All fired up
Just three months after the release of Firefox 4, the browser has been updated yet again, with the release today of Firefox 5.
The headline feature is the claim that Firefox 5 is the first browser to offer the Do Not Track ability across multiple platforms. The option is now present on the OS X, Windows, Linux and Android builds, giving users the option not to have tracking cookies stored on their computers, on compatible websites.
Although Firefox is the first browser to support and implement the Do Not Track header on multiple platforms it isn't the only browser to offer the feature, which was added to Firefox in version 4. Internet Explorer 9 added it in its final release, and Safari is set to get a Do Not Track option with the release of Lion. Google's Chrome browser hasn't implemented Do Not Track, but the company does offer an official extension to provide the same functionality.
The close proximity to the release of Firefox 4 is the result of Mozilla's decision to switch to a rapid release cycle closer to that of rival browser Google Chrome than, say, Internet Explorer or Safari. As well as offering more frequent major version releases, Firefox also offers users the choice of three 'channels' letting them keep their browser up to date either with stable, beta, or 'Aurora' bleeding-edge builds, a useful feature for developers looking to future proof add-ons or websites for forthcoming versions of the browser.
Mozilla hopes that this move to a more rapid release cycle will better ensure that users of Firefox will get performance improvements, bug and security fixes, and new features when they are ready.
Firefox 5 is available to download now, and given how quickly this version was pushed out, we expect to see a Firefox 6 in the next fortnight or so.
