Schedule & Progress onUpcoming Releases
Firefox Desktop
Current Releases
- Firefox 18.0 was released yesterday
- Throttled due to Patch Tuesday, unthrottled starting tomorrow
- We’re on the lookout for l10n issues upon upgrade, esp. around langpacks
- Firefox 10.0.12esr (our final planned 10-series ESR) and Firefox 17.0.2esr were both released yesterday
Beta (19)
- Firefox 19.0b1 is still on track for release tomorrow morning, after a couple of required desktop re-spins
- Of special note for testing/feedback is pdf.js
Aurora (20)
- Firefox 20.0a2 is planned to be enabled on Friday
- Notable features: per-window private browsing, new download experience, plug-in hang UI
Firefox Metro
- Transition of PM responsibilities from Erin/Martin to Marco is complete.
- Asa is nearing completion of updating all Metro feature requirements (user stories).
- PM goals for the Work Week have been communicated to the Project Team:
- Assess the completeness of the work (Definition of Done) from the previous Sprint #1 and Sprint #2.
- Pull work for the new upcoming sprint.
- Develop a forecast release plan and baseline MVP for the entire Metro Project.
- Draft agenda for planning session has been communicated to the Project Team:
- Team has been provided with brief reference reading material to prepare for the planning:
- Remainder of week dedicated to preparing remaining materials for Work Week.
Firefox Mobile
Current Releases
- we broke 2million ADIs
- 4.2 rating
Beta (19)
- Firefox 19 reduces the minimum CPU requirement to 600mhz. We’ll be unblocking the devices at https://etherpad.mozilla.org/armv6unblock-FF19 upon release
- 4.5 visual stars in the play store!!!!!
- feedback from the beta audience shows issues with our new share menu
- backed out on trunk now, will be backed out on aurora and beta before the next beta
Aurora (20)
- Similarly, Firefox 20 reduces the memory requirement to 384MB
- toolchain update to ndk r8c and gcc 4.6, improved performance and memory usage
- about:home customizations
- HTML5 context menus
- Tab selector changes for private browsing
Nightly (21)
- Rolled back Share menu behavior
PRD: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/Fx21_PRD
Add-on SDK
Release (1.12 -> Firefox 18, 19)
Stabilization (1.13 -> Firefox 19, 20)
Development (1.14 -> Firefox 20, 21)
- we’re on track to merge from larch to m-i next week.
- if all goes according to plan, SDK 1.14 will be the last version of the SDK that bundles the APIs
- if you’re curious, I drafted an implementation plan with timelines
Feedback Summary
Desktop
Lots of good feedback already:
- Firefox 18 is really faster than the older versions. I love the themes in Firefox. Its really nice and the best browser 🙂
- I love the new speed, excellent work ! 🙂
- Retina support looks wonderful. I know that was a hard task. Great job, people! Unbelievable difference. Yay!
Possible issues:
- Java issue in 18: Not CTP related. Receive a missing plugin error even on latest version. [1]
- A couple of Retina related display issues. More details in bug 828032 & bug 828514
UX & User Research
- [Privacy & Security] Brownbag: Title: Designing Meaningful Security and Privacy (in a world where no one cares?) — Larissa Co
- Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013 at noon PST in MV Ten Forward
- [FHR]– Current designs and bugs for context: (lco)
- http://cl.ly/image/1L3D1Q173N3g and Bug 804745#c14
- http://cl.ly/image/3I1f262c3a1c and bug 809094
- wrangling together a common understanding of what’s on the report page
- [Android] – bug 817675 Tab Refinement – finalized visual design (Ian Barlow)
- MWC prep, First-run thinking, continuing Metro refinement
Market Insights from the Product Marketing Strategy Team
Desktop / Platform
- After much speculation, the United States Federal Trade Commission declared that Google did not perform antitrust practices.
- The set of Google APIs installed in every official Android device have received some additions, notably the ability for app developers to digitally sign, using, in part, Google’s certificates, all app requests to the developers’ back end servers.
- App developers can also now localize the graphics for their entries in the Google Play Store/.
- Google has disabled “drive by” Chrome extension installations — extensions installed by third-party programs via the Windows registry mechanism.
- Work has commenced on adding Google Now support to Chrome.
- Local audio streams can now be played via the <audio> element in Chrome.
- Google Wallet will soon be integrated into Chrome.
- Google is also building an extension that allows Chrome users to “project” tabs to any discoverable device.
- Google Chairman Eric Schmidt is in North Korea this week (video)
- In a holiday break mini-story, users complained that Google Maps was not working on Windows Phone 8; Google said it was because it was not using a WebKit-based browser, but later relented and said that they would remove the redirects to enable the site to work on Microsoft’s platform.
- At the same time, Microsoft complained that Google is preventing the development of a Windows Phone Youtube app.
W3C and HTML5
- The W3C Core Mobile group published the first version of the Core Mobile specification.
- The W3C, for the first time, sent a delegation to the CES trade show in Las Vegas. The Web+TV Interest Group attended the show to promote the open web platform.
- The html5rocks.com website published some interesting demos of CSS Shaders and canvas-driven background images.
Microsoft
- Microsoft posted “Ten reasons why Internet Explorer 10 is best for business”, featuring the data from a Forrester report. Microsoft says the report reinforces the need of enterprises to standardize on just one browser, in order to save on additional development costs to support other browsers.
- For the year-end holiday, Microsoft also released PenguinMark, a whimsical browser benchmark for hardware-accelerated HTML5 capabilities.
- Microsoft announced that they have sold 60 million Windows 8 licenses since launch
Marketing, Press & Public Reaction
- Mozilla releases Firefox 18 with Retina display support
- Mozilla Firefox 18 Puts On Speed
- Firefox For Mac Gets Updated With Retina Support
- Firefox Gets Faster with Version 18
Marketing
Desktop
- ADIs: We’re seeing a downward spike in ADIs — this is normal and we always see it in late Dec early Jan. It should spike back up either the third of fourth week of Jan
- Firefox 18 – Launched yesterday! Woo hoo! The two consumer/industry facing highlights include the speed increase of some Web Apps and games due thanks to IonMonkey, and also our support of Mac Retina Display. Read all about it.
- Check out this great before/after Retina Display graphic: What $500 of sharpness gets you
- Currently running a a/b test on our download page – which version will win: our current page or this new design? Results next week…
Mobile
- FX18 released yesterday, and outbound communications featured Search Suggestions and Phishing and Malware protection. FX 19 communications will focus on light-weight themes, language support for zh-tw / zh-cn, and expanded ARMv6 support (adding 13MM+ devices to our TAM).
- Upcoming Communications include release blogs for FX18 and FX19, blog on the Den, Three social posts, a Firefox & You newsletter, and community evangelism focused on promoting new language support.
Actions this week
- Marco to move metro planning docs to wikimo
Planning Meeting Details
- Wednesdays – 11:00am PT, 18:00 UTC
- Mountain View Offices: Warp Core Conference Room
- Toronto Offices: Finch Conference Room
- irc.mozilla.org #planning for backchannel
- (the developer meeting takes place on Tuesdays)
Video/Teleconference Details – NEW
- 650-903-0800 or 650-215-1282 x92 Conf# 99696 (US/INTL)
- 1-800-707-2533 (pin 369) Conf# 99696 (US)
- Vidyo Room: ProductCoordination
- Vidyo Guest URL