firefox os | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 29 Sep 2016 11:52:58 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png firefox os | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Mozilla kills off Firefox OS for good https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/jon-martindale/mozilla-kills-off-firefox-os-for-good/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/jon-martindale/mozilla-kills-off-firefox-os-for-good/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2016 11:52:58 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=307422 The Mozilla Foundation has tried to branch out numerous times over the past decade, with varying levels of success. One area where it really didn't do as well as it hoped though, was in the creation of Firefox OS powered Mozilla smartphones. Less than a year on from discontinuing the hardware behind it, internal Firefox …

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The Mozilla Foundation has tried to branch out numerous times over the past decade, with varying levels of success. One area where it really didn't do as well as it hoped though, was in the creation of Firefox OS powered Mozilla smartphones. Less than a year on from discontinuing the hardware behind it, internal Firefox OS development has now been officially closed down too.

Originally shown off in 2012, Firefox OS gained some real traction over the following years, eventually ending up in smart TVs, smartphones and tablets from a number of manufacturers. It combined the Firefox browser rendering engine with a Linux Kernel in a unique combination that by all accounts worked rather well.

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However despite its growth, by the close of 2015 Mozilla announced that it would no longer be selling smartphones that used the operating system and now here we are 10 months later and the Foundation is halting all development. It did say however that any third parties which wish to continue development, such as Panasonic with its Firefox OS enabled TVs, may continue to do so (as per PCPer).

The final release of the OS will be version 2.6.

This is quite disappointing news for not only companies that invested time and effort into supporting the platform, but consumers with devices which will no longer be updated. Those running Firefox smartphones, or connected devices which run the OS, may find themselves vulnerable to security issues in the future with a lack of updates.

Still, the Mozilla Foundation does need to consider its future and it cannot afford to invest time and funds into projects which don't offer a good return on investment.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I've never used a Firefox OS enabled device myself, but what about you guys? How was your experience with the Mozilla powered operating system?

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Firefox OS could make its way on to wearables https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/matthew-wilson/firefox-os-could-make-its-way-on-to-wearables/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/operating-systems/matthew-wilson/firefox-os-could-make-its-way-on-to-wearables/#respond Fri, 09 Jan 2015 12:38:46 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=229830 It seems that Mozilla could be planning to bring Firefox OS to smartwatches and other wearable devices in order to compete with Android Wear devices and Apple's own upcoming line of watches, which are currently expected to launch in March. According to Joe Cheng, Manager of Products and Projects at Mozilla's mobile division, the creators …

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It seems that Mozilla could be planning to bring Firefox OS to smartwatches and other wearable devices in order to compete with Android Wear devices and Apple's own upcoming line of watches, which are currently expected to launch in March.

According to Joe Cheng, Manager of Products and Projects at Mozilla's mobile division, the creators of Firefox OS want to bring the software to a wider range of devices. The operating system is already in the process of making its way on to newer devices at CES, with Firefox OS being announced for Panasonic's new range of smart TV's.

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Mozilla apparently wants to ensure that Firefox OS wearables will be compatible with any brand of smartphone, helping out customers who don't want to be completely tied in to one ecosystem of devices. As it stands, Android Wear is only compatible with Android smartphones and Apple's upcoming smartwatches will only work with iPhones.

Joe Cheng said in an interview with Computer World: “we want to break that single-brand barrier”.

Firefox OS has made its way to low-cost smartphones so maybe we will see the software find its way on to cheaper wearable devices too.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Wearable devices have yet to really break in to the mainstream but with companies like Google, Intel and Apple making a big push in the area, it is likely that we will see adoption begin to increase throughout 2015. Do you guys think Mozilla could find its place in the market with heavy competition from Apple and Google?

Source: Computer World
Via: TechRadar

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Samsung preps high-end, mainstream phones based on Tizen https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/anton-shilov/samsung-readies-high-end-mainstream-smartphones-based-on-tizen-os/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/anton-shilov/samsung-readies-high-end-mainstream-smartphones-based-on-tizen-os/#respond Fri, 18 Apr 2014 12:27:29 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=188136 Samsung Electronics said this week that was working on two smartphones based on Tizen operating system. The company said that thus far it had delayed introductions of Tizen-based handsets due to various reasons, but in the second quarter of 2014 it would introduce two models on select markets. Samsung planned to launch a Tizen-powered smartphone …

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Samsung Electronics said this week that was working on two smartphones based on Tizen operating system. The company said that thus far it had delayed introductions of Tizen-based handsets due to various reasons, but in the second quarter of 2014 it would introduce two models on select markets.

Samsung planned to launch a Tizen-powered smartphone back in 2013, but after numerous delays the product is still not on the market. According to the company, market conditions were not good for a launch of a brand new handset, which is why the firm had to cancel its introductions and reconsider its plans.

“We had tried to launch [Tizen] with NTT DoCoMo and Orange,but couldn't because of poor market conditions,” said Yoon Han-kil, senior vice president of Samsung's product strategy team, in an interview with Reuters news-agency. “We have changed our strategy and will release the phones in a few countries where we can do well.”

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A prototype of Samsung smartphone featuring Tizen OS. Image by ZDNet.de

Samsung's first smartphone based on the Tizen operating system is now expected to be released sometimes in the end of the second quarter. The handset will be aimed at the high-end of the market and will probably feature a high-quality display, a bunch of sensors and loads of pre-installed apps developed by Samsung Electronics and its partners. Later on the company plans to introduce a mainstream smartphone featuring Tizen OS to drive volume growth.

According to Samsung, Tizen platform will be a success if it accounts for 15 per cent of the company’s smartphone shipments. The company did not specify whether it wants Tizen to account for 15 per cent of this year’s smartphone sales or next year’s smartphone shipments.

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Samsung needs Tizen in order to lower its reliance on Google Android operating system. It is believed that Samsung could also make some money selling HTML5 applications for its handsets, but given that HTML5 apps are expected to be available from different sources, Samsung may not be able to sell a lot of them. Moreover, HTML5 applications may be targeted not only at Tizen, but also on Firefox, which further lowers the chances of Samsung to establish an exclusive repository of HTML5 apps for its smartphones.

Both Tizen and emerging Firefox OS are based on HTML5 technology and can support a wide-range of cross-platform applications. Since HTML5 relies on open standards, apps developed for one type of devices can work on other hardware as well provided that they do not use certain proprietary features. Back in December Samsung called Mozilla to unify software development tools for Firefox OS and Tizen operating systems to ensure broader availability of HTML5 apps.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: A high-end smartphone based on Tizen may be a good idea for technology enthusiasts as well as software developers, but it is naïve to expect such device to become popular. Meanwhile, the success of the mainstream Tizen-based smartphone will depend on several factors: availability, price and readiness of applications. Keeping in mind that at present there are almost no HTML5 apps for smartphones, it is unlikely that their number will skyrocket even by late 2014. All-in-all, it looks like mass adoption of Tizen will be delayed till at least 2015.

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Mozilla and Spreadtrum team up for $25/£15 smartphones https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/anton-shilov/mozilla-and-spreadtrum-team-up-for-2515-smartphones/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/anton-shilov/mozilla-and-spreadtrum-team-up-for-2515-smartphones/#respond Tue, 25 Feb 2014 23:18:32 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=179152 At the Mobile World Congress 2014, Spreadtrum Communications, a chip developer from China, and Mozilla, the designer of Firefox browser and operating system, announced initiative to develop smartphones that cost only $25/£15 in retail. The smartphones are expected to offer HTML5 and web applications amid full Internet connectivity and will be aimed at developing countries. …

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At the Mobile World Congress 2014, Spreadtrum Communications, a chip developer from China, and Mozilla, the designer of Firefox browser and operating system, announced initiative to develop smartphones that cost only $25/£15 in retail. The smartphones are expected to offer HTML5 and web applications amid full Internet connectivity and will be aimed at developing countries.

Spreadtrum and Mozilla have completed integration of the Firefox OS with several of Spreadtrum's WCDMA and EDGE smartphone chipsets, including the SC6821, which is claimed to be the industry's first core-logic designed specifically for $25 smartphones. The SC6821 is a highly-integrated system-on-chip presumably based on ARM Cortex-A5 core as well as a basic graphics processor. The high level of integration reduces the total bill of materials required to create low-end smartphones.

According to the chip developer, with the SC6821 system-on-chip, handset makers will be able to bring to market smartphones with 3.5″ HVGA touchscreens, integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM and camera functions, the advanced phone and browser features of Firefox OS, and access to a an ecosystem of web and HTML5 applications, at prices similar to much more minimally featured budget feature phones. Spreadtrum and Mozilla offer manufacturers a turnkey reference design that allows to quickly start production of smartphones.

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“Turnkey solutions benefit the vast majority of small handset makers by reducing the time and cost involved in bringing new devices to market,” said Stuart Robinson, an analyst at Strategy Analytics. “This joint effort between Spreadtrum and Mozilla will help make Firefox OS more readily available to handset makers that focus on the needs of entry level smartphone buyers in emerging markets.”

Spreadtrum and Mozilla have completed the integration of Firefox OS with Spreadtrum's SC6821 and SC7710 WCDMA smartphone chipsets, and expect to complete a turnkey reference design for the SC7715, Spreadtrum's single-core WCDMA smartphone chipset with integrated connectivity, next month. Spreadtrum and Mozilla's collaboration will extend across Spreadtrum's full chipset portfolio.

KitGuru Says: While Firefox OS is a promising operating system, it can hardly compete against Apple iOS and Google Android on developed markets. Targeting emerging markets with affordable smartphones is a thing that Mozilla needed to do to popularize its platform. Once the eco-system of software for the Firefox OS becomes truly competitive, it can easily try to offer more advanced smartphones on developed markets.

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Foxconn, Mozilla, Via to build Firefox OS-based tablet https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/anton-shilov/foxconn-mozilla-via-to-build-firefox-os-based-tablet/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/anton-shilov/foxconn-mozilla-via-to-build-firefox-os-based-tablet/#respond Tue, 07 Jan 2014 17:32:34 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=170741 Google Android is slowly, but surely, becoming the most popular operating system for media tablets thanks to support from various hardware makers. But in addition to Apple’s iOS and Microsoft Windows, Android may face competition from an unexpected rival – Mozilla’s Firefox OS – now that it is promoted by three companies. Foxconn Electronics (also …

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Google Android is slowly, but surely, becoming the most popular operating system for media tablets thanks to support from various hardware makers. But in addition to Apple’s iOS and Microsoft Windows, Android may face competition from an unexpected rival – Mozilla’s Firefox OS – now that it is promoted by three companies.

Foxconn Electronics (also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry), the world’s largest contract maker of consumer electronics and personal computers, recently joined forces with Mozilla and Via Technologies, a developer of application processors, to design media tablets based on Mozilla Firefox operating system, reports DigiTimes web-site. The plan is to create competitive hardware as well as software development guidelines for third-party app developers in a bid to make Firefox a more competitive platform for slates.

In case Via Technologies designs cost-efficient, yet competitive computing platforms; Foxconn builds high-quality and inexpensive tablets; whereas Mozilla manages to ensure broad availability of software for Firefox OS, then the latter could easily become a highly-competitive operating system for slates, especially in developing countries.

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A smartphone based on Mozilla Firefox OS platform

Firefox OS is based on HTML5 technology and can support a wide-range of cross-platform applications. Since HTML5 is based on open standards, apps developed for one type of devices can work on other hardware as well provided that they do not use certain proprietary features. Back in December Samsung Electronics called Mozilla to unify software development tools for Firefox OS and Tizen operating systems (which is jointly developed by Intel and Samsung) to ensure broader availability of HTML5 apps.

In an attempt to diversify its revenue sources and lower its reliance on Apple, Foxconn has been working with Mozilla over promotion of Firefox operating system for smartphones for about a year now. Certain carriers around the world have started to sell handsets featuring the software. It looks like now the companies plan to expand the relationship and introduce Firefox-based media tablets as well.

KitGuru Says: A new platform for various devices will undoubtedly catalyze innovation on the market both in terms of software and hardware. A bigger question is how successful Firefox operating system may become on well-developed markets where Apple’s iOS and Google Android are very popular?

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The first Firefox OS phones have been revealed https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/blair-mcclelland/the-first-firefox-os-phones-have-been-revealed/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/blair-mcclelland/the-first-firefox-os-phones-have-been-revealed/#respond Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:32:16 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=122806 Mozilla's Firefox OS was announced last year in an attempt to introduce a new major operating system to the ever-growing smartphone market. Retail hardware is on the horizon and today the first two developer orientated devices have been announced to go on sale next month. The low-end Keon device has a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon …

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Mozilla's Firefox OS was announced last year in an attempt to introduce a new major operating system to the ever-growing smartphone market. Retail hardware is on the horizon and today the first two developer orientated devices have been announced to go on sale next month.

The low-end Keon device has a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 single-core processor, a 3.5 inch HVGA display, a 3 MP camera, 4 GB of storage and 512 MB of RAM. The mid-range Peak handset, at least compared to today's Android devices boasts a 1.2 GHz Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor, a 4.3 inch qHD display, an 8 MP rear camera, a 2 MP front facing camera, 4 GB of storage and 512 MB of memory.

There has been no word yet on pricing details but we would expect both these developer devices and later retail devices to be rather affordable.

KitGuru says: It will certainly be interesting to see if Mozilla can grasp a share of the market in a world dominated by iPhones and Samsung Galaxy devices.

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Mozilla to release Firefox OS for mobile market https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/carl/mozilla-to-release-firefox-os-for-mobile-market/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/carl/mozilla-to-release-firefox-os-for-mobile-market/#respond Tue, 03 Jul 2012 07:26:23 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=97982 Mozilla are planning to release the FireFox Operating System, based entirely on HTML 5 and open web standards. The plan is to unlock many restrictions of mobile Web development. Mozilla aim to target the emerging markets, starting with Brazil in 2013. They posted a blog yesterday to say that the new OS will power the …

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Mozilla are planning to release the FireFox Operating System, based entirely on HTML 5 and open web standards. The plan is to unlock many restrictions of mobile Web development.

Mozilla aim to target the emerging markets, starting with Brazil in 2013. They posted a blog yesterday to say that the new OS will power the launch of a new breed of smartphones built entirely to open web standards. They say that the basic capabilities of the device, such as calling, gaming and messaging can be developed as HTML 5 applications.

Gary Kovacs, CEO of Mozilla said in the blog “The introduction of the open mobile OS continues the Mozilla mission to promote opennes, innovation and opportunity on the Web for users and developers. As billions of users are expected to come online for the first time in the coming years, it is important to deliver a compelling smartphone experience that anyone can use.”

The project has already gathered the support of operators such as Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, Smart, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, and Telenor.

ZTE and TCL Communication also said that they would manufacture the first Firefox OS devices using Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors. These should launch commercially in Brazil early 2013 through Vivo.

You can read the full blog report over here.

Kitguru says: It sounds like a compelling project, especially for emerging markets.

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