Firefox 22: Less Plugins, More Features!


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News / Web Design

A couple of days ago Mozilla released the latest version (22) of their popular web browser Firefox. This release comes in rather quick, as version 21 was released just six weeks ago. However, just like every other major release, Firefox 22 comes loaded with various new features.

First up, just like Chrome, Firefox 22 too supports WebRTC by default, enabling you to make audio and video calls and share files without any third-party plugin. With Opera also planning a move to Blink, Internet Explorer will now probably be the only major web browser sans this feature.

firefox_01

Secondly, Firefox 22 comes with support for asm.js Wondering what it is? Basically, asm.js is a subset of JavaScript which allows dynamic compilation and improves performance and speed. It is yet to gain a lot of popularity (beyond game demos), but it surely has great potential, and maybe Firefox is trying to offer a relevant alternative to Google Dart, which is supported by Chrome.

Also, with WebRTC and WebGL on board, Firefox 22 also has abilities for 3D gaming in its arsenal now. To quote Mozilla Blog:

“ Mozilla pioneered, including WebGL, Emscripten, asm.js and WebRTC, to show how you can deliver high-end 3D multiplayer games while still maintaining a fast and stunning experience.”

There is also a game demo to show you what the new browser can handle. There are several other new features too, such as:

  1. Support for Flexbox CSS3 layout mode
  2. New features in Developer Tools
  3. Custom playspeed for audio and video playback (HTML5)
  4. Display scaling options for high-resolution displays (Windows only as of now)
  5. Support for HTML5 <time> and <data> elements
  6. Web Notifications API
  7. Pointer Lock API goes beyond just fullscreen
  8. WebGL enhancements
  9. Better memory usage when rendering images
  10. Social services manager

There are several other minor features as well, and overall, Firefox 22 surely is looking to be one impressive web browser!

Have you tried the newest Firefox release? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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