Latest Version of Firefox 3.0 Goes to Developers

Christmas came a little early for developers this year. Mozilla on Wednesday released the second beta version of Firefox 3.0 that promises enhanced security features and performance capabilities.

The release features an enhanced location bar that matches against page titles and addresses from local history, bookmarks and tags. It also incorporates feedback about security from Beta 1 testers, and includes an "effective top-level domain" that ensures that cookies and other Web content is only visible in a single domain, Mozilla said.

The company cautioned that the release is only geared toward Web developers and Mozilla's testing community, and is not intended for the average Web user.

"We encourage testers to download and install the Beta 2 release to test it against the Web sites they normally visit, and provide feedback about any incompatibilities," Mozilla said in a statement. "It is intended for testing purposes only."

Additional enhancements include more easily decipherable security notices, and a password manager that checks to make sure the correct password has been entered before Mozilla saves it. There is also an automatic check for insecure plugins, extensions and Java, and anti-virus integration with the new download manager.

Beta 2 also includes revamped personalization tools, improved text and graphics rendering, support for offline browsing and Web-based protocol handlers, and full-page zooming, Mozilla said.

Developers interested in testing out the release can visit the Mozilla developer center for more information.

Mozilla released version one of 3.0 in November. It later said it would fix only 20 percent of its known bugs before the latest version of the browser is released in its final version next year. Mike Shaver, Mozilla director of ecosystem development, subsequently penned a blog post that said that 20 percent prediction was a misunderstanding.

Source: PCMAG