Over the next few weeks Mozilla will be releasing details of the new Firefox 3.5, which will be available possibly as early as next month and by all accounts we’re in for some treats.
At the moment around 800,000 people are testing the Beta 4 version of Firefox 3.5 but before you rush to try it out Mozilla say “We recommend that most users wait for the official Firefox 3.5 release, which is coming soon,”
Firefox 3.5 is supposedly twice as fast as the present version and no additional plug-ins are required to view Flash or Video, which of course is much more convenient.
Other new features include downloadable fonts, new cascading style sheets, the ability to edit digital images from within a browser without a third party application, and geolocation services.
It is the new geolocation services that are catching the attention of many so let’s take a look at that and what it means for users.
“If I type Google into the URL bar, it takes me to www.google.ca, the Canadian version of Google, based on my IP address. And when I want to find the closest movie theatre to where I am located, I typically just type in my postal code,” wrote Doug Turner, one of the engineers working on the Geolocation support in Firefox 3.5.
“In these two situations, having the web application automatically figure out where I am is much more convenient. In fact, I have no idea what the postal code is for Toronto. I know how to find it, but that is a lot of work to simply tell a web application where I am.”
Ok so now we want to know how Firefox finds out where we are located and if our privacy is going to be compromised.
Apparently Geolocation works in Firefox via a JavaScript APA which enables users to share their location with a website that uses the feature to make a JavaScript call to getCurrentPosition.
Obviously if you have a GPS device attached then your precise location can be identified that way but Firefox can also use Wi-Fi networks or even the IP address to find out where you are.
Mozilla maintain they have taken steps to protect privacy by making sure that location information is only shared after you have given your approval and even once that information is shared you have the option of making Firefox “forget” it afterwards.
Personally, I can’t wait to try it out.
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