Mozilla pulls the plug on Pocket, Fakespot to focus on 'better browsing'

Image: Mozilla

Mozilla is discontinuing its popular bookmarking tool, Pocket, and its fake review detector, Fakespot, in a move signalling a strategic shift. The company said this decision allows them to concentrate resources on developing features that align with evolving user browsing habits and online needs.

Pocket, initially launched as "Read It Later" in 2007 and acquired by Mozilla in 2017, will cease operations on July 8. Users will have until October 8, to export their saved content, after which all user data will be permanently deleted. Mozilla will automatically cancel subscriptions and issue prorated refunds for annual plan subscribers starting on the shutdown date.

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Mozilla launches VPN for Windows, Android

Canada is one of the few countries getting a new VPN service from Mozilla. The organization believes its service stands above the many VPN offerings out there. Mozilla claims it's faster with fewer lines of code than the average VPN. And with its track record with privacy, it claims you can keep your private browsing secure. The organization won't partner with third-party analytics firms or keep user data logs. And those who haven't used a VPN before can figure it out.

Mozilla VPN supports up to five Windows and Android devices for US$5 (around CA$7) per month. And it lets you connect to over 30 servers around the world with WireGuard encryption securing the connection. The software is also available in the US, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, and New Zealand. It will come to more countries in the fall. iOS users will also get the app soon.

Source: Engadget

Mozilla doesn't plan to delay Firefox update releases

Mozilla plans to keep its four-week release schedule for new Firefox Stable versions, which means the next update scheduled for April 7 will arrive on time. But Mozilla noted that feature development might be slowed down, given our current situation. The organization plans to take a look at planned features and will delay some of the non-critical changes. Google has previously announced that it would be postponing planned releases of Chrome and Chrome OS to ensure the stability of its platform.

Source: Ghacks.net

Firefox update will switch off notification pop-ups by default

Ever been annoyed by the notification pop-ups on Chrome? Firefox is giving you another compelling reason to switch over. The web browser will block-by-default the notification pop-ups that continuously show up on Chrome. Mozilla ran a test on how its users interacted with pop-ups, and they found that 97% of users dismissed or blocked them. What Mozilla is doing doesn’t mean that notifications will be done away completely. The browser will be substituting the pop-up with an icon in the address bar to alert you that there is a notification that requires your attention. The stable version of Firefox 72 will be introducing the feature, and it’s expected to launch in January 2020. Firefox Nightly has the feature now, though.

Source: TechRadar