Firefox 3.1 Beta 2 Provides New Features
The second beta of Firefox 3.1 has arrived with a new JavaScript engine, data security mode and web worker threads.
Mozilla Foundation just released the second preview of its upcoming Firefox 3.1, code named Shiretoko (Japanese for "end of the earth"). It serves primarily for testing the newly introduced features and enhancements.
With its new Private Browsing mode (lovingly called Porn Mode by some), Firefox no longer stores your browser history so that you can remove all traces of your surfing. You can also do a more targeted cleanup of your cookies, for example, by removing the last hour's worth or over a particular timeframe.
The Firefox beta also provides a quicker processing of JavaScript code through the TraceMonkey engine already introduced in October. Same goes for the Gecko layout engine, now available in version 1.9.1. Its faster rendering time is partially due to its use of speculative parsing.
Web worker threads are also supported for the first time. Still part of a yet-to-be-released specification, web worker threads allow the browser to do computation-intensive work in the background while better using multikernel processors.
Negative user feedback to the prerelease ended up striking tab-switching and preview mode from the feature list for good. To make up for it, the Shiretoko beta supports the video and audio tags of the new HTML5, a W3C Geolocation API, JavaScript query selectors, CSS2.1 and CSS3, SVG transformations and offline applications. An extra sweet is that the new version promises 54 languages.
An initial quick test of this magazine's showed the Firefox beta to be truly faster, especially with JavaScript-heavy pages. The Acid3 test proved a bit less successful, with just a few points shy of 100. (The new Opera has meanwhile shown a perfect score.)
The Mozilla team asks users to give the beta a comprehensive look-see, while staying clear of suggesting putting the release into production. Interested parties can follow along the progress at the Firefox 3.1 Planning Center (including how to pronounce the word "Shiretoko").
Issue 261/2022
Buy this issue as a PDF
News
-
KaOS 2022.06 Now Available With KDE Plasma 5.25
The newest iteration of KaOS Linux not only adds the latest KDE Plasma desktop but sets LibreOffice as the default.
-
Manjaro 21.3.0 Is Now Available
Manjaro “Ruah” has been released and includes the latest Calamares installer, GNOME 42, and much more.
-
SpiralLinux is a New Linux Distribution Focused on Simplicity
A new Linux distribution, from the creator of GeckoLinux, is a Debian-based operating system with a focus on simplicity and ease of use.
-
HP Dev One Linux Laptop is Now Available for Pre-Order
The System76/HP collaboration Dev One laptop, geared toward developers, is now available for pre-order.
-
NixOS 22.5 Is Now Available
The latest release of NixOS with a much-improved package manager and a user-friendly graphical installer.
-
System76 Teams up with HP to Create the Dev One Laptop
HP and System76 have come together to develop a new laptop, powered by Pop!_OS and aimed toward developers.
-
Titan Linux is a New KDE Linux Based on Debian Stable
Titan Linux is a new Debian-based Linux distribution that features the KDE Plasma desktop with a focus on usability and performance.
-
Danielle Foré Has an Update for elementary OS 7
Now that Ubuntu 22.04 has been released, the team behind elementary OS is preparing for the upcoming 7.0 release.
-
Linux New Media Launches Open Source JobHub
New job website focuses on connecting technical and non-technical professionals with organizations in open source.
-
Ubuntu Cinnamon 22.04 Now Available
Ubuntu Cinnamon 22.04 has been released with all the additions from upstream as well as other features and improvements.