The Chrome OS announcement caused speculation from many sides as to what effect the Google platform would have on other Linux distros. At least Canonical could benefit from it.

The source code for Chrome OS, alias Chromium, the Linux-based operating system developed by Google, is now ready for download.

Google is just not getting enough. After its own browser and a Linux-based operating system, it's now coming up with its own programming language. Behind its development lurk some of the legends in UNIX history.

For Google to publish figures about its various projects and activities is unusual. With the web suite Chrome however, things are different. Google has released information on user numbers and bonus payments to team members.

Mozilla has made itself into the draft horse for a new font format for the Web that some of its developers and independent font designers are currently hatching. Firefox 3.6 should be the first to support the new Web Open Font Format (WOFF).

After a year's development, a new, stable version 3.0 of Google's open source Chrome browser is now available. Developers promise "significant speed improvements," although current beneficiaries are Windows Vista and XP users only.

The Mozilla Project has updated its roadmap for the coming versions of Firefox. The next big release, Firefox 4.0 with Geko1.9.4 underneath, is scheduled for the end of 2010.