Ubuntu's Firefox switches to Yahoo

The next release of Ubuntu will see the default search engine of the Firefox browser change to Yahoo due to a revenue-sharing deal between Yahoo and Canonical, reports The Register.

With regulators set to approve Yahoo's search pact with Microsoft, essentially Microsoft will power the future of Firefox on Ubuntu. The ultimate irony is that Microsoft will essentially be paying people to build a Linux distribution.

Canonical's Rick Spencer announced the Yahoo revenue deal with a post to the Ubuntu developer mailing list. Firefox users will still have the option of changing the search provider.

The Chinese government says its dispute with Google over Web censorship won't lead to regulatory retaliation towards its Android mobile phone system, says Mobile.Blorg.

A spokesman for China's industry and IT ministry says there will be no specific restrictions on Android, so long as it complies with Chinese laws and regulations, and as long as it has good cooperation with operators.

The situation is complicated as Android is open source, allowing Android customisations between phones to vary. Even with government assurances, problems could arise with pre-loaded Google services, or those providing specific applications making use of Google's search tools due to Google's decision to reject Chinese demand to filter its local results.

The Wikimedia Foundation has hired open source veteran Danese Cooper as chief technology officer, states CNET News.

Cooper will be responsible for developing and executing Wikimedia's technical strategy and leading its technology team. This includes ensuring the Wikimedia sites, including the open sourced Wikipedia, operate smoothly as readership continues to grow, as well as driving the continuing innovation of Wikimedia's software platform to service Wikimedia readers and editors.

"In order to continue successfully serving hundreds of millions of readers in hundreds of countries and languages, Wikimedia depends on an active community of volunteers to develop and localise the software. I'm counting on Danese to grow and develop that network," says Sue Gardner, executive director at Wikimedia Foundation.