This is the first release candidate for Firefox 3.5, the latest version of the Firefox web browser. As a member of our beta audience, you are being updated to this version to help test and preview the new version before it is released to the general public.

 

The new Firefox is faster than before, supports new web technologies, improving performance and ease of use and has features like -

This release is available in more than 70 languages and you can download it here.

The final version of Firefox 2.x is here, this version fixes some security issues. There will be no further updates for Firefox 2.x and it will no longer be maintained with security and stability updates. All users are encouraged to upgrade to Firefox 3 which is faster, safer and better.

Please note that Firefox 2.0.0.20 does not include Phishing Protection.

Current Firefox 2 users may obtain Firefox 2.0.0.20 manually via the Check for Updates… option from the Help menu. Automatic upgrade (for those who have this feature enabled) should occur within the next 24-48 hours. Alternatively, users may also download Firefox 2.0.0.20 directly here.

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Mozilla has released the fifth stability and security update for the current Firefox 3 browser. For more information about What’s New in Firefox 3.0.5, check out the Release Notes (as of this post were titled  What’s New in Firefox 3.0.5 Beta).

Current Firefox 3 users may obtain Firefox 3.0.5 manually via the Check for Updates… option from the Help menu. Automatic upgrade (for those who have this feature enabled) should occur within the next 24-48 hours. Alternatively, users may also download Firefox 3.0.5 directly via getfirefox.com

At last Mozilla has the second beta of Firefox 3.1 and comes with a lot of changes -

Tabbed Browsing

The new tab preview and the tab switching behavior introduced in Beta 1 are no longer there, it seems it needs more work.

The tab bar is now always visible and a new tab button has been added to it. Tab drag and drop as well as tab tearing has been implemented, just like in Chrome but the visuals aren’t like Chrome’s.

Private Browsing

The very much requested feature has finally made it into this built. As the above picture says –

No history will be recorded by Firefox during this browsing session. This includes browser history, search history, download history, web form history, cookies and temporary internet files. However, any files you download or bookmarks you create will be preserved.

You just have to go to Tools and select Private Browsing. Firefox saves your current Tabs and exits and starts in Private mode.

The only way you know you are in Private mode is the text (Private Browsing) added to the title bar. The next beta or Final version of Firefox will make sure that pass byers don’t know that you’re doing Private stuff by making Private browsing more private i.e. remove the text (Private Browsing) from the title bar maybe and make it less conspicuous.

 Performance

TraceMonkey, the superfast JavaScript engine is now enabled by default, unleashing serious performance improvements.

A standard way to declare, create and run web page background processes (like JavaScript code) called web workers, will enable web developers to create more responsive rich internet applications where complex scripts don’t put the whole interface on hold.

Better Session Restore

  Organizing Bookmarks is now even better

Now you can edit multiple bookmarks at the same time. Tagging can be faster now with tag autocomplete for bookmarks and history.

Some other changes -

When you open a new tab you’ll see this in the awesomebar++.

And it has gotten the new g

93/100 in Acid 3 and hopefully will be 100/100 in the final release.

and a lot more to come….

read the release notes here.

You can download Firefox 3.1 beta 2 here.

Users of Firefox 2.x beware

Mozilla is removing the anti-phishing feature starting version 2.0.0.19 of Firefox. The reason being given is that Google, which provides the phishing data via the SafeBrowsing protocol, has asked Mozilla to disable the feature in Firefox 2.0 since it relies on an obsolete version of the protocol.

Today 4 years ago Mozilla released Firefox 1.0

"We are delighted to be announcing this major milestone for the Mozilla Foundation and for the Firefox browser, which has been made possible thanks to the tireless effort of hundreds of community volunteers and developers around the world," commented Mitchell Baker, president of the Mozilla Foundation. "Now millions more will be able to enjoy a better web experience."

The features of Firefox 1.0 were –

• Pop-up Blocking – Firefox includes an integrated pop-up blocker that lets users-not websites-decide when they will view pop-ups. Mozilla continues to set the standard in assisting users avoid annoying pop-ups.
• Online Fraud Protection – Firefox helps users protect themselves against online fraud such as "phishing" (attempts to trick users into giving away their passwords) and "spoofing" (fraudulent sites masquerading as popular, trusted sites) by clearly displaying the true identity of secure sites.
• Faster, Easier, More Accessible Search – Firefox tightly integrates support for leading search services into the toolbar, including Google search, Yahoo!, eBay, Amazon, Dictionary.com, Creative Commons, and more. The new Firefox Start Page also provides access to Firefox information, resources and application tips, coupled with an integrated Google search box.
• More Efficient Browsing – Firefox’s innovative Tabbed Browsing allows many web pages to load within the same window, improving the speed and utility of web browsing. Firefox also introduces Live Bookmarks, which allows users to easily glance through the latest news and blog headlines.
• Extensible with Hundreds of Add-ons – More than 100 extensions are available for Firefox today, including the A9.com, Google, and Yahoo! toolbars, which make Firefox even more customizable and convenient to use.
• Easy Migration – With Firefox it’s easy to switch from Internet Explorer and other browsers. Firefox imports your existing bookmarks, passwords, cookies, and other data.

Happy Birthday Firefox!!!

After the introduction of Private modes in both Google Chrome and Internet Explorer Beta 8, Mozilla felt the pressure of competition and have private mode in Firefox 3.1’s feature list in second level priority and is on track for beta 1.

In private mode, all user activity involving data such as searches, visited web pages, downloads, cached pages, credentials passed to restricted sites, etc. is discarded once the user returns to normal mode.

There is no idea how the user interface is going to be. Users are asking for one thing – it shouldn’t be evident for people other than the user that he is in private mode. Google Chrome’s Private browsing UI plainly shouts out you’re in porn..er..Private mode.

Google Browser Sync is a Firefox extension that synchronizes your bookmarks, web history, browser sessions and passwords across multiple computers by temporarily saving them to Google’s servers. It was managed by a small team who no longer have time to update the extension and so have abandon it. the add-on will not be updated to work in Firefox 3 and the service will only be available until the end of 2008.

Now Mozilla Weave is an extension that does all that Google Browser Sync does and it is compatible with Firefox 3 too.