Mozilla, a global, non-profit organization dedicated to making the Web better, today released an update to Firefox for Windows, Mac and Linux that includes new and enhanced tools to make developing for the Web faster and easier.
The new “Web Developer” menu in Firefox provides easy access to tools that help developers build and debug websites directly in the browser. Developers will enjoy the new Scratchpad tool, which makes it simple to quickly enter, execute, test and refine JavaScript snippets in Firefox without needing to work in a one-line console. The Web Console is improved with an auto-complete feature and the ability to customize the console’s location to save developers time.
With support for additional APIs in Firefox, developers can build rich and compelling Web experiences. The new Window.matchMedia API helps developers optimize their website or Web app across different devices and platforms. Prefixed WebSockets and server-sent event APIs create faster communication between Firefox and Web servers, making it easier for developers to build more responsive and interactive real-time messaging applications and HTML5 games on the Web.
Panorama users will enjoy faster start-up times because tab groups are only loaded when selected. Users will also notice the Awesome Bar (URL bar) highlights a website’s domain name and the identity block is more prominent to help quickly identify where you are on the Web.
To get the latest version of Firefox for Windows, Mac or Linux click on “check for update” under the “About Firefox” menu or look out for a prompt to update automatically in the next few days.
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Mozilla, a global, non-profit organization dedicated to making the Web better, today released an update to Firefox for Android. Users will notice a refreshed interface and developers will enjoy new tools that make it easier to build interactive mobile Web apps and websites.
Firefox for Android provides a seamless way for users to take the Firefox experience they know and love everywhere along with a sleek look that allows users to focus on the websites they visit. The interface is streamlined to be consistent with the Android look and feel while fonts and buttons are now optimized for tablets. Additional tablet optimization and support is planned for future releases.
The new welcome page helps users discover browser tools and features (like Firefox Sync, add-ons, tabbed browsing and bookmarks) that are conveniently stowed away in the side panels. Many users will notice faster zooming, crisp text and reduced pixelation due to enhanced image rendering in Firefox for Android.
Firefox for Android adds support for tools that help developers create rich, compelling mobile Web apps and websites. With the single touch events API, developers can build Web experiences that detect touch events and gestures. Imagine mobile Web apps that enable users to swipe their finger to pan around a map and mobile Web games that let you swipe a finger to swing a baseball bat or pull a slingshot to launch an angry bird. Support for multi-touch events will be added in future releases.
The IndexedDB API gives developers local database storage in Firefox to make Web apps, websites and restartless add-ons available offline. This increases performance, reduces data usage and allows users to enjoy a mobile Web experience without an Internet connection.
Visit the Android Market to get the latest Firefox update on your Android device. Users with Firefox for Android already installed will receive a notification to update to the latest version.
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