Latest release - Mozilla Firefox 21
As of May 14, 2013 Mozilla has released the new Firefox 21 it is updates are already available for present users on various OS namely WIN, Mac and Linux.
Users who are familiar with the Do Not Track feature and like it will be happy to know that the new upgraded version has improved it customization where since it debuted in 2011's Firefox 4 . It sends a signal to Web sites that the visitor should not be followed as they explore your site or move on to different ones. Abiding by that signal is completely voluntary. Do Not Track goal is to help each individual say what they want, whether it's pro-tracking or not, according to Sid Stamm, Firefox's privacy lead engineer. The new version added a 3rd customization option "Do not tell sites anything about my tracking preferences" this option when selected is not turning off the D.N.T feature but being more like letting the sites we visit decide.
As far as security conscientious is concern Firefox has my high regards and it is revealed that its developers are looking into another likely to be Firefox's new feature to aggressively block tracking cookies , which is expected in July when the next version of Firefox arrives. It is believed that once this new feature does come and implemented would be a nuclear first strike against ad industry.
The other new feature will be additional Social API which allows social network content and notifications to live inside your browser alongside Web pages you're viewing. Since last November, the API launched with Firefox 17 had us witnessed the integration of Facebook's messenger into its browser. All the user needs to do is simply to turn on this integrated feature and it will have all the latest messages streaming in. In Firefox 21 users will be pleased to find popular social networks all over the world included namely MSN Now , Cliqz , China's Weibo , and the Japan-only Mixi .
The MSN Now integration (sign-in) brings trends collected from Facebook, Twitter, Bing, and BreakingNews.com to its Social API sidebar so that you'll never miss another Kardashian moment. Cliqz integration (sign-in) appears similar delivering news feeds and videos of interest to you and creates a personalized news stream that follows people as well as stories and trends, and allows you to save stories to read later. Mixi integration connects its Japanese-speaking Firefox users with their comment and photo streams.
While Weibo is more geared towards the Chinese blogging community, Mozilla has yet to summarize which aspects of Weibo are supported in the Social API sidebar but it will be interesting to see as this launch would mean an explosion of Chinese usage all over the world not forgetting the world's largest populated Mainland China.
However, I believe one can see the browser maker's aim for the social API where it is really beyond solely integrating social networks especially when it has endless potential for integrating e-mail, finance, music, cloud possibilities, services, to-do lists, sports, news and other applications into your Firefox experience.
In a statement released by Mozilla the non-profit maker of the Firefox browser in its own blog post, the writer stated and I quote: "Mozilla developed the Social API to enable social providers to integrate directly into Firefox to make your browsing experience more social, customizable and personal,"
How true.
