Mozilla releases new Firefox 4 beta, link-sharing extension
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Mozilla has released a new beta version of Firefox 4 and is asking users to download and test the browser.
Improvements have resulted in speedier start-up times and pages that load faster. Developers will be able to explore opportunities with 3D graphics.
Firefox is one of the most-used browsers along with Microsoft Internet Explorer.
JavaScript will run up to five times faster than Firefox 3.6, thanks to the addition of the new JagerMonkey just-in-time (JIT) compiler, according a post Wednesday on the Mozilla Blog.
Websites with rich and interactive content such as games, applications or photos won’t lag as much.
Graphics display faster.
With WebGL, developers can incorporate 3D graphics without requiring plug-in installation. The new beta version also features support for OpenType font features for layout designers.
Users already testing Firefox 4 Beta will be automatically updated to the latest update. Mozilla plans to release more beta versions before the final Firefox 4 is released, likely in early 2011.
The new browser was supposed to be revealed this year, but was delayed in October as Mozilla tried to track down “regressions and sources of instability.”
On Thursday, Mozilla’s Messaging group unveiled a Firefox extension for link sharing. F1 allows users to share pages with friends on Gmail, Facebook and Twitter. Check out the video below for a demonstration.
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-- Tiffany Hsu
