Mozilla’s Firefox 13 launched earlier this month and the latest version of the popular browser introduced a number of new features, including support for Google’s SPDY protocol and a new homescreen and easy access to your most often used sites through the improved new tab page . That convenient new speed dial-like new tab page presents a bit of a security risk, however. As the Register reports , the thumbnails that accompany these links on the improved new tap page have the potential to leak personal information

The internet is an incredibly powerful tool, but it’s also a very dangerous place. Because of this, children with autism and other disabilities often can’t leverage the power of the web, which is a place where you should be able to learn anything

There is certainly no shortage of startup incubators and accelerators these days, but Silicon Valley’s Upwest Labs is doing something especially unique. Upwest, which got off the ground in January , focuses on entrepreneurs with Israeli roots — it brings them to Palo Alto, California for 10 weeks, during which they work around the clock to amp up their existing startups to Silicon Valley speed.

Back at the Startup Alley at TechCrunch Disrupt New York this year, we discovered an awesome Israel-based startup called Brayola , which uses bras that ladies already own to help them find perfect-fitting bras online. But it would appear that a similar idea has been executed in a much more gender-blind and mainstream form. Fit Of Passion , a company we met at the Philly TechCrunch Mini Meetup, uses information you put in about jeans you already own to help you find and buy jeans online that actually fit

With just a few days to go before Google’s annual I/O developer conference kicks off on Wednesday, it’s time to take a look back at last year’s event. Besides announcing Ice Cream Sandwich, Google Music and a number of other new projects, one announcement that stood out from the slew of releases last year was Android@Home, Google’s entry into the home automation market

When asked what is the biggest difference between Los Angeles and Silicon Valley accelerators, five from LA told me they’re more focused on startups that don’t take years to start monetizing. Leaders from Amplify , Launchpad LA , MuckerLab , Start Engine , and Originate Labs convened at this weekend’s Silicon Beach Festival in Venice, California. They explained that since there’s less capital down South, they’re less concentrated on long-term plays, even ones that could return bigger multiples down the line.

Editor’s note:   Ruslan Kogan is founder and CEO of consumer electronics company  Kogan . Follow him on Twitter  @ruslankogan . If you’re in business, you can’t ignore China.

Short Version: It’s been a long time since Sony released a smartphone in the U.S. market that had a chance of hitting it off with customers — too many of their recent releases have either been meant for niche markets (the Xperia Play 4G) or were expensive and unlocked (nearly all of these things ). That said, they’re looking to give it another go with the new Xperia ion, and it certainly looks like it could go all the way.

Facebook has created a new feature that lets users find friends and potential friends nearby. Currently called “ Friendshake ” and also accessible through a URL that is the abbreviation of “find friends nearby” (http://fb.com/ffn), it’s another step in Facebook furthering its reach into mobile, and creating services to meet new people — rather than building up more connectivity with the ones you already know

Editor’s note:   This guest post was written by  Dave Chase , the CEO of  Avado.com , a patient portal & relationship management company that was a  TechCrunch Disrupt finalist . Previously he was a management consultant for Accenture’s healthcare practice and founder of Microsoft’s Health platform business. He’s part of the White House Roundtable on Patient Access.