Minefield posts

Filed under: Windows, Mozilla, Beta, Browsers, Windows x64

Firefox 3.7, now with Windows 7 jumplist support

by Lee Mathews Oct 5th 2009

Now that Windows 7 is just weeks away from hitting retail shelves, more and more applications are beginning to take advantage of the new shell integration features.

A while back, Google added jumplist support to Google Chrome. Just days ago, a build offering the same functionality finally appeared on Mozilla's Tryserver.

Yes, Firefox fans, you now have the opportunity to test jumplist support in Firefox, as long as you're o.k. with running a Minefield build. As you can see in the image above, the feature is fairly basic right now. In addition to the default Windows 7 "pinned" area, Firefox maintains a list of frequently visited site and allows you to open a new tab or window. I'd like to see a list of recent sites and private browsing added to the list.

You'll find the installer for Windows here. After about 24 hours with the tweaked build, I don't find it to be any less stable than the Minefield nightly. Tried the build out yourself? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Tags: firefox-3.7, jumplist, minefield, windows-7-shell

Filed under: Internet, Security, Mozilla, Open Source, Beta, Browsers

Firefox's private browsing feature debuts in latest Minefield build

by Lee Mathews Nov 4th 2008

Back in September, the Mozilla wiki provided clues that private browsing was indeed back on the radar for version 3.1 of Firefox. With the release of beta 2 looming, anxious testers can preview the feature by downloading the latest nightly build.

To enable the feature, click the tools menu and then click private browsing to enable it. You'll be asked to confirm your selection and restart the browser. Eschewing any blatant notification that you've activated the feature, Minefield will simply add (Private Browsing) to the application 's title bar.

You'll also see a notice that private browsing is enabled and what exactly that means: browsing, search, form, and download history will not be saved, nor will cookies or temporary files. Any new downloaded files or bookmarks will be retained.

Eshan Akhgari has more information available about private browsing, and thankfully he's put forth a possible application that doesn't directly involve NSFW surfing: "an example scenario would be looking for a new employer while at work."

Interested in trying it out? Grab the latest release from Mozilla's ftp.

Tags: firefox, minefield, mozilla, privacy, private browsing, PrivateBrowsing

Filed under: Internet, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Mozilla, Freeware, Open Source, Browser Tips, Beta, Browsers

Experimental Minefield browser from Mozilla is crazy fast

by Jason Clarke Oct 25th 2008

I'm in love. With a browser.

Nope, it's not Firefox, and not Safari, though I've had flings with both in the past. Not Camino, not even Chrome.

My new thing is with Minefield, from Mozilla. Okay, so Minefield is essentially an early build of the next version of Firefox. But the latest version has a drastically improved Javascript engine under the hood. Is it fast? Let me tell you - it's crazy fast. In fact, Ars Technica is reporting that Minefield is 10% faster than Google Chrome.

Faster than Chrome, available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and oh - it supports your Firefox add-ins, as long as you're willing to force compatibility using Nightly Tester Tools. Minefield is an alpha release, so it's likely to still be buggy. So far I've been lucky though; all of the add-ins that I've activated have worked fine right out of the gate.

Let me guess, you're in love now too, eh? Well, there's more than enough Minefield to go around. Go get some. Minefield, that is.

[via Ubuntu Unleashed]

Tags: Camino, Chrome, Firefox, javascript, Minefield, Mozilla

Filed under: Internet, Mozilla, Freeware, Beta, Browsers

Firefox 3.1b2 is here - faster javascript, still no private browsing

by Lee Mathews Oct 14th 2008

If you're anxiously waiting for the arrival of Firefox 3.1, you may want to sit tight. While the 3.1b2 is now available in the nightly builds, you probably don't need to make the jump just yet - unless you're looking for speedier javascript processing.

The changes that are included are a good start, and bode well for the final release of 3.1. The improved ctrl+tab switching looks and functions well, and the new TraceMonkey javascript engine provides a nice performance boost. You'll have to activate it yourself by opening about:config and setting the javascript.options.jit.content boolean to true.

A quick comparison on acid3.acidtests.org revealed a score of 90 in 3.1b2 versus a 71 in 3.0.3 - a gain of about about 27%. Not too shabby!

Also included in the build is the geolocation function Mozilla introduced with the previously reviewed Geode addon, which simplifies the delivery of location-specific web content.

Notably absent from the build are the highly anticipated private browsing feature (can we please stop calling it "porn mode"?) and smart session restore. If you're waiting for them, you'll have to be patient a bit longer. On a good note, none of my addons failed to work after installing the upgrade.

Betaphiles, stay tuned to the nightly builds on Mozilla's FTP server for the latest releases.

Tags: beta, firefox, firefox 3.1, Firefox3.1, minefield

Filed under: Microsoft, Mozilla

Codename watch: Windows "Fiji" and Firefox "Minefield"

by Jordan Running Apr 13th 2006

The releases of Windows Vista ("Longhorn") and Firefox 2.0 ("Bon Echo") are slowly creeping up on us, but Microsoft and Mozilla always have their eyes on the next move. Both software makers have chosen codenames for the next-next versions of their flagship products. Microsoft's next version of Windows has been given the codename "Fiji," and Firefox 3.0 will be called "Minefield" (with a cute little logo to match). Why Fiji and Minefield? Who knows. Fiji is short, snappy, and tropical. Minefield, on the other hand, is exciting and aggressive but also kind of worrisome If anything's certain, though, it's that these nicknames will only stick around until the products' final releases, at which point it won't really matter.

Tags: codename, fiji, firefox, microsoft, minefield, mozilla, windows

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