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News

• Mozilla downplays Firefox bug, passes on fix

  Mozilla on Tuesday said that it will not patch a bug that blocks the display of a warning when Firefox detects a potentially deceptive URL, saying the flaw was not a threat.

• As Internet Explorer Turns 15, We Take A Look Back

  Microsoft Internet Explorer marks <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/08/16/internet-explorer-15-birthday/">its 15th anniversary this week</a>. The first version of the browser was launched back in the summer of 1995 and since then the browser--now in its eighth rendition--has undergone numerous updates, revisions and versions.

• Microsoft to release IE9 public beta on Sept. 15

  Microsoft on Thursday announced it will release a public beta of Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) on Sept. 15, a little less than five weeks from now.

• Google debuts Chrome 6 beta, trims UI

  Google yesterday shifted Chrome 6 into beta, a move that puts the browser one step closer to a stable release.

• Hotmail users get hot under the collar after upgrade

  Some users are hot at Microsoft over snafus in the new Hotmail that have locked them out of their accounts, blocked them from viewing mail or kept them from accessing contacts.

• Browsers' private modes leak info, say researchers

  Browsing in "private mode" isn't as private as users think, a researcher said today.

• Mozilla plans to silently update Firefox

  Taking a page from rival Google's playbook, Mozilla plans to introduce silent, behind-the-scenes security updating to Firefox 4.

• More than 1 in 10 Mozilla bug finders turn down cash

  The open-source Mozilla project has been offering cash bounties for security bugs for six years now, but often bug finders simply turn down the cash.

• Microsoft's IE snatches share for second straight month

  For the second straight month, Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) browser gained ground in the usage share race, a company manager said today.

• Microsoft slates IE9 beta for September

  MIcrosoft will ship a beta of Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) in September, a company executive said today.

• Researcher finds Safari reveals personal information

  A feature in Apple's Safari browser designed to make it easier to fill out forms could by abused by hackers to harvest personal information, according to a security researcher.

• Mozilla re-patches Firefox 3.6 to fix plug-in problem

  For the second time in two months, Mozilla on Friday rushed out a fix for Firefox to patch a problem with a browser update issued just days before.

• Google to rev up Chrome release schedule

  Google on Thursday said it will pick up Chrome's release pace by issuing a new version of the browser about every six weeks. According to Anthony Laforge, a Chrome program manager, the new schedule will put a a new "stable" version of the browser in users' hands roughly twice often as in the past. The picked-up pace will debut over the next few months.

• Google calls, raises Mozilla's bug bounty for Chrome flaws

  Google on Tuesday hiked bounty payments for Chrome bugs to a maximum of $US3,133, up almost $2,000 from the previous top dollar payout of $1,337.

• Mozilla patches 16 security bugs in Firefox 3.6

  Mozilla on Tuesday patched 16 vulnerabilities, nine of them critical, in Firefox 3.6, the largest update for the open-source browser since March.