Update to Firefox 7 shifted

Update to Firefox 7 shifted

The update released a few days ago the free Firefox browser to version 7
obviously leads to difficulties with some add-ons. The extensions,
together with their data were indeed still present but not visible. The
bug was already on 21 August for the time reported is still in beta
stage, is version 7.

Therefore, the developers have decided to suspend the automatic update
of the browser for now. It should be taken only when version 7.0.1 is
ready with the error correction. Users who are already using Firefox 7
can handle the problem. It apparently occurs when an add-on indeed
downloaded but not installed by restarting the browser was. The comments
to the blog entry on the Mozilla site, according to the mail program
Thunderbird also published yesterday in version 7 is affected.

Since version 4, the Firefox developers have introduced shorter release
cycles, so every six weeks is a new version. This was met with criticism
in some users, spearheaded by, among other things, the difficulties
add-ons.

Outages at MobileMe

Outages at MobileMe

Apple's Internet services as part of MobileMe are only limited use since
Thursday evening. So the e-mail service system according to status was
reached in the meantime for up to 75 percent of the customers not the
MobileMe web applications and the "Find My iPhone" just is not.

Meanwhile, to the e-mail or disorder affecting approximately 25 percent
of users, on-Me.com Apps Apple says there representation in part on
access issues. "Find My iPhone" is also "for some MobileMe members" not
be used - how many of these are, to the computer company made ​​no
statements. Other MobileMe services should be regularly available.

It is unclear what is the reason for the shortfall. According to
observers, but they are likely to do with Apple's preparations have
icloud. The new online service offering could be the press event, "Let's
talk iPhone" officially launched next Tuesday.

Mozilla is considering switching off Java in Firefox

Mozilla is considering switching off Java in Firefox

As a possible interim solution for the reported SSL / TLS vulnerabilities discuss the Firefox developers, the Java plug-in to disable Oracle's browser. The Java Plug-in makes the exploitation of the past weeks Duong Rizzo and weaknesses demonstrated that is possible. They showed how cookies could be reconstructed from any website, despite an encrypted connection.

For their Chosen-plaintext attack on the TLS mostly used cipher-block chaining (CBC) mode must Rizzo and Duong namely the Same Origin Policy (SOP) bypassed the browser to also communicate with servers can not from the domain comes, comes from the example, the Java applet.

The SOP is designed to prevent precisely this, but apparently there is a previously unknown bug in Java, which can be accomplished that. Would be seen, according to the Firefox developers Oracle now actually on the train, the first problem to solve in Java. But who have not responded so far, so is under consideration, with a Firefox update all Java plug-ins off for security reasons. That would lead some users to malfunction. Firefox chief Johnathan Nightingale calls the Facebook video chat as well as various corporate applications.

Google has implemented a different solution in the Chrome developer version: To impede the attacker control over the infiltrate plain text, divided packages, each preceded by an empty packet. This has led previous reports have said that only a few sites to problems. When Google incorporated the workaround in the stable version does, but it is not known.

Microsoft has a solution recommended switching from TLS to TLS 1.0 1.1, however, that the server must support - and yet few do. Moreover, according to some Firefox developers, the problem is not solved really, because Java uses its own TLS stack - and the only support the vulnerable TLS version 1.0.

Microsoft plans cheaper Windows Phones

Microsoft plans cheaper Windows Phones

Microsoft writes the manufacturers of smart phones with Windows Mobile 7 exactly what hardware specs they must fulfill at least. These include a 1 GHz processor, 256 MB of RAM or a capacitive touch screen with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. To facilitate the construction of cheaper smartphones, Microsoft wants, according to the Japanese blogs nanapho.jp now relax the specifications Happen: How have the internal flash memory instead of 8 GB now amount to only 2 GB, enough place a 5-megapixel camera has a with a resolution of 3 megapixels.

These requests come primarily from low-cost smartphone manufacturers benefit from the Asian region - about ZTE had already presented earlier in the week with a 4.3-inch model Tania a mango-smartphone, which is equipped with only 4 GB of memory. This is Tania but so far only announced for sale in Asia.

Other requirements for WP7 smartphones remain: Thus, the smart phones have a micro-USB connector, a 3.5-mm audio jack, GPS and accelerometer and position sensor. For grid connection have Wi-Fi (802.11n) and HSPA are available.

Microsoft spokeswoman Irene Nadler refused to comment on the speculation not pointed but on one interview with the Handelsblatt, the Microsoft corporate vice president of Mobile, Achim Berg, a new set was announced by specifications, "the manufacturers to build cheaper hardware allows".

Asked Sun Cold Heat

Asked Sun Cold Heat


Would the federal government to promote solar thermal energy only partially as well as the PV, she would have long since established itself as the mainstay of energy production. But a half-hearted policy of the market has shot up.

Solar panels already seemed firmly on German roofs have to be booked. As the oil price in 2008 to over $ 140 a barrel (159 liters), climbed to the newly installed solar thermal capacity doubled to 1,400 megawatts. Germany had developed into the largest European market for solar collectors - 2008 went to Europe every other plant sold to a German customer. The German solar manufacturer in 2008 doubled its sales to two billion euros. Within months, the number of employees rose by 10,000 to 25,000.

The outlook seemed bright: The government decided in June 2008, the Renewable Energies Heat Act (EEWärmeG). It requires all new buildings incorporate into regenerative heat generator. In parallel, Berlin increased in 2009, the relevant funds on a new record price: should the market incentive program (MAP), the regenerative heat promote various grants, the federal government halted by 150 to 500 million euros, the CO2 emissions from buildings by as much as 800 million to 2, 2 billion.

Nevertheless, the conversion decreases continuously with renewable heat since autumn 2008. While booming new oil and gas boilers in Germany, was loudly Heating Association BDH dropped the demand for heat pumps from 2008 to 2010 by 20 percent, sales of wood boilers and solar thermal systems in the same period as much as half. Not a turnaround is in sight: In the first half of 2011 fell to assemble the solar panels compared to the same period by another two percent.

How could this happen? At first glance, there is only one plausible explanation for the price of oil fell from June to October 2008 during the economic crisis in the shortest time below 40 dollars per barrel. It abolished the incentive to invest in environmentally friendly heat.

But the thing is not so simple. Guilt is also a missed promotion policy. "In truth, the federal government has no interest in solar thermal energy, because everything is in Berlin only to the Renewable Energy Act," Werner Koldehoff, board member says the Federal Solar Industry Association (BSW). This manifests itself in the solar thermal industry fatal decisions: instead of helping her with additional sales incentives from the crisis, the incentives are even lower. Only 1.7 billion euros in 2010, the Federal Government through the MAP and the CO2 emissions from buildings are available, this year there are only 1.2 billion euros. That's not half as much as in 2009 and six times less than the seven billion euros in 2011 - will be invested in photovoltaics - by levy on the electricity bill. It could be in the heat sector save the most CO2: Half of the total final energy demand (the part of the primary energy that arrives after deduction of transport and transformation losses to the consumer) is in this country used to generate heat, but only a quarter of electricity.

Even the EEWärmeG is no real support for solar energy, because it contains too many loopholes. Thus, for example, local authorities are not deficient plants for renewable energy into their new buildings and existing building stock is excluded from the incorporation requirement anyway. "This area has a share of 90 percent of newly installed heating systems. Here is a vast field of action left out," said Richard Hunter, head of the Brunswick Solvis solar provider.

Instead, the federal government uses for old buildings are voluntary and financial incentives. To encourage investments a homeowner to move, but must continually flow sufficient funding. That is difficult for the programs. In April 2010, the MAP was stopped because the government is remaining for the rest of the year € 115 million blocked funds from financial constraints. When they were released again in June, the two-month break had already caused great damage. "The ups and downs has alienated many potential investors", says market expert Koldehoff.

The demand slowdown affecting the company hard. Believing in sustainable growth in 2008, many manufacturers invested in new plants. No sooner were the lines ready, orders fell. About the export can not compensate for the losses, as well as in the three other major European solar thermal markets Italy, Spain and France has been falling for some time now the demand, because not getting the funding for construction crisis and low energy prices. According to cost the BSW-Solar 5000 jobs crisis in Germany so far.

Even highly innovative companies such as the Baden system provider paradigm found no remedy for the doldrums. His "aqua system", circulates through the collector circuit instead of a toxic and rapidly aging heat transfer fluid, easy-care water admitted from 2008 Innovation Awards, and counted with 66 megawatts of power sold to the market hits in Germany. "Based on this success, we have doubled our production and set new staff," says CEO Klaus Taafel. Paradigm because by now but only sold half as much power as 2008, had 40 employees are laid off again.

The sales decline is even less capital for new designs. BSW estimates that the industry now spends only half as much money on research and development as in 2008. Thus - and by lack of economies of scale - also slow down the cost reductions. Solar heat is still 12 to 14 cents per kilowatt hour more expensive than conventional heating with about eleven cents.

Theoretically, were, says physicist Gerhard Stryi-Hipp at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg, the production costs of solar heat reduction but less than five cents, because the development potential of the technique is still enormous: phase change materials from salt or paraffin, the melting solidify or absorb energy and deliver, for example, could save between heat for the night; collectors made of plastic instead of metal and glass could cut production costs further, also could be integrated collectors in district heating networks and are used more efficiently. "2030 might cover more than 50 percent of solar heat demand in Europe," is convinced Stryi-Hipp.

Still missing, however, the incentive to realize these visions. Experts see because of the debt crisis for the time being no indication of a significant rise in oil prices. And effective support to the policy can not hope the industry. Again and again it has submitted proposals for Berlin a more efficient production. Which would increase the collector floor building, the use requirement under EEWärmeG would also be extended to existing buildings. Other incentives would also bring a CO2 tax.

In Berlin, the industry will meet with their proposals, however, apparently fell on deaf ears. As part of the energy package adopted in July should building owners who renovate their homes energy, actually a year can deduct up to ten percent of the sum of the tax. But the states that blocked because of the anticipated tax revenue. Also the MAP is the first January 2012 "touched". Then, the base remuneration falls again for collectors: from 120 to 90 € per square meter. With system cost of 1500 € per square meter, the current subsidy is already just a drop in the bucket.

New website for Ubuntu developers

New website for Ubuntu developers

Canonical, the company behind the Ubuntu Linux distribution, has started
with the website developer.ubuntu.com a new focal point for developers
that provides free or fee-based open-source applications for Ubuntu want
to write. Here they receive tools, information materials, sample
applications and instructions for developing and offering for sale of
the Ubuntu apps.

Find about the tool written in Python Quickly, allows the creation of
applications within a short time from the Debian packages and leave
everything to the writing and publishing applications, is easier to
bring. Other tools will follow. The application development can be done
in C / C + +, C #, Java, JavaScript, Python, Vala and QML, and recommend
the Ubuntu developers Python.

About the program item "My Apps" on the website can app developers to
submit their programs in the Ubuntu Software Center. The billing
application fee via PayPal. Canonical will keep, where 20 percent of the
proceeds. Following the announcement of the new initiative is the offer
only the prelude dar. The community is invited to participate in
particular content of tutorials and test the site.

Solar Thermal in the downturn

Solar Thermal in the downturn

Solar panels already seemed firmly on German roofs have to be booked. As oil prices climbed in 2008 to over 140 dollars a barrel, the newly installed solar thermal capacity doubled to 1,400 megawatts. But with the growth it's over.

The German solar thermal producers managed to double its 2008 turnover to 2 billion €. Within months, the number of employees rose by 10,000 to 25,000. However, the conversion decreases with renewable heat continuously since fall 2008. While booming new oil and gas boilers in Germany, was loudly Heating Association BDH dropped the demand for heat pumps from 2008 to 2010 by 20 percent, sales of wood boilers and solar thermal systems in the same period as much as half. Not a turnaround is in sight: In the first half of 2011 fell to assemble the solar panels compared to the same period by a further 2 percent.

Debt - in addition to the now fallen back oil prices - according to the industry a missed promotion policy. "In truth, the federal government has no interest in solar thermal energy, because everything is in Berlin only to the Renewable Energy Act," said Werner Koldehoff, board member of the Federal Solar Industry Association (BSW). This manifests itself in the solar thermal industry fatal decisions: instead of helping her with additional sales incentives from the crisis, the incentives are even lower. Only 1.7 billion euros in 2010, the Federal Government over its market incentive program and the CO2 emissions from buildings are available, this year there are only 1.2 billion euros. That's not half as much as in 2009 and six times less than the 7 billion euros in 2011 - will be invested in photovoltaics - by levy on the electricity bill. It could be in the heat sector save the most CO2: Half of the total final energy demand (the part of the primary energy that arrives after deduction of transport and transformation losses to the consumer) is in this country used to generate heat, but only a quarter of electricity.