89-features
Mozilla, Reddit, Wikimedia et d’autres demandent à la FCC de réinstaller la neutralité du Net
▻https://www.nextinpact.com/lebrief/46503/mozilla-reddit-wikimedia-et-dautres-demandent-a-fcc-reinstaller-neutrali
Mise à mort fin 2017, la neutralité du Net a été officiellement enterrée mi-2018 au grand dam de nombreux acteurs. Le président de l’époque de la FCC – Ajit Pai – était un fervent défenseur de cette liquidation. Ce dernier a démissionné de ses fonctions dès l’arrivée de Joe Biden à la Maison-Blanche. C’est désormais Jessica Rosenworcel qui assure la présidence de la Commission fédérale des communications. Contrairement à son prédécesseur, elle est une fervente défenseure de la neutralité du Net et d’un accès à (...)
Google’s ‘Privacy-First Web’ Is Really a Google-First Web
►https://onezero.medium.com/googles-next-power-play-f296c2e3020e
Why the search giant can afford to kill the cookie For two decades, the cookie has been an emblem of the online advertising model that powers much of the open web — and the privacy invasions that come with it. Now, the cookie as we know it is dying. Online advertising will live on, of course, and so will privacy invasions. But the changes taking shape today will nonetheless alter how we navigate the web in the future — and define which companies dominate it. The Pattern The internet’s (...)
#Google #Chrome #cookies #domination #publicité #Apple #Mozilla #GoogleSearch #Gmail #YouTube #Firefox #iPhone #Safari #Android #microtargeting #Alphabet #Criteo (...)
State Partitioning : Firefox 86 active sa « protection totale » sur les cookies
▻https://www.nextinpact.com/article/46202/state-partitioning-firefox-86-active-sa-protection-totale-sur-cookies
Firefox continue de renforcer ses fonctionnalités en lien avec la vie privée, le navigateur pouvant désormais mieux isoler les données stockées par les différents sites pour limiter le pistage des internautes. La portée de cette fonctionnalité est pour le moment limitée, mais elle devrait se renforcer avec le temps. Firefox 86 est disponible au téléchargement. Une nouvelle version qui permet d’afficher plusieurs vidéos en Picture-in-Picture (PiP), revoit le design de sa page dédiée à l’impression et (...)
Firefox 86 Brings Total Cookie Protection and Multi-PIP Feature
#linux #firefox #mozilla
▻https://www.debugpoint.com/2021/02/firefox-86-release
Mozilla accueille la Fondation Rust
▻https://diasp.eu/p/12431284
Mozilla accueille la Fondation Rust
Comments
▻https://blog.mozilla.org/press-fr/2021/02/08/mozilla-accueille-la-fondation-rust #mozilla
Firefox 85 veut la peau des Super Cookies
▻https://www.nextinpact.com/lebrief/45752/firefox-85-veut-peau-super-cookies
La nouvelle version du navigateur est disponible, mettant fin au support de Flash, intégrant des améliorations pour les développeurs comme le support du préchargement de ressources, mais pas seulement. Le gestionnaire de mot de passe permet de supprimer tous ceux stockés en une seule étape. Celui en charge des favoris se rappellera désormais de votre emplacement préféré pour leur stockage, affichera la barre de favoris par défaut sur les nouveaux onglets, etc. Mais on retiendra surtout l’annonce (...)
