Google closes in on Apple

Google has been playing catch-up to Apple in the mobile world for several years, but it's starting to carve out its own niche by emphasising its strength on the Web, reveals CNet.

The Android Market Web Store was the most interesting thing to emerge from Google's headquarters, and it's one that Apple can't easily duplicate overnight.

It's also in keeping with Google's philosophy of pushing Web development over native software development when possible. This strategy isn't always practical on smartphones but is starting to make more sense as computing power grows in tablets.

Mobile phone firm Vodafone has accused the Egyptian authorities of using its network to send unattributed text messages supporting the government, says the BBC.

Vodafone was told to switch off services last week when protests against president Hosni Mubarak began. But the authorities then ordered Vodafone to switch the network back on, in order to send messages under Egypt's emergency laws, the firm said.

In a statement, Vodafone described the messages as "unacceptable". "These messages are not scripted by any of the mobile network operators and we do not have the ability to respond to the authorities on their content."

Mozilla is bracing itself for yet more beta releases and possibly another delay of its Firefox 4 browser, according to The Register.

The open source Web tool outfit pushed out a 10th test build of Firefox 4 last week. It has now confirmed that two more betas will definitely follow before a release candidate version of the browser lands.

"The current plan is to build when the remaining betaN hardblockers are done," said Firefox release manager Christian Legnitto in a blog post.