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Firefox 10 out now: full screen apps, fewer crashes, disappearing forward button
The tenth iteration of Mozilla's browser is rolling out from today and we're sat here waiting for our own go signal. As the biggest UI tweaks will arrive in v12, the majority of changes are under the hood: except that the "forward" button now only appears once you've pressed "back." New APIs provide for full-screen viewing of web apps, Anti-aliased WebGL graphics and an "extended support release" that enables enterprise customers to only download security updates. CSS 3D Transitions are now supported alongside a new CSS inspector for those digging deep into the fabric of the universe internet. Java applet and moving bookmarks crashes should be a thing of the past, but it's not all plain sailing: no new release ever is, after all. On the "to be fixed" list includes herky-jerky scrolling in Gmail, Silverlight videos not working in OS X and vertical scrolling is broken on some touch-pads. Let's hope they get the former fixed quickly, our inbox is already overflowing 'round these parts.Update: The Mozilla blog has posted a quick demo video of how the new tools can help developers, check it out after the break.
Firefox 9 for Android makes tablet support official (video)
It's been a busy week over at Mozilla. Between releasing a new version of its desktop browser and then re-upping its search agreement with Google, we almost didn't notice a new version of Firefox for Android. Version 9 of the mobile browser marks the first time a tablet interface makes the jump from beta to the release channel, a scant four months after first seeing it in mockup form. For those unaware, that means a layout with tab previews when in landscape, which swap to a more traditional setup when rotated into portrait. Rounding out the update is a new action bar, quick access buttons and a faster start-up time, amongst other things. If that sounds like your beat, a video awaits after the break, while you get your download on at the source links below.
Firefox 9.0 offers Mac OS X Lion gesture support
Firefox 9 is out now (the public page hasn't been updated yet as of this writing, but the build is available from official links already), and while that in itself isn't really big news (the uberpopular browser updates all the time, and plenty of people have already chosen to use Chrome or another browser anyway), there is one big note in this update worth mentioning: The app will now natively support two-finger swiping gestures on your MacBook (or Magic Mouse or trackpad, if you have one of those running). That means that without extra add-ons, you can now swipe two fingers forward or back to browse through your history, in addition to the other usual gestures available to most apps, like using two fingers to scroll and so on. The update to version 9 also adds improved theme navigation for OS X Lion as well, so that's a nice bonus. One thing that's not in the app yet is an actual Lion-style full-screen mode. Firefox has its own fullscreen mode, but it's not exactly the one-app view that Apple expects. And while Firefox is easy enough to install and update on its own, there's no Mac App Store version yet. Mozilla may not be interested in running updates through Apple's App Store, but it might be easier for users to do so. At any rate, if you're running Firefox on your Mac, you should grab the update now. I personally like Firefox, but for some reason it's never run well on my MacBook, and I switched over to Chrome full time a few months ago. But it's a solid browser (aside from some issues with memory leaks, mostly having to do with Flash, in my experience), and this update adds a little more Mac-specific functionality as well.
Firefox 9 now available, boasts speedier JavaScript handling, Lion optimizations
Internet feeling a bit sluggish recently? Yeah, we get that -- but before you sail the malware-laden sea of software that promises to "speed up" your computer, you may want to check out Firefox 9. Mozilla's latest browser update features a tweak in its Javascript engine that boosts its benchmark performance by over 30 percent -- meaning that the new Firefox ought to give script heavy websites a run for their money. In addition to the new Javascript trick, which is called Type Inference, Firefox 9 improves theme integration and swipe navigation for Mac OS X users. Have a need for (javascript) speed? Hit the source links below to get your fix, or simply wait for your browser to auto-update.
