Mozilla Messaging has released Shredder (Thunderbird 3) Beta 1 today. This milestone is focused on testing the core functionality of the new features and platform changes that will be included in Thunderbird 3. Thunderbird 3 Beta 1 includes new database technology that will make it possible to build fast new ways of navigating mail. For more background and for previews of experimental add-ons, visit this blog post. New features and changes in this milestone that require feedback include: Tab interface for Mail Improvements to IMAP for faster message viewing Improved message reader view New Add-ons Manager Improved Address Book interface…

On December 9, 1968, a group of engineers led by Douglas Engelbart crowded into an auditorium in San Francisco to show off a groundbreaking new system they’d designed for interacting with a computer. Moving beyond the cold realities of the keyboard (and even the punch card), Engelbart’s creation would open up a new world of computing from that day on. His invention: The mouse. It would take years for the mouse to catch on (beginning primarily with the introduction of the original Macintosh in 1984): By that point Englebart’s patent had expired and he never received any royalties for inventing…

Firefox 3.1 Beta 2 has been released today. What’s New in Firefox 3.1 Beta 2 Firefox 3.1 Beta 2 is based on the Gecko 1.9.1 rendering platform, which has been under development for the past 7 months. Gecko 1.9.1 is an incremental release on the previous version with significant changes to improve web compatibility, performance, and ease of use: This beta is now available in 54 languages – get your local version. Added a new Private Browsing Mode. Added functions to make it easy to clear recent history by time as well as remove all traces of a website. New support for web worker threads. The…