Mozilla has just released the latest version of its open source Firefox browser, claiming it to be twice as fast as its predecessor, and ten times quicker than Firefox 2. The secret behind the speed is the TraceMonkey JavaScript engine, which is particularly good at speeding up user experience on sites that rely heavily on Ajax technology – including Facebook and Gmail.
The most significant development, though, is the new broswer's ability to play audio and video without the need for plugins. This functionality is restricted to open format Ogg Theora videos, but it is a clear statement of intent that Firefox intends to present a challenge to the dominance of Adobe's Flash and, to a lesser extent, Microsoft's Silverlight.
Other new features include location aware browsing, which can help you find local points of interest and area-specific information such as maps. Firefox also has a powerful new privacy mode, with a 'Forget this Site' feature, ideal for removing every last trace of an individual website from your browsing history.
When it comes to look and feel, there's not much to distinguish Firefox 3.5 from the version it supersedes. However, the factor that continues to make Firefox stand out from the competition is its vibrant community of developers, who extend the browser's functionality with plugins. Be warned though – if you are upgrading to version 3.5, the chances are that some of your favourite plugins won't be immediately compatible.
