Firefox 3 new features walkthrough

Tue Jun 10, 2008 11:31AM EDT

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Firefox continues to prove with release after release why it's the best browser on the market. With Firefox 3 coming out soon (it's been in beta for about eight months now), the development team was nice enough to put together a short video showing off the new features that will appear in Firefox 3 when the final version ships sometime this month.

If you're a Firefox user, take a spin through the new features by clicking here, or read on for a digest.

The Smart Location Bar adds a better memory to your browser history and your bookmarks: Now Firefox keeps track of web page titles in addition to actual URLs: Type "null" into the URL bar and you'll see my blog pop up instead of having to type "tech.yahoo.com...," plus it will search your bookmarks too.

Bookmarking gets an upgrade too. Click the new star button to easily add an page to an "unsorted bookmarks" folder (a dumping ground for sites you want to remember in history); click the star again if you want to organize that bookmark a little better. Tagging is also added to the bookmark system to help you find stuff later.

Website Owner Information is now easily accessed by clicking the favicon (to the left of the URL), which looks helpful in avoiding phishing attempts and in telling you exactly who you're providing data to.

Integrated Malware Protection - Enough said! Users can report sites that are infected with malware and Firefox will automatically block the site. Extra data is available for website owners who might have had their websites hacked, so they can fix the issue. This alone looks like reason enough to upgrade.

Pause and Resume Downloads is a killer feature that used to require a third-party add-on. Now the Downloads window has a simple pause/play button, letting you stop and start all you want. Downloads are also now searchable.

Add-Ons get a search system right in the browser, too.

Firefox 3 should be available before the end of the month, and I'm definitely upgrading to the new browser when it's out. (I've held out on moving to the betas due to some incompatible plug-ins.) These new features look not only very useful, but well integrated into the program, too. Definitely looking forward to it! 

POLL: What's your browser of choice? 

Comments on Firefox 3 new features walkthrough

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  • 6 Posted by bpollenn on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    I use Firefox when I am on safari....

  • 7 Posted by lordbish34 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:56PM EDT Report Abuse

    The only one I havn't used is Safari, but of the three on my system, IE gets the most use still. Its faster than Firefox(at least on my pc) and more compatible with most websites then Opera. But of the three IE and Opera I enjoy more. Firefox is only used when IE is giving me issues which is rare at best. I still don't know what the big deal is over Firefox. Its a fine browser, but so far my limited use of it has not garnered any clue as to what makes it so great. I am currently looking more forward to the improvements in IE with version 8 than the upcoming FireFox.

  • 9 Posted by cheetahg29 on Wed Jun 11, 2008 8:08AM EDT Report Abuse

    Yes, it [the Yahoo Toolbar] is compatible with Firefox. I have Safari, Internet Explorer, and Firefox [3 Release Candidate 1]. Safari an Internet Explorer are --not-- worth downloading. Especially because if there is something that is only veiwable in IE, there is an add on where you can toggle between IE & Firefox.

  • 10 Posted by climber0705 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:27PM EDT Report Abuse

    I've used most of the iterations of IE and Netscape but Firefox takes the cake. I love how easy it is to use and how much power it adds to my browsing. Anytime MS tries to emulate a 3rd party browser, you know you have something. Firefox is stable, easy to use, and powerful with it's many tools and options.

  • 11 Posted by ericasullivan33 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    I just hope it is more stable than the old one, and doesn't fall over every five minutes.

  • 12 Posted by senatorsmiffy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    Interesting , I cant wait to see how good it is going to be

  • 13 Posted by mark_butler@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:08PM EDT Report Abuse

    What about the ability to have side-by-side windows? having to run two copies of ff just so I can see two pages on my widescreen monitor is dumb

  • 15 Posted by thewolfeyes on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:06PM EDT Report Abuse

    Well, I think they are all the same take for example, IE 7.0, they told us about the same features. So I think FirFox is also have the same routine but it's a nice idea to know about their new features and technologies. Thank you.

  • 16 Posted by scorpio_nightmares on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:08PM EDT Report Abuse

    i have used FireFox fro many years and I expect to be something new in this one!!! I hope!

  • 17 Posted by felvis_presley on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    Im old school and hate change. But I switched from IE to Firefox and love it.

  • 19 Posted by paul_soares on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm just happy to see a post NOT about the iPhone.

  • 20 Posted by violentfustration on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:36PM EDT Report Abuse

    Firefox 3 is every computer nerds dream!!!! hey make sure you guys pledge to download it on Download Day 2008 so Firefox can be in the Guinness World Record http://www.spreadfirefox.com/en-US/worldrecord

  • 21 Posted by soltal_tw on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:32PM EDT Report Abuse

    Firefox is a great web browser. IE came on my comp. I used it for awhile, then I heard about firefox. I decided to try it, and found it much better than IE. While Firefox initially opens up slower than IE, it is much faster at loading pages and such. I'm comfortable with my version 2 Firefox, but I might see about checking out version 3 once it's available.

  • 22 Posted by rogueist on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    I hope most of these "features" can be turned off... Many of them are too invasive of my privacy to allow to run - and anyone with a grudge can report any website as "malware" thus shutting it down to all Firefox 3 users, so that feature is useless as well.

  • 23 Posted by slimeslayer on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:27PM EDT Report Abuse

    i'm liking the new Flock browser (mozilla) with better integration with social, news, media and email sites....has a cleaner looking gui than firefox...just my opinion

  • 24 Posted by tan_alec on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    Looks good. I'd like to see it for myself soon.

  • 25 Posted by chieftain31 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    Love Firefox, but when i download certain emails with sound, it wont play. I have to go to Explorer to play them.Does the ew one play all of these?

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