Mozilla has released a new beta version of the popular Firefox browser. According to Mozilla Developer Center Firefox 3.1 Beta 2 includes improvements to speed, performance and compatibility. Download it and you’ll also get try out couple of new and anticipated features.
The speed and performance improvements come from the updated version of Gecko layout engine and the new TraceMonkey JavaScript engine. TraceMonkey especially is a welcome addition as it provides a huge boost to JavaScript processing speeds. Firefox 3.1 Beta 2 also includes the new Private Browsing Mode which allows users to browse the web without leaving any traces. You can also now choose to remove the history of for example only past hour of browsing.
Result for: improvements
Eric Lempel, Sony’s Director of PlayStation Network Operations, has posted on the official PlayStation 3 blog that the upcoming PS3 firmware update, version 2.53 will bring improvements to the Flash Player via the internet browser.
From the blog:
“Hi everyone, in the next PS3 firmware update (v2.53), coming soon, we’re improving the way the Flash Player works with the internet browser. In addition to being able to access more sites using Flash, you’ll be able to enjoy:
* Full-screen mode playability
* Live movie (using RTMP format) playability
Now it’s going to be even easier to enjoy web content on your PS3, in full-screen!”
Although that is the most notable update, gamesareevil says this is the full update list:
Users
* You now have an option to set the PS3 to turn off automatically after a background download or installation of content. This option is available when you turn off the system while content is being downloaded or installed.
Settings
* BD/DVD has been renamed to Video Settings
* Sequential Playback has been added as an option under Video Settings
[More]>>
Result for: improvements
Apple has announced the release of the 3.1 version of its Safari web browser and it is sporting several key improvements including Windows support.
The company has said the new version “loads Web pages 1.9 times faster than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 7 and 1.7 times faster than the open-source Firefox 2 browser.” Apple also claims that Safari now runs JavaScript almost 6 times faster than any other browser.
The benchmark stats come from using VeriTest’s iBench Version 5.0 on default settings. The company said the specs of the computer used was an iMac 2.4-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system with Windows XP and 1GB of memory.
Apple Senior Vice President Philip Schiller added that Safari 3.1 is “blazingly fast, easy to use” and has an “elegant user interface.” More importantly, the browser “supports audio, video and animation standards needed for the next generation of Web 2.0 experiences.”
Safari 3.1 is now available for free for Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.11, Leopard and Windows XP and Vista.
