The release of the Firefox 16 web browser has been a bit rough; however, the latest version from the Mozilla Foundation is now available to download for Mac OS, Linux, Windows, and Android devices, including new noteworthy features.
This new version of Firefox is said to be quicker and smoother. Among the newest features worth noting is the amount of tools it has for developers (e.g. a new Developer Toolbar) that can be used to create and improve websites.
In addition, the new Mozilla Foundation browser offers support for web apps on Windows, Mac, or Linux, following in the trail of Chrome and its application bazaar. This is a first step towards the launch of the Mozilla MarketPlace, an app store that will arrive early 2013.
Another one of the browser’s new features, for another class of user, is the VoiceOver tool on Mac OS X, which will make web browsing more accessible for those with a visual handicap by playing audio of website content.
Firefox 16 now also incorporates in its mobile version a “reader mode” for viewing websites without ads or additional layout, allowing you to read more comfortably.
Firefox 16’s security flaw
As we were saying, the release of the Firefox 16 web browser has been a bit rough. Actually, the browser has been available for several days, but a few hours after its launch, the Mozilla Foundation had to take it off the market after identifying a serious security flaw that put users’ privacy in danger. The issue was a security breach that allowed access to users’ browsing history.
With the problem solved, Firefox 16 has returned and is available for download. However, this is a mark that will be hard to get rid of from this browser’s history, which has always been known for its security and reliability.
Interestingly, one of the next features announced to be implemented in later versions will be a new control system for plugins that improves browsing security. It is a new feature that notifies the user when a suspicious plug-in appears on a website they’re visiting.
The road has been so rough for the release of this version of Firefox 16 that it seems that the browser’s reputation has been so affected that the Mozilla Foundation already has the Firefox 17 beta version available for download. What they don’t realize is that sometimes numbers can’t erase all the mistakes of the past.
