Following hot on the heels of the release of Google’s Chrome 15, Mozilla has announced the release of an update to Firefox (Firefox 8) for Windows, Mac, Linux and Firefox for Android.

The company stated that this latest update includes new features that make web browsing easier for users and give developers more control over how they customise their web experience.

Firefox for Mac, Windows and Linux

Twitter is now included as a search option in Firefox for Windows, Mac and Linux. Twitter search in Firefox makes it simpler to find new topics, #hashtags and @usernames. Twitter search is currently available in English, Portuguese, Slovenian and Japanese versions of Firefox, with more languages to come in future versions.

Firefox will now enable users to load tabs on demand, making it quicker to restore windows with many tabs. Users will be able to enable this option in the Firefox Menu, under Options/Preferences, in the General tab.

Sometimes when a user surfs the net, they download third-party software that they want to try out later and are surprised to see that an add-on has also installed itself in their browser without first asking for permission. Mozilla has disabled these type of add-ons installed by third parties and enables users to choose the ones that they want to keep.

Developers will find that Firefox now sports support for Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS), which allows them to add WebGL textures from other domains in a secure way. WebGL is a web standard that enables websites as well as web-based apps to display hardware-accelerated 3D graphics without third-party software.

Users who already have Firefox installed on the computers can click on About Firefox under Help to update their browser, whilst new users can download it from Mozilla’s website.

Firefox for Android

Firefox for Android has new features that put users in control of their mobile web experience. Users can now protect all their saved usernames and passwords via Firefox Master Password, which will assist them in keeping their private info safe even in the event that they  lose their Android-powered tablet or smartphone.

Mozilla’s Firefox browser also allows Android users to add icons for any bookmarked website or web app to the home-screen and launch it with just one touch.

 

In related news, the latest monthly browser stats from market research firm Net Applications have been released, showing that as of October, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (IE) commands a 52.6% share of the global browser usage pie, with Mozilla’s Firefox browser keeping a firm grasp on second place with its 22.5% stake.