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Firefox Focus for Android adds improved do-not-track tools
Mozilla rolled out an update today to the iOS and Android versions of Firefox Focus, its privacy-minded browser. The Android app now has Enhanced Tracking Protection, a feature that allows users to select which sites they want to share their data with, among other security measures. Meanwhile, the iOS version of the browser now supports search suggestions.
Mozilla's CEO isn't happy with Microsoft's switch to Chromium
Mozilla CEO Chris Beard isn't fond of Microsoft's decision to overhaul its Edge browser using Google's open source Chromium project, which is the basis of Chrome. "By adopting Chromium, Microsoft hands over control of even more of online life to Google," he writes in a blog post.
Firefox experiment helps you get the best shopping deals
The Firefox Test Pilot team has rolled out a couple of new experimental features, one of which can help make this year's holiday shopping a bit easier on your wallet. It's called Price Wise, and it's an online shopping comparison tool that lets you add items from across several retailers to a Price Watcher list. Anytime one of your items gets a price drop, it'll send you a desktop notification -- just click on that item from within the tool itself to visit the retailer's product page.
Firefox update adds improved tracking protection
Mozilla is trying to do something about that eerie feeling you get when you think of cat food and all of a sudden start seeing targeted ads about cat food -- with the new Firefox update, anti-tracking measures are being implemented that will prevent websites from following you as you jump from site to site. This comes a year after Firefox's last major update, Quantum , which brought with it increased speed, as well as an earlier version of tracking protection.
Mozilla test will offer Firefox users ProtonVPN subscriptions
Mozilla is rolling out an experimental feature for Firefox that's not quite like its other ones -- you'll have to pay to be able to use. The organization has teamed up with ProtonVPN to test a subscription-based virtual private network for $10 a month. Starting on October 24th, a small number of people in the US using the latest version of Firefox will see the offer pop up. It'll ask if you're interested in hearing more before it takes you to the page where you can sign up for the service, which is compatible with iOS, Android, Mac, Linux and Windows.
Firefox Monitor will tell you when your passwords are compromised
After a few months of testing, Mozilla has launched its free Firefox Monitor service that notifies users when their credentials are stolen as part of a data breach. The website, which is essentially an external interface to Troy Hunt's Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) database, also allows users to sign up for notifications in case their email addresses are found in future breaches.
Amazon's new Echo Show packs a larger display and improved audio
Amazon's seemingly non-stop device announcements now include a revamp of its first smart display. The internet giant has unveiled a second-generation Echo Show that ditches the (frankly boring) look of the original in favor of a minimalist design with a much larger 10-inch display. And there's a good reason for that display -- the Echo Show offers web browsers (both Amazon's own Silk and Firefox) to help you watch YouTube and access other services that aren't built-in. It's also helpful for newly-added Skype video chat support, Vevo music videos and even live TV through new Hulu and NBC integrations as well as a just-introduced Fire TV Recast DVR peripheral.
Firefox brings the thrills of web browsing to VR
Mozilla's headset-focused web browser is finally ready for your cranium: Firefox Reality is available for HTC Vive, Oculus and Daydream devices through their respective stores. The software is designed from the start for AR and VR hardware, with an interface that revolves around pointer control and voice search. There's a virtual keyboard if you need it, but let's face it -- you'd probably go back to a regular screen if you wanted to type more than once in a blue Moon. And yes, Mozilla knows the flat web isn't so exciting in a headset. The home screen provides fast access to 3D content like Sketchfab models, so you won't be hurting for something to take advantage of AR and VR technology.
Windows 10 test 'warns' users against installing Chrome or Firefox
Edge has a reputation as "the browser you use to download Chrome," and Microsoft clearly doesn't like that... to the point where it's using some not-so-kind tactics to drive people away from the competition. Users have discovered that a recent Windows 10 Insider preview pops up a "warning" when you try to run the Chrome or Firefox installers. The dialog box tells you that you don't need to install the competition when "you already have Microsoft Edge." You can choose to install regardless and disable the pop-up in the future, but it's clearly trying to hinder the installation in hopes you'll have second thoughts and give Edge a try.
Firefox will soon block ad trackers by default
Mozilla has for years let you stop ad trackers from collecting your data, and, soon, Firefox will block them by default. The browser will also give you more control over the data you share with websites.
Mozilla shares Firefox user data for research and public use
In 2016, Mozilla launched its Hardware Report, which shares information about what type of hardware Firefox clients are using, and now the company is introducing its Public Data Report. Based on non-sensitive data collected from Firefox desktop browsers' Telemetry system, the new report shows info on how folks around the world are using Firefox and the internet. "Similar to the hardware report for developers, we hope the report can be a resource for journalists, researchers and the public for understanding not only the state of desktop browsing but also how data is used at Mozilla," the company said in a blog post. "We try to be open by design and users should know how data is collected, what data is collected and how that data is used."
Firefox experiment suggests articles based on your web history
You can already save articles for later viewing in Firefox thanks to Pocket integration. That's not going to help you find articles, however, and it's all too tempting to stick to the same old sites for your reading habits. Mozilla wants you to be a little more adventurous. It's introducing a new Test Pilot experiment, Advance, that recommends stories based on both your current page and recent web history. The extension uses machine learning technology from Laserlike to identify common traits in the trusted sites you visit and offer new pieces in a sidebar. If you've been reading many football articles, for instance, Firefox may suggest a piece about a recent player trade.
Firefox is the latest browser to block autoplaying web audio
Firefox is finally joining the ranks of web browsers that block autoplaying web sounds. Mozilla's latest Nightly builds for Firefox now include an option to mute autoplaying audio, hopefully saving you from jumping out of your seat when an obnoxious video ad makes its presence felt. It's finer-grained than Chrome's recently removed automatic muting, too. You can turn the feature off entirely, force it to ask for permission and make exceptions for specific sites.
Firefox Focus can lock your tabs behind Face ID
If you use Firefox Focus for its privacy features, you'd love its latest version for iOS. You can now set it up so that it auto-locks when it's relegated to the background. The only way to unlock it if you choose to switch the feature on is by verifying your identity with the biometrics saved on your iPhone. After you download the new version, you'll find a section under Settings that says "Use your Touch/Face ID to unlock app." That way, whatever you browse before you navigated to another app would remain private even if you lend your phone to a friend.
Mozilla tests a password manager for Firefox on iOS
Test Pilot for Firefox is a program that allows users who have downloaded stable build browsers to try out experimental features without having to take the risks of using a beta version. Today, the team at Mozilla announced that Test Pilot is now coming to mobile, and there are two new features that users can try out.
Firefox and 1Password now bring data breach notifications to you
Firefox and 1Password have made it much easier to find out if your email address and password have ever been been leaked due to a data breach. 1Password now comes integrated with the Have I Been Pwned service, allowing you to check your credentials against the database within its interface, while Firefox is testing a similar feature. The "pwned" website first worked with Mozilla months ago for a breach alerts feature that highlights if a website you're visiting suffered a data breach in the past. This time, they've expanded their partnership and have started testing a tool called Firefox Monitor that you can use to search the pwned database right within the browser. It even gives you a way to sign up for email alerts if your account gets compromised.
Firefox 12 for iOS includes file downloads and easier syncing
Firefox 12 for iOS is available today and it offers three new useful features. First, the browser now allows users to download files, which can be viewed in a dedicated section in the Firefox menu, through Apple's Files app or through other third-party apps. Secondly, link management functions are now all gathered into one spot. One menu will give you the option of opening a link in Firefox, bookmarking, adding to your reading list or sending to another device that you've connected to your Firefox account.
Firefox has a new side-by-side tab feature for multitaskers
Firefox is jazzing things up with a couple of new test features that should embolden multitaskers and those who like to tinker with aesthetics. Side View lets you view a pair of tabs side-by-side without needing to open a new browser window. Once you click the Side View button on your toolbar, you can pick which tab you want to see on the side. It can be one you already have open or a tab you recently closed. You can open a browser link in the sidebar too. The two tabs are displayed in a mobile view by default to maximize your screen real estate, and you can drag the divider to make one tab larger than the other.
How to watch Apple's WWDC keynote
It's already that time of year again: WWDC, Apple's annual developer conference. You can peep it live, as it happens, right here from wherever you are at 1PM Eastern/10AM Pacific. New this year? You'll be able to watch the keynote in Chrome and Firefox in addition to Safari and Microsoft Edge. It's like the future! Now, Apple says that for the "best" experience you should use one of its own devices (or Microsoft Edge). Of course, you can still watch on your Apple TV if you feel so inclined.
Firefox takes a big step towards eliminating passwords
Today, Mozilla released Firefox 60 for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, and with it arrives Web Authentication API for desktop browsers. This is a new security standard that allows Firefox users to log into all their online accounts with a single device, such as YubiKey. It doesn't mean that you don't have to use passwords anymore; only websites that recognize Web Authentication will work. But it's a huge first step to eliminating passwords altogether.
