The Mozilla Blog

We’re very excited to announce the official release of Firefox 3.5! You can download Firefox 3.5 at firefox.com and enjoy the new features and faster performance. If you’re using the latest version of Firefox 3.0, you can get Firefox 3.5 by clicking on the Help menu and then selecting Check for Updates.

The Firefox 3.5 press release is available here.  We also compiled a guide to frequently asked questions. You can also check out this video for a guided tour of what’s new in Firefox 3.5.

Mike Beltzner, Director of Firefox has a comprehensive post here.  The post includes a list of some of the coolest Firefox 3.5 features, excerpted below.

• Firefox 3.5 is available in more than 70 languages – get your local version.
• We have included tools for controlling your private data, including a Private Browsing Mode, and the ability to go back in time and Clear Recent History.
• Firefox 3.5 has support for the HTML5 <video> and <audio> elements including native support for Ogg Theora encoded video and Vorbis encoded audio.
• The browser features faster performance on complex websites thanks to the new TraceMonkey JavaScript engine.
• Users can enjoy Location Aware Browsing using web standards for geolocation.
• Web developers can make use of native JSON parsing, and web worker threads.
• This release includes improvements to the Gecko layout engine, including speculative parsing for faster content rendering.
• Firefox 3.5 supports new web technologies such as: downloadable fonts, CSS media queries, new transformations and properties, JavaScript query selectors, HTML5 local storage and offline application storage, <canvas> text, ICC profiles, and SVG transforms.

Wow! was the only word that can really sum up the Open Video Conference last weekend in New York City. It was an amazing confluence of people from the worlds of online video, art, free culture, open content and web technology. This is not a group that comes together often, but it turns out sparks fly when they do (in a good way).

Photo: Kid Kameleon, CC BY SA NC

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Of course, the big take away is that open video is both important and fun. Dean, Elizabeth, Ben and all the volunteers did an AMAZING job organizing an event that showed this. They invited the right mix of people, programmed the right content and threw the right parties. The organizations that backed the event also showed tremendous leadership and prescience — Participatory Culture Foundation, Kaltura, the Yale Information and Society Project and iCommons. All of these people and orgs deserve a huge thank you (I hear clapping!).

Next steps: start doing the small and easy things (open video awareness and documentation), and figure out a way to pick up some of the hard stuff along the way (better codecs, easy tools, deeper connections to the people who make video). The good news is there are alot of people and orgs that want to make it happen, and they are gathering around this idea of an Open Video Alliance (the umbrella for the conference). Good things ahead.

PS. A full video archive of the conference sessions is coming soon. In the meantime, you can see one of the demos that Blizzard and Paul Rouget gave here and Blizzard and my slides here.

Read Mark’s full wrap-up of the Open Video Conference.

Is your non-profit or community organization in need of technology help? Do you need help with your website, setting up WiFi at your office, or learning how to use Twitter? If so, Mozilla would love to hear from you!

This September, the Mozilla community is helping fellow public benefit organizations. During Mozilla Service Week (Sept 14-21), people all over the world will conduct public acts of technology-related service. Our community is looking for volunteer opportunities. By utilizing our community’s talents for writing, designing, programming, developing, and all-around technical know-how, we believe we can make the Web — and the world — a better place for everyone. Here are just a few ideas of how we can help:

• Help build or upgrade a website.
• Teach you how social networks and Twitter can help you find new members and supporters.
• Set up a wireless network at your office or meeting place.
• Translate your offering into another language.
• Show you how to use VoIP (Internet telephony) to help reduce your costs.

There are countless ways technology could help improve the great work you do, and the Mozilla community wants to help make that difference.

How can your non-profit or community group get help?

We are working with the volunteer organization Idealist, so if you already have a need in mind, you can register your organization at Idealist and describe the technical help you are looking for. Mozilla’s volunteers are searching Idealist and will locate your organization.

You can also find out more on how to list your needs and find volunteers on the Mozilla Service Week website. Furthermore, if you need additional guidance you can contact us.

Mozilla Service Week Volunteers

You can already start helping by contacting and checking in with organizations. Please talk them through what they need to do, and even help them post.

The Mozilla community has a history of changing the the Web in all kinds of amazing ways.

Join us for Mozilla Service Week, as we help you change the world.

Wondering how you can get a head start on Mozilla Service Week (Sept. 7 - 21, 2009)? You can roll up your sleeves and help an organization in need of technology-related service now or help get the word out! This summer it will be critical to not only expose Mozilla Service Week to would-be volunteers worldwide, but help identify and approach non-profits or local organizations that can use our help.

That’s where you come in — the Mozilla community has always been adept at spreading the word! Help drive thousands of privileges to serve and hundreds of opportunities by taking a few moments to promote Mozilla Service Week. Here’s how:

• Download site badges, banners, and buttons to add to your blog, your social network profile, or your email signature.
• Download a Mozilla Service Week flyer. Print it out and hand it out at a local event or post at work, at school, or at your community center.
• Start planning your service activity and challenge your friends to join you using PledgeBank.
• Get the word out by posting news, video or pictures on your blog, twitter, or social network site. Tag your posts with “mozservice09″ so they’re easy to find.
• Share your story of what you’re planning to do for Mozilla Service Week here or on your favorite social networking site.
• Flaunt your support for Mozilla Service Week with a customized Persona, a skin for Firefox.

Everyone should have the opportunity to know how to use the Internet, have easy access to it, and have a good experience when they’re online. So if you have a talent for writing, designing, programming, developing, all-around technical know-how or a knack for spreading the word, join the Mozilla Service Week effort today.

Yesterday, Mozilla Japan shared the Discover Shiretoko campaign with the world!

Discover Shiretoko was born as a collaborative project between Japan’s Shiretoko Foundation and Mozilla Japan. Shiretoko is a national park in Northern Japan - it is also the codename for the latest version of Firefox. The campaign is designed to help more people learn about Shiretoko national park and the newest version of Firefox.

You can read a full post about Discover Shiretoko on Foxkeh’s blog.

Firefox 3.5 is the fastest Firefox ever – check out this video of Director of Firefox, Mike Beltzner running through the new features. Please note, you can view the video without plug-ins using Firefox 3.5 and get a first-hand look at native audio/video support in the browser. You can download the Firefox 3.5 Release Candidate here.

In other Mozilla video news, later today we’ll be releasing the latest in our series of Fastest Firefox videos. Check out the already-posted World’s Fastest clapper and World’s Fastest sport stacker videos.

Editor’s note: Mozilla announced the Firefox 3.5 release candidate on Friday, June 19, 2009 at 4:19 pm PT. Check out the Mozilla Developer News announcement, reposted below, for more details.

Please note: the Firefox 3.5 Release Candidate is a public preview release intended for developer testing and community feedback. It includes many new features as well as improvements to performance, web compatibility, and speed. We recommend that you read the release notes and known issues before installing this beta.

The Firefox 3.5 Release Candidate is now available for download. This milestone is focused on testing the core functionality provided by many new features and changes to the platform scheduled for Firefox 3.5. Ongoing planning for Firefox 3.5 can be followed at the Firefox 3.5 Planning Center, as well as in mozilla.dev.planning and on irc.mozilla.org in #shiretoko.

New features and changes in this milestone that require feedback include:

* This beta is now available in more than 70 languages – get your local version.

* Improved tools for controlling your private data, including a Private Browsing Mode.

* Support for the HTML5 and elements including native support for Ogg Theora encoded video and Vorbis encoded audio.

* Better performance and stability with the new TraceMonkey JavaScript engine.

* The ability to provide Location Aware Browsing using web standards for geolocation.

* Support for native JSON, and web worker threads.

* Improvements to the Gecko layout engine, including speculative parsing for faster content rendering.

* Support for new web technologies such as: downloadable fonts, CSS media queries, new transformations and properties, JavaScript query selectors, HTML5 local storage and offline application storage, text, ICC profiles, and SVG transforms.

Testers can download Firefox 3.5 Release Candidate builds for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux in over 70 different languages. Developers should also read the Firefox 3.5 for Developers article on the Mozilla Developer Center.

Note: Please do not link directly to the download site. Instead we strongly encourage you to link to this Firefox 3.5 Release Candidate milestone announcement so that everyone will know what this milestone is, what they should expect, and who should be downloading to participate in testing at this stage of development.

Editor’s note: Mozilla released an update to an early release candidate for Firefox 3.5 beta users on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 12:11 am PT. Check out the Mozilla Developer News announcement, reposted below, for more details.

Please note: beta and release candidate versions of Firefox 3.5 are intended for developer testing and community feedback. If this makes you nervous, we recommend that you wait for the official Firefox 3.5 release, which is coming soon and will be available at www.getfirefox.com

Our 800,000+ Firefox 3.5 beta users will be receiving an update to the first Firefox 3.5 release candidate (3.5rc1build2) in order to continue to help us with daily testing and public feedback. This update contains bug fixes which will be included in the final release of Firefox 3.5, expected later this month. While Mozilla has not yet completed the quality assurance testing required before an official product release, this update is considered stable for daily browsing use and we appreciate your assistance in helping us test and evaluate this version of the release candidate.

If you’re running a beta version of Firefox 3.5, you should be receiving the update automatically within the next 24 hours. To get the update immediately, select “Check for Updates…” in the “Help” menu.

This version is not yet being made available for direct download. If you’re not yet a Firefox 3.5 Beta tester, we recommend that you wait for the upcoming Firefox 3.5 Release Candidate, which should be released on our website within the next week. If you’d like to become a beta tester for Firefox 3.5 and subsequent releases, please feel free to install the latest available beta and then manually “Check for Updates…” in the “Help” menu.

(Developers should also read the Firefox 3.5 for Developers article on the Mozilla Developer Center.)

Note: We strongly encourage bloggers and media to link to this Firefox 3.5 Beta User update announcement so that everyone will know what this update is, what they should expect, and who should be downloading to participate in testing at this stage of development.

Today Mozilla launches the very first Mozilla Service Week. During the week of September 14-21, 2009, we’re asking people to step up and make a difference by using the Web to better their community. Mozilla is a global community with a firm mission to make the Web better for everybody. When members of our community decide to take action, they have the power to make a serious difference.

We’re looking for people who want to share, give, engage, create, and collaborate by offering their time and talent to local public benefit organizations, non-profits and people who need their help. Our goal is to help empower people to:

• Teach senior citizens how to use the Web.
• Show a non-profit how to use social networking to grow its base of supporters.
• Install a wireless network at a school.
• Create Web how-to materials for a library’s computer cluster.
• Refurbish hardware for a local computer center.
• Help a non-profit update its website or database.

Everyone should have the opportunity to know how to use the Internet, have easy access to it, and have a good experience when they’re online. So if you have a talent for writing, designing, programming, developing, or all-around technical know-how, join Mozilla Service Week. In Mark Surman’s words (executive director of the Mozilla Foundation), “We’re inviting people to get involved with Mozilla in an active way, even if they can’t code, test or localize. It let’s anyone and everyone feel like they are contributing to the cause of building a better internet.” Together we can make the Web a better place for everyone!

Over the coming weeks you can look forward to Mozilla Service Week being available in many languages and with additional partners thanks to the Mozilla community’s help.

To learn more on how to make a difference by either volunteering or listing your organization’s needs, go to mozillaservice.org. Your Internet skills, no matter how novice or advanced, can change people’s lives and make the Web better for everyone.

Follow us on twitter for updates and news!

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Today the Mozilla add-ons team introduced Add-on Collections. Collections enables anyone to create their own collection of add-ons that can be shared with their friends, posted on blogs, and featured on the Firefox Add-ons website.

Justin Scott, Mozilla’s add-on ninja, explains Collections in further detail on the Mozilla Add-ons blog, excerpted below:

Starting today, visitors to the add-ons website will see a brand new look with collections of add-ons front and center. We’ve integrated collections throughout the site, and created a Collection Directory that showcases all of the add-on lists created by our users. There are a number of Mozilla-created collections that are featured throughout the site, but we hope to replace these with useful community-created collections in the near future. If you find a collection you like, logged-in users can mark it as a favorite to easily get back to it later.

Besides creating your own collection, you can also subscribe to other collections and be notified when new add-ons are published to them.

You can subscribe to a collection via RSS, or you can install the Add-on Collector extension for Firefox. The Collector turns your favorite collections into subscriptions in your browser, where you’ll be notified as soon as new add-ons are published to one of your collections. The extension has a number of other features, including the ability to share an add-on you have installed with a friend by e-mail, publish an add-on to one of your collections, and set up a collection that is automatically kept up to date with your installed add-ons.

To get started, check out the Collection Directory to experience collections and fashion Firefox the way you want it.

Additionally, the team has also launched an entire redesign of the Add-ons site, which aims to do a better job of explaining add-ons and helping both new and experienced users find fun and useful add-ons through exploration. Nick Nguyen, Mozilla’s director of add-ons, goes into more detail on the Add-ons blog, excerpted below:

You’ll see we’ve integrated a new promo module that will allow us to feature collections of related add-ons in the top area as well as feature a simple tour that will communicate the value of an add-on to users who have never tried an add-on before.

Visit Mozilla Add-ons to experience both of these exciting changes!