The major new feature of Firefox 8 relates to third–party software add-ons, which will now be disabled by default.
“These add-ons installed by third parties present a number of problems: they can slow down Firefox start-up and page loading time, they clutter the interface with toolbars that often go unused, they lag behind on compatibility and security updates, and most importantly, they take the user out of control of their add-ons," explains Mozilla programmer Justin "Fligtar" Scott.
Other features include the ability to load tabs on demand, making it much faster to restore windows with many tabs. You can enable this option in the Firefox Menu, under Options/Preferences, in the General tab.
Firefox 8 also adds support for Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS), which lets developers load WebGL textures from other domains in a secure way. To see an example of WebGL in action, visit Google MapsGL and experience 3D maps in Firefox.
Using simple HTML5 markup, it will also enable web developers to customise the options users have in the right click menu, saving them from having to build their own menu. If you’re a Web developer and want to learn more about the Firefox features click here.
Firefox for Android
Mozilla has also added further functionality for the Firefox browser into Android devices. With Firefox Master Password, you can protect all your saved usernames and passwords. This will help your private info stay private if you ever share or lose your Android device.
Also, users can now add icons for any bookmarked website or Web app to the home screen and launch with just one touch.
You can download Firefox 8 here. The next iteration of the web browser, Firefox 9 is due for release on December 20th.
