Firefox 3

Though servers offering the software are currently buckling and inaccessible to many users, Firefox 3.0 on Tuesday has made its debut with the Mozilla organization looking to set a record for browser downloads. The major new release of the open source Web browser is available today in approximately 50 languages, and is purportedly three times faster than its predecessor, offering "15,000 improvements" including a smart location bar and malware protection. The new Firefox 3 smart location bar, dubbed "Awesome Bar" by Mozilla, adapts to user entries over time. The Firefox 3 Library archives browsing history, bookmarks, and tags, where they can be searched and organized.

There is also a new full-page zoom for displaying any part of a Web page. Firefox 3 is built on top of the new Gecko 1.9 platform, which delivers a decreased memory footprint. The new malware and phishing protection includes site ID information, allowing users to verify that a site is what it claims to be.

A new Add-ons Manager helps users to find and install add-ons directly from the browser.

The Mozilla community is running grassroots campaign to set a brand new Guinness World Record for the greatest number of software downloads in 24 hours. The worldwide community effort begins the minute Firefox 3 is released and will continue for a full day.

by MacNN Staff