9to5 Linux: Mozilla Firefox 120 Is Now Available for Download, Here’s What’s New. “Mozilla published today the final build of the Firefox 120 web browser, slated for release on November 21st, 2023, so it’s time to take a closer look at the new features and improvements.”
How-To Geek: Firefox 119 Arrives With Updated Firefox View and PDF Viewer. “Mozilla releases a new major Firefox update every four weeks, giving the open-source web browser a steady stream of improvements. Firefox 119 will start rolling out today, complete with an updated Firefox View, an improved PDF viewer, security fixes, and more.”
Boing Boing: Firefox to have built-in “fake review detector”. “The web browser Firefox will warn users when they’re looking at fake reviews online. The feature follows the foundation’s acquisition of Fakespot, a web service that specializes in doing just that.”
The Register: Mozilla’s midlife crisis has taken it from web pioneer to Google’s weird neighbor. “Mozilla, please stop aping Chrome. Copying is rarely the way to win big. The Australis Chrome-like theme in Firefox 29 annoyed users and was a driving force behind Pale Moon. Firefox Quantum killed XUL addons, and drove The Reg FOSS desk to Waterfox Classic. Others went to Basilisk instead, while XP users have MyPal.”
How-To Geek: Firefox Now Works Better With Google Apps, Including Meet. “Most browsers nowadays are just using the same Chromium engine found in Google Chrome. That means most sites work the same in all Chromium-based browsers, since those sites are tested in the most in Chrome, but they might run into issues on Firefox or Safari. Google’s web apps have been far from perfect on Firefox over the past few years, but now many of them are working better than ever in Mozilla’s web browser, even Google Meet.”
How-To Geek: Firefox 115 Now Available, Final Release for Windows 7 & 8. “It hasn’t been long since the last major Firefox update, but right on schedule, Firefox 115 is now rolling out. The new update has the usual mix of new features and improvements, but it’s also the end of the road for older Windows versions.”
Ars Technica: Mozilla acquires review-checking, scammer-spotting service Fakespot for Firefox . “Fakespot, a useful service that explains how products you’ve never heard of could have 12,000 reviews with a 4.6-star average, has been acquired by Firefox-maker Mozilla, and Mozilla plans to integrate it into Firefox.”
PC World: Firefox’s new feature protects against email tracking and spam. “In welcome news for all Firefox users, Mozilla announced this week that Firefox Relay, its version of email masking, will become integrated into its browser. Launched in 2020, Relay has only been accessible so far through a browser add-on.”
MakeUseOf: Firefox Version 110.0 Is Available: Everything You Need to Know. “Firefox 110.0 is here, and it’s packed with exciting new features that promise to make your online experience better than ever. Whether you’re a Firefox veteran or a new user, this latest update has something for everyone.”
9to5 Linux: Mozilla Firefox 109 Is Available for Download with New Unified Extensions Button. “Mozilla promoted today the Firefox 109 release to the stable channel as the browser’s first release in 2023, bringing a handful of new features and lots of improvements.”
The Register: You can hook your MIDI keyboard up to a website with Firefox 108 . “The last new version of Firefox for 2022 is out on Mozilla’s FTP server, with a more widespread release to follow soon. Mozilla has released Firefox version 108. Amusingly, for the first time since Mozilla sped up its release cycle in 2015 (and presumably for the last time, too) the current version numbers for Firefox and Google Chrome line up: the current stable version of Chrome is also version 108.”
Mozilla Accessibility Blog: Significant Improvements for Screen Readers Now in Nightly Firefox. “A couple of months ago, we shared an update on our Cache the World project, covering the ongoing re-write of the Firefox accessibility engine. The project aims to improve Firefox’s overall performance for users of assistive technologies (ATs) like screen readers and to reduce crashes and hangs. It will also make the accessibility engine easier to maintain and simplify adding new features going forward.”
Review Geek: Firefox Relay Now Offers Burner Phone Numbers to Curb Spam. “The Firefox Relay service, which allows you to mask your email address and curb spam, now offers virtual phone numbers. It’s a simple but effective idea; calls and texts made to your ‘fake’ phone number are screened for spam (using custom or automatic filters) before being forwarded to your phone.”
The Register: Mozilla drags Microsoft, Google, Apple for obliterating any form of browser choice. “Firefox maker Mozilla is taking aim at Microsoft, Google, and Apple for using their operating systems to steer users to their browsers and stacking the deck against rivals who lack the same OS advantages. Like, for instance, Mozilla.”
Firefox Add-Ons Blog: Translate The Web Easily With A Browser Extension. “Online translation services provide a hugely valuable function, but for those of us who do a lot of translating on the web, the process is time-consuming and cumbersome. With the right browser extension, however, web translations become a whole lot easier and faster. Here are some fantastic translation extensions for folks with differing needs.”
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