Latest nightly builds of Firefox 3.5 Beta 4 include a new recently closed window feature.
The feature is located in the History menu, right below the recently closed tabs feature, and is sure to save people plenty stress after they accidental close a window.
Beta 4 is expected in the next few weeks, but you can test the recently closed window feature in the latest nightly build.
Mozilla have released Firefox 3.0.9 overnight, which fixes several security and stability issues.
Of the security fixes, 1 was rated as critical, 2 were high, 2 were moderate, and 4 were rated as low.
A full list of changes can be found in the release notes.
The update should be pushed out to existing users, or it can be downloaded directly from the Firefox website.
The latest code freeze for Firefox 3.5 beta 4 (formerly 3.1) deadline has slipped. The reason being due to some remaining outstanding priority 1 issues.
“Code freeze was scheduled for today, but as just announced, some of the P1 blockers have not yet been resolved and so we’ve delayed the freeze to wait for these fixes,” said Firefox’s Director Mike Beltzner.
Beta 4’s release is still slated for next week. A list of remaining P1 blockers can be found on Bugzilla.
Mozilla is looking at dropping support for Windows 2000 and versions of Windows XP without at least SP3 installed in early 2010.
The idea is hardly a surprise, as the extended support period offered by Microsoft for the operating systems is ending on 13th July 2010, and would see the requirements for Gecko 1.9.2 raised – Firefox’s rendering engine.
Firefox 3.5 (aka 3.1) are built using Gecko 1.9.1, so the change will not affect users on current or next version of Firefox.
Full discussion on the issue can be read on the mozilla.dev.planning newsgroup.
An article over at ReadWriteWeb suggests that Firefox designers are looking at a complete overhaul of the web browser inerface, to keep up with users change in browsing patterns.
Firefox without tabs
The first idea is from Aza Raskin. His idea invisions tabs being on the side of the browser, as “our screens are wider than they are tall” with vertical height being scarce resource.
The second idea comes from Oliver Reichenstein. His design has completly removed tabs and has an interface similar to Apple’s iTunes.
Reichenstein argues that “today, twenty+ parallel sessions is quite common; the browser is more of an operating system than a data display application; we use it to manage the web as a shared hard drive. If you have more than seven or eight tabs open they become pretty much useless.”
Either way, the future of Firefox still looks bright – tabs or no tabs.
MozillaLinks has posted an article exploring some of the potential features for Firefox 3.6 (code named Namoroka).
Included in the list are performance enhancements, support for Windows 7 jump lists, better theme and add-on management plus a long list of other items.
The article suggests that Mozilla is working around a 10 month cycle at the moment, so we can expect to see Firefox 3.6 possibly in May 2010.
Mozilla over the weekend has released Firefox 3.0.8. The new release fixes two critical security vulnerabilities.
The browser should automatically be sent out to existing Firefox 3 users or can be downloaded from the Firefox website.
More details regarding the security vulnerabilities can be found in the release notes.
Mozilla is on a role. It wants you to be able to browse and play the web in 3D.
Teaming up with Khronos, the developers of OpenGL, the group aims to create an open standard for 3D acceleration on the web.
“Accelerated 3D graphics with the super-fast next-generation JavaScript engines from nearly every Web browser vendor means that we’re going to be able to start to see more and more advanced applications written using open Web technologies,” said Mozilla’s Chris Blizzard.
Being an open standard, it is expected other browsers will jump on board.
Mozilla plans to release early versions of this technology as a plug-in for Firefox shortly after it releases Firefox 3.5.
Here are a few articles that may be of interest – yet don’t all deserve their own post:
Can IE8 Really Tempt You Back To Microsoft? (PC World)
How JavaScript became a browser war battle-ground (ZDNet UK)
Is the geek love affair with Firefox waning? (ZDNet)
Firefox proves a hit with web enthusiasts (VNUNet.com)
After numerous delays, Firefox 3.1 Beta 3 has finally been released.
The release fixes many outstanding issues from Beta 2, and improves features and performance such as private browsing and the TraceMonkey JavaScript engine.
The full details of the new beta are available in the release notes, while the new beta can be downloaded from Mozilla.