With the release of Firefox 1.0.3 a couple days ago, it's probably a good time to look at the new browser wars. Let's start with Firefox, which has now been downloaded more than 45 million times. It's still the darling of the bleeding edge, but there are a few critics such as Fred Langa, who caution Firefox is not the be-all-and-end-all. He points to security issues within Firefox and the open source movement as a key stumbling block. It's valid criticism given v. 1.0.3 address several critical security flaws, which must warm the hearts of the folks in Redmond who are regularly savaged for IE's security shortcoming.
I think Firefox is entering an interesting juncture. The novelty factor is wearing off so it's time for Firefox to take a major step forward to maintain its momentum. One area where it could improve is extensions. While the "a la carte" approach to extensions is commendable in the bloated software world, Firefox would attract more newbies by offering l different flavors that sport more features. You could market it along the lines of: Firefox-Lite (no extensions), Firefox+ (some mainstream extensions) and Firefox++ (lots of extensions).
As for Opera - the great Norwegian hope of the late-1990s - there are indications its prospects as a PC-based Web browser are beginning to waver. Opera has fought the good fight against IE by incorporating features such as tabbed browsing (which IE has yet to introduce for some bizarre reason). But Opera's future may lie in the wireless world on devices such as cell phones. Not surprisingly, Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchne isn't ready to concede yet. He believes version 8 will reignite interest with a variety of new features, including the ability to morph itself into quasi-IE to handle Web sites that Opera was not compatiable with previously.
In the meantime, you wonder what Microsoft is doing with IE. Other than plans to introduce improved security and anti-virus protection, there's been few rumblings on what else to expect. At the very least, it looks like the newest browser battle is just getting started.

The Globe & Mail has a Luddite-like story on how some people have reverted to using paper to organize their days rather than a Blackberry or PDA. As much as those of us who work in the technology business would shudder at the thought of taking a step backwards, there are apparently some people who believe that using a 3"x5" card to write down ideas and to-do lists is more effective than powering up your electronic device and tapping in some data. There is even a blog, 43Folders.com dedicated to "tricks, hacks and other cool stuff" such as using index cards. I don't know whether to laugh or cry about the apparent return of paper. My brother, who's young enough to know better, even admitted he re-uses paper to make his own doodle pads. The next you know rabbit ears will make a comeback for TV reception, LPs will suddenly become the way to listen to music and there will be a run on abacuses. We live in dangerous times!