Mozilla Firefox 14 Released!

Search data is now encrypted, fullscreen mode for OSX, improved HTML5 performance, bug fixes.

Mozilla releases Firefox 14 and encrypts Google searches by default

“SOFTWARE DEVELOPER Mozilla has released Firefox 14 for desktop operating systems.
Mozilla’s Firefox web browser has received its six-week update with Firefox 14 automatically encrypting Google searches and supporting the Pointer Lock API. Mozilla has also included support for fullscreen mode in Mac OS X 10.7.

Mozilla said it encrypts Google search data by default, adding that users can now easily verify the identity of a web site by clicking on an icon to the left of the URL. According to Mozilla, the addition of search encryption is particularly handy for those using Firefox on wireless connections.

Firefox 14 support of Pointer Lock will improve mouse control for internet based applications and in particular games, Mozilla said. It cited its own HTML5 Browserquest game as an example of improved performance. With HTML5 expected to become the markup language of choice for web-based games developers, it seems a very good time for Firefox to support it.

Since Mozilla has put Firefox on its six-week rapid release schedule the organisation has come in for vocal criticism, with some people within Mozilla’s developer community questioning whether the move has resulted in users flocking to Chrome. Although Mozilla has produced an extended support release of Firefox, the problems Mozilla has had getting users to download and install the standard version suggest that only the most informed users will move to the long-term release.”