Categories: Press Releases

Mozilla advances the Web with Firefox 3.5

Major update to browser delivers significant performance improvements, privacy enhancements, support for new Web standards, and greater customization options

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF. – June 30, 2009 – Mozilla, a public-benefit organization dedicated to promoting choice and innovation on the Internet, today released Firefox® 3.5, a major update to its popular, free and open source Web browser. Coming one year after the launch of the critically acclaimed Firefox 3, Firefox 3.5 introduces cutting-edge features, as well as new support for a wide variety of Web standards.

Firefox 3.5 is the best performing browser Mozilla has ever released and delivers radically improved JavaScript performance, a new Private Browsing mode, native support for open video and audio, and Location Aware Browsing. The newest version of Firefox is more than two times faster than Firefox 3 and ten times faster than Firefox 2 on complex websites. With extensive under-the-hood work to support new technologies, Firefox 3.5 is the most powerful and complete modern browser and helps upgrade the Web experience.

Firefox 3.5 was built through Mozilla’s global, open source development process. The Mozilla community comprises thousands of passionate contributors, including experienced developers, security experts, localization and support communities in more than 60 countries, and tens of thousands of active testers. With more than 300 million active users, Firefox is the only popular Web browser created by a non-profit organization.

“So much is happening on the Web right now, it’s a great time for browsers. Firefox 3.5 brings together the most innovative Web technologies and delivers them in the most complete and powerful modern browser,” said John Lilly, CEO, Mozilla.

What’s New in Firefox 3.5:

Firefox 3.5 makes surfing the Web easier and more enjoyable with exciting new features and platform updates that allow Web developers to create the next generation of Web content. Native support for open video and audio, private browsing, and support for the newest Web technologies will enable richer, more interactive online experiences.

Performance. Firefox 3.5 includes the powerful new TraceMonkey JavaScript engine, which delivers unprecedented performance with today’s complex Web applications. Firefox 3.5 is more than two times faster than Firefox 3 and ten times faster than Firefox 2.

Open Video and Audio. Enjoy video and audio content from within your browser, without the need for plugins. Video is a vital part of the modern Web, whether it’s used to communicate, educate, or entertain. Firefox 3.5 delivers the first native integration of audio and video directly into the browser. Now everyone can easily watch open format Ogg Theora videos.

Web developers can use these technologies to design pages that interact with video content in new and exciting ways, offering richer interactive experiences beyond controlling playback and volume.

Privacy Controls. Firefox 3.5 includes features designed to protect your privacy online and provide greater control over your personal data.

While using the new Private Browsing mode in Firefox 3.5, nothing you encounter on the Web will be stored from that moment on during your browsing session. Unique to Firefox 3.5, the new Forget this Site feature can remove every trace of a site from your browser. If you want to remove all private data or activity from the past few hours, Clear Recent History, another Firefox-only feature, gives you full control over what stays and what goes.

Location Aware Browsing. Location Aware Browsing saves you time by allowing websites to ask you where you are located. If you choose to share your location with a website, it can use that information to find nearby points of interest and return additional, useful data like maps of your area. It’s all optional – Firefox doesn’t share your location without your permission.

How to get Mozilla Firefox 3.5:

Mozilla Firefox 3.5 is available now for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X operating systems as a free download from http://www.getfirefox.com. It is also available in more than 70 languages at: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all.html.

EDITOR’S NOTE: For screenshots and videos, visit http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/press/images.html.

For more information about Mozilla Firefox 3.5 and how it provides a better and faster online experience, visit http://www.getfirefox.com.

About Mozilla

Mozilla is a global community of people creating a better Internet. We build public benefit into the Internet by creating free, open source products and technologies that improve the online experience for people everywhere. We work in the open under the umbrella of the non-profit Mozilla Foundation. Everything we create is a public asset available for others to use, adapt and improve. For more information, visit www.mozilla.com.

Press Contact:
press at mozilla dot com

FAQ

Q: When is Firefox 3.5 available?
A: Firefox 3.5 is available now for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X operating systems as a free download from http://www.getfirefox.com.

Q: What’s new in Firefox 3.5?
A: Firefox 3.5 is the best performing browser Mozilla has ever released and includes exciting features such as radically improved JavaScript performance, new privacy controls, native support for open video and audio, and Location Aware Browsing. The newest version of Firefox is more than two times faster than Firefox 3 and ten times faster than Firefox 2.Q: How does Firefox 3.5 speed up performance?A: Firefox 3.5 includes the new TraceMonkey JavaScript engine. The TraceMonkey engine enables new kinds of Web applications by compiling code as you execute it, allowing many types of CPU-intensive applications to run at near-native speed. With Firefox 3.5, Web applications like email, photo editors, online word processors and more feel snappier and more responsive.Q: Do I have to do anything to set-up the audio/video feature in Firefox 3.5?A: You can enjoy video and audio content from within your browser, without the need for plugins. Video is a vital part of the modern Web, whether it’s used to communicate, educate, or entertain. Firefox 3.5 delivers the first native integration of audio and video directly into the browser. You can easily watch open format Ogg Theora videos. Web developers can use these technologies to design pages that interact with video content in new and exciting ways, offering richer interactive experiences beyond controlling playback and volume.Q: What is “Location Aware Browsing”? Is Firefox tracking where I am?A: Location Aware Browsing will save you time by allowing websites to ask you where you are. It’s all optional – Firefox doesn’t share your location without your permission. If you choose to share your location with a website, it can use that information to find nearby points of interest and return additional, useful data like maps of your area.For specific questions about the Location Aware Browsing feature you can find out more at: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/geolocation/ and the privacy policy from the Google Location Service: http://www.google.com/privacy-lsf.html

Q: I use Firefox 3 – how do I upgrade to Firefox 3.5?
A: You can download Firefox 3.5 at http://www.firefox.com and enjoy the new features and faster performance. If you’re using the latest version of Firefox 3.0, you can get Firefox 3.5 by clicking on the Help menu and then selecting Check for Updates.

Q: Is Firefox 3.5 available in my language?
A: Firefox 3.5 is available in more than 70 languages – more than any other browser. For a complete list of available language versions, please visit: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/all.html.

Q: How can I get a quick overview of Firefox 3.5?
A: We’ve created a Firefox Features page at http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/. This is the best place to learn all about the exciting new and enhanced features in Firefox 3.5. You can also get a guided video tour of Firefox 3.5 and see the new features in action here: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/video.

Q: How can I get more out of Firefox 3.5?
A: We’ve created a nifty Tips and Tricks site with shortcuts and suggestions to help you whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced user. You can access the site here: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/tips/.

Q: What if I’m feeling particularly technical?
A: You can take a deep dive into the release notes to find out what’s new, learn about system requirements, troubleshooting tips, and known issues. You can view the release notes here: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/3.5/releasenotes/.

Q: What is Firefox’s market share?
A: While we don’t track this information ourselves, there are many groups that do. Overall, we estimate Firefox market share is about 22% worldwide based on numbers from a variety of sources. We monitor these numbers and then see how they track to our growth of daily active users of Firefox. While we can’t confirm the specific market share percentages they offer however we do see correlating trends.

Sources:

Q: How many Firefox users are there?
A: We estimate there are currently more than 300 million Firefox users worldwide.

Customization

Q: How can I customize Firefox 3.5?
A: Firefox is the most customizable browser on the planet. With a growing library of more than 6,000 free Firefox add-ons, little extras you download and install for a browser that works your way. Manage online auctions, upload digital photos, see the weather forecast in a glance and listen to music all within Firefox. If you’re not sure where to begin, try Fashion Your Firefox—a handy Web application that recommends add-ons based on your interests. Get it at: http://www.fashionyourfirefox.com

Q: Will my add-ons work with Firefox 3.5?
A: Many add-ons are already compatible with Firefox 3.5. In Firefox 3.5, add-ons can be installed only if they can be securely updated. Firefox automatically checks the installed versions of add-ons and alerts you if new versions are available. Also, Mozilla can disable add-ons and plugins that are known to introduce a privacy or security concern.

Security

Q: How does the Private Browsing mode work in Firefox 3.5?
A: Suppose you’re shopping for a surprise gift, so you don’t want the sites you’ve been viewing stored in your browser’s history. You can enter private browsing mode by going to Tools->Start Private Browsing. A simple dialog screen confirms you’ve entered this mode and nothing you encounter on the Web will be recorded from that moment on: none of the websites you visit and none of the cookies you collect will be saved. Exit private browsing mode through the Tools menu again and you’re back to normal browsing.

Q: What if I forget to enter Private Browsing mode and want Firefox to forget the website I just visited?
A: Firefox 3.5 includes a new feature – Forget this Site – where you can remove every trace of that site from your browser—no questions asked! Open the History Sidebar from the View menu, select a website and then select Forget This Site from the right-click menu.You can also clear all your private data or just your activity over the past few hours with a few quick clicks with Firefox 3.5’s improved Clear Recent History feature. With Firefox 3.5 you have full control over what to delete and that information is gone for good—on your own computer or the one at your local library. You can find this feature in the Tools menu.

Q: How often do you release updates?
A: We release a stability and security update approximately every six to eight weeks, which is delivered through Firefox’s automatic update feature. We are also committed to issuing patches if a vulnerability is discovered that warrants an immediate response outside of our regular schedule. Browser security is ever evolving and new potential vulnerabilities are regularly discovered by our dedicated team of researchers as part of our Quality Assurance process.Security updates are standard and critical to providing users with the experience they have come to trust.

Q: Traditional software companies take much longer to issue updates – how are you able to turn them around so quickly?
A: Mozilla has hundreds of contributors that are involved in creating and distributing these security updates. These contributors are passionate about producing the safest and most secure software available.At the heart of Firefox is a global, open source development process driven by a large community of passionate contributors: thousands of experienced developers, security experts, localization and support communities in more than 60 countries, and tens of thousands of active testers. Our transparency and active community of experts help to ensure our products are more secure and are updated quickly.