The developers of the alternative Firefox Web Browser have released a new version with additional functions and features. Dubbed Firefox 1.5 Release Candidate 3, it is actually a test/preview of the award-winning Web browser, primarily made available to the Firefox testing community, Web site and Web application developers. It is also available for download for general use though.

Generally, the new features help pages load faster, give the user more control over the placement of browser "tabs" on-screen make Firefox compatible with more Web sites and operating systems and surf more securely.

Some of the new features and functions available in Firefox 1.5 Release Candidate 3 include:

• Automated update to streamline product upgrades. Notification of an update is more prominent, and updates to Firefox may now be half a megabyte or smaller. Updating extensions has also improved.
• Faster browser navigation with improvements to back and forward button performance.
• Drag and drop reordering for browser tabs.
• Improvements to popup blocking.
• Clear Private Data feature provides an easy way to quickly remove personal data through a menu item or keyboard shortcut.
• Answers.com is added to the search engine list.
• Improvements to product usability including descriptive error pages, redesigned options menu, RSS discovery, and "Safe Mode" experience.
• Better accessibility including support for DHTML accessibility and assistive technologies such as the Window-Eyes 5.5 beta screen reader for Microsoft Windows. Screen readers read aloud all available information in applications and documents or show the information on a Braille display, enabling blind and visually impaired users to use equivalent software functionality as their sighted peers.
• Report a broken Web site wizard to report Web sites that are not working in Firefox.
• Better support for Mac OS X (10.2 and greater) including profile migration from Safari and Mac Internet Explorer.
• New support for Web Standards including SVG, CSS 2 and CSS 3, and JavaScript 1.6.
• Many security enhancements.

Firefox is currently available for the following operating Systems:

• Windows - XP, 2000, NT, ME and 98
• Mac OS X
• Linux

For more information about the productivity and security advatages of using Firefox, see:

• Addressing Web Browser Security
• Firefox News & Developments