Google Chrome Stable Channel Update

Google Chrome stable channel has been updated to version 5.0.375.7 on Linux, Mac, and Windows. Many major security issues have been addressed in this release, such as; More

WebM project changes to standard Open Source license

Google has finally changed the license on its open-source WebM (VP8) video codec after complaints that it wasn’t open enough.

As it was originally written, if a patent action was brought against Google, the patent license terminated. This provision itself is not unusual in an OSS license, and similar provisions exist in the 2nd Apache License and in version 3 of the GPL. The twist was that ours terminated “any” rights and not just rights to the patents, which made our license GPLv3 and GPLv2 incompatible. Also, in doing this, we effectively created a potentially new open source copyright license, something we are loath to do.

Changes to the WebM Open Source License

Rethinking Thunderbird

Mozilla’s main bundle that is attached to a monetization scheme is the Firefox browser, which is monetized through people’s use of a particular search provider when connected through the bundle. Thunderbird (and its related Mozilla Messaging cost center) do not currently contribute anything directly to that bundle and its monetization scheme.

More

Google Docs Without a Google Account

You can now try Google Docs even when you don’t have a Google account, and do not want to create one. Just go to the new Google Docs Demo, it includes the ability to create documents, spreadsheets, and drawings. Documents can be shared with others by posting the link, they can’t saved to a local hard disk but can be printed. Documents are only available for 24 hours from the time they are created. Google Docs Demo is not a full fleshed Google Docs.

Google Chrome Dev Channel Now Supports VP8 WebM

The first official version of Google Chrome with support for VP8 WebM open video format has been released. WebM was pushed into Google Chrome Dev Channel in today’s update. Chromium and special builds of Opera, and Firefox web browsers got WebM the same day that it was introduced at Google’s annual developers conference about a month ago. More