sea

Mozilla released Firefox 3.5.4 for Windows, Mac, and Linux on Tuesday to patch six critical security holes and some other problems.

The new browser version also improves stability and fixes a problem with clearing browser history, according to the release notes. Mozilla updated the corresponding version of its earlier browser to fix some of the same security problems by issuing Firefox 3.0.15.

The six vulnerabilities potentially could let remote attackers take over the computer by running their own software on the machine. For details, check the Firefox security site.

Meanwhile, Mozilla is on the brink of … Read more

Do you pine for the Netscape Communicator days with unified browser and e-mail software but want something more current? Mozilla on Tuesday released SeaMonkey 2.0, which combines Firefox and Thunderbird.

The new version, for Windows, Mac, and Linux, is rebuilt with Firefox 3.5.4 and is more closely aligned with the standalone browser. "SeaMonkey is now much closer to Firefox as far as user profiles, add-ons, and functionality of user interface elements are concerned," according to the release notes. Among other changes:

• Retrieving e-mail using the IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) protocol is faster, and for … Read more

Docked off San Francisco's Pier 27 and rocking calmly in the bay, the Okeanos Explorer awaits its return to sea.

The ship--once a U.S. Navy vessel now under control of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)--is in the midst of being outfitted exclusively for deep-ocean exploration and discovery. Its purpose will be to investigate unknown, misunderstood, and other below-the-surface phenomena. It is expected to be fully operational by next summer.

With up to 95 percent of the ocean unexplored, there are vast amounts of research for the ship to pursue. However, the Okeanos Explorer will have … Read more

Netpas Distance offers sea travelers an opportunity to gauge the distance between any ports on Earth. By distilling this complicated task into a surprisingly simple program, users will have an easier time navigating the world's waterways.

The program is blessed with a very simple interface that primarily focuses on a world map and the log of your travels. There are a few command buttons, but all do a great job of explaining themselves, which makes navigating this program fairly intuitive, even for landlubbers. However, if something is too technical, there is an excellent online Help file waiting to be … Read more

A new study from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has found that Greenland's melting ice may have a greater effect on sea level rise on the northeastern coasts of the U.S. and Canada than previously hypothesized.

"If Greenland's ice melts at moderate to high rates, ocean circulation by 2100 may shift and cause sea levels off the northeast coast of North America to rise by about 12 to 20 inches (about 30 to 50 centimeters) more than in other coastal areas. The research builds on recent reports that have found that sea level rise … Read more

"The ocean needs more friends", says Graham Hawkes, who earlier this week unveiled the Deep Flight Super Falcon at the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. The craft is the newest and most advanced production-model undersea flying vehicle designed by Hawkes Ocean Technologies. (More information after the slideshow)

The submersible, which is 1/10th the weight of its conventional counterparts, seeks to provide new methods of exploring the oceans. Typically, undersea submersibles are very slow, and Hawkes designed this vehicle so that individuals might be able to more safely and comfortably explore the vast oceans of the world, … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--For Graham Hawkes, the inventor of an entirely new class of deep-sea submersibles, a reporter's question on Wednesday--What kind of fish inspired his new flying craft?--was the perfect opportunity to vent about one of his chief frustrations with science.

"The thousands we don't know of," Hawkes answered, adding that when a world-class ichthyologist friend of his had said he'd never before seen many of the different species of fish they'd passed by while flying far underwater in one of his vessels, "I go, 'yeehah.'"

On Wednesday, Hawkes, his business partner … Read more

Arctic sea ice is not only shrinking in coverage area; it's also thinning, according to a report and satellite images jointly released on Monday by NASA and the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado.

The Arctic basin is covered in a thick semipermanent sea ice, which is covered in thin seasonal ice caps that are built up each winter, only to melt away again each summer.

The 2009 Arctic summer-melting season is starting out with a substantial amount of thin seasonal ice and an unusually small amount of the thick sea ice, making … Read more

Canadian watercraft maker Sea-Doo is unveiling the Sea-Doo GTX Limited iS 255 and RXT 255 models this week at the Miami Boat Show.

Although personal watercraft is a little out of our realm for The Car Tech blog, and we won't be test driving the new Sea-Doo models, we can't pass up revealing Sea-Doo's new technology. The new Sea-Doo models offer an industry first for personal watercraft-- suspension and braking systems.

The Intelligent Brake and Reverse (iBR) is a Sea-Doo offers an on the water braking system and a hands-on-the-handlebars reverse. A lever on the left handlebar … Read more