FireFox 1.5 released

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One year after the first official release, the Mozilla Foundation has released version 1.5 of its stand-alone open-source web browser Firefox.

Version 1.5 is considered as an intermediate release on the way to the "next big step" version 2.0. Major enhancements of version 1.5 include a new update functionality which allows to update the browser from now on without having to reinstall the application completely.

Further changes include a higher data security, CSS, and HTML interpretation closer to the standards set by W3C and a faster rendering engine.

User Experience

New "drag and drop" feature for tabbed browsing helps to better organize page viewing.
Improved pop-up blocker screens users from more unwanted pop-up ads.
New reference search engine Answers.com is now included in the integrated Search box.
Improved Live Bookmarks feature enables easier discovery of and subscription to RSS feeds.
Improved Options interface makes it easier to adjust browser settings.

Security and Privacy

New Automatic Update system alerts users and prompts them to act when security and functionality updates become available, allowing users to have the most up-to-date browser at any time. With Automatic Updates, Firefox 1.5 is ready for even the newest Web surfer or computer user, because it essentially makes Firefox an "install once and forget it" application. Firefox takes care of security updates for you.
New Clear Private Data tool simplifies maintaining privacy. Users can clear all private information, such as history and form entries, via one easily accessible settings window.

Performance and Accessibility

Improved performance with a next-generation rendering and layout engine that speeds navigation between previously viewed Web pages through intelligent caching and displays complex Web pages more accurately.
New capabilities contributed by IBM that make it easier for the aged or mobility and sight-impaired to navigate the Web. The browser can now be used with technology that reads Web content aloud; allow users to navigate with keystrokes rather than mouseclicks; and reduce the tabbing required to navigate documents such as spreadsheets.

Extensibility/Customization

The browser remains easy to use, in part by not loading it down with a "jack of all trades, master of none" approach to features and functionality. Instead, Firefox integrates the most used technologies into the browser itself, while allowing users to add specific functionality through third-party extensions to the browser.
Developers have already created more than 700 extensions for Firefox, with many more expected in the weeks following today's release.

Firefox 1.5 has been released for Windows, Linux and MacOS X yesterday and is available is most languages already.

Download Mozilla FireFox

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