Firefox 4 is a step closer to completion with the release of Beta 5.

The latest release is available in 39 languages, and now has support for the HSTS security protocol.

Windows users have hardware acceleration turned on by default, with a new Firefox menu also making it’s appearance for Vista and 7 users.

A more detailed list of changes can be read in the release notes. Current beta users will be prompted to update in the coming days, while new testers can download the beta from the Firefox Beta website.

Following the footsteps of Chrome, Mozilla’s Firefox browser is set to get silent updates by default in Firefox 4 on Windows.

“For Firefox 4 minor updates will occur automatically.  Users can change the setting in Options > Advanced > Update.  We’ll only be using the major update dialog box for changes like 4 to 4.5 or 5” wrote Mozilla’s Alex Faaborg.

The implementation will be slightly different to Chromes, with users still seeing the updating progress bar on load, but this is an implementation issue, which will hopefully be addressed in the future.

The aim of this of course is to keep users safe, and take away the hassle of users having to install security updates when prompted.

Auto-updates are expected to appear in Firefox 4 before it is final release to the public later this year.

Mozilla has released Beta 2 of Firefox 4, which is now available in 24 languages.

The update includes many changes, including apps tab feature.

“There are some websites you visit many times throughout your day, such as your email, social networks, music or game sites. Now you can turn the websites you use most into App Tabs to easily find the ones you need” said a release from Mozilla.

Mac users now receive the new interface that was delivered to Windows users in Beta 1, and puts tabs on top by default.

There is also more support for CSS3 transitions, retained layers allowing for faster scrolling on complex websites, and changes to the XPCOM framework reducing the browser start up time.

A full list of changes can be read in the release notes. Firefox 4 Beta 2 can be downloaded from the Firefox Beta website.

Future versions of Firefox are to get a new tab organisation feature called Tab Candy. The feature, which resembles exposé from Mac OS X, allows users to easily group and organise tabs into groups.

“With one keystroke Tab Candy shows an overview of all tabs to allow you to quickly locate and switch between them. Tab Candy also lets you group tabs to organize your work flow. You can create a group for your vacation, work, recipes, games and social sites, however it makes sense to you to group tabs. When you switch to a grouped tab only the relevant tabs are shown in the tab bar, which helps you focus on what you want” wrote Mozilla’s Aza Raskin.

Available as an alpha build, Tab Candy is written solely with HTML, CSS and JavaScript, meaning there is no native code for any platform.

More details on the project can be found in the Mozilla Wiki, while an alpha preview can be downloaded form the Mozilla FTP.

Mozilla has released Firefox 3.6.7, fixing several security and stability issues.

A total of 14 security vulnerabilities have been patched, 4 of which are rated as moderate, 2 high, and 8 are of critical severity. A full list of changes can be read in the release notes.

Current Firefox 3.6.x users will receive the update  in the coming days,  while new users can download Firefox from the Firefox website.

Mozilla have released Firefox 4 Beta 1 to the public, after final beta 1 builds started to appear last week.

Firefox 4 has many changes over 3.6, and is based on Gecko 2.0 rendering engine. New in Firefox 4 include:

• Tabs on top for Windows by default  (Mac and Linux changes coming later)
• Menu bar replaced by Firefox button for Windows Vista and Windows 7 users
• New add-ons manager
• CSS transitions
• Native HD HTML5 WebM video support

A full list of changes can be found in the release notes. Firefox users can download Firefox 4 Beta 1 from the Firefox Beta website.

Build 1 of Firefox 4 Beta 1 has just appeared on the Mozilla FTP server, with build 2 expected today also.

No change log has yet been released, and Mozilla will not announce the release until a final Beta release is ready. There are currently two bugs blocking build 2, which are expected to be fixed shortly. Currently the release is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, with native 64-bit builds for Mac and Linux users.

Would-be-testers are warned that while more stable than the alpha releases, this build still has a lot of work to be done before it is ready to be used by the masses. As a result, some of your plugins may not work with this release.

More information on Firefox Beta 1’s release can be seen on the MozillaWiki. Firefox 4 Beta 1 Build 1 can be downloaded from the Mozilla FTP server.

Early builds of Firefox 4 are starting to show the browser new interface.

Part of the revamp includes moving tabs above the address bar by default, which isn’t something everyone is happy about. Thankfully, this can be changed easily by the user.

“This is a preference that users can change by right clicking on any of their toolbars.  Moving the default tab position is obviously a significant and to some extent controversial change to the Firefox UI, which is why we made the video above to help explain our rationale” explains Alex Faaborg, User Experience Design at Mozilla.

Firefox 4 Beta’s are expected in the next few weeks, with a final release before the end of 2010.

Firefox 4 nightly releases now include built-in support for WebM video, based on Google’s open VP8 codec.

WebM support is included in Windows, Mac, and Linux Firefox nightly builds. Previously, WebM had been made available by special builds that were announced with the release of the WebM format.

Firefox Programmer Chirs Pearce has posted details on his blog for users wanting to build the browser themselves.

Eager testers can download Firefox 4 Alpha from the Firefox nightlies. Firefox 4 final is expected before the end of the year.

Nightly releases of Firefox 4 now include Aero Glass for Windows Vista and Windows 7 users, with the feature still a work in progress.

“The feature was available first in early April but pulled back soon after to iron some important bugs” noted Mozilla Links Percy Cabello.

The above screenshot also showcases the ability to hide the menu bar, and move the tab bar above the location bar.

Keen users can test the new interface by downloading a copy of the latest Firefox nightly.