The new Firefox 5 is now on the shelves of the Android Market. What has Mozilla done with their new creation? One thing they did is listen to their users.
Firefox may not be the fastest kid on the mobile block, but they have some good things going for them. Their new update to version 5 is a quick release after their last version. Version four came out in March, just three months ago. For those who follow the firefox browser in this mobile version, it is code named “Fennec”, named after a small fox that lives in the deserts of Northern Africa. Version five of Fennec uses none of the “mouse actions” of its bigger version. The interface is adapted completely for use with small screens. Controls are hidden away until needed to optimize the small screen real estate.
Mozilla announces over a thousand new Firefox 5 improvements. Some of the major ones are better compatibility with HTML5, better developer support, better speed, better synchronization and the big one, better privacy. In concert with search sites that are offering an alternative to Google tracking, Mozilla has announced the “Do Not Track” feature for Firefox 5. Mozilla is particularly proud of their accomplishments in the area of privacy. They claim to be the first browser to support “Do Not Track” on multiple platforms including on platforms other than Android. Mozilla created this feature to give users more control over the way their browsing presence is tracked and used on the web. Users are able to find the Do Not Track feature in the “Preferences” section.
HTML5 is supported more in the “canvas” tag with this upgrade. This is the element that allows two dimensional drawing in the browser. Developers will be able to create richer animations on the web page with this feature. Some bug fixes are included for the HTML5 development community that will make their job easier and less frustrating. Two other bug fixes had to do with computer security. Some javascripts were allowed to run with elevated permissions and another flaw had to do with java applets. They now no longer exist. An increased support for the Swiftkey app is another part of the Firefox 5 upgrade that will keep it from “crashing” like the last version.
The difference in speed is palpable with Firefox 5. One network that sees a significant improvement in speed is the 3G connection. Faster page loading is a strong point of the new version and will help users to save money on their data plans.
