Mozilla Firefox
Latest
Firefox 13 final swings by with new home and tab pages, flaunts its SPDYness
It's been barely over a month since the Firefox 13 beta began, but the wait for a completed version has felt especially drawn out. Thankfully, Mozilla has just wrapped up its work and set loose the polished code. The new release makes its changes felt right away, as you'll see a new default home page with bookmarks and history. Opening a new tab page presents a list of most visited pages -- a feature that we can swear we've seen in a few browsers before. A slightly fresher addition switches on Google's SPDY protocol by default, which as its convenient acronym suggests should squeeze and streamline web traffic to load it faster. Mozilla won't completely open the floodgates until tomorrow, but you can download Mac and Windows editions today from the source links below.
Firefox native version hits Android in beta, new UI and speedups tag along
Those who've liked Firefox for Android but have been clamoring for a native version can rest easy, as there's now a truly optimized version waiting for you in Google Play. Mozilla's new Firefox 14.0 beta now looks like, and importantly runs like, a full member of the Android family. Making the leap also affords it Flash support, a new starting page with top sites, secure Google searches and a slew of load time and responsiveness upgrades over the creakier, XUL-based version. Beta status should still trigger a moment of pause if you're not ready to accept a few bugs, but if you've got Android 2.2 or later, you're welcome to give Firefox a shot.
Third betas of Adobe Flash 11.3, AIR 3.3 give peeks at low-lag audio and deeper iOS support
Adobe's famous desktop browser plugin may be looking forward to a 2013 overhaul, but that doesn't mean it isn't out to improve itself in the here and now. Flash Player's 11.3 beta, for instance, rolls in low latency audio support through NetStream, designed specifically to cut back audio lag in cloud gaming. The beta also introduces support for complete keyboard control when in full-screen mode, background Flash updating on Macs, and a Protected Mode for Firefox that keeps rogue Flash files from compromising Windows PCs using Vista or later. The AIR 3.3 beta, on the other hand, smooths the runtime's iOS experience, allowing compiled apps to run in the background more like their natively-compiled siblings. It's also friendlier to developers, with new USB debugging and simulator support that now doesn't require a physical device. Android 4.0 users aren't entirely left out, getting stylus support for AIR apps on their platform. Adobe hasn't said when the finished versions of Flash 11.3 and AIR 3.3 will reach its servers, but if you're willing to live life on the bleeding edge, you can find the download links below.
Mozilla plans war on fragmentation, reveals unified UI design for Windows 8 and mobile devices
Mozilla has shown off ideas for future versions of Firefox as it becomes less of a traditional browser and more of a "soft, friendly, human" ecosystem. Slides released on the web hint at a new desktop environ with a simplified menu, cleaner download interface, and a more functional startpage -- all the while maintaining the same curved-edge look as the mobile variant. A Windows 8 Metro tile-based version is also in the works that's similar to the Firefox tab layout on Android. There's no word when Mozilla's so-called Kilimanjaro project will come to fruition, but you can check out the slideshow after the break for an early glimpse.
Google badmouths HTTP behind its back, proposes SPDY as a speedy successor
If there's anything that Google doesn't like, it's things that collect dust. The company is famous for its annual spring cleaning efforts, in which the firm rids itself of redundant and dead-end projects, along with more bullish moves, such as its push to overhaul the internet's DNS system. Now it's looking to replace HTTP with a new protocol known as SPDY, and to that end, it's demonstrating the potential speed gains that one might expect on a mobile network. According to the company's benchmarks, mean page load times on the Galaxy Nexus are 23 percent faster with the new system, and it hypothesizes that further optimizations can be made for 3G and 4G networks. To its credit, Google has already implemented SPDY in Chrome, and the same is true for Firefox and Amazon Silk. Even Microsoft appears to be on-board. As a means to transition, the company proposes an Apache 2.2 module known as mod_spdy, which allows web servers to take advantage of features such as stream multiplexing and header compression. As for HTTP, it's no doubt been a reliable companion, but it seems that it'll need to work a bit harder to earn its keep. Stay weird, Google, the internet wouldn't be the same without you.
Mozilla dispatches Firefox 3.6, fills its chair with version 13 beta
If you've been defiantly clinging onto Firefox 3.6 by your fingertips, bad news. Mozilla is officially putting it to sleep -- whether you like it or not -- by auto-updating users to version 12. You've still got a few days to bid your emotional farewells, with the switchover being pegged as early May. But, the browser's creators stop short of setting a date for you to get the flowers delivered by. Official support for the 2010 release finished this week, and the final bout of security fixes was back in January. At the other end of the spectrum, Firefox 13 wobbled up onto its beta legs yesterday, bringing a new homepage, Google's new SPDY protocol and tab extra features with it. If you're making the leap, don't panic if you find some old friends missing.
Firefox deems favicons risky, banishes them from address bar
Who'd have thought those tiny reminders of the site you're browsing could bite your backside? Apparently Mozilla did, and with its latest nightly Firefox build it has expunged favicons from their eternal perch just left of the URL. The problem is that instead something friendly -- like Google's famous "g" -- nefarious sites can use a padlock or similar image, making you think you're on a secure SSL page. So, starting from mid-July you'll see a generic globe for standard websites, green padlocks for SSL sites with validation, and gray padlocks for SSL sites without it. Take note that (so far) tabs will keep their favicons, so those of us with 43 sites open at the same time will still know where in the web we are.
Mozilla demos WebRTC integration, browser-powered video chat (video)
Last week at IETF 83 in Paris Mozilla gave a little demo that went almost completely unnoticed. The team behind Firefox showed off an experimental built of its flagship browser with integrated WebRTC support. To showcase the real-time communication plug-in's capabilities, the foundation built a simple video chat client based around Persona and SocialAPI. Whether or not such a feature will ever make it into an official build of the browser remains to be seen, but for now you can check out the simple, yet impressive, HTML and Javascript demo after the break.
Chris Blizzard bids farewell to Firefox, heads for unnamed startup
Chris Blizzard, a man who has been with Mozilla since its founding in 1998, has left the group and his position as director of web platform to work with a startup. Who the company is and what it does Blizzard didn't specify when announcing his move. In a blog post he said only that the Palo Alto-based outfit was doing "great (and difficult!) work that deals with the intersection of systems, compilers, and web-scale problems." Blizzard's decision to leave the foundation comes a time of relative turmoil, including a number of high-profile personnel changes, a major shift in the development cycle and a landscape that is increasingly mobile minded and hostile to Firefox. Still, after more than a decade, the browser has proven its resilience and we wouldn't worry much about its future. We wish Mr. Blizzard the best of luck in his future endeavours.[Image credit: Mozilla]
Firefox 11 up for grabs now, Chrome migration and more dev tools in tow
It's only been a few weeks since the celebrated tin anniversary of Firefox hit the virtual streets, and now it's taken on another numerical increment. Alongside the fullscreen apps and promises of fewer crashes from version 10, Firefox 11 now allows you to migrate history, bookmarks and cookies over from rival Chrome. Additionally, you can now sync extensions between your computers. On the dev side of things, you'll have access to Style Editor for CSS tweaks, file storage in IndexedDB and SPDY protocol support for speedier page loads. Eager to take it for a spin? Check your browser for the updated goods or get it directly via the source link below. [Thanks, Robert]
Mozilla offers Gaia UI first look, will reveal Boot to Gecko partners at MWC
Mozilla surprised us last summer when it announced plans for its Boot to Gecko mobile OS. Now, it looks like the project has some industry support, with CTO Brenden Eich tweeting that the company will make a partner announcement at MWC this month. There are no details right now as to who might be involved, but given that developer support is already there (the operating system is based on existing web standards, after all), the hopes are that this could indicate vital operator, or even hardware manufacturer backing. Another encouraging development is the first sighting of the platform's Gaia UI, further suggesting the project might well meet its planned Q2 release target. It doesn't stray too far from the Android / iOS model that we're already familiar with, but give the source link a swipe if you want to see more.Update: The image has been updated to reflect the latest to screens from the final product. The initial shots were from a proof of concept.
Love and Hate tweets collected on 3D 'Love Will Conquer' site
Valentines Day might have passed you by, but for many it's a day of conflicting emotions. Some of you may be screaming EB Browning's Sonnet 43 from the rooftops, others talking about how much you hate smug couples. Either way, if you're tweeting your feelings then (innovative marketing firm Imperial Leisure's) Love Will Conquer will record it. Geotagged tweets are being mapped, in real-time onto a 3D Earth, where an perpetually growing tree maps out who's feeling what and when. If you tell someone you love them freely and the tree will swell with red leaves, whereas hate causes cold blue ones to sprout instead. If you want to watch the world venting its ardor, point your WebGL browser (Chrome and Firefox 10.1 both work) at our source link.
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.
Mozilla to overhaul Firefox's default home and tab pages
Despite Mozilla kicking its release schedule into overdrive, not all parts of Firefox have gotten the tender love and care they truly deserve. Take for example, the browser's default homepage, which hasn't evolved much since its humble beginnings nearly a decade ago. That'll change soon in a two pronged effort, with Mozilla first adding a function bar to version 12 (seen after the break), followed by a later and more extensive revamp (up-top) which incorporates apps, top sites and chat functionality. Also planned is a Chrome and Safari-esque Top Sites "New Tab" view and savvy URL autocompletion in the address bar. A more in-depth preview awaits at the source, or we suppose, you could live dangerously and hop aboard Mozilla's nightly release train. You decide.
Firefox and Google renew revenue agreement, stick it out for at least three more years
There was a moment there, where things were starting to look a bit shaky for Mozilla. With the Firefox creators facing increasing competition from Google, in the form of Chrome, rumor had it that the organization's revenue sharing deal with the search giant had expired and may not be renewed. Well, those rumblings can finally be cast aside as Mozilla announced today that it had signed an agreement with the Mountain View crew that is "significant and mutually beneficial." The three-year revenue sharing deal should help keep Mozilla a float just long enough to permanently put IE under water -- at least we assume that's what the two are hoping for.
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.
StatCounter: Chrome leapfrogs Firefox for the first time, still trails Internet Explorer
StatCounter has just released its latest global report on web browser usage, and it's something of a doozy. According to the analytics firm, Google Chrome overtook Mozilla Firefox for the first time this month, becoming the world's second most widely used browser. During November, Chrome accounted for about 25.7 percent of the global market, up from a measly 4.66 percent in 2009, and slightly higher than the 25.2 percent that Firefox pulled down this month. It still trails Internet Explorer, however, which enjoys a healthy 40.6 percent market share globally, and a 50.7 percent share in the US. As the above graph clearly demonstrates, though, both IE and Firefox have seen notable declines in recent months, though the latter still has a slim lead over Chrome in the US market, with a 20.9 percent share, compared with Google's 17.3 percent cut. For more country-specific stats and crunchy numbers, check out the source link, below.
Amazon's Kindle Cloud Reader storms into Firefox on an HTML5 chariot
Just about three months after launching on Safari and Chrome, Amazon's Kindle Cloud Reader app has finally made its way to Firefox. With this HTML5-based app, Mozilla devotees can access Kindle books directly from their browsers for both online and offline reading, while syncing their digitized libraries, notes and bookmarks. Available for Firefox 6 and above, the Cloud Reader also offers a touch-optimized store that's integrated directly within the app, putting you within just one click of Amazon's coffers. Take it for a spin at the source link below, or float past the break for the full PR.
Firefox for Honeycomb nightly builds now available for the brave beta testing few
"Boot to Gecko" this is not, but it's still a tasty morsel for the beta testing hordes. Mozilla's mobile group, which has been hard at working translating its popular browser to Android slates, appears ready to dole out the first downloads of its UI-in-progress. The team's begun reaching out to its user community, offering up nightly builds of the tablet-based Fennec and soliciting feedback testing. If you're the type to get your hands dirty coding, you can even sign-up to help the crew debug the early stage browser and speed up its official release. Feel like taking a crack at Firefox for Honeycomb? Then hit up the source below to preview the in-development goods.
Visualized: an interactive timeline of the web
Ever wondered what the World Wide Web's illustrious history would look like if plotted in timeline form? Well, thanks to Google's "Evolution of the web," you won't have to. The delectable chart traces the evolution of HTML, the web technologies that came alongside it and the browsers that've held it all together -- all in a seriously meta HTML5 package. Ready for a trip down memory lane? Hit the source, friend, and revel at how far we've come.
