I knew it was only a matter of time. Google's style has always been to make simple interfaces packed with hidden functionality, which is probably one of the reasons they have taken such an interest in Firefox. Add the continuous friction between Google and Microsoft and the fact that Microsoft currently has a near monopoly on the market of applications required to access Google's services, and Google has been itching for a chance to toss Internet Explorer in the recycle bin.

Now it looks like that movement has made another step. Over the last year or so, Google has hired many of the core Firefox developers, and now they've moved in for the rest of Mozilla.

Google says there isn't really going to be any change in the direction of the project, but that the decision will improve the credibility of the Firefox project in the eyes of businesses, where Firefox usage is currently fairly low. Meanwhile, some changes that will make it into Firefox 2.0 include the incorporation of the Google Safe Browsing extension into the default install, as well as some unobtrusive integration with Gmail. As far as the rendering engine goes, more work will be put into supporting Web Applications 1.0 from the Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group (WHATWG), which I view as an unfortunate but increasingly inevitable move.

In other news: Opera has been bought out by Adobe; AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, and Sprint have merged; Windows Live has been cracked and is currently making use of the recent createTextRange vulnerability in Internet Explorer to conduct drive-by spyware attacks on all IE-using visitors; and the date is April 1.

"Posted by Nanobot at 2006-04-01 00:00:00", yeah, right.

Dude, that happened a year ago.