Smoking ban in all pubs and clubs

BBC NEWS | UK | UK Politics | Smoking ban in all pubs and clubs: "MPs have voted by a huge margin to ban smoking from all pubs and private members' clubs in England.

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said the change, expected to take effect in summer 2007, would 'save thousands of people's lives'.

Ministers gave a free vote amid fears Labour MPs could rebel against plans to exempt clubs and pubs not serving food.

The Commons decided by a margin of 200 to impose a ban on smoking in all enclosed public spaces."

DaXxX GrouP's Advertisement

click the Play button to watch DaXxX GrouP Advertisement - born in HK

'Sexercise' yourself into shape

BBC NEWS | Health | 'Sexercise' yourself into shape: "The NHS has some new advice for people struggling to schedule a fitness routine into their daily lives - a workout between the sheets.

According to the NHS Direct website, 'sexercise' can lower the risk of heart attacks and helps people live longer.

Endorphins released during orgasm stimulate immune system cells, which also helps target illnesses like cancer, as well as wrinkles, it states.

Sexual health experts said such claims could not be scientifically proven.

'It's good to see the NHS are promoting sexual wellbeing,' Dr Melissa Sayer told the Guardian newspaper.

'Yes, there is evidence that sex has benefits for mental wellbeing, but to say there is a link with reduced risk of heart disease and cancer is taking the argument too far.'

NHS Direct, however, told the paper the content was 'backed by science and clinical evidence' and 'isn't just a bit of fun'."

Adventure Quest RPG - FREE RPG Game

Adventure Quest RPG: "A massive battle with the Undead is happening right now! If you win, the new Paladin Class will be released."

< Play NOW >

Bitter love for Japanese Valentine’s

News.3Yen.com - News on Japan - Japanese News: "Bitter love for Japanese Valentine’s: that is, Japanese women are required to give chocolates to men for Japanese Valentine’s Day—men don’t give anything.
Poor Japanese women age from 14 to 40 must give their bosses, male colleagues, boyfriends and teachers on February 14th as part of their social duty. That “obligation chocolate is called giri-choco (義理チョコ) which comes from the words giri (obligation) and choco,, (チョコ) the shortened Japanese word for chocolate.

<- There a picture of an employee of Frantz Kobe Sweets showing off the “keys to her heart,'. It’s a perfert example of the opposite of giri-choco called honmei-choco—the real thing chocolate (for love)"

Eason Chan: My Best Era (3CD + Bonus Karaoke DVD) DVD

Eason Chan: My Best Era (3CD + Bonus Karaoke DVD) DVD - YesAsia.com: "Eason Chan remains his status as one of the most popular new generation Canto-pop stars, which was underlined by his phenomenal harvest of numerous music awards in the close of 2005. At the moment he is preparing to kick-off his 2006 Get a Life tour and his brand-new Life Continues album is also due to arrive in the music stores soon. As for those who would like to warm up for Eason's up-coming tour, there's probably no better way than with his 3-CD hit recollection release My Best Era. It includes such memorable tunes like Shall We Talk, 'For Alice' (CD 2 - Track 7), 'Too Few Heartbreaks' (CD 3 - Track 10), and Lonely Christmas among other memorable favorites. What's more, this special edition comes with a bonus DVD that gives all Eason lovers the chance to chant along with their idol as it offers Karaoke subtitles. All things considered, this all-in-one Eason spectacular is sure to keep collectors all over the globe cheering for more!"

SnagIt8 Screen Capture

SnagIt Screen Capture, Camtasia Studio Screen Recorder, Morae Usability Software from TechSmith: "Using SnagIt, you can select and capture anything on your screen and share it with others to visually clarify difficult concepts, create clearer documentation, and give your presentations a professional, dynamic look."

< Download >

Nintendo unveils wireless demos and voice chat for DS

Nintendo unveils wireless demos and voice chat for DS - Engadget: "Been a pretty solid couple of weeks for news for Nintendo and their DS, which will apparently soon get access to some sweet new features to take advantage of its built in WiFi. Beginning in late March DS owners will be able to pick up game demos, trailers, and content for their DS by coming within proximity of DS kiosks installed in Best Buys and GameStops the nation over (downloaded content gets erased the next time the console is shut down), and fans of Metroid Prime: Hunters will also be getting in-game voice chat for battles on Nintendo's multiplayer network. Now if only Nintendo of America would give us a freaking date for the launch of their DS Lite, which they're obviously to help pimp by introducing these services."

Enter the I-Cat, I-Dog Pup, and black/pink I-Dog

Enter the I-Cat, I-Dog Pup, and black/pink I-Dog - Engadget: "Feline fanciers need fret no more about their ability to get an I-pet in the animalia family of their choice, today Tiger Electronics announced the I-Cat, probably in occasion of the American International Toy Fair going down. We know the I-Cat and its newly announced friends -- including the I-Pup (which sits in front of speakers instead of getting line-in), black and pink I-Dogs, and I-Dog Chill set -- may be slightly more palatable to the American toy audience than the I-Fish, but we have to admit that we were a little bummed when the little guppy wasn't announced. Expect kitty and puppy this fall for $30 and $15, respectively, and the new I-Dog colors this spring for $30."

Racing in London

FF:"Racing in London, yeh.. not only Birmingham, OutRun2 SP in London now, Yo~"

Dell/Google may do $1 billion bundling deal

Dell/Google may do $1 billion bundling deal - Engadget: "It's hardly news that Dell has been bundling Google software with PCs, or that the default home page for browsers shipped on some Dell PCs is a co-branded version of Google. Now, however, the two companies are reportedly about to get chummy in an even bigger way. According to reports, Google is hoping to get its software, including the Google Toolbar and Google Desktop Search, preinstalled on up to 100 million Dell PCs, and may be willing to pay as much as a billion dollars for the privilege. Given Google's previous denials about the possibility of rolling out a G-PC, this might be as close as you're going to get to that Google-branded box you've been dreaming about (and, yes, it'll be running Windows, rather than Goobuntu)."

About Gmail - its good to chat

About Gmail: "Check out the latest buzz: our new Gmail chat features. It's rolling out to all Gmail accounts within the next few weeks."

Lunar new year in London

Hot Udon: "Chinese laterns were switched on by London Mayor Ken Livingstone and Chinese pop star Li Yuchun on Oxford St. to kick off over 100 events across London to celebrate Chinese New Year, the Year of the Dog."

Red Underware

Hot Udon: "A pair of Chinese New Year-themed underwear with the phrase “Wishing you prosperity” emblazoned in Chinese is displayed at a mall in Kuala Lumpur."

Goobuntu: coming soon to a desktop near you?

Engadget: "The rumor mill continues to crank out stories about the Google PC and the Windows-challenging OS it will run. And now that phantom operating system actually has a name: Goobuntu. According to reports, Google has already developed the OS, based on Ubuntu Linux and the Gnome desktop, and may be close to rolling it out. Of course, Goobuntu may actually be just for internal use; Google has in the past admitted to using an internally developed OS for its servers. However, it could be the next step in Google's quest for desktop hegemony. We just hope it runs Google Earth and Picasa, or we're not interested."

Nintendo announces DS Lite

Nintendo announces DS Lite [Update 3] - Engadget: "Nintendo just emailed us the following announcement of the redesign of the Nintendo DS (dual screen) handheld.

'Nintendo President Satoru Iwata today announced Nintendo DS Lite, a slimmer version of the best-selling Nintendo DS?. Also featuring brighter screens, Nintendo DS Lite will launch in Japan in March. Nintendo DS Lite will be less than two-thirds the size of the original Nintendo DS and more than 20 percent lighter.

Nintendo DS has enjoyed extremely strong sales in Japan and around the world, selling more than 14.4 million units worldwide. The Japanese sell-through of the existing Nintendo DS hardware exceeded 5 million within 13 months, which made Nintendo DS the fastest-selling video game system there.

Nintendo will announce more information about the availability of Nintendo DS Lite in North America and other territories in the future.'

Additional details can be found on Nintendo's Japanese site.

Japanese release date: March 2, 2006

Weight: 218g (compare to 275g for the current Nintendo DS)

Dimensions: 133mm x 73.9mm x 21.5mm"

Axbo alarm clock wakes you when you're ready

Axbo alarm clock wakes you when you're ready - Engadget: "Remember the Sleeptracker, the digital watch that could purportedly track your sleep rhythms and wake you only when you're likely to be optimally refreshed (i.e., not when you're in the middle of a deep sleep or heavy-duty REM cycle)? Well, it's got a stylish big brother now, in the form of the aXbo, a sleek alarm clock that communicates wirelessly with a wristband that does basically the same thing as the Sleeptracker: it keeps track of your movements throughout the night, gauging how deeply you're sleeping by how much you're thrashing. You set a window during which it can wake you, and it waits for the right moment within that space. Of course, the aXbo won't help you sleep better, but it could help you wake up feeling a little more refreshed -- if you don't mind shelling out ?200 ($241) for the privilege."

TV's sleep' button stands accused

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | TV's 'sleep' button stands accused: "Britons waste the equivalent of around two power stations worth of electricity each year by leaving TV sets and other gadgets on standby.

Last June Environment Minister Elliot Morley, responding to an MP's question, revealed that electrical equipment in sleep mode used roughly 7TWh of power and emitted around 800,000 tonnes of carbon.

The government is currently reviewing the options of how to keep the UK's lights on in the future, at the same time as reducing the amount of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere.

Energy efficiency groups are urging people to carry out their own personal energy review because homes are set to place an ever increasing demand on power supplies.

The number of TVs in the UK is estimated to reach 74 million by 2020, meaning that there will be more televisions than people to watch them."

StarCity, Birmingham

FF:"Went to StarCity with 10 people and played arcade yesterday, include OutRun2 SP, i really had fun, they are pro, looking forward to go there again, Thanks for Lan inviting me, drove me there and the birthday girl is really cute"

Wake up and smell the coffee with Aroma Waker clock

Wake up and smell the coffee with Aroma Waker clock - Engadget: "Personally, we need something a little more aggressive to get us out of the bed each morning, but if soothing scents are enough to get you going, AbioGenesis' Aroma Waker may just do it for you (and it could do it for us as well, if they included some really foul smells to make us flee the bedroom in horror). Looks like just a concept design for now, but we look forward to seeing someone come up with a homebrew version using a coffee pot with a built-in timer (hey, can we patent that?).
"

PlayStation 3, conceptual design?

PlayStation 3, conceptual design? - Engadget: "We're still digging through gigs of CES photographs when we happened upon one rather juicy bit we thought we might share. We found this little number over at the Blu-ray booth -- which, given the circumstances, we can only assume was paid for and set up at least in large part by Sony. Yes, you're reading that placard right (we had to zoom in from another angle since the lighting made it hard to catch a decent shot). Is it true? Is the Sony PlayStation 3 that we've all now come to know and love (or not) merely a 'conceptual design?' Because if it is they must be further behind than we originally anticipated.

P.S. -As our boy Vlad pointed out over at Joystiq, this is apparently the same sign posted on the PS3 at the Tokyo Game Show in September. Curiouser and curiouser."

Nintendo says no DS redesign for you!

Nintendo says no DS redesign for you! - Engadget: "If you hadn't noticed by now, today is the 16th, and those rumors of an updated DS being announced today are looking pretty slim, what with there only being four or five hours left for Nintendo to make an announcement. Another factor in these increasingly slim odds might be the fact that Nintendo has straight out denied that a redesign might land this week. According to GamesIndustry.biz, Nintendo Europe calls the reports to the contrary to be 'pure rumour and speculation,' which really cuts us to the core, while at the same time being a completely accurate assessment of the situation. Oh well, we've still got around 49 weeks or so left in '06 for our dreams to come true."

No XP on Intel Macs, but Vista is good to go

No XP on Intel Macs, but Vista is good to go - Engadget: "If you've been counting on being able to run Windows on those new Intel-based Macs, Apple's not about to make it easy for you -- at least not if you're attached to Windows XP. According to Apple SVP Phil Schiller, the new Macs announced yesterday (those being the Intel iMac and MacBook Pro) may not be able to run current versions of Windows due to the fact that the computers will boot using the Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI), rather than a traditional BIOS (current Power PC Macs use Open Firmware). EFI was developed by Intel and allows a number of advanced features, including the ability to connect to the Internet from a command shell before the OS is loaded. Since EFI was developed after the rollout of Windows XP, it's not supported by the current or earlier version of Windows (it is, however, supported by 64-bit versions, but the new Macs are 32-bit, so it's back to square one). However, all is not lost: Windows Vista will support EFI, and Apple has said it has no plans to directly block Windows from working on the new boxes. So, if you're a Vista beta tester and have ordered a new iMac or MacBookPro, get those install CDs out; the rest of you will have to wait for the official Vista release, or find a way to hack XP to boot using EFI (which we're sure is about"

Video feature: Toshiba's Gigabeat S - Engadget

Video feature: Toshiba's Gigabeat S - Engadget: "One of the fav products around CES among the ranks of the Engadget Army has definetely been Toshiba's Gigabeat S-series. On Wednesday's podcast we aired the interview with John Starkweather of Microsoft's Mobile and Embedded Devices; today you can peep the device for yourself.

Format
QT MPEG4, 1:28, 5.69 MB

[Download Here]"

FF Arrived Birmingham

FF arrived Birmingham, ho miss HK and you...

A-Data SD cards with capacity display

A-Data SD cards with capacity display - Engadget: "We're always wondering how much junk we have on our various SD cards; thanks to A-Data, we can tell at a glance. Similar to the JumpDrive with E Ink, A-Data added a tiny liquid crystal display on their BCD-SD cards. The LC display uses power from a host while inserted and indicates the remaining capacity on the card. Pop the card out and the display retains the information until you reinsert it, so you can manage your data needs. A-Data BCD-SD cards come in the typical SD flavors: 128, 256, 512MB as well as 1 and 2GB."

A New Year talk by FF

Happy New Year 2006 - A New Year talk by FF in Hong Kong 峰峰零六新年賀詞 ( Play now )

Gift Guide: Dell 2405FPW

Engadget: "Well, it's been a nice run everyone. For the last day of Engadget's Holiday Gift Guide we present the mother of all 2005 monitors, Dell's 2405FPW. Hopefully you've gotten all your holiday shopping done by now, because if you expect to make a run to pick one up today, you're probably gonna be sorely disappointed -- they're not sold in stores, of course. But the good news is the 2405's successor, the 3007WFP, is about to be launched in about two weeks, so if you're down with being the late gift-giver (or are just in the market for a new display), you'll probably be able to pick one of these up for a song in the very near future. Hey, it won't be anything to scoff at for some time; after all, it may not have the luster of one of those beautiful Apple Cinema displays, but outside matching its 1920 x 1200 resolution, the 2405FPW does have a leg up on the Apple 23-inch with an extra viewable inch of screen real estate, penty more inputs, a 1000:1 contrast ratio (over 400:1), brightness of 500 cd/m2 (over 270 cd/m2), and a 9-in-1 card reader."

'Modest' deal struck in Hong Kong

BBC NEWS | Business | 'Modest' deal struck in Hong Kong: "A limited trade deal has been reached in Hong Kong after developing countries approved a European Union offer to end farm export subsidies by 2013."

MAIN POINTS OF THE DEAL

Agricultural subsidies: Farm export subsidies will progressively be phased out by 2013. However, there has been no agreement on import tariffs

Cotton: Rich countries will phase out export subsidies for cotton but there is no agreement on a date for reducing domestic subsidies for US farmers

Development Aid: The poorest countries will get quota-free and duty-free access to global markets for 97% of their goods

There was a large police presence around the venue after clashes between police and demonstrators on Saturday, which left 70 people injured.

NEC’s N701i ECO corn-based phone >

Engadget - www.engadget.com: "NEC is busting out an edible environmentally friendly phone, the N701i ECO, to match their corn laptops. The phone body is made up of 75 percent plant materials, including corn and potatoes. Once disposed of (we hope not before) the phone eventually becomes water and carbon dioxide, leaving the earth free from housing another lame out-of-date phone. Seriously guys, not even mother nature wants to be caught toting that old black and white screened Nokia of yours, or this Bluetooth-less N701i. She’s gotta represent."

See you in Hong Kong this Sunday

FF: "I got the ticket through Airline Network, can't believe I still can get a cheap ticket in the last minutes

will arrive Hong Kong this Saturday, see u there"

Fuel depot blast sparks massive fire

icWales - Fuel depot blast sparks massive fire: "A huge fire raged after a series of explosions ripped through an oil storage depot in what is thought to be the largest incident of its kind in peacetime Europe."

Miraculously, only two people were seriously injured among 43 casualties, after flames shot hundreds of feet into the sky following the blasts at the Buncefield depot, near Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, police said.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott tonight visited the scene of the blasts, the first of which happened just after 6am at the fuel terminal in Leverstock Green, close to junction 8 of the M1.

The force of the incident could be heard up to 100 miles away sparking fears of a terrorist attack or a plane crash.

But Hertfordshire Police Chief Constable Frank Whiteley said they were treating the incident as an accident.

GOLD V3i coming to Dolce & Gabbana

GOLD V3i coming to Dolce & Gabbana - Engadget - www.engadget.com: "Now that the RAZR has become the new StarTAC, fashionistas need a new way to make their uber-slim cellphone draw wows, so Dolce has teamed up with Moto to offer just the product. A few lucky people (1000, to be exact) will soon be able to pick up a special edition gold V3i from D&G boutiques worldwide, which is now a necessary component in completing the full magenta-silver- black-blue-gold RAZR rainbow. No word yet on the cost, but if you’re even considering buying such an unnecessary piece of showiness, it’s doubtful that price is of much concern."

IBM 5100 Portable Computer

Old Computers - rare, vintage and obsolete computers:"The Model 5100 is IBM's first microcomputer, i.e. not a mainframe, and is also considered the world's first portable computer. Although at 55-pounds, it might best be described as "self-contained" rather than "portable".

There were very few other computers available at the time, and nothing even close to the capabilities of the 5100. It is a very complete system - with a built-in monitor, keyboard, and data storage. It was also very expensive - up to US$20,000. It was specifically designed for professional and scientific problem-solvers, not business users or hobbyists. "

Model:	5100
Introduced:	September, 1975
Price:	US $19,975 w/ 64K RAM
Weight:	55 pounds
CPU:	IBM proprietary, 1.9MHz
RAM:	16K, 64K max
Display:	5" monochrome monitor
	64 X 16 text
Storage:	Internal 200K tape (DC300)
Ports:	tape/printer I/O port
OS:	APL and/or BASIC

Tesco music sandwich set to harrass Brits this week

Tesco music sandwich set to harrass Brits this week - Engadget - www.engadget.com: "Tesco, Britain’s largest retailer, is introducing the greeting card-inspired musical sandwich for the dreary lunch crowd this week. Now get this, according to a Tesco spokesman (who’ll remain anonymous to avoid your wrath) the music sandwich “is designed to provide busy office workers with relaxing music to make eating lunch at their desks more enjoyable than ever before.” Open the top of your prawn-and-mayo or perhaps, egg-and-pickle-bits sandwich and kick back to a soothing xmas medley dribbled over that piezoelectric tweeter. Is this a joke — are the four horsemen saddling up? Look, it’s bad enough that those one million desk-bound-lunching Brits are subjected to eating rubber-packed triangular sandwiches with salt-n-vinegar crisps every day until they die (or retire, whichever is first). But must they really be subjected to cheap tinny music to accompany those lonely culinary moments as well? That’s just mean. And certainly the only thing more annoying than listening to Jingle Bells is listening to it played from a nearby cubicle-monkey’s coffer. Please, we beg you, someone send us a video of this joyous experience…maybe we’ve got this all wrong."

Sweet Hong Kong - NEW Video Podcast

Fradio = Radio and Video Podcast by Danny:"FF在香港的一天, 立即遊覽及體會香港多姿多彩的生活
Sweet Hong Kong - a story about FF's summer life in HK, from Central to CWB, from CWB to bar...~"

<PLAY NOW>

Thousands march for HK democracy

BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Thousands march for HK democracy: "Tens of thousands of people have taken part in a march in Hong Kong to demand a fully democratic political system.

Trade unions, activists and civic groups joined ordinary citizens, some carrying banners denouncing China.

They snaked round streets lined with sky-scrapers towards government offices chanting 'now or never' and 'do you want a clown or a chief executive?'.

Campaigners say they want the Chinese autonomous territory's next leader to be elected by universal suffrage.

In response to mass protests in 2003 and 2004, Beijing made some concessions, namely offering to enlarge the 800-strong election committee charged with selecting a new leader.

However, opposition leaders say the proposals do not go far enough."

Clear message

The BBC's Chris Hogg in Hong Kong said the march appeared to be much larger than many had predicted, with many ordinary citizens and their families taking part.

"I just feel there are moments in one's life when you have to stand up and be counted," said Anson Chan, Hong Kong's former deputy leader and a first-time marcher.

Palu Cheung, 42, who brought his four-year-old daughter, said: "I want my daughter to know that I do this for her and for myself," he told Associated Press. "I think we have the quality to select our own government."

Our correspondent says the rally organisers hope a large turnout will send a clear message to Beijing that they want direct leadership elections and a fully-elected parliament.

"This is make-or-break time," Martin Lee, the veteran leader of the pro-democracy movement told Agence France Presse.

"The more people that come on the march, the more the government will have to do something about this," he said.

Timetable for change

The chief executive is currently chosen by a committee made up of about 800 Hong Kong residents selected by Beijing.

But the island's constitutional document, or Basic Law, contains provisions for ultimately electing the leader by universal suffrage.

However, China has refused implement such reforms to allow the people of Hong Kong to elect their next leader in two years time.

Pro-democracy campaigners say if that remains the case, they should be given a timetable and told when they will be allowed to vote for who rules them.

One lawmaker, Lee Cheuk Yan, said people "are very much disappointed" over the long wait.

In demonstrations in 2003 and 2004, 500,000 people have taken to the streets to protest against the policies of Hong Kong's government.
The rallies shook the administration and its political masters in Beijing. Some say they cost Hong Kong's former leader, Tung Chee-hwa, his job.

The Godfather of Ecstasy - Alexander Shulgin

Alexander Shulgin on MDMA: "The man known as "the Godfather of Ecstasy" passes through a narrow door on a dusk-soaked evening in early winter. His strides are measured, his spine slightly hunched, though he still stands more than six feet tall.

He’s going to be 77 in June, but his words race smoothly from mind to mouth. He wants to show his lab off before it gets too dark. Two weeks ago, a tree fell and cut the power lines completely. "This will give you a taste," he says, his shoes splashing through mud puddles.

Rustic and sturdy, Shulgin’s lab has seen its share of controversy. It was here that Shulgin discovered - or rediscovered - nearly 200 mind-altering chemicals, the most famous being Ecstasy, a drug that continues to dominate the world’s rave scene. In recent years, Shulgin’s research has drawn the ire of law enforcement, most notably the Drug Enforcement Agency, which believes the scientist is largely responsible for creating drugs popular among today’s club kids."

F-radio Podcast 031205

F-radio Podcast 031205 OUT NOW - You may listen it through iTunes Music Store, Yahoo Podcast and DaXxX - Fradio ( http://radio.fungfung.net)

World Debut of Ferrari FXX

World Debut of Ferrari FXX - Autoblog - www.autoblog.com _: "The Bologna Motor Show features the first public showing of the Ferrari FXX, the Ferrari Enzo track car.

Performance? How about 800 hp, custom Bridgestone racing slicks, a full telemetry and data acquisition system, and 40 percent more downforce than the stock Enzo.

For this extreme performance edition of the Ferrari supercar, the company has defined an entirely new type of customer - the Client Test Driver. This lucky individual (And wealthy. Goes without saying, really.) gets more than just a car, he gets to particpate in a Ferrari-sponsored series of track events in Europe, North America and Japan, a personalized driving course at Ferrari’s Fiorano Circuit, and custom fitting of the seat and pedals by Ferrari technicians. The price? A mind-boggling $1,720,000. Plus tax."

The Nokia 6233

The Nokia 6233 and 6234 - Engadget - www.engadget.com: "The other two new 3G phones from Nokia today are the 6233 (pictured above) and the 6234 (pictured below). Both are two megapixel cameraphones with tri-band 900/1800/1900MHz GSM/EDGE and 2100MHz UMTS. Each has a QVGA, 240 x 320 pixel LCD display, a microSD memory card slot, support for playback of MP3, AAC, M4A, and AAC+ audio files, integrated FM tuner, and Bluetooth. Both should be available early next year."

Mozilla Firefox 1.5 Release Notes

Mozilla Firefox 1.5 Release Notes: "Firefox 1.5 is our next major release of our award-winning Firefox Web browser. More information about Firefox is available.
These Release Notes cover what's new, download and installation instructions, known issues and frequently asked questions for the Firefox 1.5. Please read these notes and the bug filing instructions before reporting any bugs to Bugzilla.
We want to hear your feedback about Firefox. Please join us in the Firefox forums, hosted by MozillaZine."

Latest Changes:

• Automated update to streamline product upgrades
• Faster browser navigation with improvements to back and forward button performance
• Drag and drop reordering for browser tabs
• Improvements to popup blocking
• Clear Private Data feature provides an easy way to quickly remove personal data through a menu item or keyboard shortcut
• Answers.com is added to the search engine list
• Improvements to product usability including descriptive error pages, redesigned options menu, RSS discovery, and "Safe Mode" experience
• Better accessibility including support for DHTML accessibility and assistive technologies such as the Window-Eyes 5.5 beta screen reader for Microsoft Windows. Screen readers read aloud all available information in applications and documents or show the i
• Report a broken Web site wizard to report Web sites that are not working in Firefox
• Better support for Mac OS X (10.2 and greater) including profile migration from Safari and Mac Internet Explorer
• New support for Web Standards including SVG, CSS 2 and CSS 3, and JavaScript 1.6
• Many security enhancements

New Orleans to get free city-wide WiFi

New Orleans to get free city-wide WiFi - Engadget - www.engadget.com: "New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin has announced an unprecedented project wherein the entire city will be blanketed by free WiFi within a year. Due to the almost complete devastation of the city’s infrastructure, the free Internet access is one attempt to turn the city’s stagnant economy into one of growth and independance. Like in most large-scale networks, the New Orleans routers will be placed on top of street lights and provide citizens and businesses with 512 kbps download speeds until the city’s state of emergency has been lifted. In accordance with state laws that restrict government-owned Internet providers, speeds will drop to a paltry 128 kbps once the city has returned to some level of normalcy."

HSBC Bank Credit Card

Credit cards: interest, rate: HSBC Bank UK: "Spread the cost of Christmas with our latest credit card offer. 0% for 9 months on purchases and balance transfers. Typical 13.9% APR variable. Conditions apply. Plus, we do not charge a handling fee on balance transfers."

Key features

• 0% on purchases for 9 months from account opening.
• 0% on balance transfers for 9 months, made within 30 days of account opening. See how much you could save (please note, balances cannot be transferred from cards issued by other members of the HSBC Group, including first direct and Marbles). .
• No handling fee on balance transfers.
• After the introductory period, your balance transfers and purchases will be charged at the standard variable rate then applicable, currently typical APR 13.9% variable.
• Five security measures to give you confidence when you spend.

Cube World Game Cubes interactive stick figures

Cube World Game Cubes interactive stick figures - Engadget - www.engadget.com: "Even on a slow day, we probably wouldn’t bring you anymore of those played-out Tamagotchi-style pixelated games, but the Cube World Game Cubes by Radica intrigued us because of their ability to communicate with one another, a la Nintendogs. Little more than an animated stick figure inside a plastic cube, the four Game Cube characters (Slim, Dodger, Scoop, and Whip) each has his own accessory (stick, ball, rope, dog) that he plays with either spontaneously or when one of the three buttons is pushed. The cubes have built-in gyroscopes, so shaking and dropping the toy affects the little man inside, who can end up bouncing around the screen if you’re feeling sadistic. Since this whole affair would get boring after about five minutes, the real draw here is connecting mutliple cubes together and watching the characters “visit” each others’ cubes to play, hug, or fight. Despite the multiplayer fun, we still predict that your $32 buys you approximately one week of entertainment, less if you’re over the age of seven."

Smoke ban 'may be total by 2007'

BBC NEWS | Politics | Smoke ban 'may be total by 2007': "Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt says it is 'only a matter of time' before there is a complete ban on smoking in public places in England and Wales.

Speaking on the BBC's Sunday AM, she did not give a specific timescale, but said a total ban would be 'simpler'.

But she also defended the current proposed ban, which exempts pubs not serving food and some private clubs.

A total ban is due to start in Scotland next year and in Northern Ireland the year after.

'I've said several times before I think it is only a matter of time before we get to a total ban,' she said."

Monster 3-series debuts at Essen Motor Show

Autoblog - www.autoblog.com _: "German BMW-specialist Herbert Hartge unveiled this fire-breathing BMW at this week’s Essen Motor Show. It would take a lot of performance to live up to the extravagant exterior and this car delivers, with an M5 V10 engine and 7-speed SMG gearbox stuffed under the 3-series bodywork.

The Hartge H50 V10 provides its lucky owners with 550 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque to play with, good for a top speed of just under 200 mph. Aside from a strengthened rear axle, the H50 V10 has the usual chassis enhancements, augmented with double-adjustable dampers and 20 inch wheels sporting ultra-low profile tires - 245/30 fronts and 285/25 rears.
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Kylie Minogue to hold homecoming tour

Google Search: "Australian pop star Kylie Minogue will hold her homecoming tour at the end of 2006 after the trip was cancelled when Kylie was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year.

On Sunday, her Australian tour promoter, The Frontier Touring Company, announced the tour would be held late in 2006.

The London-based 37-year-old singer cancelled her Showgirl: The Greatest Hits tour days before it was due to start in May after she was found to have breast cancer. She also scrapped the rest of her world tour.

Kylie underwent surgery in a Melbourne hospital to remove the cancer and has been having chemotherapy in Paris.

Kylie, who has had 37 hit singles in the UK, has sold 40 million singles and 25 million albums during her career.

Kylie will on December 25 release a digital single featuring a live version of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' and 'Santa Baby.' Early next month, the artist's Web site will also begin selling eight live audio tracks and three video clips drawn from the DVD 'Kylie: Showgirl -- The Greatest Hits Tour.'"

Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Need for Speed: Most Wanted: Wake up to the smell of burnt asphalt as the thrill of illicit street racing permeates the air. From the makers of the hit Need for Speed? Underground series, Need for Speed? Most Wanted challenges players to become the most notorious and elusive street racer.

Combining illicit street racing and tuner customization with the intensity of strategic police pursuit that surpasses any Hollywood-style chase scene, Need for Speed Most Wanted will be on every gamer's 'must-have' list this holiday season. Out-race rivals, evade cops and exploit hundreds of miles of open road as gamers make their way up the Blacklist.

To become the most wanted racer, players must build up their street cred and Rap Sheet with gripping, white knuckle, head-to-head races with the top drivers on the streets, as well as pull daring, evasive moves to out-run and out-fox the cops that patrol the open road. Players can manage their heat or utilize a number of strategic tactics to keep the cops off their tails as they leave their rivals behind to suck their exhaust fumes.

Need for Speed Most Wanted also features a variety of the hottest cars that range from tuners to super cars. You can customize your ride to race against any class of vehicles. The streets will be your playground this Fall.

Key Features

• Open Road, Open World: Rule the streets as the most notorious street racer in various regions that include edgy industrial and urban environments. In the game, the environment can be a friend for a foe. Players will master short-cuts as well as use the traffic and destructible environments to their advantage.
  
  
• All-New Gameplay: Need for Speed Most Wanted features new and exciting gameplay that incorporates strategic cop pursuit and skill-based evasion techniques with illicit street racing.
  
  
• Visual Customization: Whether gamers are trying to lose the cops or they just want to pimp their ride, Need for Speed Most Wanted offers extensive visual customizations.
  
  
• Blacklist: As players enter the world of illicit street racing, they must go up against the best street racers on the scene to earn respect and rise to the top of the Blacklist.
  
  
• Rap Sheet: Players will build up their Rap Sheet with record breaking times, street challenges and out-foxing an escalation of police vehicles, tactics and technology.
  
  
• Performance Tuning: Can't compete against a sports car? Head to the safehouse and tune up your ride to race against any class of vehicles.
  
  
• Next-Gen Graphical Features: Need for Speed Most Wanted for the next generation console delivers the next level of graphical excellence in video games. Utilizing graphical techniques including normal mapping and real-time lighting, the graphical experience is incomparable to any racing game on the market.
  
  
• Race Online* Need For Speed Most Wanted features online play for Xbox 360, Xbox, the PlayStation?2 computer entertainment system and the PC.

Sony 6GB NW-A1000 Network Walkman reviewed

Sony 6GB NW-A1000 Network Walkman reviewed - Engadget - www.engadget.com: "We just spotted a review of Sony’s new NW-A1000 6GB Network Walkman on French site generationmp3, and besides the crappy Connect software required to load tunes, they recommend the player for all your Supreme NTM and MC Solaar listening needs. As you no doubt recall, the A1000 is both ATRAC and MP3 capable, contains some innovative features like a “similar artist” button, and comes in a small, curvy, glossy case. It’s no surprise, then, that this unit gets high marks for design and ergonomics, but also for sound quality and battery life. Besides the Connect app, generationmp3 also harshs on Sony’s frustrating inclusion of a proprietary USB cable, and the rather slow transfer/load speeds, but overall, find it to be a worthy competitor to the iPods, Zens, and iRivers of the world."

Users report Xbox 360 “crashing like mad”

Users report Xbox 360 “crashing like mad” - Engadget - www.engadget.com: "So, the Xbox 360’s been available for, what, 15 minutes, and already the crash reports are streaming in. According to postings on Xbox-Scene and other fan sites, some early adopters are discovering that waiting on line in the cold for two years to snag a box was the least of their problems: the game consoles are allegedly crashing during a variety of games and reporting a range of error messages. There’s even a pic up on flickr that purports to show the 360 crashing as the Microsoft logo loads. Sure, it’s too early to declare this a pandemic and start hurling Xboxes out of windows, but it still has us wondering: How’s your 360 holding up?

P.S. And yes, our Xbox has crashed a bit too — though nothing too terrible"