Firefox 22.0: Find out what is new

[anuseems]

Mozilla is currently preparing to upgrade all versions of the Firefox web browser starting with the stable version of it today. Firefox 21 will be upgraded to version 22 on Tuesday, while Beta, Aurora and Nightly users of the browser will have to wait a day or so longer before their version of the browser is updated as well.

Mozilla is currently preparing to distribute the newest version of Firefox to its ftp server and from there to its mirror distribution system. Once that is out of the way, the official release announcement will be made on the website.

Firefox users can use the automatic update feature of the browser to upgrade to Firefox 22, or download the latest version of the browser from the Mozilla website instead and install it from there.

Firefox 22 Whats New

The official release notes have not been made available yet which is why I rely on the beta change log as the main source of information. You find all sources that I have used at the bottom of the article.

Mozilla may pull features from the final version of the browser. If that is the case, I'll update the article with the additional information as soon as the official change log goes live.

Note that the much awaited new third-party cookie policy will not be available in Firefox 22 as outlined here @ http://www.ghacks.net/2013/06/20/mozillas-to-implement-cookie-clearinghouse-privacy-information-in-firefox/.

Operating system specific

Firefox on Windows is now following display scaling options which may render text larger on high resolution displays. Some users may notice that web pages and the browser UI appear magnified in Firefox 22.

The layout.css.devPixelsPerPx preference handles this and lets you fine tune the size of all fonts and other elements in the browser. To reduce the font size, use values between 0.05 and 1.0, to increase the size of fonts, use values greater than 1.0.

The default value of the preference is -1.0.

To modify it do the following:

Type about:config into the browser's address bar and tap on the enter key.

Confirm that you will be careful if the warning appears.

Filter for layout.css.devPixelsPerPx.

Double-click the entry and change its value.

Note that changes take effect immediately. You can right-click the preference and select Reset to set it to its default value again.

Mac users who work with Firefox will now see the progress of downloads in the Dock icon.

WebRTC is now enabled by default

Web Real-Time Communication support has been integrated partially in previous versions of the Firefox web browser. The first component that was integrated into Firefox was getUserMedia, a component that allowed the capturing of camera and microphone streams.

Now, PeerConnection and DataChannels are turned on by default as well paving the way for real-time audio and video calls as well as the sharing of data and reduced latency in real-time communications and applications.

HTML5 Audio and Video Playback Speed modifications

Firefox 22 users can modify the playback speed of HTML5 audio or video contents. This only works if the native player is used, and not if the website is using its own media player.

This means that it won't work on YouTube even if you signed up for the HTML5 beta as Google is using its own player. YouTube on the other hand makes this option available as well in its player.

Performance improvements

Performance is always a hot topic. Firefox 22 should give users of the browser a nice performance boost thanks to the integration of asm.js in that version of the browser.

You can expect that - some - JavaScript code will execute a lot faster once you have upgraded to or installed Firefox 22. Additional information about asm.js are available here. Note that they are mostly useful for developers.

That's however not the only performance improvement in Firefox 22. The WebGL rendering performance has been improved thanks to asynchronous canvas updates. So, instead of having to wait for sync transactions, this is now handled asynchronously speeding up the process. Check out this bug report if you are interested in finding out more.

Social Services

Management of social services implemented in the browser's add-ons manager. Firefox notifies you about the possibility when you first install a new service in the browser.

You can open the add-ons manager and select Services here to disable or remove any service that you have installed in the browser.

Other changes

Improved memory usage when rendering images. This should help on systems with low amounts of RAM if pages with large images are viewed regularly.

Firefox is now using word wrap for plain text files.

Developer changes

The CSS3 Flexible Box has been enabled by default (introduced in Firefox 18)

The initial value for min-width and min-height is 0.

Node.getUserData, Note.setUserData, Node.isSupported and Note.attributes have been removed (DOM).

HTMLMediaElement.crossorigin and HTMLInputElement.inputmode have been renamed to HTMLMediaElement.crossOrigin and HTMLInputElement.inputMode.

XHR multipart response support has been removed.

HTML elements with tag names no longer use the HTMLSpanElement.

LSProgressEvent, ProgressEvent.initProgressEvent and SVGEvent have been removed.

Unknown SVG Elements will be SVGElement and not SVGUnknownElement.

NoteIterator.detach does nothing.

ParallelArray is now disabled in Beta, Release and ESR channels but not in Aurora and Nightly channels.

HTML5 data element has been added to the browser.

The range state of the input element has been implemented.

ASM.js optimizations are enabled.

ES6 Arrow Function syntax has been implemented.

The new Object.is function has been added.

Pointer Lock API can now be used outside of full screen.

New Web Notifications API implemented.

Firefox Developer Tools

Font Inspector now shows which fonts on your computer are applied to the page.

Dev tools can now be docked to the right side and not just the bottom of the screen.

Visual paint feedback mode shows when and where a page is repainted.

Security updates

The | Components | object is no longer accessible from web content.

@ http://www.ghacks.net/2013/06/24/firefox-22-0-find-out-what-is-new/

[dcs18]

RoboForm does not work - that's what's new. :D

[Alhaitham]

read it before

Thanks

[demoneye]

is it faster than chrome now? ;)

[DKT27]

is it faster than chrome now? ;)

Will it ever be? :)

[stylemessiah]

is it faster than chrome now? ;)

Will it ever be? :)

Really?

Even if Chrome is somehow faster (if youre one of those people who put synthetic benchmarks ahead of real world usage), at least Firefox wont hoover all your info up like Chrome does :)

Chrome must be the NSA's best friend

[marshall39]

is it faster than chrome now? ;)

Will it ever be? :)

Really?

Even if Chrome is somehow faster (if youre one of those people who put synthetic benchmarks ahead of real world usage), at least Firefox wont hoover all your info up like Chrome does :)

Chrome must be the NSA's best friend

Don't worry for NSA , Chrome , IE , Firefox , your phone , SMS , email....they can watch whatever they want.

But ,frankly do they really care about you or me ?

I mean , I don't agree to live in a world like in "V for Vendetta" but , I'm pretty sure they are able to catch some really bad guys sometimes because of Internet.

[galaxyquestor]

"I'm pretty sure they are able to catch some really bad guys sometimes because of Internet."

- Sorry, but my only response to that is "ridiculous." They don't need to use and monitor every single communication from every person using the internet to 'catch bad guys.' "REALLY Bad guys" are not, generally speaking, stupid enough to use un-encrypted internet communication to carry out their plans. If the NSA (who is, by charter and law, NEVER supposed to spy on ANY domestic communication. Period.)cannot interface with the FBI (whose job it actually is to do domestic investigations), and the CIA, and the O.N.I. and Homeland Security, and all of the other 'alphabet soup' of 'intelligence gathering', then we don't need incompetence like that anyway. And if they are doing it on purpose, breaking the law, then we don't need them either.

It sickens me to hear people say "they're not interested in me - I'm not a bad guy," when every word you have ever posted is stored away for future use against you, and you ARE assumed to be a bad guy, or they wouldn't do it! These are precisely the words that kill a democracy, and a 4th Amendment - it dies not with a bang, but a whimper of "but I'm innocent." We are -not - supposed - to be- spied - on - ever. I would suffer a personal attack and death by a 'terrorist,' suffer the death of everyone I loved in a 'terrorist' attack, and STILL hold to freedom from beyond the grave. Millions of people have died over the last few hundred years to keep our freedom OF - AND FROM - government, safe. If the cost of a little (false) safety means giving up my fundamental rights voluntarily, then they will have died a wasted death, and this Constitutionally based Democratic Republic deserves to die - and all of our freedoms with it. People had better wake up and decide what they want, before they can't any more. You can't have the 'guarantee' of safety (it doesn't exist anyway, never did, and never will), AND keep your freedoms. Being a free citizen in a free country comes with risk - and a responsibility to protect the constitution, not the government. I can't believe we have become so weak, self-centered, and stupid so quickly. I NEVER use Chrome. It IS a conduit to the NSA. We must do what we can, and keep trying. Tor is excellent. There are many alternatives. Even IE - if configured properly - is more secure than Chrome.

[Ambrocious]

"I'm pretty sure they are able to catch some really bad guys sometimes because of Internet."

- Sorry, but my only response to that is "ridiculous." They don't need to use and monitor every single communication from every person using the internet to 'catch bad guys.' "REALLY Bad guys" are not, generally speaking, stupid enough to use un-encrypted internet communication to carry out their plans. If the NSA (who is, by charter and law, NEVER supposed to spy on ANY domestic communication. Period.)cannot interface with the FBI (whose job it actually is to do domestic investigations), and the CIA, and the O.N.I. and Homeland Security, and all of the other 'alphabet soup' of 'intelligence gathering', then we don't need incompetence like that anyway. And if they are doing it on purpose, breaking the law, then we don't need them either.

It sickens me to hear people say "they're not interested in me - I'm not a bad guy," when every word you have ever posted is stored away for future use against you, and you ARE assumed to be a bad guy, or they wouldn't do it! These are precisely the words that kill a democracy, and a 4th Amendment - it dies not with a bang, but a whimper of "but I'm innocent." We are -not - supposed - to be- spied - on - ever. I would suffer a personal attack and death by a 'terrorist,' suffer the death of everyone I loved in a 'terrorist' attack, and STILL hold to freedom from beyond the grave. Millions of people have died over the last few hundred years to keep our freedom OF - AND FROM - government, safe. If the cost of a little (false) safety means giving up my fundamental rights voluntarily, then they will have died a wasted death, and this Constitutionally based Democratic Republic deserves to die - and all of our freedoms with it. People had better wake up and decide what they want, before they can't any more. You can't have the 'guarantee' of safety (it doesn't exist anyway, never did, and never will), AND keep your freedoms. Being a free citizen in a free country comes with risk - and a responsibility to protect the constitution, not the government. I can't believe we have become so weak, self-centered, and stupid so quickly. I NEVER use Chrome. It IS a conduit to the NSA. We must do what we can, and keep trying. Tor is excellent. There are many alternatives. Even IE - if configured properly - is more secure than Chrome.

Couldn't have said it better myself. In case your not sure of the actual plans, no matter how unreal they sound, this documentary which was made in 2008 will explain what the long term plans are.

And lets not forget The Obama Deception:

[Whoopenstein]

"I'm pretty sure they are able to catch some really bad guys sometimes because of Internet."

- Sorry, but my only response to that is "ridiculous." They don't need to use and monitor every single communication from every person using the internet to 'catch bad guys.' "REALLY Bad guys" are not, generally speaking, stupid enough to use un-encrypted internet communication to carry out their plans. If the NSA (who is, by charter and law, NEVER supposed to spy on ANY domestic communication. Period.)cannot interface with the FBI (whose job it actually is to do domestic investigations), and the CIA, and the O.N.I. and Homeland Security, and all of the other 'alphabet soup' of 'intelligence gathering', then we don't need incompetence like that anyway. And if they are doing it on purpose, breaking the law, then we don't need them either.

It sickens me to hear people say "they're not interested in me - I'm not a bad guy," when every word you have ever posted is stored away for future use against you, and you ARE assumed to be a bad guy, or they wouldn't do it! These are precisely the words that kill a democracy, and a 4th Amendment - it dies not with a bang, but a whimper of "but I'm innocent." We are -not - supposed - to be- spied - on - ever. I would suffer a personal attack and death by a 'terrorist,' suffer the death of everyone I loved in a 'terrorist' attack, and STILL hold to freedom from beyond the grave. Millions of people have died over the last few hundred years to keep our freedom OF - AND FROM - government, safe. If the cost of a little (false) safety means giving up my fundamental rights voluntarily, then they will have died a wasted death, and this Constitutionally based Democratic Republic deserves to die - and all of our freedoms with it. People had better wake up and decide what they want, before they can't any more. You can't have the 'guarantee' of safety (it doesn't exist anyway, never did, and never will), AND keep your freedoms. Being a free citizen in a free country comes with risk - and a responsibility to protect the constitution, not the government. I can't believe we have become so weak, self-centered, and stupid so quickly. I NEVER use Chrome. It IS a conduit to the NSA. We must do what we can, and keep trying. Tor is excellent. There are many alternatives. Even IE - if configured properly - is more secure than Chrome.

Thank you. I was starting to wonder if anyone else had any common sense left.

[DKT27]

is it faster than chrome now? ;)

Will it ever be? :)

Really?

Even if Chrome is somehow faster (if youre one of those people who put synthetic benchmarks ahead of real world usage), at least Firefox wont hoover all your info up like Chrome does :)

Chrome must be the NSA's best friend

Let me mention here that I'm an Firefox fanboy (and I openly admit it :P ). But, as far as speed is concerned, I cannot lie, Chrome is faster, that's it. I'm not saying that Chrome is a better browser, I'm not saying that it's more secure, I'm not saying that it's number one in privacy, I'm not saying that it's best in features. What I am saying is, it's faster than Firefox and after being following Firefox for years now, I don't think Firefox can ever be faster than Chrome.

Infact, I'm one of the biggest critic of Chrome.

As for it's privacy, I know we had a long argument about Google's intentions after Chrome, and I'll admit, I was wrong. :)

Chrome is a bad spyware of Google (though still don't think Chromium is any problematic). And now that you have mentioned it, I am considering to uninstall the main Chrome.

[dcs18]

On a bare-bone installation, every other browser is faster than Firefox - including Internet Explorer. It is however, when armed with add-ons which exclusively belong on Firefox that it runs the swiftest - much faster than Chrome.

When will people learn the basics - how to configure Firefox??? :huh:

[demoneye]

I totally agree with Dkt27 , u can say what ever u want bad about google chrome , BUT when it come to speed it winz !!! :P

and yes i some how hate chrome exactly coz the things Dkt27 said. ! :angry:

peace :wub:

[demoneye]

On a bare-bone installation, every other browser is faster than Firefox - including Internet Explorer. It is however, when armed with add-ons which exclusively belong on Firefox that it runs the swiftest - much faster than Chrome.

When will people learn the basics - how to configure Firefox??? :huh:

u can stand on your head , trying to jump , and it wont helps :) , chrome is faster my friend ^_^

[dcs18]

On a bare-bone installation, every other browser is faster than Firefox - including Internet Explorer. It is however, when armed with add-ons which exclusively belong on Firefox that it runs the swiftest - much faster than Chrome.

When will people learn the basics - how to configure Firefox??? :huh:

u can stand on your head , trying to jump , and it wont helps :) , chrome is faster my friend ^_^

Not here, on any of my systems bro. - a well configured Chrome is not able to keep up with my configured Firefox. :nono:

[demoneye]

On a bare-bone installation, every other browser is faster than Firefox - including Internet Explorer. It is however, when armed with add-ons which exclusively belong on Firefox that it runs the swiftest - much faster than Chrome.

When will people learn the basics - how to configure Firefox??? :huh:

u can stand on your head , trying to jump , and it wont helps :) , chrome is faster my friend ^_^

Not here, on any of my systems bro. - a well configured Chrome is not able to keep up with my configured Firefox. :nono:

its sound more like a heart wish ;)

[stylemessiah]

Chrome is the only browser ive seen crash with frequency, particularly when the flash component dies, which it seems to do often

Trust me ive tried it, ive seen many people try it and return to IE/FF

For me, my FF with about 12 addons uses less resources and is pretty darn quick, quicker than last time i used Chrome here in the same system, again im quantifying thsi by real world usage, some "benchmarks"

[DKT27]

Chrome is the only browser ive seen crash with frequency, particularly when the flash component dies, which it seems to do often

Trust me ive tried it, ive seen many people try it and return to IE/FF

For me, my FF with about 12 addons uses less resources and is pretty darn quick, quicker than last time i used Chrome here in the same system, again im quantifying thsi by real world usage, some "benchmarks"

I've not used Chrome on all the flash sites so can't say exactly.

I've given Chrome a try two times, both times, for about a month each. And I had been nothing but fed up of it when I tried it. So came back to Firefox. So agreed.

But, as far as speed is concerned Chrome beats my ultra-optimized Firefox very very easily. Yes, it's resource usage is higher, right now it even starts slower than Firefox, sure. But as far as page opening is concerned Chrome is waaay to quick to load things. And yes, I'm talking about real world usage here, I haven't done any benchmarks from almost a year now.

Having said all I that, I feel sooner or later Chrome will hit a sweet spot in speed, when it does, I doubt it can go any faster, meaning, Firefox will get a lot of time to catch up as far as speed is concerned.

I would also mention that Firefox's javascript engine is still the fastest in the world, however, other things seem to slow it down.