Archive for the ‘Mozilla Blog’ Category
August 28th, 2010
The Alpha release of the next major version of Fennec is now available for Android and Nokia N900 users to download and test. Fennec (codename for Firefox mobile) is the first mobile browser to offer add-ons and is built on the same technology that powers desktop Firefox. The latest version of Fennec builds on the rich set of features from the previous release and makes it easier for you to bring your Firefox experience with you anywhere.
Fennec Alpha now creates one fluid Web experience between desktop and mobile devices by providing Firefox Sync built-in into the browser, which provides seamless access to Awesome Bar browsing history, bookmarks, passwords, form-fill data and open tabs.
The main focus of this release is to increase performance and responsiveness to user actions. This is being implemented using two major technologies, “Electrolysis” and “Layers.” This Alpha release includes Electrolysis, which allows the browser interface to run in a separate process from the one rendering Web content. By doing this, Fennec is able to react much faster to user input while pages are loading or CPU intensive JavaScript is running. The upcoming beta release will start taking advantage of Layers to greatly improve performance in graphic intensive actions like scrolling, zooming, animations and video. We’re also working to optimize these actions using the hardware-accelerated graphics rendering capabilities showing up in today’s mobile devices.
Watch the demo:
This first Alpha release of Fennec for Android is an exciting first step in bringing browser choice and customization, along with a seamless Web experience across devices, to a leading open mobile platform. Now, developers have the power to use the latest Web technologies like HTML5, CSS and JavaScript to to build fast, powerful and beautiful mobile apps and add-ons that can reach many millions of devices.
See the release notes for a full list of features with this release.
We value your feedback and will work to incorporate it in future versions of the browser, so please test Fennec Alpha and let us know what you think.
Stay tuned for updates in our newsletter.
August 25th, 2010
The latest update to Firefox 4 Beta is now available with new features that offer more control over your Web experience. This release lets you own and control your personal Web experience by syncing your data across devices, and by helping you organize your tabs in order to juggle and prioritize your busy online life.
What new features are in this Firefox 4 Beta update?
Stay in Sync
Fire fox Sync makes your bookmarks, history, Awesome Bar, passwords, form-fill data and open tabs accessible across multiple computers and mobile devices. Now, with Firefox Sync, you can customize and take your Web experiences with you anywhere, even on your iPhone with Firefox Home.
Firefox Sync encrypts all of your data before sending it to the server and does not track your travels throughout the Web. This means that you never have to compromise your privacy for the convenience of using Firefox Sync.
When downloading or updating to the latest version of the Firefox 4 beta, you will automatically be prompted to create a Firefox Sync account. You can watch this video for a step-by-step guide:
Visit the Firefox Sync page for more information on how to use Firefox Sync. For an engineer’s perspective, see Mike Connor’s post.
A Tab Revolution
When tabs were first introduced, the feature changed the way people browse the Web. To continue the tab revolution, the beta now includes Firefox Panorama (formerly Tab Candy) as a new approach to tab management that makes it easy to organize and multi-task while on the Web. If you juggle many open tabs for work, shopping, music, social sites, vacation planning and more, you can easily group and prioritize those tabs any way you want. With one keystroke you can see an overview of all tabs to quickly locate and switch between tabs or groups of tabs.
See Aza Raskin’s blog post for more details.
Better feedback, a better browser
As always, Firefox 4 Beta includes a Feedback Add-on with Mozilla Labs Test Pilot, which enable you to take part in anonymous studies. You can choose to opt-out of any or all studies by managing your settings in the Feedback button.
We value feedback from our beta testers and ask for continued feedback on Firefox 4 Beta. The feedback is used to help improve future Firefox Beta releases.
Firefox 4 Beta testers will receive automatic updates, so stay tuned for the next release in the coming weeks.
August 21st, 2010
Today, Mitchell Baker was announced as the recipient of Frost & Sullivan’s 2010 Growth, Innovation and Leadership Award. Mitchell will be honored for her achievements at the annual GIL 2010 event in Silicon Valley on September 13, 2010.
The award honor was announced in a press release issued by Frost & Sullivan, excerpt below:
“Profiled in TIME Magazine among their top 100 Scientists and Thinkers, Mitchell Baker is the visionary behind the Mozilla Project and is responsible for organizing and motivating a massive, worldwide collective of employees and volunteers who are breathing new life into the Internet with the Firefox Web browser and other Mozilla products.
Serving as general manager of the Mozilla project since 1999, Baker shaped the license under which Netscape’s source code was released. In 2003, she became president and founder of the Mozilla Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to openness and innovation on the Internet. As Chairperson of Mozilla, Baker continues her commitment to an open, innovative Web and the infinite possibilities it presents.”
Please join in congratulating Mitchell on this achievement!
August 12th, 2010
The latest update of Firefox 4 Beta is now available for download and testing in more than 30 languages, adding 10 new languages. This update includes multi-touch support for Windows 7 and new JavaScript values to experience faster and smoother graphics. We also have vital feedback from our testers that we will incorporate into future updates.
More details on the cool new features for Web developers in this Firefox 4 Beta update:
Multi-touch
Firefox 4 Beta now has multi-touch support for Windows 7 to enable people to
interact with Web content with their hands naturally. Developers can use multi-touch capabilities to leverage touch-enabled devices and provide people with an intuitive and fun browsing experience. For more details, see the blog posts by Paul Rouget and Felipe Gomes.
New JavaScript Values
Changes to the C++ representation of JavaScript enable Firefox to execute heavy, numeric code more efficiently. This sort of code is used to produce smooth, streamlined graphics in modern Web applications. For more details, see Rob Sayre’s blog post.
Firefox 4 Beta includes a Feedback Add-on with Mozilla Labs Test Pilot, which will ask you to take part in anonymous studies. You can choose to opt-out of any or all studies and manage your settings in the Feedback button. The feedback is used to help us improve future Firefox Beta releases. See Mike Beltzner’s blog post for more details.
The Feedback tool has been a great success, and our half-million testers submit approximately 3,500 pieces of feedback every day. Test Pilot recently conducted a survey of Firefox 4 Beta testers to help us better understand the dedicated testers who have been giving us this fantastic feedback. We discovered that our beta users are primarily men who use the Web between two and six hours each day, mostly for entertainment and communication. This doesn’t come as a surprise to us, but it also isn’t a great representation of Internet users. We need your help! If you’re enjoying using the Firefox 4 Beta, tell your friends, get them set up and don’t forget to point out the Feedback button.
Firefox 4 Beta testers will receive automatic updates, so stay tuned for the next release in the coming weeks.
July 30th, 2010
The response has been tremendous since Firefox Home, our free iPhone app, became available in Apple’s App Store. We made some updates to Firefox Home, which are now available, so if you haven’t tried it yet, get it now.
We read your comments in the App Store and on our forum and truly appreciate all the feedback you have given us. Your comments and ideas are great input for our future plans with Firefox Home. Keep ‘em coming!
Firefox Home 1.0.1 Available in the App Store
We worked quickly to address the top three problems you reported and have released updates to both Firefox Home (v 1.0.1) and the Firefox Sync add-on (v 1.4.3)
In Firefox Home 1.0.1:
* FIXED: Now supports usernames with uppercase letters
* ADDED: Help button on login page that links to troubleshooting tips
* IMPROVED: More helpful error messages when problems occur
Get this update on iTunes.
In Firefox Sync 1.4.3:
* FIXED: Now correctly supports multi-byte characters in passwords
* ADDED: Ability to complete initial sync if setting up in Private Browsing mode
* IMPROVED: Helpful UI indicator to show sync status
* See the Firefox Sync Account Setup Demo
Get this update on the Mozilla Add-Ons site.
We believe Firefox Home is an excellent Web companion for the iPhone because it lets you access your Firefox history, bookmarks and tabs no matter where you are. We are humbled by all the interest and positive reviews we’ve seen on the Web.
“If you’re at all like me and leave dozens (or more!) tabs open on your home machine, you’ll definitely like the convenience of being able to access something you left open while you’re on the go.” — Chris Foresman, ars technica
“Can’t remember where you saw that important story just before you left the office? Open the app and check your history. Want a shortcut to save you from typing a long URL on the iPhone or iPod Touch? Open the app. (As a bonus, on my tests, it opened Web pages faster than Safari.)” — Bob Tedeschi, New York Times: Gadgetwise
“Firefox’s Home App for iPhone has opened my eyes to a world where desktop and mobile web browsing become one, but we’re not quite there yet. Being able to pick up on the iPhone where I left off on the PC is one of those ideas that suddenly seems long overdue,” – Jared Newman, PC World.
Firefox Home, Different from Firefox Web Browser
Firefox Home is a part of making the personal Web experience portable across multiple computers and devices. Firefox Home is a valuable app that gives you instant access to your most recently and frequently visited sites, right at your fingertips. You now have the ability to get up and go in a moment’s notice, and access your flight status, reservation time or driving directions you were looking at at your desk without a second thought!
Going Global
Many of you have asked when Firefox Home will be available for download in your country’s App Store. We’re working to make Firefox Home available worldwide in the very near future. Stay tuned!
Get Involved & Stay Connected
This is the first release of Firefox Home on iPhone, and with your ideas, we hope to provide more features to this application over time. Please leave your comments or ask questions on our Firefox Home Support Forum. Designers, let the creative juices flow and participate in the Firefox Home iPhone Skin Design Challenge.
July 28th, 2010
Guten Tag! 你好! Cześć! Olá! Привет! Bonjour! Γεια σας! Hello!
The new update of Firefox 4 Beta is now available in 23 languages for testing and feedback. Thanks to the help of the global Mozilla community, we’re now able to bring Firefox 4 Beta to more people around the world. This update to Firefox 4 Beta continues with changes to the look of Firefox with tabs appearing on the top of the browser and introduces the ability to turn tabs into App Tabs.
What’s new in this Firefox 4 Beta update?
Continued Evolution of the New Firefox Look – Tabs on Top
- Mac and Windows users now have all their tabs on the top of the browser. We moved the tabs to the top to make it easier to focus on the Web content and easier to control the tools in your Web browser.
- If you have Windows 7 or Windows Vista, the Menu bar is replaced with a single Firefox button so you get to the most used options with just one click.
App Tabs
- 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.
- App Tabs offer a better way to manage tabs, saving space on the tab bar and making it easy to find frequently used tabs. Check out this video from Alex Faaborg for more details on App Tabs.
New for Developers: Under the Hood
CSS3 Transitions:
- The Firefox 4 Beta now has support for new CSS3 features like Transitions and Transformations, making it fun to add elegant animations to your websites.
- To show what CSS3 Transitions can do, we added them to the Firefox 4 Beta “What’s New” page. For more information, check out this post and demo from Paul Roget.
Retained Layers:
- Adding Retained Layers in Firefox 4 Beta allows for super-fast scrolling on complex websites. See Robert O’Callahan’s post for more information.
XPCOM Framework:
- We made changes to the XPCOM framework that improves start up time when you load Firefox. See Jorge Villalobos post for more information.
There are more features to come in future Firefox 4 Beta updates and we need your help to test them. Already with help from our community of testers, we were able to get valuable feedback on the first Firefox 4 Beta that enabled us to fix more than 670 issues in this update.
Help build the best Firefox ever!
Firefox 4 Beta includes a new Feedback Add-on so at any time you can click the Feedback button to tell us about what you do or don’t like. The Feedback Add-on includes Mozilla Labs Test Pilot, and will ask you to take part in anonymous studies. The latest Test Pilot study explores the ways people interact with the Firefox menu bar, Firefox button (on Windows Vista and 7) and toolbar controls. You can choose to opt-out of any or all studies and manage your settings in the Feedback button (no data will be sent to Mozilla without your permission).
Testers will receive automatic updates to the Firefox 4 Beta, so stay tuned for the next release in the coming weeks.
July 26th, 2010
Today we’re excited to announce the launch of the Social Media Toolkit.
The Mozilla Social Media Toolkit is a set of tools that allows you to leverage social media to market Mozilla and Firefox in your region and beyond. The toolkit contains everything you’ll need from best practices, tips and tricks, to design assets for both Facebook and Twitter.
Are you a Mozillian that has a community or localized Mozilla/Firefox social media account? Or are you interested in setting one up? Then this toolkit is for you!
Go check out the toolkit! We’re excited to see an increase in the Mozilla social media space!
July 16th, 2010
We are happy to announce that the wait is over.
Firefox Home, a free application, is now available for download on your iPhone or iPod Touch.
Firefox Home provides access to your Firefox desktop history, bookmarks and open tabs on your iPhone. Get up and go and have exactly what you are looking for on the Web on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Firefox Home uses your browser data, securely synced from Firefox on your desktop to the cloud, to let you search and browse quickly and efficiently. You can view the sites you want directly in Firefox Home, open them in Mobile Safari or share them with friends via email. Your Firefox data is private and only you have access to it.
Quick Start:
If you have Firefox Sync on your desktop, skip to step #3.
- Install Firefox Sync, a free add-on for Firefox, on your desktop.
- Restart Firefox and follow prompts to create an account with both a password and a secret phrase.
- Go the App Store on your iPhone and search for “Firefox Home” or install it directly from iTunes.
- Launch Firefox Home on your iPhone. You’ll be prompted to enter your Firefox Sync account info. Enter your username, password and Secret Phrase and tap “Done.”
- Enjoy!
More detailed set-up instructions are available, as well as a answers to frequently asked questions.
Tell Us What You Think
Take this quick survey, or if you have a question or comment please visit the Firefox Home Forum.
Stay Connected
As always, you can get the latest and greatest news and info about what we’re up by joining our newsletter and following us on Twitter or Facebook.
July 16th, 2010
To celebrate the world’s largest football tournament, we launched the Firefox Cup — a friendly, global competition based on the number of users for each team Persona. We’ve seen thousands of fans from around the world showing their team spirit by wearing Personas on their Firefox. The winner for each round was chosen based on the team Persona with the most fans (average daily users) for the week.
Today, we announce the overall winner of the competition: Germany! Congratulations to Brazil and Spain, who were second and third place, respectively.
Here’s a recap of the four rounds:
• June 16th: Brazil won round 1 with Argentina in close competition.
• June 23rd: Brazil kept their lead.
• June 30th: Brazil hung on to its lead in round 3 with 17,380 supporters, just a few more hundred than Germany.
• July 7th: Germany jumped to first place!
Thanks to all the loyal fans and community members for supporting their teams in the Firefox Cup! We’re already looking forward to the next football tournament and challenge Paul the Octopus to follow the Firefox Cup!
July 8th, 2010
Firefox 4 Beta 1 is now available and ready for testing. This first version is filled with dozens of new features and improvements. Here are more in depth explanations of some of the Firefox 4 Beta 1 features from the Firefox team:
Firefox 4 beta 1 is here – what’s in it for web developers?, Chris Blizzard
Firefox 4 Beta 1 UI Changes, Alex Faaborg
Introducing the New Add-Ons Manager, Dave Townsend
History of the Add-Ons Manager, Dave Townsend
Firefox 4 – FormData and the new File.url object, Jonas Sicking
WebM Video Support in Firefox 4 Beta, Chris Pearce
Web Developer “Console” in Firefox 4.0 Beta 1, Dave Dahl
We will continue to share more analysis and details for new features and changes in Firefox 4 as the product develops.
For more information on Firefox 4 Beta 1: