Firefox 3.5 Available Now

If your appetite was sufficiently whetted by last week's video peek at Firefox 3.5, get ready to feast: Firefox 3.5 is now available for download.

In case you missed the video, here's a quick overview of what's new in this fairly major update:

Available in more than 70 languages. (Get your local version!)
Support for HTML5 elements including native support for Ogg Theora encoded video and Vorbis encoded audio. (Try it here!)
Improved tools for controlling your private data, including a Private Browsing Mode.
Better Web application performance using the new TraceMonkey JavaScript engine.
The ability to share your location with websites using Location Aware Browsing. (Try it here!)
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, <canvas> text, ICC profiles, and SVG transforms.

Okay, so there's a fair amount of Greek in there. The main takeaway is speed: Firefox 3.5 promises to run significantly faster than 3.0.

Personally, I've never found Firefox to be slow, so I'm not sure this update will bring any noticeable performance improvements. Once you've had a chance to install and run the browser, hit the comments and let us know if it seems snappier.

Rick Broida

Rick Broida, a technology writer for more than 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he contributes to CNET's iPhone Atlas.

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