Beta

Opera goes to 11 with an extensions API

Editors' note: This post originally stated that the Opera 11 beta was not yet available for Linux. In fact, Opera 11 beta 1 for Linux is available for download here.

Opera may be getting most of its attention these days from its mobile browsers, but that doesn't mean that the company is ignoring its desktop browser. The first beta for Opera 11 introduces a long-missing extensions API in a lightweight profile similar to those that run on WebKit-powered browsers like Chrome and Safari.

Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, Opera 11 beta 1 debuts other minor but useful changes. … Read more

Cleveland Clinic predicts top medical breakthrough of 2011

This week, at Cleveland Clinic's 2010 Medical Innovation Summit, the top 10 medical breakthroughs of 2011 have been predicted, with the new brain imaging compound AV-45--which is poised to help early detection of Alzheimer's--taking the top spot.

Alzheimer's gets its name from German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer, who began lecturing in the early 1900s about the plaques and tangles he'd found in the post-mortem brain tissue of a 51-year-old patient.

To this day, diagnosing the disease while a patient is still alive is tricky, and there is still no cure. But there have been several breakthroughs … Read more

Apple now accepting submissions for iOS 4.2 Apps

Apple, after releasing the iOS 4.2 beta Gold Master version of its mobile operating system, is now accepting apps for the App Store that have been tested against iOS 4.2 GM and are ready for public release.

Apple will begin reviewing submissions from developers so that the store will have plenty of iOS 4.2 apps available when the new operating system releases later this month.

The GM version of iOS 4.2 beta also includes a few minor changes that were not in the previous beta release, including a redesigned multitasking bar that adds easy access to … Read more

Yahoo speeds up Mail, adds more Twitter

Yahoo wants to make its Web e-mail service a place you never want to--or more importantly--have to leave to get your social fix.

The company on Wednesday is releasing an overhauled version of its Yahoo Mail Beta client that it says is twice as fast as the previous version, while managing to tack on new features like an integrated Twitter client, rich media previews, and a more full-featured IM client.

Yahoo says this speed boost should be especially noticeable to users outside the U.S. with latency issues, due mostly to the new version making use of the company's … Read more

Apple releases iOS 4.2 beta 3 to developers with new customizable text tones

Apple has released the latest iOS 4.2 beta version to developers. The third update to Apple's forthcoming iOS update adds customizable tones for text messages while disabling the AirPlay feature for some Apps--most notably YouTube.

The new text tones will come as a welcome addition to many users, especially in high iPhone-concentrated areas, who are frustrated with checking their phone every time one of the original text tones sound.

If you're interested in hearing what some of the new text tones sound like, The iPhone Blog has posted a walkthrough video of iOS 4.2 beta 3 … Read more

Office 2010 beta to expire on Halloween

Those of you still running the beta version of Microsoft Office 2010 have only three more weeks to use the software.

Today's Microsoft Office blog broke the news that the Office 2010 beta will expire on Sunday, October 31, meaning that all installations of the software will stop working the night of Halloween.

Launched almost a year ago, the Office 2010 beta has proved very successful, according to Microsoft's figures, triggering 9 million downloads, more than six times the number seen by the Office 2007 beta.

People who want to install the released version of Office 2010 will … Read more

Chrome gets acceleration, WebGL, Google Instant

Fulfilling a pledge to hasten the pace of Chrome releases, Google has issued its first beta edition of Chrome 7, but the big new changes in the browser come with a new developer-oriented release.

The new beta, Chrome 7.0.517.24, matches that of Tuesday's developer-channel release. That doesn't include too much directly visible to users--the about:labs feature for experimental options is one item--but it paves the way for major changes.

For a preview of those coming attractions, browser users should check the new developer version that's been cooking for weeks, version 7.0.536.2. … Read more

Meebo releases beta IM app for BlackBerry

Meebo brings a new instant messaging entrant to BlackBerry today, in the form of a beta release of Meebo for BlackBerry (download). The Web-based IM service hopes to net more users with this app, in addition to those it picked up when Meebo released its iPhone and Android apps.

For the most part, Meebo for BlackBerry beta worked and looked as expected in our tests on a Bold 9700. The app makes use of two tabs to respectively manage your buddy list and contacts. The Menu is home to settings and tools, like logging on to one of your chat … Read more

IE9 beta takes a bow

  Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded: Microsoft releases beta version of Internet Explorer 9 Craigslists rules out reopening adult services Facebook competitor Diaspora releases source code Apple iOS 4.2 brings the iPad up to par Playstation 3 firmware update includes 3D Blu-ray support